Advice on good quality, efficient dinghy pump?

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BabaYaga

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I carry a small inflatable, which I frequently inflate/deflate when cruising.
It came with a foot pump, Bravo 1, this type:
https://www.force4.co.uk/bravo-1-foot-pump-5ltr.html
It was OK when new (circa 230 foot strokes to full), but has lost a lot in efficiency in just a few years (now well over 300 strokes).
I have opened it up, tried pulling the spring out to make the chamber fill better, but have not seen much improvement. There are probably leaks, but they seem difficult to locate.
I am a bit reluctant to buy the same again as a replacement. Are there better and more long lasting alternatives for a manual air pump? Electrical is out, I don't mind the exercise, just the wasted effort.
 
Stemar said:
After open heart surgery meant I struggle with a manual pump, I got one of these

Expensive and heavy, but excellent. If you don't need a complete autonomy of power, there are plenty of cheaper versions.
Click to expand...

I have the same pump for my paddleboard - agree it’s excellent. A bit overkill for a dinghy though, since it goes up to 20psi which is several times the pressure a conventional inflatable needs.

Pete
 
I have an upright one made by Coleman. Far better than a foot pump as it seems to give more air per stroke than a foot pump & i find easier to operate as it does not skate around like a foot pump because one can grip it under ones feet and use both hands to pump

sorry, struggling with link on Ipad bit try this similar one on amazon-
High Peak 49702, Double
 
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I bought an Avon Redcrest this year. It's ancient. So is the pump, but it's still up to the job, and I don't know a better design.

48510720176_40b0514e3b.jpg


That's another old one on Ebay, I'm tempted to buy it myself.

But I find it inexplicable that nobody makes a BIG foot-pump. However well-constructed they are, the frenetic squeak of pumping that can often be heard at launch sites, is the consequence of the kiddie-friendly proportions. Like being fixed in a low gear.

If the bellows were a lot bigger, I could still pump energetically and the boat would inflate without the air of breathless fuss.
 
Lidl have a high volume and pump that I have and is quite effective. I have something identical and am impressed (can also deflate).

If you are looking for electronic then while bravos are the go to name, I'm told the decathlon pump is about 1/3rd the price and very good
 
dancrane said:
This looks clever if you already have Ryobi 18v cordless tools. I wish Bosch made an equivalent.

https://www.tooled-up.com/ryobi-r18...MI3pyui5T74wIVA7TtCh2hgwMPEAQYDyABEgK03vD_BwE

EDIT: I was thinking the thing was sold without a battery, but that example seems complete.

If Bosch made the same thing for the same price without the battery, which I already have, I'd buy one.
Click to expand...

Maximum pressure of that Ryobi inflator seems to be 0.5PSI. Inflatables typically need around 3.5PSI (and air floors need much more).
 
dancrane said:
But I find it inexplicable that nobody makes a BIG foot-pump. However well-constructed they are, the frenetic squeak of pumping that can often be heard at launch sites, is the consequence of the kiddie-friendly proportions.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of small pumps out there, but my Bravo footpump is a decent size, I would guess higher volume than that plywood one. Rubber feet, too, which eliminates the "skating" problem Daydream Believer mentions on fibreglass decks. I'm not a big fan of the stirrup pump type as you have to hunch over to push them all the way down, which is hard on my lower back.

Pete
 
Well spotted, PVB. I only read that it fills a big air-bed quickly. As Awol said above, an underpowered electric pump might do most of the work, leaving the hand or footpump to top up.

Pete, I wonder if there's a good reason why the same design of foot-pump (which definitely does work) isn't simply made bigger?

Each stroke isn't a struggle, and a certain amount of the air is always lost in each stroke, so if the pump's capacity was 10 litres instead of 5 or 6, I'd expect the thing to be easier to use.
 
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dancrane said:
Well spotted, PVB. I only read that it fills a big air-bed quickly. As Awol said above, an underpowered electric pump might do most of the work, leaving the hand or footpump to top up.

Pete, I wonder if there's a good reason why the same design of foot-pump (which definitely does work) isn't simply made bigger?

Each stroke isn't a struggle, and a certain amount of the air is always lost in each stroke, so if the pump's capacity was 10 litres instead of 5 or 6, I'd expect the thing to be easier to use.
Click to expand...

I've read that the standard Bravo-type pumps supplied with most inflatables are designed so that it's not possible to put too much pressure into the tubes. I can't say it takes much time to pump up my Zodiac, and there usually isn't huge urgency.
 
I can believe that the pump-manufacturers make them that way for that reason, but I'd rather have a more powerful pump and be allowed to judge for myself when the tubes are up to pressure.

If the pump bellows only contained two litres, I think we'd agree they need to be bigger. The makers have stopped at five or six, so that's as much as we're able to benefit from.
 
doug748 said:
I have given up on foot pumps as they are tricky to use on deck. I use something like this only coloured red:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intex-Doub...ocphy=9045309&hvtargid=pla-450857768804&psc=1

I have one onboard and one in the car, they cost about 4 quid each at the local cheap shop. Because they are double acting they are quick and give you an upper body work out into the bargain.
Click to expand...

That’s the way to go. If you like foot pumps you probably like Avon Redcrests :encouragement:
 
I vaguely detect an insult there, but I can't make out how or why. :biggrin-new:

I'd like what Doug suggests, for my Redcrest. The fact that it inflates with the up-stroke and the down-stroke, is smart design.

It's interesting that almost all the negative reviews are from people who didn't have the right connectors for their use.

Considering the number of potential uses, that's not really something you can expect the pump-maker to provide for.
 
doug748 said:
I have given up on foot pumps as they are tricky to use on deck. I use something like this only coloured red:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intex-Doub...ocphy=9045309&hvtargid=pla-450857768804&psc=1

I have one onboard and one in the car, they cost about 4 quid each at the local cheap shop. Because they are double acting they are quick and give you an upper body work out into the bargain.
Click to expand...

+ another 1. They’re as cheap as chips, come with a decent selection of adapters and are much faster than a foot pump (leastways if you work at it) as you’re not waiting for a spring to refill the pump chamber. I’ve got several lurking about the place to be used as needed.
 
Footpumps are a bad joke. Desperately inefficient.

Get a decent double-acting stirrup pump with suction capability as well as inflation. 4 times as fast, half the effort and it sucks your dinghy empty.
Ebay has lots to choose from.
 
Thank you all for your suggestions.
It seems I could either try one of the larger Bravo foot pumps, as those mentioned by pvb and prv (rubber feet would be nice) or switch over to one of those double acting piston pumps. I might be a bit concerned about getting the right adaptor in the latter case (the dinghy is a an Achilles, not sold in Europe in recent years...)
Will have to consider this for a while. Thanks again for the replies.
 
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