[Paddlewise] Foot Pumps

I send this email, not in the spirit of trolling for more solutions to the
problems I raise or causing anyone to take offense. I have valued every
piece of advice everyone has ever given me on this list, but at the same
time I feel I need to raise my hand and ask: Does anyone think they have the
right solution?

Over the last year I've listened to the virtues of foot pumps. A hands free
maneuver and simple, foolproof operation being the two biggest. What more
could you ask for? As I get further along into installing this valuable
piece of safety gear I have to wonder; where did "simple and foolproof" go?

Hand pumps (deck mounted or portable) require your hand(s) to be off the
paddle; something you want to avoid in rough conditions.

Electrical pumps seem to be an accident waiting to happen. Salt water and
electricity don't go together.

So I decide to go the foot pump direction.

Problem #1 is volume. Foot pumps don't pump much volume and are expensive,
which leads me to look for cheaper alternatives. The Guzzler 400 & 500 are
used by people with success, so I order one. Cheap, and higher volume than
the modified chimp pumps, problem number 1 is solved.

Problem #2: Who can depress a stock Guzzler foot pump? I have trouble
STANDING on the plunger. Cut down the spring, much better but still a leg
cramp waiting to happen. Even removing the spring and using foot power to
move the plunger both ways is a chore. Why isn't it as easy as my thirsty
mate portable? Bungies? More foot entrapment issues or pieces that can
break?

It doesn't mater, cause problem #3 is mounting the foot pump. Ideally, it
should be moveable to fit different size paddlers, but alas, moveable means
your feet may get entrapped and you will die. Mounting it to my plastic
bulkhead is not an option, it just couldn't take the strain of the constant
kicking to compress that heavy spring. Options? Even Current Designs won't
return my email offering a viable solution. Glassing in plywood creates a
hard spot - another place for my kayak or foot pump to fail. Mounting to a
foam plug is an option - Maybe that will work...But will I just press it
through the foam when I use the pump?

Problem #4 - partially related to #2, but users of other pumps report the
same - How to prevent foot or leg cramps? Both hands on the paddle don't
help much if your calf muscle kinks up into a tight ball while trying to
pump out your flooded kayak - in sea tossing conditions. Now which of your
current problems can you focus on?

So, here I sit with about $100 in pieces and parts wondering if I'm
investing in a good way to get myself killed. The jury rigging is inviting
failure and operation by foot is like playing Russian roulette.  Despite
having very good luck with the electric pump I installed in my Guillemot, I
lured myself into what on the surfaced appeared straightforward and the wise
way to go. Now I have very strong second thoughts about almost every aspect
of foot pumps. They aren't easy to operate. They provide ample opportunity
to get tangled in or damage the plumbing. But the biggest danger is to the
captain of the ship, with the possibility of sitting in a cockpit full of
cold water with leg cramps... This will make re-entry such a challenge if
you get dumped back into the drink now.

How is a novice, believing the hype, supposed to overcome issues like this?
I feel somewhat fortunate because I've worked with epoxy and fiberglass, but
what are others to do?

 I'm going back electric. I think I'll have better chance of solving the
problems with the electrical system...Maybe I'll install the foot pump as a
back up.

Woody


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