Abstract In this paper, a water-lubricated hydrostatic thrust bearing with a porous land region and capillary restrictor is proposed, and the results of theoretical and experimental investigations of its static characteristics are presented. The results showed that the water-lubricated hydrostatic thrust bearing with a porous land region had good operating characteristics; in particular, it had a high load capacity and static stiffness close to that of a porous bearing when operating with a clearance of less than 15 μm, and a high load capacity and static stiffness equivalent to that of a pocket bearing when running with a clearance larger than 15 μm.