12V inflatable pumps!

[onesea]

I had a Ten Pound jobby, it worked well to get most of the air in and then finished off by foot..

From what I have seen and my experience try with a decent foot pump before you rush out and buy...

If you are fit and healthy you will probably not want the electric one.

For me I do not use an inflatable often (in fact not at all last year). I want equipment that I can trust to work when I want it having been in a damp locker...

 

[charles_reed]

I was lucky enough to get one of the LVM expensive pumps for very little money on eBay. It was second hand and the owner didn't describe it very well so other bidders probably didn't find it.

Haven't used it on a dinghy yet, but it certainly seems convincing when you turn it on! A powerful blast of air completely different to the cheapo electric pumps.

I'm going to run a special circuit for it with a socket on the foredeck (probably inside the anchor locker). I'll put matching plugs on the searchlight and anchor light while I'm at it (though of course these don't need the same power).

Pete

I've had an LVM for about 24 years, which has seen off 3 dinghies and (apart from the switch occasionally sticking on) still pumps up a 3.16m airdeck dinghy in about 5'. In fact it takes longer to move from chamber to chamber than the unit takes to pump.
However, I increasingly use the foot-pump for the dinghy - it takes only about twice as long and doesn't have the 35 amp draw of the LVM and is easier to use on the foredeck.
I do have to finish off with a few strokes of the footpump to get adequate pressure in deck.
If I were transporting an inflatable by car to access a boat on a swinging mooring, it would make total sense.
Incidentally the unit was an Xmas present from my daughter, bought mainly to deflate a round-stern Avon which was much more difficult to fold up than any hard-transom dinghy now made.

 

[Jim@sea]

I ususually carry one of these 12v emergency car start up things and plug my 12v Inflateable Pump into that. This also has the advantage that you can inflate the dingy away from the car.

 

[Robert Wilson]

This type of thing:

Does not burn out the wiring, works even if the battery is flat AND can be taken with you in the dink in case it's needed

+1

As I'm standing on the foredeck, foot-pumping, I'm running through my mind the list of "leaving-the-boat" jobs. On shore I'm thinking of the "MUST-take-onboard" list. (hatch keys, to-do-list etc).
Brain and body exercise. Cheap, and battery-saving.
Seemples

 

[Kelpie]

I guess it depends on how often you inflate/deflate the dinghy.
We have no storage for a tender, so very time you want to visit the boat, you need to blow up the dinghy. Electric wins every time!
Similarly, as we cruise with dogs, every overnight stop requires the dinghy to be blown up again. I've now worked out a system where I can blow up and launch the dinghy by myself, thanks to the electric pump and the pole uphaul. It's so simple that I wouldn't dream of towing the dink or of leaving it inflated on deck any more.

 

[Zagato]

Well I have just told my wife to take back the kids shoes she bought yesterday so that will pay for the Rule pump

Only putting on new kitchen doors and keeping the old worktops will pay for the new GPS

And stalling redecorating the bathroom will pay for the tender

Well you've got to get your priorities right havn't you .

Anyone want to buy some roof tiles, I have a mooring fee to pay for, the kids can sleep in a tent

 

[charles_reed]

<<Anyone want to buy some roof tiles, I have a mooring fee to pay for, the kids can sleep in a tent >>

They'll love every minute - but it will begin to pall the second night.

 

[Spyro]

Got a 12v inflator from Aldi a few years ago, brillinant and cost about £8, IIRC. They stock them every year so will come around again. Not dissimilar from LVM to look at, obviously not same but against £80......

Got the same one and it's great. Very quick and I just finish off with a few pumps on the foot pump to get it up to pressure. I believe Tesco do the same one now for about £5.

 

[lw395]

This type of thing:

Does not burn out the wiring, works even if the battery is flat AND can be taken with you in the dink in case it's needed

It's worth adding some white rubber feet so it does not skid around the deck or leave marks. Some have too short a hose, making life awkward.

 

[Kelpie]

Well I have just told my wife to take back the kids shoes she bought yesterday so that will pay for the Rule pump

Asking out of sheer curiosity, what was it that persuaded you to go for the Rule?

 

[Zagato]

Asking out of sheer curiosity, what was it that persuaded you to go for the Rule?

The foot pump would be OK for the car end but no good for the boat as I will need to inflate it on the cabin roof (very little space, might slip about or mark the roof) or in the cockpit with the dinghy standing up-right I should think - not much room again and as previously said the footpump won't reach the valves of course!

I'm all for not using gadgets and still use a footpump for air beds and a brace for caravan legs etc, not drills

The advice from some (on another forum also) is not to buy the £10 pumps as you have to leave the valves open as some havn't got enough power to push air in but you still have to fart about with a footpump afterwards so why not get one thing that does the entire job and again a footpump is no good for me for the reasons mentioned.

Everyone that has a Rule have no complaints compared to the Bravo and LVM and it's got enough oomph to do the job in one (complaints about Bravo, LVM seem to be just not the right tool for that person rather than the actual piece of kit, but £100+ is too much to pay for a pump for me but £60-65 Rule is OK). Deflating it at the other end may also be handy by sucking air out. Batteries are easily accessible both ends so for once I can see a gadget actually being of benefit. We already have 2 footpumps and one comes with the Avon so I can put one at each end in an emergency

I won't however do anything until i have pumped the tender up at home with a footpump and sussed it all out. If It pumps up quickly great, if I can put it on it side in the cockpit and pump it up by foot then that might be the way to go but I do like the sound of just connecting two croc clips and job done. There is enough to do in loooong days and if not pumping up a dinghy sometimes twice a day when you are knackered is one of them, then bring on the decent gadget...