So.....how about that kayak flotation?

I went out and bought a bilge pump yesterday.  After reading your post, I'll never leave home without the pump onboard.

Al, thanks for posting your story--the quote above is the reason it is worthwhile and your close call might well save another from a worse outcome in worse conditions farther out with no boats nearby one day. thanks for posting your story.

I know this is a sit IN kayak but the pump is pretty cool. It blows the water out of a dedicated hole on the top of the kayak 
http://impextest.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-adventures-in-foot-pumps.html

Tote, a number of closed deck boats offer foot powered or lever-on-deck powered bilge pumps as options or after-market add-ons. They are very popular down under particularly--some even install electric pumps using the same models kayakers use for bait tanks. It is always an interesting debate in the sea kayaking circles--once your roll is bomb proof on both sides, one never does a wet exit and never needs to pump (at least they hope but they still have a hand pump for others). But until then, pumps can be a godsend for those who cannot be assured of their roll under all conditions or are, as I am, belt-and-suspenders people.

But fishing kayaks are a different story: we cannot roll (without thigh straps--even then the gear gets in the way), we open our hatches on the open water (a real no-no for sea kayakers), and we don't have the inherent buoyancy of closed fore and at sections with bulkheads so we have to add it ourselves with no manufacturer guidance.

Note: for the pool noodle guys--I seriously doubt any floatation that doesn't take up most of the space up in the bow up to your front hatch and the same up to near your seat in the rear will float you kayak sufficiently in rough conditions. Closed deck boats have bulkheads that create air pockets of large size fore and aft and float like corks when overturned. Of course they have a cockpit that fills up as well. Just say'in is all. I'd strongly recommend testing your pool noodle setup in a local pool--kayak clubs often have rolling practices and wouldn't mind your testing in their pool most likely-. Submerge that boat and ride it and see how it floats. Once you are in the soup you don't get a do-over. So test it now and make sure your floatation is up to your needs.

Thanks for the heads up. I haven't had any problem with the drain plug on my Tarpon 140, but perhaps I should be prepared

I don't use the drain plug very often, so it mostly remains in place. Maybe I should take it out, clean it well, and replace it with some plumbers putty on the threads to make it even more secure. Might have to grunt a bit to get it out, but I can get the typical amount of water out with a sponge from the front hatches.

I'll do up a bit of floatation as well, just gotta decide what level of cheapness to apply here-pool noodles most likely, even if less than optimal.

Best,

TallPaul