Float Pumps

jaredoconnor

jaredoconnor

Peabrain Chub
Oh hi. Me again. 🙋‍♂️

I forgot to order a pump, for my Fish Cat 4.

I see some folks saying that it is good to keep a hand pump on board. Is that a thing?

Does anyone have experience with the K4 pump? It seems to have enough capacity that I wouldn’t need a floor pump or electric pump, because I’ll be storing my tube mostly inflated. I don’t mind spending the money, if it will make my life significantly easier.
 
K pumps are good.
The nice thing about them is they're efficient and don't need any power, so they work anywhere and can't really get damaged from getting wet. Downside is they are manual, so you can't hook it up to your car and chit chat or get rigged up while you're tube is blowing up.

Regarding keeping it on board: would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Don't forget to clean it....

K Pump Maintenance

I've got a squeaky K pump that I've lived with for a while, but it's gotten to the point where I need to fix it, if not for me, for the sake of anyone within 100 yards of me when I pump the raft up. The squeaking has gotten unbearably loud.... I'm planning on doing some regular maintenance on...
pnwflyfishing.com pnwflyfishing.com
 
I don't, myself, keep a pump on the tube with me. But I also don't tube anywhere that I couldn't swim back pretty easily (or on any rivers).

For general inflation, I have a number of pumps, but a basic foot pump is the one I use the most. Since my tube is 70% inflated most of the time, it doesn't take much to get it to 100%.
 
K Pumps are good. I just use a cigarette lighter plug-in Coleman electric pump I bought 30+ years ago and top the tube off with a cheap foot pump from Outdoor Emporium. Takes no time at all.
SF
 
I had a piece of junk plastic pump that would inflate a balloon, it broke one day while I was trying to pump up my boat. Since then I bought and Aire pump direct from Outcast; it's great. I can pump up my Fat Cat in less than three minutes and I'm 74 years old. I did buy a Ryobi "high volume inflator" when I had two bigger inflatables. I don't carry a pump when I'm fishing; the volume and weight of sh-- (stuff) I pack into lakes is already enough. A word of caution; if you do take extended shore breaks in hot sun, you might want to take the pump with you (K-pumps are smaller) so you can partially deflate your boat as it sits in the sun then reinflate when you're done doing your shore break.

Always, always wear a PFD.
 
Walmart sells an Ozark Trail two way for $10, Target sells the same one branded by Intex. They pump a large volume of air, but aren’t as compact as kpumps, beneficially they also don’t put stress on the valve when being pumped due to the hose.
 
I'll echo everybody's sentiments on K Pumps, they're great tools. IMO there's not much need to carry aboard your tube, so I'd recommend picking up one of the larger sizes if this will be your primary means of inflation.
 
The K Pump mini will fit in the pocket of your float tube. As other have said, they are great. I have a small battery powered pump, or use the rainbow vac run on reverse, if at home, and I deflated it for some reason.
 
I don't have a K pump, but everyone who does seems to like them. I have 2 NRS barrel double action pumps that are good but would be kinda' big to carry on the float tube. If you want convenience in your life, buy a Ryobi battery powered inflation tool. I already had some Ryobi battery powered tools with batteries, so the inflator by itself is less than $30. On a single charge I can inflate my Watermaster or Flycraft many times, probably inflate the Fat Cat a hundred times. But they all have to be finished off with a manual pump.
 
They make different sized K pumps, the small one will be more than adequate for a Fish Cat. I have an Italian made double action pump that is a quality piece but seldom used now that I have a K pump. A small inexpensive 12v pump will blow any of my boats up to at least 80% and finishing them off manually is really easy.

I would recommend a pressure gauge for inflatable owners. They don't cost much, are small and easy to store and make life a lot easier if you are unsure of your boat's pressure. One thing I see often is under inflating boats then have them get in cold water and deflate even further. On the other end of the scale too much inflation on a hot day can damage a boat if left in the sun for any length of time. Vehicles now come with inflation pressure readouts-inflatables aren't there yet.
 
I have the k mini that I keep in any inflatable I happen to be in. Great for a top off but could be a life saver (arm breaker) in a emergency. HOWEVER here is my absolute new fav.
www.dewalt.com

20V MAX* Compact Jobsite Blower (TOOL ONLY)

This 20V MAX* Cordless Blower is ideal for clearing debris from the ground and overhead. A 3-speed design offers versatility for a range of jobs, while its compact profile makes it perfect for use in tight spots. This blower is part of the 20V MAX* System of products.
www.dewalt.com www.dewalt.com
Kinda pricey but bomb proof, convenient and really fast. I can fully inflate my Outcast Clearwater in less than 5, maybe way less (haven’t timed it), min. No messing with cords and I have the matching batteries already.
One nozzle has a gasket that fits the Halkey-Roberts (Clearwater) perfectly. Even depresses the release while inflating.
IMHO worth every cent and wish I’d bought it long ago.
 
jaredoconnor said:
Do you guys worry about checking the pressure or just go by feel?
Click to expand...
Had to laugh at your question - Ive is a stickler for consistency and perfection, I use my index finger to "test the pressure" (It works for me). Never had a problem with under or over inflation.
 
jaredoconnor said:
Oh hi. Me again. 🙋‍♂️

I forgot to order a pump, for my Fish Cat 4.

I see some folks saying that it is good to keep a hand pump on board. Is that a thing?

Does anyone have experience with the K4 pump? It seems to have enough capacity that I wouldn’t need a floor pump or electric pump, because I’ll be storing my tube mostly inflated. I don’t mind spending the money, if it will make my life significantly easier.
Click to expand...
I have a kpump mini in the pocket of my FC4 and it lives there. Doesn't take long to pump up even with the mini and I like that it is with me on the lake.
 
jaredoconnor said:
Yeah. I’m not like that at all, ever.

😶
Click to expand...
You might spend all your time engineering a system to maintain consistent pressure then, because of Boyle's Law and the pesky fact that ambient temperatures are far from constant when out fishing in the great outdoors.

You need to know 2 thresholds, which you can easily determine. One is "not enough." Below this threshold, your floaty thingy will be floppy, soft, and may not hold you as high above waterline as you are accustomed. The second threshold is "too much." As you approach this threshold, you should observe closely for visual indicators such as strain on seam stitching or weird bulges developing. If you observe these, stop pumping and release some air. If you miss these indicators and proceed to pump air into your floaty thingy, you may detect auditory indicators of snapping or squeaking. Eventually, catastrophic failure of your floaty thingy will occur. Don't do this. Just stay between Not Enough and Too Much. It's pretty easy. Even I can do it.
 
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