What sponge do you use for kayaking? Will a Home Depot commercial sponge do?
a sponge is a sponge
Yep…
Best ones are the tile grout sponges… they last forever and great to wash things.
Nope…
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=245897-1748-35900&lpage=none
I think that natural sea sponges, while often not sopping up quite at much water per dousing, will last much longer while not retaining odors. I’ve had one very similar to the one above for several years in my boat and it still does not smell. This shape, a bit of a taper at the ends allows it to get into areas a squared off sponge can’t get to as easily.
How long does your dish sponge last and how good does it smell?
JMHO
Is your kayak really
sponge-worthy?
(Seinfeld reference)
Anything that soaks up water will work, no need to splurge on a fancy sponge. 
jim
Sponges
My favorite is the standard issue car-wash sponge that you can buy at the grocery store. They are cheap, I have one in all my boats and an extra one or two in my gear bag.
A while back, someone gave me one of those shammy-cloth covered, tethered kayak sponges. Didn’t work worth beans, the shammy just made it more difficult for the sponge to take-up water and the cloth fell apart in no time.
= Boogieboard …
I bet a sponge would be perceived as better if it has an NRS logo on it for example.
Boats are spongable?
Who knew.
That is what we use also.
If you are paddling every day, one will only last about a few months before it starts to come apart, but we still like them best.
The large one is a perfect size for peeing in when you are five miles out with no land around, (guys only).
Mine used to be blue, but for some strange reason it is turning a shade of yellow !
cheers,
JackL
natural sponges don’t always float NM
i like a thick
synthetic chamois
$2.59 vs $13.90
– Last Updated: May-16-08 11:29 PM EST –
http://tinyurl.com/4f3bsb
and they last a long time...
Gotta disagree . . .
. . . with the “a sponge is a sponge” take on this. I’m not a gear-head, but in this case I have to say that there is a huge difference in absorption capacity between a good natural sponge and some / most of the synthetic sponges out there.
Would you bail your boat out with a tablespoon? Once you’ve used a good natural sponge, you won’t go back.
And I agree with you…
– Last Updated: May-18-08 9:26 AM EST –
At the suggestion of a paddling companion I purchased a natural sponge at craft store (AC Moore). It measures about 5-6" in diameter and cost me maybe $4.50. It's the best sponge I have ever used and I have tried many others, including: a number of "official" bilge sponges, fancy car-wash sponges, household sponges, etc., with prices varying from $1 to $10.
The natural sponge sops up water like no other sponge I have tried. On a day trip with the same friend we came across a small nylon net bag washed up on the beach at our lunch stop. It was like the net bags grapefruits use to come in only smaller. Again at my friend's suggestion I took the bag home and turned into a handy holder for my sponge. Using some sailing twine, a bit of bungee and plastic clip I fashioned a bag for the sponge. I can clip it to any number of places in my cockpit and the the net bag provides some abrasion protection for the sponge. I have been using it for 3 years now and it is still going strong.
YMMV
Peeing in your sponge
What a great idea!!! Can’t wait to try it. Could be the next best thing since the Freshette!
By the way, I keep my sponge in a mesh bag behind my seat, tethered with a 2’ cord. Works much better than the chamois cover, which lasted me all of 2 weeks before disintegrating.