Togiak tube question

[Zachary Scott]

A few weeks ago I got a classic accessories Togiak float tube at Walmart, and I've been trying to contact the company to ask them a question but their customer service is horrendous at replying during the pandemic. If any of you have one, I'm hoping you can put my mind to rest. My bladders are quite large compared to their fabric compartments - a few inches larger in circumference, and if I inflate one bladder to light pressure without inflating the other it extends into its neighboring compartment by about 6". Is this normal in float tubes? The instructions say to avoid twisting the bladders but I can't inflate it without lots of rumples and general difficulty getting them to be shapely. I'd love to be worried for nothing, thanks!

[FishinBuck07]

I don't have the Togiak but I have the Cumberland!  I don't think you have anything to worry about, but I don't know if I am fully understanding what exactly talking about with the size of the bladders compared to the fabric.  When mine is pumped up it is tight.  If I remember correctly the Togiak has the tiny air valves on them which makes it more difficult to inflate compared to the one I have.  If you could post some pictures of the concerns you are having I may have more help for you.  They are a blast to fish out of for sure!!!

[Zachary Scott]

On 9/18/2020 at 9:30 AM, FishinBuck07 said:

I don't have the Togiak but I have the Cumberland!  I don't think you have anything to worry about, but I don't know if I am fully understanding what exactly talking about with the size of the bladders compared to the fabric.  When mine is pumped up it is tight.  If I remember correctly the Togiak has the tiny air valves on them which makes it more difficult to inflate compared to the one I have.  If you could post some pictures of the concerns you are having I may have more help for you.  They are a blast to fish out of for sure!!!

Pics that illustrate the crumpled bladder are hard to get but here's one that shows the length of the bladder invading the opposite compartment. Should my bladders both overlap to provide structure to the bow or should I bunch the bladders up at the stern end before inflating so they simply meet in the center of the bow?

 

The valves are definitely not the ones that go on the Cumberland which has given me hope but I'm still concerned because the instructions say to not let the bladder twist during inflation. The bladder goes tight against the fabric but with much folding of the PVC, which gives me pause as I'm worried it will fatigue and break after a moderate number of use and storage cycles. I assume this is the worry behind twisted bladders as mentioned in the very ambiguous users manual.

 

Are your bladders folded at all against the hull while inflated? Are they longer than your hull? When I get home I will measure the length of my bladders, may I ask you to do the same?

 

I don't do well with cold and my season for using this thing is probably done this week. Do you use neoprene waders to fish colder waters in your tube? How does that work for you?

[FishinBuck07]

9 hours ago, Zachary Scott said:

Pics that illustrate the crumpled bladder are hard to get but here's one that shows the length of the bladder invading the opposite compartment. Should my bladders both overlap to provide structure to the bow or should I bunch the bladders up at the stern end before inflating so they simply meet in the center of the bow?

 

The valves are definitely not the ones that go on the Cumberland which has given me hope but I'm still concerned because the instructions say to not let the bladder twist during inflation. The bladder goes tight against the fabric but with much folding of the PVC, which gives me pause as I'm worried it will fatigue and break after a moderate number of use and storage cycles. I assume this is the worry behind twisted bladders as mentioned in the very ambiguous users manual.

 

Are your bladders folded at all against the hull while inflated? Are they longer than your hull? When I get home I will measure the length of my bladders, may I ask you to do the same?

 

I don't do well with cold and my season for using this thing is probably done this week. Do you use neoprene waders to fish colder waters in your tube? How does that work for you?

I think you might be just fine from what I can see in the picture.  I can measure mine when I get home after work, I believe they use the same bladders.  I have had mine for probably 7 years now, I have had to replace the bladders twice now, though some of the stuff my buddy and I track through to get to some spots is thick so probably too many branches and things bouncing off the tube.  Yes I wear neoprene waders when using mine, sometimes even during the summer, the place we use our tubes is crawling with ticks, so the waders keep them off of us while hiking to the ponds.  My tube does get tight when I fill it with air, but there is always a slight fold back there in the back where the two bladders meet.

[Zachary Scott]

The company finally got back to me and I am very disappointed with their response, after a few uninformative back and forths they had this to say:

 

"Hello,

 

Thank you for clarifying, I apologize for the delay in response, I have been out of office and we have been catching up on a high volume of emails. The bladders do look like they are too large, and we would like to offer to send you a new set. Unfortunately, since the item was ordered through Walmart, we are unable to provide you with a return and refund for your purchase made through them."

 

That was the entirety of their latest email. I stated that I'm worried about the safety of using the product (which they never acknowledged) and stated that it was the original components I purchased when they asked, and the company who admits they packed a defective product is saying they won't do anything for me. Pretty peeved at them and I'm going to be getting some consumer advocacy groups involved. This is ludicrous.