nellie54914
New member
We have a Gemmy 12ft Santa that is about 5 years old. He had been standing up fine until we had high winds last week and he got a big tear on the underside of his feet. I sewed him up and put him back outside, but he'd only inflate about halfway and stay sagged over forward. I had not removed the stakes, just slipped the loops off when I took him down, so he was staked up the exact same way as before. There are several internal lights tat had fallen down at some point over the years and just rest at the bottom now so I thought something might have gotten tangled up inside that was limiting his movement. I brought him inside last night and plugged him in, he inflated just fine and stayed inflated all the way for the half hour I had him inside, no more sagging. So I took him back out and set him up, he inflated all the way only after he first fell backwards, then we stood him up. But he stayed inflated while we were out there. This morning went back out and he's sagging again. It don't think it's a tear/seam issue since it was staying inflated all the way inside (I wouldn't think the change from cold temp outside to warm inside would matter, would it?). Could it be something with the air flow beneath it? Maybe when I sewed it (was on the bottom/front part of the feet) it partially covered something, wood floor inside is fine but on grass there's not enough room underneath? I tried putting a piece of cardboard under him and undoing the tethers, but still the same sagging. Ideas?