Greetings with Questions

[brveagle]

Good evening gents.

I picked up a 1994 zodiac mk2 grand raid as my first inflatable. Should have read more before buying however I am new to this and learning as I go. I have since discovered that one or more baffles have issues. It does have the interconnecting valves.

The previous owner told me he always just inflated until slightly firm. From reading on here, that is too soft. I picked up a NOS bombard mbar gauge off eBay but am having troubles trusting it. I am using a zodiac foot pump and the guage is showing around 1.40psi and these tubes are very firm.

I have three questions that I can't seem to find the answers on Google for.

1) can someone illustrate just how firm these tubes should be? If I put my fist into the rear cone, I get about 1/4" of deflection. Gauge shows 1.5psi which the transom says it should be 3.4. I worry my gauge is wrong.

2)i can get the left tube, the front left and front right to equalize on pressure but not the right tube... even with cycling all the valves 360° to try and find a happy spot. Edit: was able to cycle valve to a sweet spot and it inflated the left.

3) can anyone confirm that the foot pump is not capable of doing damage to these tubes pressure wise ? Or is the foot pump capable of 10psi for example?

Thank you in advance for any help.

[office888]

Originally Posted by brveagle

Good evening gents.

I picked up a 1994 zodiac mk2 grand raid as my first inflatable. Should have read more before buying however I am new to this and learning as I go. I have since discovered that one or more baffles have issues. It does have the interconnecting valves.

The previous owner told me he always just inflated until slightly firm. From reading on here, that is too soft. I picked up a NOS bombard mbar gauge off eBay but am having troubles trusting it. I am using a zodiac foot pump and the guage is showing around 1.40psi and these tubes are very firm.

I have three questions that I can't seem to find the answers on Google for.

1) can someone illustrate just how firm these tubes should be? If I put my fist into the rear cone, I get about 1/4" of deflection. Gauge shows 1.5psi which the transom says it should be 3.4. I worry my gauge is wrong.

2)i can get the left tube, the front left and front right to equalize on pressure but not the right tube... even with cycling all the valves 360° to try and find a happy spot. Edit: was able to cycle valve to a sweet spot and it inflated the left.

3) can anyone confirm that the foot pump is not capable of doing damage to these tubes pressure wise ? Or is the foot pump capable of 10psi for example?

Thank you in advance for any help.

At 3.48 psi, you can stand on the tubes and they'll barely indent.

IC valves have an overpressure valve integrated with them. The outer valve cup will pop out and leak behind the flywheel in an overpressure situation. Pull outward on the flywheel, you'll see what I mean.

Standard foot pumps will never exceed 4psi.

Remove the valve insert and look inside. You can see the ports. Make marks with a sharpie for chamber 1, 2, 1+2, and neither.

[brveagle]

Thank you so much. Its a huge learning curve as it's my first boat, let alone inflatable.

[jonp]

Went through the same thing when I bought my zodiac, bought a second gauge as I thought the first was faulty, 3.4 is a hard tight tube that makes a ping sound if you flick it.

[Mikefule]

I have owned 3 SIBs and never used a pressure gauge. I pump it up with a foot pump and consider it ready when it "rings" when I tap it firmly with my hand.

[Northern Pike]

I have always been told, when using the foot pump, to pump until you can pump no more.
When you can stand on the pump and it won't compress, you're good to go. My gauge confirms this.

[Oilystairs]

Welcome bvreagle, happy sibbing