A Better Kiteboarding Pump

[cleepa]

If you are worried about your back and about budget, you could try one of these :-D

[marinaTKB]

RE: Back Injuries, I am just recovering from one month off the water after throwing my back out reaching to put a new shelf in my fridge! I pulled by back out four years ago in San Diego pumping up my kite, same injury/recovery time.....

RE: back, you need to work on your core! Two exercises that have helped me tremendously besides SUP as well as a few surfers friends of mine with back issues who swear by these two exercises:

1) The plank: Why It Rocks: The plank (or hover) is an isolation move used in Pilates and Yoga and works the abs, back, arms and legs. The plank also targets your internal abdominal muscles.

How to Do It: Lie face down on mat with elbows resting on floor next to chest. Push your body off the floor in a pushup position with body resting on elbows or hands. Contract the abs and keep the body in a straight line from head to toes. Hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat as many times as you can. For beginners, do this move on your knees and gradually work your way up to balancing on your toes

2) Forget what its called but lay on back with knees bent and arms at side. Lift butt/back/pelvis of floor and squeeze your butt upward so hips are thrust forward/up. Contract abs/keep body in straight line. Hold and repeat as many times as you can.

I was at a BBQ with my super twisted back and a friend turned me onto this product. AS hokey as it looks, it provided immediate relief within 30 minutes (using it off/on) and I could not shut up about it for the rest of the night. The next day my back was still sore but at least I could stand straight! It was the turning point to recovery.....http://www.amazon.com/Thera-Cane-JMAS50 ... B000PRMCJU

I also tried out the new LF mega pump. Even though its shorter (forgot pump first day on water two weeks ago and borrowed one of these, new for 2012) and kind of hurt my back as i had to squat lower, I was really surprised with how fast it inflated my kite.

[Tunces]

Get a little help from your friends!

[elli]

It's This Thing from an earlier post.

Nice. If this really works for kites it makes the kite specific electric pumps obsolete, cost less than half.

For cleaning your pump, the top cap of the pump opens like a jar. Clean everything inside including the piston and shaft.

Good idea on taking the upstroke valve out, where exactly is it?

[nick_80044]

Okay dudes, it's windy time again, make sure your pump is in working order. Here's a helpful video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7wg_EvE ... r_embedded#!

[sunchips]

To beat a dead horse, it is all about form! Speaking from the experience of a broken L4, you want to keep your back straight, arms straight, and do squats over the pump. This gives you extra drive on the downstroke using your body weight, and the strain is in your legs on the up. Also gets your quads ready for a good, long session on the water.

And yes, ab and back exercises are crucial, that is what keeps my back together.

[nick_80044]

To beat a dead horse, it is all about form! Speaking from the experience of a broken L4, you want to keep your back straight, arms straight, and do squats over the pump. This gives you extra drive on the downstroke using your body weight, and the strain is in your legs on the up. Also gets your quads ready for a good, long session on the water.

And yes, ab and back exercises are crucial, that is what keeps my back together.

I would say, it's all about form, but it's all about having a properly functioning pump, too. Before the winds came last week, I disassembled my pump, cleaned everything, lubricated generously. Halfway through first using it after that, the pump went from operating smoothly to suddenly feeling like someone dumped a bucket of Elmer's glue inside it. I would love to know what causes this, because this is how I injured my back using it in October (I was much more cautious this time).

[kitenaked]

Make sure lubrication used is compatible with the soft components inside the pump which allow the seal / dual pumping action to work.

Parts in pump are silicon, buna or nitrile.... Incompatible lubrication is likely the culprit.

[kief]

olive oil makes a great non-petroleum/non harmful based lube.

[WindMuch]

I've done pump maintenance, only to have the thing 'freeze' up on the next session.

In my case, it was the rubber seal in the top of the pump cap. There's a hidden O-ring inside the top of the pump where the shaft goes through the cap. I used silicone spray to lube mine, which I thought was pretty inert stuff, but it totally ate the O-ring, causing it to bind up against the aluminum shaft. That was the end of that pump!

Other than the Olive Oil recommendation, does anyone have any experience with 'compatible' lubes for the pump seals?

Kirk out