drill battery?
I know almost nothing about electrical work. How well does the 9.6 volt battery run the 12 volt pump?
How long will it run for?
Works fine
After re-entry and roll the battery will empty the cockpit quickly the first 5 times. It will continue to function at a slower rate for at least 10 more times. Before installing it I watched the pump run for 40 minutes in my sink before it got ridiculously slow.
The nice thing was that I already owned 2 chargers and 6 battery packs for our two old Makita drills. Didn’t have to buy a battery or charger and the battery fits nicely inside a nalgene.
Mobility of Atwood for group assisting!
Thanks all for great postings. A creative idea for group recoveries is to use the Atwood pump with its own exit tube loose in your cockpit (it will float, keep on quick release tether). If a buddy goes over, get them back in their boat, throw the atwood pump in their cockpit, flip it on with tube over edge of sprayskirt, and button up the skirt with tube sticking out. Voila, they are protected from rough seas, you have gotten them out of the freezing water really fast, and now the water is removed from the cockpit without recapsize. Credit to seeing this first goes to Steve Maynard, 5 star BCU instrutor.
Good way to use one maybe, but
I have heard it’s slow, and don’t think something loose in the cockpit’s a good idea in conditions that would cause a capsize in the first place.
Lot’s of things work in practice. Now try it in wind/wave waves.
For safety, I think each paddler should be able to handle their own situation first. Others as backup or convenience when available. Maybe because I mostly paddle alone.
PS - do same thing with my drink tube when skirts on.
indeed
Yeah, totally agree. Solo is great teacher that even when we are comitted and skilled to help each other, the conditions may cause us to all to keep ourselves upright and not be able to aid.
Solo has taught me to have as many back up ways as possible and not rely on any one way. Of course using common sense is sometimes overlooked in favor of equipment saving us. Good post.
(By the way Steve is one of a very few 5 star guides, not invincible, but expedition tested, and my pump is velcro attached, no flopping. It is a bit slow, but time saved getting oneself in or another and the skirt on really pay off, in real conditions, so keep it in mind, it may work for you.