Bought a Bravo pressure gauge to use on my Zodiac classic with semi recessed valves. Never used a pressure gauge before. Put the valve adaptor on it and then put the hose on the topside of the gauge. I have a Bravo 5 footpump and when the gauge shows 2 psi it is really hard to pump.
I normally just pump it up without a gauge and when the tubes feel tight stop pumping. But the pump never gets difficult to pump.
So have I been under inflating without using a gauge or has the gauge given me a false reading.
I had the same issue you did last year with my MK2 GR as well. I had been using foot pump to get the tubes tight, then i would stop.
I bought a gauge and thought for sure it was broken, because it was showing 1.5 ish psi even though the tubes were pretty tight.
I then bought a bravo 12v pump and dialed in the psi to 3.4 and oh wow.. I wasn't even close to getting the tubes to the correct psi. The gauge also read the correct psi suddenly.
I learned that the foot pump really is useless as it would take so much effort (and weight) to get to 3.4 psi.
I had the same issue you did last year with my MK2 GR as well. I had been using foot pump to get the tubes tight, then i would stop.
I bought a gauge and thought for sure it was broken, because it was showing 1.5 ish psi even though the tubes were pretty tight.
I then bought a bravo 12v pump and dialed in the psi to 3.4 and oh wow.. I wasn't even close to getting the tubes to the correct psi. The gauge also read the correct psi suddenly.
I learned that the foot pump really is useless as it would take so much effort (and weight) to get to 3.4 psi.
Hope this helps.
cheers for that info......certainly sounds like I've been under inflating yet the boat seems ok. Looks like I will have to get a power pump instead.
I second that. I have mk2 future. The foot pump needs a younger man than I am. The electric pump with shutoff is the way to go.
Also once you launch the inflatable keel cools and I top it off since the keel is what tightens the bottom fabric.
