[Paddlewise] Pumping more water

I'm still thinking about pumping water in rough seas by myself with a
hand pump, although I will be on the lookout for a foot pump (or some
sort of substitute) at a reasonable price ($175US is not reasonable).

A general rule of survival is to try to think of all the things that can
go wrong and then have some sort of plan in case one of those unhappy
circumstances occur.  That's all I'm trying to do here.

My thinking now says, if I'm in the water, by myself, in rough seas with
a cockpit full of water that I can't empty by lifting the kayak up and
flipping it, to not bother with a self rescue at that point because I
won't be able to stay upright long enough to pump the water out anyway.
Instead, I'd attempt to pump the water out before getting in.  Can I do
that?

I'm on the Maine USA coast so the water is pretty cold.  The wind is
heavy, the swells are large and frequent or the waves are big and
choppy.  I'm not in a surf zone so are the waves breaking over me
frequently? 

If they are, can I get down wind of the kayak, roll it halfway or three
quarters of the way towards me, let the waves break on the bottom while
I pump water?

Or can I get up wind of the kayak, leap up and cover the cockpit with my
torso, let the waves break over me, and try to pump that way?

Or can I take off my spray skirt, attach it to the cockpit and pump the
water out through it?

If I can do any of these things, will I be hypothermic by the time I'm
done or still have the strength to try to do a self rescue?  What if I
can't?

I have those little floaty, yellow things (dare I say the "S" word?)
that attach to the sides of a kayak.  I will have (soon) floatation bags
for bow and stern.  If I'm on a camping trip, they'll probably just be
rolled up near the hatch.  If I'm on a day trip, they'll be at least
partially inflated and in place.  Maybe I can make a little raft to help
keep the old bod out of the water.

The floatation bags (will) have grommets on the wide end but nothing on
the skinny end.  Maybe I'd have a pre-attached line going through the
grommets, that can go over the body, wrap around the skinny end and tie
back up around the grommets.  That should help keep the torso out of the
water.  The yellow floaty things could be used in a similar manner to
help keep the legs out of the water.

I would have to take the hatch covers off to get at the floatation bags.
If they're just rolled up and near the hatch, I should be able to
partially lift the hatch and cover to get them out.  If they're
inflated, I'd have to cover the hatch with my torso or spray skirt
(assuming it would fit) while I worked to deflate them. 
 
If I was camping and the hatches were full, it would be my
responsibility to ensure the floatation bags were the last things loaded
so they would be readily available or maybe keep them in the cockpit as
part of the emergency equipment.  I have a cockpit cover that I would
start carrying, to keep water out of the cockpit.

I don't plan on putting myself in a position where any of this will be
needed but s**t happens and if it does, I want to come out of it
smelling like a rose :-).

BTW, the floatation bags I'm looking at are only 42".  I figure that
will be adequate since I don't really want to fill the hatches up
completely.  I'll always have extra clothes, porta-pottie stuff, first
aid stuff, etc tucked away.


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