all about.........

🐋PooLToYs🐬

sfw website but intended for 18+

Yes, pool toys! Items that have been typically seen as uninteresting or disposable by the broader public have now found their home among collectors, enthusiasts, and fetishists.
If you're here, you may likely fall into one or more of these... If not, why not read on and learn more about this unusual but unique hobby!

ℹ️info...

💙tips and care💙

so... why pooltoys?

An exact reason why people may have an affinity for pool toys and inflatables in general is hard to pin down. For a lot of people, the fascination hearkens back to their childhoods; summer fun at the beach or by the pool, they can represent those innocent joyful feelings, resting in the warm sun on the back of a toy. Many enjoy them for the comfort they bring.Others find appeal in their form, with their soft curves and unique texture of each toy's vinyl, even the sheer variety of toys in existence. For some, their 'bodies' can emulate the sensation of holding a living thing. Some people who have a sexual proclivity for latex and rubber can have an overlap with those who also like pool toys.A small subset of people also find the prospect of being an inflatable appealing, for mostly the same reasons many enjoy inflatable forms. This can be a form of Aptophilia, a fetish/interest in the utility or inconvenience of a unique body.
definition of aptophilia paraphrased from @Caudlewag on twitter

above are just a few of the most popular toys among collectors!

However, many are simply just hobbyists who have found their own reasons for collecting these items. There is an endless amount of inflatable toys, old and new, and a growing community of like-minded enthusiasts who all share a passion for something so often overlooked by others. Whatever the reasons one may have, this is a harmless and fun mode of self-expression or sexuality that anyone can enjoy, even you!I highly recommend watching Ash Coyote's episode of Behind the Fandom about pool toys for a greater perspective on the subject.

i may want my own pooltoy...

Great! You have nearly unlimited options on what to pick, why not browse Inflate & Ride? There's hundreds upon hundreds of rare and unusual toys to see, and users who will sell or trade with you.
You can also check out...• Inflatable World, a pool toy manufacturer based in Germany, boasting a wide variety of well-known toys.•PuffyPaws, while they have not produced toys in a while, their toys are some of the most popular and sought after.•PhenodToy, boasts a large and high-quality collection of inflatables, and semi-regularly produces new designs.These are some of the most popular companies that produce pool toys, but this barely scratches the surface! You may have noticed however that these are very expensive. If you're looking for affordable toys, you will have to look towards non-designer toy brands commonly sold in stores i.e. Intex, Bestway or Swimline (and many many more!).
I highly recommend searching eBay and/or Inflate & Ride first and foremost for whatever you may be looking for.

... and some tutorials

This may be updated as time goes on, but for now, I highly recommend Heath Dragon on YouTube. There are plenty of care tips, tutorials, and experiments on this channel as well as hundreds of toys showcased through their inflation.
This is their playlist full of how-to's, I have used many of them myself & regularly perform many of these techniques!

This link will take you to the ask box of my personal Tumblr account dedicated to pool toys and furries. It contains adult content and is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18. You have been warned...

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me anything! This is the most likely way to get a hold of me.
I appreciate every question! There's even a chance I will add it to this carrd!

BASIC CARE TIPZ - in no particular order...

In this section, I'll share some simple information that I think every pooltoy owner should know. I cover the properties of PVC and how to clean your toys.NOTE: I am not an expert! The tips I share here has been gathered from various sources as well as my own experience. Your results may vary!

• The average commercial pool float for children is rated to handle approximately 40kg/88lbs, although in my experience can handle far more than this (for reference I am ~190lbs). However, this is contingent on the typical treatment of a toy. Regular, prolonged overinflation, extreme play/roughhousing, and extreme temperatures can all contribute to an eventual rupture. Toys that have intense, tight inverse curves tend to be very fragile. Never inflate a toy to the point that there are no wrinkles! Your toy needs space to expand when it is ridden.• PVC is sensitive to chemicals and oils. Body oils and sweat can soak into a toy and damage the toy, making it less soft and more stiff, and cause deposits of oil to seep out from the material if not washed after play. Chemicals like acetone and vinyl glue will damage the paint, as well as things like bug spray and even alcohol depending on the paint. Chlorine can also damage a toy if not rinsed off.
This video demonstrates the damage oil can cause for PVC plastic.• PVC is temperature sensitive! Heat causes toys to stretch (ever touched a toy that's been out in the hot sun and it felt like a balloon?), and cold causes toys to shrink and become stiff. Both extremes can cause damage to a toy if the toy is overinflated or roughhoused with. As a good rule of thumb, it's good to let a toy acclimate to a room/outdoor temperatures for ~15-30 minutes before inflation and play.• Some toys have an issue with transferring their print to other toys. I recommend folding and then bagging them in non-inked plastic or cloth bags before storing them in a tote. (I don't bag mine because I am a hypocrite and this hasn't caused any huge problems for me yet.)• Cleaning your toys is easy! For ease of cleaning, use a spray bottle filled with 1:1 mild dish soap and water, and a soft washcloth. A bucket of soapy water works fine too, of course. If you have access to a garden hose, inflating your toy outdoors and wiping them down would be the easiest. However, if you're like me and have to wash them in a bathtub, keeping them deflated and submerging them in water works fine as well. Towel dry your toy completely, do not allow the toy to air-dry unless you like water spots.CLEANING NOTES:
1. Use warm/lukewarm water to clean your toys, as cold temperatures can make the PVC stiffen and become more fragile temporarily. (For toys that are already stiff, I find a bath in hot water can help.)
2. Do not allow water to enter through a valve. Always close all valves before entering water to prevent mold.
3. Deflated washing in a bathtub can sometimes damage paint through friction. Just be gentle.
4. To disinfect or remove stubborn oils, alcohol can be added to your sprayer, but please test it on a discreet painted area of your toy first. I take 90% alcohol and dilute it to about 60% in the soap/water mixture.

oh god i popped it

Oh no. Well, that's okay. Luckily, pool toys are fairly easy to repair if you've got dexterous hands and good tools!

TYPES OF DAMAGE:• Pin holes are incredibly small holes that leak air very slowly. They're often invisible to the eye, and only sometimes able to be heard faintly whistling.• Seam splits are when a rupture forms along the structural seams of a toy. Often small as well, but more catastrophic splits can stretch along an entire seam.•Tears or Cuts as you may guess, occur when the PVC is punctured by a sharp object, or when an already existing hole/split is tugged and forced open.• Defects are caused during manufacturing, when seams are misaligned or foreign material lodges itself between a seam preventing an air-tight seal, as well as seams simply not being welded together fully.-HOW TO LOCATE AN INVISIBLE LEAK:Leaks will always be releasing a small amount of air when the toy is inflated. Sometimes this is audible, and all you may need to do is quiet the room down and listen carefully, all over the surface of your toy. For larger toys however this is a total pain.
The much easier technique is to simply take soap and water, in a spray bottle would be easiest but any container works-- and cover the toy in soapy bubbly water, especially around seams. Pay attention to the bubbles, if you notice bubbles on the toy expanding or multiplying in one spot, you've found your leak. You can dry the spot and apply a tab of electrical tape to mark the spot for later repair. (Electrical tape makes for a fine temporary patch as well.)

-WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR BASIC REPAIR:• Some sort of vinyl glue-- I use 'Loctite for Vinyl, Fabric & Plastic' and have had decent luck with it, but it comes in very small quantities. For large-scale projects or repairs you can order HH-66 vinyl cement online. NOTE: Vinyl glues release toxic fumes! It's very important to work with it in a ventilated area.• Blunt-tipped project syringes, I recommend ones with a luer lock (aka screws on instead of slips on)• Scrap or spare strips/patches of PVC (An easy place to source this is to buy cheap inflatables like beach balls or water wings.)• Scissors (Small, blunt-tipped scissors would be best.)• Paper Towels• Rubbing Alcohol (again, test on an inconspicuous painted portion of your toy before diving in.)• Metal Dowel/Screwdriver/other metal tool for poking and repositioning (I suppose this could be optional but it's been so helpful for me to have on hand I'd recommend it.)OPTIONAL: Tweezers, Rubber gloves, Clamps, Roller-REPAIRING YOUR TOY:There are a lot of different ways to repair the various types of damage. If you're looking for detailed information on one of these specific methods, I recommend going through Heath Dragon's tutorials on the various techniques. However, I will go over some simple procedures that will be likely need to be followed for any kind of repair.1. Clean the PVC. If you are going to be using a patch, use a paper towel wet with rubbing alcohol to wipe the surfaces of the patch and the part of the toy that will be patched. If you are not using a patch, you should still wipe the area on the toy that will be sealed with glue. Wipe only in one direction and be sure the area is free of debris.2. For a small pinhole, simply dispense a small bead onto the pinhole and allow to set. There will be a faintly visible dried patch of glue on the spot, but the hole should be sealed. Do not rub or smear the spot especially if the spot is painted.3. For a patch applied internally (typically used for seam splits), open/cut the split just long enough to accommodate the insertion of a patch and tweezers/your fingers. Place the patch inside the hole and align it so the patch fully covers the length of the hole (i.e. you cannot see the inside of the toy, only the patch.). Take your syringe full of vinyl glue and insert it into the hole, under the toy's skin and over the patch. Dispense glue onto the perimeter of the patch and remove your syringe. Press straight down on the toy's hole, do not rub the vinyl. Make sure the split is aligned with no wrinkles as the patch is applied. Quickly dab excess glue with a paper towel. As the glue sets, gently pull the patch and working surface of the toy away from the backing of the toy as excess glue may have spread into the inside of the toy. If it set then the toy would be fused in the middle.4. For a patch applied externally (less invasive, but uglier), align the split seam or cut and apply glue to the patch itself. You can align and apply the patch directly to the seam, but if it's easier for you, you can only partially glue the patch and place it on the tip of the hole, and then add more glue as you go. When the patch is applied, press straight down onto the perimeter of the patch, do not rub the vinyl. Quickly dab away excess glue with a paper towel. As I mentioned in the above method, gently pull away the working surface from the back of the toy to prevent the toy fusing in the middle due to glue spreading inside the toy.

OTHER IMPORTANT REPAIR TIPS:• Vinyl glue ruins paint. When working on a painted area, be wary of letting glue come in contact. Any sort of rubbing or smearing will instantly strip and liquefy paint.• Vinyl glue softens PVC significantly. When fusing pieces of vinyl together, be careful to only press directly down onto glued pieces as rubbing will stretch and wrinkle the material, resulting in a weaker bond and an unsightly result. This is why I recommend using a roller as it applies even downward pressure as it goes (though you should practice first).• If you are using a patch, make sure to cut the edges rounded. This will reduce the likelihood of the patch becoming lifted and helps the glue spread evenly.• When repairing with a patch, always make sure to pull the patch away from the inner backing of the toy so that the toy does not fuse in the middle from excess glue spreading within the inside of your toy.• Always work on a fully deflated toy. The glue softens PVC and will cause your toy to stretch and warp wherever the glue is placed.

what. how unsafe can these even be...

You would be surprised.
Especially in cases where people are wearing enclosed inflatable suits, there is a very real risk of suffocation. NEVER wear an inflatable suit alone, and always have multiple backup plans and methods of communication in case of an emergency.You'd also be surprised at how many adults do not know how to swim! They are pool toys after all. Never rely on a toy to keep you afloat. If you're physically able to, learn to swim. It's fun!Using a toy not approved for use in a pool can be risky as they're usually not designed with balance in mind. They can easily flip you and fling you.Vinyl glue fumes are toxic and all pooltoy repair should be done in a well ventilated area.Swimming in an inflatable suit is a really stupid idea. There's already a risk of suffocation with an enclosed inflatable suit, and you double your risk by entering a body of water. Seriously, don't try this unless you have tons of help on hand and accept the risk that you might just drown.

misc. info...?

I am not an expert, I am just an enthusiast. My tips and tricks were gained from experience and from other collectors online. Your results with repair, maintenance, etc. may vary.I have many videos from Heath Dragon linked here, but I am not affiliated with him. He simply makes good pooltoy videos. Because of him I remove the safety valves in every single one of my pool toys lol.Pooltoys have become a passion of mine, and I hope to spread the squeaky joy far and wide! I really appreciate anyone who took the time to look through this carrd. This carrd loves you!I'm not sure what else to add, maybe the carrd is finished...
If you're a collector, send me a picture of your toy(s) + their names and I'll feature them here!