SeaSucker Vacuum Mounts Frequently Asked Questions

SeaSuckers are vacuum mounts, not suction cups.  

There's a big difference between the two.  The 114mm (4 1/2") SeaSucker is pull rating of 45Kg's (100lbs) and if you think that's strong, our 152mm  (6") SeaSucker will pull over 90kg's (200lbs) ! That amazing strength is combined with an incredible safety feature not found on suction cups.  

When a SeaSucker starts to lose vacuum (and it will lose some vacuum over time - it's not a permanent mount), it will let you know. The SeaSucker's built-in finger pump will reverse itself as it loses vacuum, exposing an orange or white band.  When you see the orange or white band, you don't have to take it off and lick it - just give it a couple of pumps, and you're back to full strength.

How do they actually work ?

Pump to engage the vacuum. When you can’t see the orange or white band, you’re at full strength. If your SeaSucker loses vacuum over time, the band will be exposed, just give it a few pumps to get back to full power.

To remove, use the integrated tabs on the vacuum cup to lift the edge and break the vacuum seal.

What can I use my SeaSucker for?

As we tell people at the shows we do, whatever you can attach to the housing of the SeaSucker, you can attach to your boat, car, caravan or around the home. Some of our favorite applications include removable bike racks, electronics mounts, dive tank racks, rod holders, medium & heavy duty handles, heavy duty tablet mounts, the list is endless.

If you’ve got a great idea for your SeaSucker Vacuum Mount we would love to hear about it, contact us and send us a photo! Some of our innovative products were born through helping our customers solve their challenges.

How many kilograms will my SeaSucker hold?

SeaSuckers are very powerful. A 152 mm SeaSucker Vacuum Mount is pull rated to 90 kg with a safe load carrying capacity of 32 kg; a 114 mm SeaSucker Vacuum Mount is pull rated to 45 kg with a safe load carrying capacity of 18 kg. You can multiply the amount of weight it will support by adding more Vacuum Mounts, either on an aluminum track or one of our Stainless Steel Bridges.

These ratings were calculated for a load hanging directly underneath a SeaSucker. If the load pulls at the vacuum cup from the side, the SeaSucker’s power is slightly decreased. However, we have created a support device, our Buttress, to channel the load back toward the center of the cup. Please refer to the SeaSucker Vacuum Mount User Guide for further information.

How do I attach things to my SeaSucker?

Attaching accessories to your SeaSucker is easy. You have 7 basic options:

1. Using a 1/4-20 machine screw in the center insert;
2. Back-plating through the slots in the housing;
3. Attaching accessories to an Aluminum Track;
4. Using one of our bridges;
5. Using an Aluminium Handle; 
6. Using a Stainless Steel D-Ring
7. Using a Tentacle; or
8. Using Double Sided Velcro Strap

Many accessories can be attached with a standard ¼-20 machine screw, which screws into the stainless steel insert in the middle of your SeaSucker’s housing. The screw you use should be approximately 1/4” to 3/16” longer than the depth of the hole in your accessory – any longer and you risk running into the SeaSucker’s integral pump. We carry a large range of stainless steel bolts, nuts, washers and nylock nuts for this purpose. Please contact us if you require this

Back-plating items to your SeaSucker provides a very strong connection. To back-plate, remove the vacuum mount housing by unscrewing the four screws in the corners. Pull the housing off of the vacuum cup and pump, and attach your accessory using nuts, bolts and washers through the two slots in the top of the housing. Look for our Back-Plating Instruction Guide in the SeaSucker Blog

You can attach multiple rod holders or dive tank holders to a length of aluminum track by first attaching the aluminum track to one or more SeaSucker Vacuum Mounts. The tracks we sell have 2 counter-sunk holes and attach to the Vacuum Mount by a combination of machine screw and back-plating, as described above. 

• You can multiply the power of your SeaSucker Vacuum Mount by attaching 2 together using our Stainless Steel Bridge. Our Bridge attaches to 2 SeaSuckers at the corners of the housings. To attach a Bridge, remove the screws from 2 adjacent corners on each SeaSucker. Place the Bridge over the screw holes and insert the new, longer screws provided with your Bridge. The Bridge’s center hole pattern allows you to attach a range of accessories using nuts, bolts and washers.
   
• If you need more holding power, you can upgrade to our aluminium housing handle which allows you to simply tie or strap items to your SeaSucker Vacuum Mount. 
   
• You can also use a Tentacle. A Tentacle is essentially a length of flexible wire inside of a protective sheath that allows you to securely wrap whatever it is that you’re trying to hold, such as a rope, gaff, net, rod or other item. You can purchase one in our online store. To attach your Tentacle to your SeaSucker, remove the housing and place the Tentacle underneath the pump, with approximately equal lengths of Tentacle coming out from either side. Re-attach the housing, taking care to line up the holes on the sides of the housing with the Tentacle, so that the Tentacle doesn’t prevent the housing from not seating completely on the top of the vacuum cup.

How long will my SeaSucker last?

SeaSucker products are warranted for 1 year against defects in materials and faulty workmanship. However, your SeaSucker Vacuum Mount should last much longer if you maintain it properly. Be sure to read the SeaSucker User Guide that came with your Vacuum Mount.

Because SeaSuckers are made of rubber, plastic and stainless steel, they are made to withstand the harsh saltwater environment. However, like any equipment that you use on your boat,car, caravan or around the home, we highly recommend that you thoroughly rinse your Vacuum Mount with fresh water when your finished and store it out of direct sunlight.

Be aware that the sealing edge of your SeaSucker’s vacuum cup (in particular, the thin ridge) needs to be protected. Nick or cuts in this ridge will have a negative effect on your SeaSucker’s ability to hold a vacuum. Be sure to properly store your Vacuum Mount when not in use – don’t rest the sealing edge of the vacuum cup where it can be damaged. If your SeaSucker came with a protective cover, use it. If you don’t have a protective cover, you can purchase one in our online store.

How long will my SeaSucker stay mounted?

SeaSuckers are not meant to be permanent mounts. However, on certain surfaces, a SeaSucker Vacuum Mount can stay mounted for a very long time. Obviously, the smoother and flatter the surface, the better. One of the great features of the SeaSucker Vacuum Mount is the check valve in its integral pump – if your SeaSucker begins losing power, you will notice that the plunger of the pump will begin to extend. The plunger has an orange or white band – if the band is exposed, you know that you need to give your SeaSucker a few pumps to get the vacuum mount back to full power. If your SeaSucker is losing vacuum rapidly, you may need to clean it, clean the surface it’s mounted on, or move it to a better surface. Refer to our SeaSucker Usage Guide for additional details. 

Will my SeaSucker hold under water?

Yes – the integral pump works with air or water.

Can I mount my SeaSucker to a non-skid surface?

There are some tricks to helping your SeaSucker maintain a better hold on surfaces that are not perfectly smooth. The easiest is to moisten the sealing edge of your SeaSucker’s vacuum cup. The water will fill in minute imperfections in the surface, which in turn will help your SeaSucker hold its vacuum.

We recommend this technique even when mounting to a perfect surface. If the surface you’re mounting to is a little rougher, then we recommend that you apply a water-based hair gel to the inside of the sealing edge of your SeaSucker’s vacuum cup. Because the hair gel is viscous, it will fill in cracks and gaps in the vacuum seal even better than water alone, but because it’s water-based, it will wipe right up when you’re through using your SeaSucker.

Note: Don’t use petroleum jelly or similar products because of their tendency to act as a lubricant – you don’t want your SeaSucker sliding around on the mounting surface!

Will my SeaSucker work on an inflatable?

We were pleased to find that the SeaSucker will hold on an inflatable, despite the curve and the textured surface!

Will my SeaSucker work on plaster?

Funnily enough one of our earliest customers discovered this when he decided to use our vacuum mounts to attach a bookshelf speaker to his wall.

After conducting our own series of tests on plaster we discovered the following:

1.  The SeaSucker Vacuum Mounts will work on plaster painted with matte, gloss or semi gloss paint.
2.  The SeaSucker Vacuum Mounts will NOT work on horse hair plaster typically found in period homes.
3.  The SeaSucker Vacuum Mounts will NOT work on wallpapered plaster or textured paint.