Something to bail water with:

[whenican]

Have you ever been kayaking & been caught in a thunderstorm or had the winds pickup & you started taking waves over your bow or, God forbid, sprung a leak & you needed to remove some water from your kayak? If so, what did you do besides emptying your yak when you got onshore? Do you carry a bilge-pump or handy lil pump to evacuate the water so you dont have to return to shore prematurely? I have used an empty water bottle to remove water before but the other day I came across an empty anti-freeze plastic jug and I cut off the bottom of it & use its handle to scoop out water that gets in my yak. I just thought some new yak owners & veteran owners may find this helpful.

[fishinggod]

at first i figured i have a pro angler and water runs off well when hit with a wave, but lately I've been thinking what if i hit something underneath and have a puncture. currently i have nothing other than the cup i drink from. this post just reminds me even more that my little worries are real and i should stop farting around and get a pump of some kind for safety sake.

[Mark]

Couple of thoughts:

1. Carry a marine radio for weather warnings and heed them.
2. Watch the clouds and sky and head to safety if they darken.
3. Always think about where you are and make sure it does not exceed your ability to get to land/safety should a problem develop.
4. Fish with a buddy.
5. Leave biting fish if water or weather conditions deteriorate. The fish will be there another day.
6. Carry a sponge, pump or bailing device just in case the above points fail to help.

[Goody]

I always have a hand bilge pump and sponge stored in my yak for this purpose. You never know when you might need it.

[buzz]

Since the only hatch the Torque has is located at the bow, a hand bilge pump or sponge would be of little use to me.
I could probably rig up an electric one but I've never found more than a splash of water inside my hull.

But for those that have access, I would say a large sponge is a good bet. Steer clear of the natural sponges as they aren't as tough as the synthetic kind. Most boating supply stores now carry bailing sponges. ACK even sells one for $5.

[plastic boat]

I carry a hand operated bilge pump. it's velcroed inside the middle hatch to the hull