Playing about in the water and waves are great fun, but to keep the waters on the outside of your craft you need the best bilge pumps for the job.
No matter if you are sailing, kayaking or motor boating we have researched be best makes and models the will keep you on top of the water instead of under it.
Read next: Check out our review of the best underwater boat lights, marine VHF radio, and inflatable dinghy.
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Best Bilge Pumps - (Comparison Table)
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Top Bilge Pumps
Best Bilge Pump Overall
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A great little water pump for small fresh watercraft.
It’s quick to install and can get you out of dirty water quickly.
It is fast and powerful having a similar flow to a garden hose.
This pump is not suitable for use in saltwater, however.
- Volume: 2727 l (600 gz)
- Weight: 270g (0.6 lbs)
- Voltage: 12v
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Best Bilge Hand Pump
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Having a small bilge pump to hand is always useful in emergencies or when recovering from a freak wave or capsize. This bilge pump is fantastic for kayaks, dinghies and other small boats where an electric pump is not practical.
The pump is lightweight, very portable and floats. The attachable hose means you can direct the unwanted water anywhere.
- Volume: 2182 L (480 gz) per hour
- Weight: 340 g (1.2 lbs)
- Voltage: N/A
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Best Automatic Bildge Pump)
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This pump is activated by a floating switch and can be fully submerged whilst still remaining fully operational. IF you don’t notice the water level rising, the pump will be automatically triggered when the floating switch reaches a predetermined level.
It has the ability to process some (Not all) solid matter obstacles it may encounter and is a good choice for small to midsize sailing or motor vessels.
- Volume: 3400 L (750 g)z per hour
- Weight: 3400 L (750 g)z per hour
- Voltage: 12v
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Best Heavy Duty Bilge Pump
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Seaflo have made a very powerful pump, capable of handling most bilges from mall crafts to large yachts and motorboats.
This unit is fully watertight enabling it to be fully submersed whilst maintaining full operation. The water can pump for long periods due its water colled motor.
- Volume: 9100 L (2000 gz) per hour
- Weight: 9100 L (2000 gz) per hour
- Voltage: 12v
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Best High Volume Bilge Pump
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This pump is a heavy-duty bilge pump that can operate in almost total silence and with hardly any vibration.
The pump is capable of being powered by 12, 24 and 32 volts.
- Volume: 9100 L (2000 gz) per hour
- Volume: 1.58 kg (3.5 lbs)
- Power: 12v, 24v 32v
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Best Budget Bilge Pump
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This is a good pump for the smaller types of boats. It has a good design, compact and well sealed. This pump has a patented shaft with good quality bearings and seals.
The pump can be easily maintained and the parts are easily replaceable.
- Volume: 9100 L (2000 gz) per hour
- Weight: 4.35 kg (9.6 lbs)
- Voltage: 12v
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Buyer's Guide for Bilge Pumps
No matter how small or watertight your boat is, water will always find a way in.
Whether it’s capsizing a kayak, taking on water from a few waves while out in a dinghy or powerboat. Water gets in!
If you don’t empty it quickly it can cause damage, destabilize and even sink your vessel.
Selecting the right bilge pump for your craft
There is no need to go “overboard” when choosing a bilge pump. Having said that, there is no one size fits all.
For kayaks, dinghies, rubber ducks and other small crafts that don’t have on board batteries, the choices are fairly simple. You will need a manual bilge pump or one where a portable battery can be connected.
For larger boats like yachts, motor cruisers etc you will need an electric pump.
Pumping capacity
The logic here is fairly simple, the larger the boat, the larger the capacity of water your bilge pump or pumps should be able to handle.
Remember though, a bilge pump is not to stop you from sinking if you spring a leak in your hull. It is for getting rid of excess water from rain, occasional waves, etc.
Usually, a bilge pump capacity is measured in terms of gallons per hour (GPH).
If you have a small boar or kayak, then a small hand pump capable of pumping around 400 GPH is sufficient.
For a larger vessel, the same size pump is adequate, but you would want it to be automatic. You don’t want to pump 400 gallons of water by hand for an hour TRUST ME!!
