Pumps for Today’s Inflatables: Manual vs. Electric vs. Built-in

Today’s inflatable water toys and boat accessories — including towables, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, dinghies, platform-type floats, trampolines and even chairs — share little in common with the flimsy, low-pressure inflatables many of us grew up with. Those old-fashioned rafts, tubes and floats were borderline disposable; you were lucky if they lasted a whole season.

On the plus side, they were quick and easy to blow up with a hand pump or even your mouth. Modern inflatables are far more durable and rigid thanks to new technology and higher inflation pressures. They’re also quite a bit harder to inflate. Fortunately, pump technology has also advanced rapidly, with higher pressure manual pumps, 12V and battery-powered portable pumps, and even a new boat-specific built-in waterproof air station called the ATMOS. Here’s what you need to know about using modern inflatables on the water.

Modern inflatables, on the other hand, are designed for far more pressure — anywhere from around 2 psi for lower pressure towable tubes up to 15 psi or even 20 psi for some inflatable paddleboards. Achieving that kind of pressure requires more than patience and a good set of lungs; it requires a pump capable of producing the required psi.

The difference between pressure and volume is commonly misunderstood, at least when it comes to air pumps for inflatables. Understanding both terms and how they relate is key to choosing the right pump.

Pressure refers to the ability of a pump to force more air into an inflatable after it’s “full,” making it firmer and more rigid. In America, pump pressure is usually rated in pounds per square inch (psi).

A 20 psi rating is enough to fully inflate virtually any recreational inflatable. Most paddleboards require about 15 psi. Rigid platform style floats like those made by Bote and Rave take around 6 psi. Dinghies and towable tubes take around 2 to 3 psi.

It’s important to understand that a high-volume pump isn’t necessarily a high-pressure pump — and vice-versa. Take a typical manual bicycle tire pump for example. It can generate a lot of pressure — 50 psi or more — but blowing up a 4-person towable with it would take all day. At the other end of the spectrum, a leaf blower is essentially a very high-volume air pump but can produce almost no pressure.

You might think electric pumps would be universally better than manual, but that’s not the case. In fact, the main advantage of electric pumps is simply ease of use. Using a manual pump can be a bit of a workout, depending on the size and required pressure of what you’re inflating. Additionally, electric pumps tend to be smaller and easier to store.

On the other hand, manual pumps do have several advantages:

• Generally speaking, they’re less costly than electric pumps.

• They don’t require power, so they can be used anywhere and never run out of “juice” — at least until the operator does.

• They’re waterproof. Most electric pumps aren’t.

• In some cases, manual pumps are actually faster than electric pumps. A good quality triple-action pump in the hands of a reasonably fit operator tends to be faster than most lower-tier single-stage electric pumps.

Both manual and electric pumps can be either single-stage or multi-stage. Multi-stage means that a pump has two or more “modes” to maximize pumping speed and ease. The first stage produces the highest volume at the lowest pressure. Later stages are progressively lower volume and higher pressure.

In practice, this means you can quickly “fill” your inflatable with the first stage, then increase pressure more easily with the second/third stage. Think of it kind of like gearing down in a car as the hill gets steeper.

Single-stage pumps, on the other hand, are kind of like a single-speed bike. They can be high-volume to move air fast, but, like a high-geared bike, they’ll require a lot of effort at higher pressure. Or they can be designed to pump easily at high pressure but, like a low-geared bike, won’t get you anywhere fast.

Pumps capable of properly inflating modern inflatables can be broken into two basic categories: manual and electric. Within each of those, there are several subcategories.

They also tend to not be as durable as hand pumps. Most people who use foot pumps on higher pressure inflatables use them only for the first 1 or 2 psi, and then switch to a hand pump.

Because of that, better double-action pumps are equipped with a valve that releases air on the upstroke. This makes them two-stage pumps. At lower pressures, the valve is kept closed to move air on both strokes for faster inflation. As pressure and resistance increase, the valve can be opened so that the upstroke is easy and only the downstroke pushes air into the inflatable.

So-called triple-action hand pumps feature two separate cylinders. Although they’re called “triple-action,” they’re technically double-action, three-stage pumps. To begin with, both cylinders can be used in double-action mode, operating like two side-by-side double-action pumps for maximum volume.

As pressure and resistance grow, exhaust valves on both cylinders can be opened, creating, in effect, two side-by-side single action pumps with minimal resistance on the upstroke. Finally, at the highest pressures, one of the two cylinders can be opened up completely, making a single, relatively low volume single-action pump to further reduce effort.

Some triple-action pumps take it a step farther with two different sized cylinders. When used alone, the smaller diameter high-pressure cylinder reduces pumping effort even more at high pressure.

Also, keep in mind that 10A of current requires fairly large gauge wire. If your cigarette lighter outlet is connected to your battery or distribution panel with tiny 20-gauge wire, trying to power a 10A pump from it could blow a fuse or, worse yet, melt wires.

The main advantage of these pumps — aside from the fact that you don’t have to do any pumping yourself — is that they’re relatively light and compact since they don’t have an on-board battery. They also tend to be less expensive than other electric pumps.

On the other hand, they can only be powered by a 12V battery, meaning you have to be on your boat or in your car. They can also eventually kill a 12V battery if used long enough. Finally, the vast majority are not waterproof or even water-resistant. That’s not a problem if you’re inflating a paddleboard beside your car in a parking lot, but on a boat there’s a real risk of ruining your pump.

Some 12V electric pumps are two-stage, with an initial high-volume/low-pressure stage followed by a high-pressure/low-volume stage once pressure starts to increase. These tend to be significantly faster (and also significantly costlier) than single-stage 12V pumps.

Battery-powered pumps are similar to 12V pumps except that they’re powered by their own on-board rechargeable batteries. That makes them generally heavier and more expensive, but also means they can be used without being connected to the 12V system of a car or boat. The tradeoff for portability is that the relatively small on-board batteries don’t last nearly as long as a 12V car or boat battery.

Most battery pumps are supplied with a 5 to 9 amp-hour battery, which is fine for pumping up a paddleboard or two but can’t compare to a 12V deep-cycle boat battery with on the order of 100 amp-hours. Like plug-in 12V pumps, most battery pumps are highly susceptible to water intrusion. Some of the more expensive battery-powered pumps feature two-stage technology for faster inflation.

It is a two-stage pump, using a fan to move a high volume of air at up to 1 psi, then automatically switching to a piston pump rated for up to 20 psi.

For boaters, there are many advantages:

• ATMOS is panel-mounted, protruding only 1/2” from the mounting surface and 0.7” with the suncover in place. At less than 12” x 8” with a required mounting depth of less than 4-1/2”, it can be mounted in almost any vertical panel around the boat.

• Because it is permanently installed, there’s no chance of forgetting your pump or finding that your battery-powered pump isn’t fully charged. It also doesn’t have to be stored when not in use.

• With an IPX6 waterproof rating on both front and back, ATMOS is designed specifically for the marine environment. Nearly all other electrical pumps are highly susceptible to water intrusion.

• Because it’s hard-wired into the boat’s electrical system, there’s no need to clamp leads to your battery or hope for a clean connection via your boat’s cigarette lighter-style outlet.

• The digital display includes a voltmeter so you can monitor battery condition.

For boaters, the only real disadvantages of a built-in waterproof pump are cost — the ATMOS is more expensive than most alternatives — and the need to make a cutout in your boat for installation. In other words, for boaters who use an inflator only occasionally, a cheaper, non-permanent alternative probably makes sense. But for boaters who frequently inflate tubes, floats, chairs, boards, dinghies, fenders, etc. a permanent, waterproof air station is well worth the cost.

As noted, installing the ATMOS requires a rectangular cutout in a vertical surface. Select a location with enough surface area to accommodate the device’s roughly 12” x 8” footprint. Note that additional space is needed on the left to allow the door protecting the inlet and outlet to fully open. Also be sure you have enough depth behind the mounting surface — at least 4.33”.

Of course, you’ll also want to think in terms of where the ATMOS will be most convenient to use. Many boaters find that the forward face of the transom is a good location. On center consoles, one of the vertical surfaces of the console or a fiberglass leaning post may make sense. Other boaters prefer the ATMOS mounted in the forward part of the boat, often in the base of a seating unit. The supplied hose is 8’ in length.