Forgot to think first

Realizing I had not backpaddled at all this year, I promptly did so. “Hmm, why do my feet feel like they are submerged in cold water?”

DOH. Should have closed the bailer first. I’ve taken to leaving it open by default because it does great at sucking out water. And even better at flooding it when paddling in reverse! 

Sometime on a hot day I might deliberately repeat this mistake to see just how deeply the cockpit would get flooded if I continued to backpaddle with bailer open.

Consider yourself lucky. As a heavier paddler (over 110kg's), I can't find a boat with enough buoyancy and/or freeboard to prevent the smallest chop from flooding into the cockpit. Hence my boat has to be moving at all times to keep the drains sucking, otherwise I'm sitting soggy.
Even my Bluefin floods on flat water. It seems that surfski manufacturers don't like us real men.

Regarding heavier paddler swamping over sides even on flat or small chop, I had similar issues, but more on waves and downwind.  At Gorge, for instance:  Bluefin, wet.  V8 Pro, wet.  V10Sport, a little wet.  Swordfish S, DRY!!  Obviously higher sides keep water out better when trying to overtake a wave or having a wave pass you by (or side chop, flat, etc).  Higher sides make for tougher remounts as a trade off.  I suppose the higher end skis have higher sides and drier rides, where remounts are not as common and higher end paddlers can remount anything if needed.  If you can handle and fit a 45cm ski, try SF S.  Are there any other skis known for high sides?