A Better Kiteboarding Pump

[sc-surfer]

I vote for Erin's suggestion. Every kite beach should have one! :)

[OliverG]

On the other hand, if I had access to some crutches that weren't so hard on my armpits, it is quite possible that I could squeeze in a sesh here and there :D

It's doing as well as a broken ankle can two weeks later but the pain is almost gone and I may be able to stop taking meds pretty soon which is awesome. Definitely better than when I first saw it. Now that I think about it, I'm actually not sure what was more painful, the broken bone or the visual of it.

Could quite possibly be the visual of it, I think anyone would react strongly to seeing their foot like that. Something along the lines of, "Shiiit! Look at my f^&king foot!!!" I've more or less toned my riding down a bit over the last two years as I realized if I get hurt, being self-employed and a contractor, I wouldn't be able to work for a while and it could be really bad for my household, business and finances. I'm sure you got some good benefits and time off at work though.

Ok, sorry to hijack the thread, back to kite pumps...

[CdoG]

Why use your back?
Once you bend over an address the pump Bending your knees
Use your arms

[sc-surfer]

This thing actually looks pretty cool. Way cheaper than the kite specific ones and even has volume/pressure mode. If I were in the market for a pump I'd try it.

Any user reviews?

[nexus]

what is that?

This thing actually looks pretty cool. Way cheaper than the kite specific ones and even has volume/pressure mode. If I were in the market for a pump I'd try it.

Any user reviews?

[mike]

Why use your back?
Once you bend over an address the pump Bending your knees
Use your arms

+1 for that - I've also had back problems and have injured myself while pumping. This made me look into proper form - which is to keep your back and arms straight and bend at the knees.

I see so many folks at the launches bending at the waist, hammering away like woodpeckers - its painful to watch and puts a huge amount of stress on your lower back.

Another thing - go slow. Think of inflating your kite as a nice warmup - Of course we're all always in a hurry to get on the water - but typically when you're pumping your muscles aren't warm and are thus very susceptible to injury. I force myself to be patient, and use the few extra seconds it takes to inflate to look around, assess the conditions, and vibe on how stoked I am to be kiting...

[rvv]

I force myself to be patient, and use the few extra seconds it takes to inflate to look around, assess the conditions, and vibe on how stoked I am to be kiting...

:) 8) :obscene-smokingjoint: :mrgreen:

[nick_80044]

Thanks to all for your feedback--lots of great suggestions, tips, etc. here.

Some of those higher end products look fantastic but a little beyond my budget. I'll probably go for something like the cheap DIY lumber extender that lets you pump while standing up. Or maybe the $30 air mattress pump from Target.

I hear what everyone is saying about good form--back straight, use your legs, etc. Ironically, I"m pretty fit and usually bend over backwards (pun intended) to NOT put pressure on my lower back. My standard form is to kneel on the little pump platforms and just use my arms, which usually takes all the pressure off the back. But I had a herniated disk five years ago and I think it is sensitive to even a little too much pressure. My pump eventually became like molasses--I should have lubricated it a lot sooner. Plus, I'd been jumping a lot, with lots of hard landings, and I think that takes a cumulative toll on the lower back. Tip to new jumpers: Do some extra exercises for your lower back muscles so you can avoid my situation. While you're at, throw in some good ab workouts, 'cause that will hurt too!

[sc-surfer]

what is that?

It's This Thing from an earlier post.

[Aloha]

Definitely warm up and stretch esp if boosting big

I know 2 people last season who had weird injuries from boosting throwing out backs and stuff