Pumps

The raft pumps and inflatable kayak inflators we inventory include Bravo / Scoprega, Carlson, Sierra, Mastercraft, K-Pump, EZ-Pump (not shown below, but in stock), AIRE's Hurricane, and our own Top-Off pumps. It's probably fair to say we carry more inflators than any other stocking retailer, with more than twenty varieties. We also stock two pressure gauges that will cover most boat owner's needs. The foot, cylinder, and barrel pumps, and 12 volt & 110 volt electric inflators below can be used for all types of rafts and inflatables.

Our Boat People Top-Off cylinder kayak pump is aimed at inflatable kayakers who want something portable, but also very reliable compared to mass produced raft & kayak foot pumps, to take with them on longer paddle jaunts.

For 2015 we have a new small 12 volt unit to replace our discontinued Dyna inflator, and another new 110 volt pump that falls in between the expensive Big Red and the Bravo OV-4. These new pumps are now in stock.

Bravo 9 and Bravo 5 foot pumps feature secondary top-off chambers. These two kayak pumps can achieve several times the pressure of any single chambered foot pump. For Innova boats or any other make where recommended inflation pressures are 3 p.s.i. or less, you want to stick with a "regular" foot pump. For the side tubes on AIRE, Grabner, and Incept boats, and high pressure sportboat air floors, these dual chamber pumps are worth looking at. Note that most hand pumps (except the big 6" diameter barrel models) can also achieve higher pressures, sometimes up to 11 p.s.i. The exact maximum depends which model we're talking about.

Occasionally we see a footpump with a small hole in the front center of the bellows. This is often caused by the bellows getting pinched in the internal spring, and it can be prevented by not stomping the bellows plates together hard. If you do get a hole in the bellows of any kayak or raft foot pump though, a drop or two of Aquaseal (see our repair section) will seal it right up. Also, should your pump hose develop a crack near the middle (instead of at the end, where you can just cut off a few inches), a section of standard 3/4" i.d. garden hose works well as a replacement.

Many people ask us if a certain pump comes with the exact adapter for their inflatable. If that adapter requires that you twist it into the valve in the same way as the valve's cap, the answer is no. If you have some odd threaded thing where the pump is actually supposed to screw on, again, no, pumps don't come with these specialized adapters. Worldwide there must be close to a dozen twist-in style valve adapters in use, but they almost all have different diameters and different depths as far as how long those little bent "fingers" on the adapter need to be. It is impossible for any pump maker to include every adapter, and if they did it would drive the pump prices up dramatically. Your boat should have come with whatever is required, and while we do carry Summit twist-adapters, any others will probably need to be sourced from wherever you bought the boat from. The confusion on this whole issue happens because often, when people first buy a boat, it may come with a pump that the boat maker already equipped with the correct twist-in adapter. But this is something they did, not the pump manufacturer.

This section of our site was updated February, 2015.

The video above is courtesy of Jim Katella, a.k.a. Mr. K-Pump. Remember, all cylinder pumps need grease roughy once per season!