Found on most sit-on-top kayaks, scupper holes are designed to drain water from the cockpit of the kayak, as a safety feature. However, the scupper holes can work against you if your kayak is weighed down significantly. Having a heavy load pushes the hull further into the water causing water to rise up through the scupper holes. Choppy water can also dump significant amounts of water into your kayak.
What Exactly Are Scupper Plugs?
Under some circumstances, the scupper holes in your kayak may work against you. This effectively turns your kayak into a floating bathtub. While having some water in your kayak is normal, if it is cold or there is too much water entering the kayak, it may be uncomfortable. Luckily, scupper plugs are small silicone or rubber pieces designed to fit down into the scupper hole; preventing any water from entering the hole. This obviously comes with a drawback, if your scupper hole is plugged then water won’t be able to drain out either. That is unless you have a scupper plug with a valve in it.
Warning!: Do not confuse a scupper plug with your kayaks drain plug! The drain hole is designed to be used once the kayak is on dry land to remove any leftover water and should always remain tightly plugged.
Which Types of Kayaks Have Scupper Holes? Where They Located?
Scupper holes are a self-bailing system designed to keep water from being trapped in your kayak. Sit-on-top kayaks are the kayaks most commonly used for fishing which have scupper holes. Sit-on-top kayaks typically have one or several compartments that are sealed off to water leaving only the cockpit and storage areas to fill with water, which is no big deal unless the kayak gets too full. Scupper holes are commonly found in the cockpit, tank well, and near the foot pegs. Some kayaks only have two scupper holes while others have upwards of eight.
Why Would I Want to Plug My Scupper Holes?
There are many reasons why a fisherman may decide to plug the scupper holes on his kayak. Choppy water can bring water up through the scupper holes causing undesirable wetness of one’s feet or gear, which is particularly annoying in the spring or winter seasons when the water tends to be slightly more frigid than summer. If your kayak does not have a seat, then you may also find your behind wet, which is even more undesirable. A happy medium, which is the more popular option, is to plug the scupper holes closest to your seat and leave the others open.
Being over the weight limit for your kayak will cause water to rise through your kayak. Remember when purchasing your kayak that you should pay attention the weight limit of the vessel. Try to lean towards 50% of the max weight of the kayak (that includes gear), but you can get by with 25%.
Why Would I NOT Want to Plug My Scupper Holes
The short answer here is that scupper holes do serve a great purpose than draining water from your kayak. Before you decide to plug your scupper holes, you should know that it can create a vacuum if the kayak is upside down. That’s right if you flip your kayak, plugged scupper holes can create vacuum making it EXTREMELY difficult to reflip your kayak if it is in calm water. While flipping your kayak with the scupper holes plugged can be done, it is not to be taken lightly. If you are a poor swimmer not wearing your life vest or just too far from shore; the amount of time that it takes you to flip your kayak and re-enter it can be crucial. Also, scupper holes are designed to let water leave the kayak, be aware that plugging them may cause water build up.
Choosing the Scupper Plug for You
Personal preference, as with any decision, comes into play here. Most higher quality kayaks come with scupper plugs already, for cheaper models you will have to purchase your own. The plugs themselves range from a couple of dollars to about twenty bucks. They are made of different materials and have different designs as well. All in all, what really matters is that you make sure that the scupper plug you choose fits your kayak. Not all scupper plugs are made equal, meaning that some will fit very well while others won’t fit at all and even pop out when in use. Personally, I recommend scupper valves, they really give you the best of both worlds. The scupper valve works by letting water out the bottom while keeping water from entering as well, it almost sounds like magic.
How to Remove Water From Your Kayak
At the end of the day, if you take your kayak out, you’re going to get wet. Expecting to stay dry while kayaking is an outlandish expectation. However, there are various ways to help stay dry, but these methods are not one hundred percent effective.
The Sponge
The first method is a sponge, I believe ever kayaker should carry a sponge for the simple fact that they are so useful. They are honestly the best way to get water out of any place on your kayak, plus they are cheap, small, and easily replaceable. Be sure to let your sponge dry old after use, though. They are prone to molding when not given the opportunity to dry out and no one wants a smelly sponge in their gear.
Bilge Pump
A bilge pump is a simply designed pump system, which removes water. You standard kayak bilge pump are man-powered with a handle that you pump up and down, which sucks up water and sprays it out the side. These pumps are small, effective, and range typically from twenty to thirty dollars. The only difference in price stems from the name of the company that makes it, and perhaps a little quality as well. There are electric pumps available for about two to three times the cost of a hand powered one, but they are a little overkill for a kayak anyway. The standard hand-used bilge pump is almost a must carry for safety reasons. If you happen to go through a particularly rough patch of rapids or your scupper holes let in more water than you are comfortable with, the bilge pump can be a worthwhile investment not just for your sanity but your safety also.
Drain Plug
This is only an option if you’re able to swim to pull your kayak to dry land or have a buddy ‘tow’ your kayak with his. Sit-in kayaks do not have a self-bailing system, therefore it is more crucial to keep large amounts of water out of them. However, some sit-on-top kayaks have drain plugs as well just in case water gets into the storage areas. If your sponge just isn’t cutting it and you don’t have a bilge pump, this may be your best bet.
Remember, Water in Your Kayak is Perfectly Normal
Water will find its way into your kayak, be it from paddling, waves, entering or exiting your kayak, or even through your scupper plugs themselves. As long as it is not large amounts of water and you can live with it, then there is no need to panic. A puddle in your kayak can be annoying but there is no need to panic.
Summary and Closing Thoughts
While scupper plugs can be effective at keeping water from entering your kayak, they are not necessary. The plugs come in all shapes and sizes and making sure that your chosen plug properly fits your kayak is important before buying. Water will always find it’s way into your kayak, and that’s okay. Use a bilge pump or sponge to remove that unwanted and frankly, annoying water. If something happens and your kayak takes on large amounts of water, you may have to tow it back to shore and use the drain plug to empty it. Rather use the scupper plugs or not is up to you, it has drawbacks just as it has advantages. The most popular scupper holes to plug are the ones closest to your seat, as this will help keep your bottom dry along with your gear.