Boat design and hull shapes

Self-bailing systems compared

Also: drain systems, plugs, retrofitting self-bailing

Self-bailers come in three designs: simple holes in the floor, holes with plugs to close them, and closable drain tubes such as Anfibio's VenturiTube.

What they all have in common: no self-bailer works without an inflatable floor mat. Only the mat lifts you above the waterline; otherwise water flows in through the holes instead of out.

1. Holes in the floor

The simplest and most common form, as known from MRS self-bailers, for example; Alpacka also builds self-bailers with an open floor. Robust, nothing can break, nothing needs operating. The downside: the boat is always a self-bailer. Without a mat or on long flat-water stretches you sit wet.

2. Holes with plugs (e.g. Mekong)

On the convertible Pablo Pro, Mekong uses plugs to close the drain holes. According to the manufacturer you switch between open, decked and self-bailing in under a minute.

Tip: Our honest experience: so far we find the plug system the least successful. Pressing the 3D-printed plugs back into the holes took us a great deal of strength and patience. If you mainly want to paddle the boat without self-bailing, in our view it's better to choose a version without self-bailing and retrofit later if needed, for example a closable solution modelled on Anfibio's (check with the manufacturer or a workshop first).

3. Closable drain tube (Anfibio VenturiTube)

The Anfibio Revo has a single drain tube in the stern. Turned outward, the boat self-bails; turned inward and rolled three to five times, it's sealed. That works without tools and without effort. For us it's the most thought-through solution so far.

Warning: cutting holes into the floor yourself is no small matter: the warranty is void, the edges must be properly reinforced, and the boat then always needs a suitable floor mat. If in doubt, leave it to a workshop.

Sources and further reading

• Packrafting Store: open and decked boats compared
• Packrafting Store: Anfibio Revo CL
• Mekong Packraft (manufacturer)

Research as of 13 Nov 2026. We have marked manufacturer information as such.