I ordered this pump from the Bosworth Company out of Rhode Island. The price (approx $75 including shipping) seemed very reasonable at the time, but after showing it to the manager of my local marina, I now think it is actually one helluva deal! He was very impressed by the design and construction, and did not believe the price I told him I bought it for. He actually told me that his marina does not carry ANY similar footpumps due to the high wholesale cost, as well as limited demand. He also suggested that the person taking my order must have given me some sort of special closeout deal, or made a mistake!!!!
The pump is not exactly light, but not unreasonable heavy either. The action is very smooth and the volume per stroke seems to approximate a handheld bilge pump (voyager). The construction seems excellent - no magnetic parts as far as I can tell. Mounting was a challenge, but that had more to do with the confined space of my aquanaut's cockpit than any shortcoming from the pump itself. I used automotive hose clamps to put some window screen on the inlet for a filter, and also to attach the outlet hose to the thru-hull fitting. I was able to torque down on the clamps without fear of breaking the inlet or outlet, due to the heavy duty construction.
Bosworth's customer service is excellent. When I ordered the pump, the first thing the rep asked me for, was if it was for a kayak! Apparently they have been getting orders since SeaKayaker mag published the DIY article some time ago. The rep suggested an alternate model to me (450-s) which I decided against. The fact that she had any suggestions at all lead me to believe that the company is very cognizant of its customers needs.
I chose the 400-s for its length (10in) and the fact that it is an inline style, which should be easier to pump more water faster than the 450. While the 450 looks easier to install, (due to the smaller footprint), the 400 looks very nice mounted to my front bulkhead, with the inlet 1/8" from the hull, and the outlet approx 1.5" from the deck. It was a very tight fit, so if your deck is much shorter than 11.75", you may want to go with a different model.
One word of warning, the 400s has 4 "feet" that fit up against the mounting surface. They do not provide a lot of surface area, and may crack the bulkhead if mounted directly. I used a sheet of 4 mill Okoume to reinforce my bulkhead and evenly distribute the pressure across the whole bulkhead. Works like a charm!!!
