Best Kayak Bilge Pump

Many websites claim that they recommend the best kayak bilge pump, but they list every possible kayak bilge pump in existence. They really don’t tell you anything. The reason being is that the writers of those websites probably haven’t used multiple kayak bilge pumps over the years to be able to tell what the best is. You’ve seen these sites, and the only reason they exist is to get you to click on a link. If you buy from that link, then they get a commission. We do that here as well, but the difference is that I’m not going to beat around the bush and claim that all the pumps out there are the best kayak bilge pump.

The reason that I’m not going to do that is because there truly is one best kayak bilge pump.

Before I go further, I’ll just let you know that the winner is the Beckson Thirsty-Mate Kayak Bilge Pump. You need the buy the Beckson Thirsty-Mate Bilge Pump Float as well.

Why?

Because it works and it keeps on working. It does all the standard things that you’d want a bilge pump to do, such as pump 8 gallons of water a minute and it floats if you buy the foam floating. It doesn’t need a hose because it pumps water with the ferocity of a water fight. It’s 18 inches long, so you can easily slide it between your skirt and the coaming and still get to the bottom of the kayak.

But the real reason is the thing just works and keeps on working. Look at this picture from 2007. The Beckson is on the wooden boat in the background, and a different brand is on the orange kayak. The Beckson still works. I used it for years guiding, pumping out boats now and then. Throwing it to use as a buoy for kayak instruction and basically didn’t really take great care of it. It still works. I tried it this spring and it still works as good as it did when I first got it. The one on the orange boat stopped working years ago and ended up in the trash.

I know $40 is expensive, and if you are cheap, you probably aren’t going to buy it. If that’s you, then get the NRS Kayak Bilge Pump. It’s also very nice. The price drove us to use them in our instruction programs when I still guided. My wife has one. It’s fine, but I don’t care for the handle. I’d buy the Beckson. If you want to save money, then get the NRS.