Vent plugs allow air to escape freely from the core via a water tight gore-tex seal in the vent plug. air may pass out, but no water gets inside. this keeps your board safe from delamination and water damage.. Types of sup air vents. now you know why a stand up paddle board requires an air vent. but interestingly enough, not all air vents are created equal. there are primarily two types of air vents used in sups: screw-type and “hassle free” auto-vent plugs.. Vent and vent plug some standup paddle boards have vents that are sealed with vent plugs. since the boards are made of foam the gases contained in the board will expand and contract with the air temperature..
How to easily install your vent plug on your eps/epoxy sup board.. As a windsurfer with over 25 years experience with vent plugs, i can tell you to forget the vent plug. close it up and never open it. more boards are damaged by plugs left open, than by heat. provided you avoid a few simple things. don’t use board bags. they bake boards. don’t leave it inside your car. don’t take it on airplanes.. Vent plugs are installed on sup boards as a way to help prevent the separation of the fiberglass or epoxy layer from the foam core, also known as delamination. (click thumbnail to launch video) you can order the gore-tex vent plug shown in the video from blue planet surf hawaii:.