Product alert: Don't buy Bravo BP 12 electric pump

[blueplanetsurf]

I just wanted to let everyone know that the Bravo BP 12 electric pump for inflatable boards has a serious design flaw.  We already had 10 units out of 50 fail and in all cases the same thing happened.  When the pump gets hot from friction, the plastic joint where the piston attaches gets soft and can melt, which renders the pump useless.  If you have one of these pumps, do not let it run too long and never try to inflate two boards in a row as the problem is caused by friction heat.
I would not buy this pump until the issue is fixed.  For what it's worth, we have also tested a two stage pump that is on the market and it also stopped working after less than 2 months of use.  At this point I don't know of a reliable electric pump for inflatable SUP's.  If someone can design and build a good, inexpensive electric pump that can inflate to at least 15 psi, there is a market for it, for sure.  We can't recommend any portable electric pumps available at this point but if any of you know of a good pump, we would like to know about it.

[levity]

Thanks for the heads-up/reminder, Robert.  The tendency of the Bravo pumps to overheat and fail has been known for a while.  A couple of years ago Uli replaced the first one we burned up under warranty, and now we try to be careful using the replacement (inflate only to ~10 psi, allow cooing between multiple boards).  Uli had so many fail that they no longer carry them.  Instead they now sell the Superflow Compressor (www.superflowair.com) with a custom hose, pressure gauge and check valve (www.uliboards.com/product/superflow-pump).  It's not as fast as the Bravo and requires a 12V power source such as a car battery, but it seems like it's a much better built unit.  Time will tell...  keep that hand pump close by!

[blueplanetsurf]

Thanks levity, looks pretty good.  I will order one of these pumps and test it.  Do you own one of these pumps?  How long does it take to fully inflate a board with this compressor?  Any other recommendations?

[blueplanetsurf]

Update: If you bought a Bravo BP12 pump from Blue Planet: The manufacturer finally came through and we just received replacement pistons that are made of a stronger nylon material that should hold up better as it heats up.

We will send the piston free of charge to anyone who purchased a pump from us, or you can send the pump to us (or bring it to our shop) and we will repair/ replace the piston at no charge.

This is what the replacement part looks like and the disassembled pump, it's a fairly easy repair.

[supthecreek]

Great customer service BPS 

[blueplanetsurf]

Update August 2015: All the Bravo BP12 units repaired with the new replacement pistons are waking great.  We even used them to inflate our new monster boards and letting them run for over 30 minutes with no issues.  So it looks like Bravo has resolved this issue.  Still, you should be aware that Bravo BP12 pumps made before mid 2014 may have the weak piston part that is sensitive to overheating and melting.

[surfcowboy]

Ok, wait. Monster boards? Let's have pricing on those man. And would you rent one for my next Waikiki trip? Outer reef, here we come!

[Area 10]

Is that an UL inflatable Robert? If so, what are the dimensions and how do you get it stiff enough that it doesn't taco a bit with >200lbs on it?

[blueplanetsurf]

Surfcowboy, yes these are available for rent!
Area 10, that long one is the 24' x 32" wide "Team Race" board.   We designed this for 4-6 paddlers with the 4th of July Da Hui race in mind that has a Supsquatch team division, unfortunately it arrived too late for this year's race.  So now we have time to practice for next year.   We tried it on Sunday and it is challenging to paddle for sure, everyone on it needs to have good balance and it takes a coordinated effort to make it work, but it sure goes fast when everyone paddles in synch!

[capobeachboy]

Surfcowboy, yes these are available for rent!
Area 10, that long one is the 24' x 32" wide "Team Race" board.   We designed this for 4-6 paddlers with the 4th of July Da Hui race in mind that has a Supsquatch team division, unfortunately it arrived too late for this year's race.  So now we have time to practice for next year.   We tried it on Sunday and it is challenging to paddle for sure, everyone on it needs to have good balance and it takes a coordinated effort to make it work, but it sure goes fast when everyone paddles in synch!

Those are some great looking BIG boards Robert.  Let's see them in action!

[blueplanetsurf]

We have some of the new 2017 Bravo BP12 SUP 22 psi high pressure pumps available now.  We have done rigorous testing and have found this new model to be very good.  If anyone is interested, we are offering them at a great price on Amazon while supplies last:
https://www.amazon.com/Bravo-Electric-High-Pressure-22psi/dp/B018W2NHZC/ref=cm_rdp_product

[deepmud]

ever getting more?

[blueplanetsurf]

Hi Deepmud,
Bravo stopped making the BP12 SUP 22 psi model because they still had some issues.  The ones we have and tested work great but we had some reports of motors burning out and smoking on the first or second use, unfortunately, so Bravo is re-designing it.

Bravo did come out with a new and improved electric pump that has an integrated battery.  It is made in Italy to high quality standards and will inflate the board to a real 22 psi of pressure.  It also has an automatic heat shutoff that will prevent overheating issues.  We have 20 of these units on order and expect to receive them in August, our retail price will be $299.  For more information on this pump, check:
http://www.bravopumps.com.au/bravo-20~261

[mjb1959]

Hi Deepmud,
Bravo stopped making the BP12 SUP 22 psi model because they still had some issues.  The ones we have and tested work great but we had some reports of motors burning out and smoking on the first or second use, unfortunately, so Bravo is re-designing it.

Bravo did come out with a new and improved electric pump that has an integrated battery.  It is made in Italy to high quality standards and will inflate the board to a real 22 psi of pressure.  It also has an automatic heat shutoff that will prevent overheating issues.  We have 20 of these units on order and expect to receive them in August, our retail price will be $299.  For more information on this pump, check:
http://www.bravopumps.com.au/bravo-20~261

any of these available yet?

[blueplanetsurf]

Hi Deepmud,
Bravo stopped making the BP12 SUP 22 psi model because they still had some issues.  The ones we have and tested work great but we had some reports of motors burning out and smoking on the first or second use, unfortunately, so Bravo is re-designing it.

Bravo did come out with a new and improved electric pump that has an integrated battery.  It is made in Italy to high quality standards and will inflate the board to a real 22 psi of pressure.  It also has an automatic heat shutoff that will prevent overheating issues.  We have 20 of these units on order and expect to receive them in August, our retail price will be $299.  For more information on this pump, check:
http://www.bravopumps.com.au/bravo-20~261

any of these available yet?

Not yet but we expect to receive our shipment soon, I'll post here when they are available, thank you!