Seattle Sports Co. Paddlers Bilge Pump

Features

Shoots out 8 gallons of water per minute
Features an easy to grab handle, super strong pump shaft and heavy-duty impact resistant plastic
It floats so you don't lose it
Wt: 12oz/340g

Product Description
Seattle Sports Paddlers Bilge Pump By Seattle Sports

Reader Reviews
This bilge pump is the cheaper (by $8) sibling of the Seattle Sports Super Deluxe Bilge Pump. Both pumps have the same pump rate - a claimed 8 gallons per minute. I haven't measured it. I'm guessing that this is probably a theoretical limit, but the important thing is that it pumps "a lot" of water, and does it quickly. Water is pumped out on BOTH strokes, not just the downward stroke. I haven't had to use either of them while on the water yet, but I use them a lot when I'm washing the kayaks at the end of the day. I can hose down all of the compartments and pump out the excess water in a few seconds without having to get help flipping the kayak upside down and tilting it back and forth to try to get the water to fall out. Combined with a good bilge sponge to get the last little remnants of water out, you've got yourself a great system that's a real time saver. Okay, so is the "Super Deluxe" model worth the extra $8? Of course, the most significant difference is the aluminum construction of the "Super Deluxe", versus the all-plastic standard model here. While the plastic model feels strong, it just can't compare to the feel of the aluminum model. Physically, they are almost the exact same size: the "Super Deluxe" model is about a half inch longer, though I'm not entirely sure why. The width/diameter is the same, and the aluminum model surprisingly weighs in at 0.8oz less than the plastic model (11.2oz versus 12oz). The foam grip is larger on the Deluxe model, making hand placement a little less critical, and the foam itself sports a fashionable reflective stripe that the standard model lacks. Personally, I think that this "Super Deluxe" model is worth the $8 premium over the plastic version. But I like that kind of stuff. I'm a sucker for the upgrades. The fact is that the plastic model will perform just as well in a normal operating environment. It SEEMS that the aluminum model is more resistant to damaging forces, but I haven't attempted to destroy either of them, so I can't say any more than that. Anyway, it's a strong, sturdy pump. You probably won't need another one for the foreseeable future, so while I feel that the extra money is worth it for the "Super Deluxe" model, there are surely many people that feel the less expensive plastic model is just as good. It's only rated four stars because I prefer the aluminum model, and I gave that 5 stars. If I had never seen or touched the aluminum model, this would have been a 5 star pump.

Available from Amazon
Price: $17.96
Updated on 5-17-2009.