KAYAK FISHING
Q Please could you explain the why, where, and when to the use of scupper bungs; when they could and should be used? I have put the plugs in then taken them out not quite knowing. This would be good for my safety and peace of mind. STEVE BLATCH. LINCOLNSHIRE
MC says: This is a question I didn’t expect to see as I had completely forgotten about the existence of these! They are an excellent addon purchase for the retailer that provides little to zero benefit to the customer if
I’m completely honest with you! I did, of course, fall into the exact same trap when I bought my first sit-on-top and so did most of the guys I used to fish with. That’s not to say that they are a complete waste of money but for you and I they certainly are. Scupper plugs or bungs have one purpose and that is to block the drainage holes in the bottom of the cockpit section (or tankwell) of a kayak, the idea being that it stops water coming up into the kayak from below. However, they also stop water flowing out of the kayak from above so it’s a definite two-way street and, of course, those scupper holes are there for a reason. The first of these is of course to allow the free flowing of water while the second – and this has a noticeable effect
– is to provide strength and rigidity to the mould in key places. A prime example of the difference they make is when comparing the Ocean Kayak Scupper Pro and RTM Tempo kayaks which are mostly the same kayak historically. The drawback of course is that water comes into the seat well. The other place that the scupper holes come in is by my feet. This is the low point of the cockpit area so of course is the best place to have drainage but is also the area that you push against when paddling therefore it’s a place, like the seat well, that benefits from extra rigidity. Remove the hole mouldings and you have a kayak that has an increased potential for going floppy.
As you say that you fish the coastlines then you will be padding somewhere where more water is likely to get in than otherwise – waves, spray etc. will all dump water in to the kayak which will have nowhere to go if you have scupper plugs inserted. The worst example of this is of course when launching through some waves when water gets dumped in your lap and you could then of course be trying to paddle out with a good few kgs of water slowing you down and affecting stability as well as potentially washing your kit overboard. This illustrates where they are designed for – flat water, especially freshwater. Worldwide (and certainly in Ocean Kayak’s home market of America) most sit on top kayaks are sold for freshwater use by what might be termed as the amateur weekend paddlers rather than the dedicated kayaker. Being denser and less buoyant than saltwater the kayak will sit lower in freshwater so more water incursion will happen. There are unlikely to be waves to contend with either and the only water likely to get into the kayak in normal use would be the drips from a paddle. Essentially, scupper plugs are for flat, freshwater, use.