Could somebody please explain scupper holes to me?

They allow the water that comes over the bow to drain out.

I use scupper plugs to keep my butt dry when I'm on the lake.

I take the scupper plugs out if I'm in the surf so my boat doesn't fill with water when the waves hit it.

I guess it's counter-intuitive. How does the water drain out, when more water comes in the holes? Maybe I'll just have to see it to understand it.

if you are within the suggested weight limit for the vessel, the scupper holes should be above the water line for the most part. Water goes over the bow when you hit a wave and water drains down the scupper hole.

As it turns out. in some kayaks, as the kayak digs into waves and such, the scupper holes sometimes go underwater and water comes in. Eventually it drains back out. In my kayak, the scupper hole doubles as a cup holder and it has a fairly small hole at the bottom so it's slow to drain.

If you don't expect to get much water over the bow, you can plug them with scupper plugs and enjoy a drier ride.

Thanks Ricardo. That makes more sense. I've been reading reviews. As I'm sure you've guessed, I'm looking into getting a kayak. But anyway, I've read about the OK Drifter having a wet ride. Is this just because the paddler is out of the weight limit?

A wet ride could mean a few different things. Yes, it could mean that the weight limit is exceeded. One thing to take into consideration is that the weight limit includes everything--the kayaker, gear, etc. Most people will say to keep your weight at 2/3 of the kayak carrying capacity to give leeway for gear.

A wet ride could also be because of boat design. The design of the seating area in relation to the center of gravity, scupper plugs and any drains going into the seating area can cause a wet ride.

I have paddled the Drifter before and I don't remember having a problem with a wet seating area. Or course, I only paddled it briefly and in still waters, so someone that owns one is going to have a better opinion.

Have you had a chance to test drive the Drifter? I would test drive as many kayaks as possible before choosing one. There are a lot of kayak shops that will let you demo their kayaks before buying. And to add to that, if you ever want to demo a Heritage Redfish (what I paddle and sell) let me know! I'm always up for a little kayak fishing!

Thanks. I'm actually planning a trip to Rockport in a couple weeks and will be demoing some kayaks then. I'll keep these things in mind while doing so.

I have an Ocean Prowler 15, and my butt gets wet if I don't use skupper plugs. I have a Tarpon 140 and my butt stays pretty much dry but the area around my feet gets a little water in it, so i use skupper plugs for it, too.

-- unless I get water in over the sides for some reason (either wind or wakes), then I pull the plugs out with the strings that come on them.

Expect to get wet.

"wet ride" is a relative term. "wet compared to what?" might be the question to ask.

I think one thing to keep in mind is to not go kayaking with the idea in mind of staying dry, at least not like if one were in a regular boat. Its the nature of the beast. Like going fishing and expecting to not get fish slime on your hands

But if you dress right for the weather its not gonna be all that bad even if you do get a little wet.