ShipStore.com Beacon: Inflatable Closeouts - Mega Deals!!!
Issue 92, August 24, 2006
http://www.ShipStore.com
Floating your boat since 1982 TM


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IN THIS ISSUE:
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~ WELCOME ABOARD: Inflatable Closeouts - Mega Deals!!!
~ CAPTAIN'S TIP: Air Pump Nozzle Adaptors for Inflating
~ CAPTAIN'S SPECIALS: Late Summer Inflatables Clearance Sale
~ CAPTAIN'S CONTEST: "Win a Shopping Spree" Drawing

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~ WELCOME ABOARD: Inflatable Closeouts - Mega Deals!!!
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Last week I launched the first phase of our inflatable closeouts. Did you take a look? Did you place an order? Many of you did, and many of you got insanely low prices on our end-of-stock inflatables. Right now you can purchase the SportsStuff Extreme Chariot for only $139.95 or the RAVE Sports Triton VI 6-Person Towable for only $369.99. Check out our three best selling Sevylor Kayak models priced under $100 and several of our most popular rafts ranging between $17 and $45 until stock is depleted. How can we do this?

End-of-stock. That means most of these items are down to the last few on the shelves. In many cases (like several of the deals I've just mentioned) we only have one item left in stock. When inventory gets this low, we slash prices to clean up the remainders and make way for new stock. We win by creating new warehouse space. You win by getting prices so low that you can get four or five inflatables for what you'll be paying next spring in you wait. Offers too good to pass up.

Enjoy!

George Davis, Beacon Editor
editor@shipstore.com

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~ CAPTAIN'S TIP: Air Pump Nozzle Adaptors for Inflating
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I recently received an email inquiry from a customer who was "looking for an inflatables adaptor nozzle that will allow me to use a standard air pump" such as you can find at auto service stations. He wanted to fill his pool toys more efficiently. He wanted to know what we recommended. This is a pretty common question, so I've decided to pass along my answer to all of our Beacon readers. Here's the gist of my response.

Inflatable tubes/toys/towables are all made to be inflated with a very large volume of air at a very low pressure. In general, 1 to 2 psi. A thread-supported fabric like that used in Zodiac and Avon boats runs at 3.4 psi. By comparison, a bicycle tire uses very little air at a very high pressure. A bike tire inner tube can almost be inflated in one large breath, but you can't ride on it until you get to as much as 100 psi. The outer tire on a wheel and the threads in an inflatable boat give restriction to the stretch of the air bladder and allow the pressure to be built up.

In tube or towable, the air fills the unsupported fabric to make it take shape and you're done. Look at an air mattress - the volume is huge, but there is no pressure involved.

An air compressor found at gas stations, puts out high pressure (car tires run 30 to 40 psi) and low volume. The tire is already to "shape" and has air at some level of pressure at any given time. Your tube is flat and has to be filled to shape before it can be used. A home compressor is often 6 gallons of air. That tiny storage tank has to be filled a number of times to get the volume needed for your float. It will almost always take longer to fill an inflatable toy from a compressor that it will to blow it up by mouth or with a hand/ foot pump designed for the job.

Inflatable pumps put out high volume at low pressure and will quickly fill the tube to shape. Since low pressure is all that is needed to fill it, the job is done once the tube is filled. There is no need for a compressor to finish the job. Electric pumps for inflatables are all variations on a hair dryer - high volume, low pressure. Reversing the flow on your shop vac will fill the tube faster than a compressor. From years of experience, there are very few electric pumps that can beat a person using either a hand or foot pump. The ones that will do this start at about $100 and are made for repair shops and rental shop operators that need high speed to get through the day.

SportsStuff makes an adapter to fit on Boston Valve caps for inflation with a compressor (http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/SPO/SPO101010.html) - and we'll be happy to sell it to you - but in the long run, you'll be better off buying either the SEV 304T or the KWK AHP1:

http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/KWK/KWKAHP1.html
http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/sev/sev304t.html

All that said, we use a compressor in our shop to fill most tubes. The storage tank for our compressor is about the size of a VW bug and the compressor runs on 220VAC and is the size of a refrigerator. The tubing is plumbed with 3/4 inch pipe and we run it at 130 psi. We also stop short of full so that we don't accidentally pop the inflatable. Anything smaller than this setup will be a waste of your time. I know it isn't what you wanted to hear, but it will serve you best over time.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Captain Jim
captjim@shipstore.com

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~ CAPTAIN'S SPECIALS: Late Summer Inflatables Clearance Sale
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I'm slashing prices on last-of-lot inflatables to make way for new inventory. These prices are at or below wholesale to ensure outstanding savings for you and empty warehouse shelves for us. Keep in mind that many of these items only have one or two items left in stock! If you see an item you'd like, order it before it's gone!

http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/SALE/SALEINFLATABLES.html

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~ CAPTAIN'S CONTEST: "Win a Shopping Spree!" Drawing
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Win a $100.00 credit at ShipStore.com. To be eligible for future "Win a Shopping Spree!" drawings all you have to do is subscribe to the Beacon. All current subscribers are eligible for the random drawing. If you're not already subscribed, then visit http://www.shipstore.com and scroll down the light blue column along the left hand side of the page until you see the link "Win a Shopping Spree!". Click on the link. A new window will open with an email addressed to beacon-on@list.shipstore.com and "Subscribe" written in the Subject Field. All you have to do is hit send.

You'll be sent a confirmation email which you must respond to in order to activate your subscription and be added to our mailing list. This double opt-in procedure enables us to prevent accidental subscriptions and spam. As soon as your confirmation is confirmed, you will be entered into the "Win a Shopping Spree!" drawing for a $100.00 free merchandise from ShipStore.com. Good luck.

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COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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ShipStore.com
6039 Route 9N
Westport, NY 12993
Telephone: 518-962-2700
Toll Free: 877-SHIPSTORE (US and Canada)
Fax: 518-962-4582

E-Mail sales@shipstore.com with any questions.