why would you not use a pump?

[ian123]

Deadlegs,
Don't get me wrong, I don't give a shiit about purity... and I only said that IMO a pump would remove SOME of the challenge... as it removes SOME of the water...

A pump wouldn't work for me.... the battery for my cordless drill is never charged when I need the dam thing...

[ESP]

A pump just provides options with minimal weight penalties. You can always attempt to stay dry by seeking the best routes and nothing stops you from picking a spot along the shore to dump the boat if necessary. What it does allow is a little socialization time in an eddy while waiting your turn to surf a nice wave or it allows you to catch a micro eddy in the middle of a run so you can run the next feature empty.

[ian123]

A pump just provides options with minimal weight penalties. You can always attempt to stay dry by seeking the best routes and nothing stops you from picking a spot along the shore to dump the boat if necessary.

agreed

[french erick]

Cheers for the answers.

Mind that I am not asking which pump, or how to fit it.
I want to know what the holy C ghost thinks

I would certainly suffer from the...shite it's not charged syndrom too. I do that regularly with the phone.

[milkman]

There's nothing like getting on a surging, breaking surf wave, fighting to stay on it and stay dry, eventually (or all at once) filling up, working your way to shore, climbing out on the bank, lifting your boat, dumping gallons of water, and happily thinking to yourself what buckets of fun you just had.

If I was running solid class IV stuff and above all the time, I'd have a pump for safety. Since I don't, it's one gadget I can do without. I like the element of having to personally deal with the water that comes in my boat--either by pumping it or dumping it--and consider it part of the sport. But I don't look down on pump owners--they just have a different priority. There's no right or wrong here, it's just what you like. One advantage of not having a pump is you get to exercise other groups of muscles, though I suppose I'm neglecting my toggle switch-flipping muscle groups.

[Walsh]

Personal commitment to spend less time screwing around with outfitting and more time boating. My Skeeter doesn't really need it; if there was more space in my boat I might consider it.

Outside of competition, I don't care whether you use a pump, decks, a skirt, or hire a midget to ride in your boat and bail it. Whatever makes you happy and gets you down the river.

[SlovenOC'er]

Pre-pump days. a typical play session would be...peel out, enter feature, do a move(s) or trick(s), fill, flush, struggle back to eddy with a boatful, lift or drag to opportune spot, dump, get back in boat, repeat, repeat, repeat. At the end of a good long day, my lower back would not be on speaking terms with me for a day or longer!

As mentioned earlier, there are rivers and levels where finding a friendly eddy to dump in is not always a luxury available. Little space for a bailer. I'll also confess that my paddle bailing technique is at best inefficient and feeble. Since installing pumps, I've never looked back.

But..this thread shows that a lot of people do just fine without them. If you are undecided, I'd recommend borrowing a boat set up with one and go do your typical run and see what you think. The only right or wrong that matters here is yours.

[Lappie]

I have a friend, in is tendem Nexus, with bulk head sadle, use hand pumps(think sea kayak pumps), fitted into the front of each bulk head and as thay go down the river in beetween rapids, each or both of them can pump... It worked realy good, and there is no battery, no wireing etc I would love to find a realy efficient hand pump!!

[Craig Smerda]

Then... there's always the option to paddle a boat that runs stuff really dry to begin with...

[RodeoClown]

1) I like the simplicity of not having to deal with pumps, batteries, etc.
2) I designed a boat that still plays really well when full of water
3) two words: Rock Dump.

[Lappie]

Like a Genesis, it run prety dry and...

[Einar]

It sure is nice when a newer paddler is moving up, learning to surf and run tougher lines and has cheap $100 pump investment. Saves the long down river chases of a full boat, off the playspot.
Of course I could paddle without the newbies but I haven't paid off my beginners "swim debt" yet. Probably never will.
I've taken to teaching rolling to double down on the payments.

[oc1kcwlkr]

The times I really wish I had a pump were for the runs that I was stepping it up. Not necessarily because I was worried about running a rapid full of water..

I mostly paddle with kayakers. When there showing me down a run that is on the edge of my comfort zone, I find that having to get out and bail wears me out more than the actually paddling.

They get to chill in an eddy, rest a bit, and then pull out as soon as I'm back in my boat. They're good to go, while i've been throwing around a 150 lbs of boat and water. Definately makes for a nonstop stressful day..

[Craig Smerda]

1) I like the simplicity of not having to deal with pumps, batteries, etc.
2) I designed a boat that still plays really well when full of water
3) two words: Rock Dump.

1) I concur... "gizmo's and gadgets"
2) It really helps when the water is forced to stay in the center... rocker profile and overall length can dictate a lot of that.
3) Two more words: Elbow Pads

[the great gonzo]

I had a pump in my old Prelude, but have not put one in my new one (or my Outrage), at least yet.
For me, whether to have a pump or not depends a lot on the situation.
For one, I do not park and play in open boats. Thats what I have decked boats for. On many runs, particulary if they are pool and drop with easy eddies to dump or easy dry lines, I am faster just hopping out, dumping and then going again.
But in box canyons with sheer walls and no eddies where one can get out of the boat, on very continuous runs or in really big water where it's a looong whay to shore having a pump is really handy.
I will definitely assemble another pump system for my boats for this type of runs.

TGG!