C-Forum

I already have enough heavy OC airbags in bins -- don't need to buy more.

On the other hand, my nice lightweight Voyageur bags are getting a bit long in the tooth.

I have a line on a pair of "NRS 57" 3D SOLO AIR BAGS".

Are they worth a hoot?

Ken Dubel

They are lightweight and have been very durable for me. I have had a set for 3 or more seasons (80+ times a year), they get rotated between 2 solo boats and one tandem, I don't take them out for the drive and still no patches. My one complaint is they don't have grommetts at the wide corners... so you just have these little titty things and no way to tie them off. Maybe the newer ones have grommetts...

I love the grey color, the light weight, and the idea of increased durability. But the ones I've seen have no dump valves--kind of a deal breaker for me.

I have a pair of the big solo end bags. I've only had them for 5 months, but they have worked well for me, I've been paddling pretty much every weekend since May with them. Mine have grommets all over the place, including the "nipples". They seem pretty solid. One time I left them out in the sun when I was working on my boat, and it popped my D-rings out but didn't damage the bags.

By dump valve, do you mean a large valve for deflation? Mine have that.

I bought a $25 coleman rechargeable air pump for mattresses at Wally world, and it inflates/deflates these bags in a matter of seconds. Also, keep the air pump next to you at the camp fire, and you will never need to use starter fluid.

NRS told me they changed their airbag fabric from (roughly) 2008 to 2009 because they couldn't get a dump valve put in a bag made of the older (shiny gray) fabric.

I had a few NRS air bags a few years ago and they were the worst ones ever.
Major delamination ocurred within one season to the point where no amount of maring goop or aquaseal would keep the air in for any useful amount of time.
Went back to Harmony, no problems ever since.

TGG!

Martin - were those urethane or nylon bags?

As far as I can remember they were urethane coated nylon.

TGG!

martin,

did you contact NRS about the bags? if so, they probably would have replaced them happily. i'd be surprised to hear otherwise.

and give me another set of airbags that will delaminate in no time? Mine weren't the only ones several friends had the same problem. I need airbags that work, that's why I went back to Harmony.

TGG!

as posted by others, they have switched materials since then

They're only OK. I agree with Martin on the delam problem with the nylon bags. Voyageur bags are far more durable.

Current generation of NRS bags is good. Older bags were so-so as others have mentioned. The urethane bags without purge valve hold up well but are a PITA to drain, newer coated nylon with purge seem good but I don't have much time with them.

Switched to Gaia Everlast bags last year, slightly heavier than NRS coated nylon but similar weight to Gaia coated nylon. I'd rate them as excellent, no problems. All the advantages of the NRS urethane with a purge valve. Bright yellow is only color option.

One of my old-style NRS bags developed a hole (origin unknown). Sent it in and got the new style. No charge. Got dump valve on it with tie- down option built on wide ends.

BTW, old bag was less than a year-old.

Does anyone know where to get a good airbag sized properly to use a a centre bag in an OC-2 (Vertige X). I know I can use a large end-bag rolled back but it ofter gets away on me.