This text presents guidelines to allow a paddler to gauge where he or she fits in the paddling spectrum, and how to make educated, insightful decisions. Discussions include buying the best kayak, design basics, simple maintenance, customizing, emergency repairs, and cartopping.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Andy Knapp is the paddlesports specialist and buyer for Midwest Mountaineering in Minneapolis and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Trade Association of PaddleSports (TAPS). The author of numerous articles in Sea Kayaker, Silent Sports, and other magazines, he is a contributing editor for Canoe & Kayak magazine and the editor of the Upper Midwest Kayak Touring News. A multisport outdoorsman, he estimates that over the last 35 years he has logged over 123,000 miles biking, kayaking, canoeing, running, snowshoeing, hiking, and skiing.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 5 Customizing Your Boat Kayaking in all its aspects is a sport of physical and mental dexterity. A kayaker meets the challenges of the earth's surface water in one form or another using a variation of a simple craft that dates back thousands of years. Over the millennia, the Inuit undoubtedly tinkered with their boats and water gear, exchanging information with others near and far, to make these tools work for them in their harsh, changing environment. Today, as recreational kayakers, we too gain satisfaction from tinkering with our boats and gear, customizing our kayaks and accessorizing with the proper gear to make them meet our specific paddling needs. Unless you build your own kayak from scratch, you will need to do some modifications to any stock boat to make it work for your intended purpose. The interrelated factors of fit, performance, convenience, and safety dictate our customizing needs. The most important factor is fit, since it relates closely to performance and safety. Making the kayak fit our individual bodies is as important for appropriate control and comfort as it is to fit a bicycle or a pair of skis properly. Performance relates to the way the kayak and paddle do the things we must do to navigate through the water. For convenience, we want certain things available when we need them as we paddle. And for safety's sake, we want the configuration of kayak and gear to add to our margin of error, making it more likely we will return without mishap. This customizing process is a constantly evolving one. Almost all aspects of kayaking are undergoing a dynamic level of change and innovation, and our individual needs and goals will evolve with these changes. Many of us who have paddled for years may wonder how we made do with the skills and the gear that seemed so hot back then. Yet, the basics never change. It's not the gear, but what we do with the gear that counts. Outfitting the Cockpit Cockpit fit is the key to paddling performance. The adage that you "wear" your whitewater kayak is true for all kayaks as well. Kayak propulsion takes more than just sitting and moving our arms back and forth. Efficient paddling technique involves the shoulders and most of the muscles of the torso, so your upper body needs to be free to reach, turn, and flex. As you paddle, you are pulling yourself forward, and you must be firmly seated and bracing with your feet to prevent sliding farther forward into the kayak. As you encounter progressively difficult conditionswhether you seek them out or notyou will need to lean, brace, and sweep, which requires your hips, lower back, and thighs to be holding the boat.
These points of contact with the kayak are where the energy you put into the paddle forces the kayak to go where you want it to, and thus are the focal points for proper fit. The goal is to balance a comfortable fit with the performance needs of your style of kayaking. The differences in outfitting for whitewater kayaking, sea and surf kayaking, and recreational kayaking are mostly a matter of degree; the principles are the same. Think of your kayak fit in the same sense you would about your boot and shoe fit. For all sports, your footwear needs to fit well. For climbing you need maximum performance, and a climbing shoe must fit very snugly. When hiking you need a hiking boot to cover the miles with performance and control, but you also need a level of comfort to be able to continue. And with sandals you are maximizing comfort and are outfitted for only minimum control, such as when walking on a beach. The Seat Your kayak's seat and the back band or backrest are the most important components in terms of comfort while paddling. The recumbent position of kayaking is naturally a comfortable one, but your rear end and lower back need to be evenly supported to distribute the weight and avoid pressure points. Make these adjustments in advance, since your options for shifting around and making changes once situated in the kayak and underway are minimal.
In the past seat design by many commercial kayak manufacturers has appeared to have been an afterthought, driven as much by price and ease of installation as by fit. A competitive market has fostered innovations in this area. Nevertheless, it is impossible for any one seat design, even a good one, to fit all possible human shapes. Therefore, your first seat customization decision will be whether to utilize the existing seat as a base and improve its fit or to take it out and build from scratch. Either way, a seat designed just for your needs will not be as difficult to create as it may sound.
If you have a new kayak or are new to the sport, put some paddle time in to get a feel for what needs to be done. Before hitting the water, get the foot pegs and back support into proper position. Adjust the angle or tension on the back rest/back band to support your lower back and give your back a sense of gripping the boat. Adjust the positions of the foot pegs so your knees are bent sufficiently to allow you to grip the thigh braces as well (if so equipped).
With these points adjusted, you should feel sufficiently wedged in to be able to hold yourself in the kayak even if it were upside-down (which is what you would be if trying to execute a roll). If you are uncomfortable with this snug a fit, back off on these settings. You can fine-tune these positions later as you customize your fit and as your paddling confidence grows.
After being on the water, you can identify areas for improvement. Does the contour of the present seat match your anatomy and remain comfortable for extended periods? Make note of any pressure points, including the front edge of the seat where it may pinch a leg nerve and put your leg to sleep. Try a few wet exits and see how easy it is to hold yourself in for a few moments and also how easy it is to relax your legs and slide out. Practice some leaned turns, braces, and sweep strokes to determine if the seat is too wide and how much hip support you may want. If taking a kayak skills course, pay attention to these fit issues and seek opinions from knowledgeable instructors.
Most kayaks come with an installed contoured seat. For extra comfort, fill in with minicell foam some of the contours or add some padding. Generally you don't want to add too much height to the seat: even a small increase in the position of your center of gravity will noticeably decrease the kayak's stability. As you experiment with the fit, lightly tape the foam pieces in place, and then go for a test paddle to see how it works before committing to that configuration with adhesive. Proceed carefully and patiently when modifying the seat's comfort and fit. In the end, you'll have to sit with it.
If all you want for your posterior is a softer, more comfortable surface, there are a number of commercially made seat pads and cushions that will do the job. Many paddlesports accessory suppliers offer basic minicell foam seat pads that fit the contours of most molded hard seats. For a more deluxe ride, you can use gel-filled pads. The gel flows into the correct shape and eliminates pressure points. Planetary Gear makes this variety of pad that is held in place with Velcro and a security cord.
Several inflatable seat cushions are available, including one by Cascade Designs that is patterned after the construction of their popular Therm-a-REST sleeping pads. With it, you can vary the amount of air you sit on, striking a balance of comfort and performance.
Other products are coming onto the market all the time. Look through the ads in paddlesports-specific magazines (see chapter 8) or check your local paddlesports store for more possibilities. If you are looking for new outfitting ideas, go to where the kayaks are. Kayak events like rodeos, races, and symposiums bring paddlers and manufacturers together, and the latest ideasthe good, the bad, and the uglywill be there as well. When it comes to finding the best seat arrangement, your needs may be relatively unique, so be prepared to look around. Working with Minicell Foam Minicell has become one of the most useful ingredients for outfitting canoes and kayaks. A dense, but light, closed-cell foam, minicell is easy to cut and shape, resists compression, and tolerates a fair amount of wear and tear. Virtually any effort to customize the fit of a kayak involves the use of some minicell foam. Here are some general points about working with it.
Cutting and shaping. You can get minicell in various preshaped pieces or in bulk sheets from a number of vendors. The foam is relatively expensive, so plan ahead, cut carefully, and save any significant pieces. It can be cut with a variety of sharp tools, including a hacksaw blade or an old bread knife. For more precise shaping and smoothing, use a metal sand- paper commonly called dragonskin or a shaping tool such as a Stanley Sureform.
Adhesives. Paddlesports stores commonly sell quality contact adhesives like Hydrogrip and Mondo Bond. Follow directions carefully; these adhesives generally require coating both surfaces and setting until tacky before joining.
Safety. When working with minicell foam or any other material that will change the way you fit in your kayak, keep the entrapment issue in mind. In the worst-case scenario, you must instinctively be able to release your legs and slide out of the cockpit. Practice wet exits with a new customizing job in safe water before venturing out onto more technical water. The snugness of your kayak fit should grow with your increasing skills of braces and a solid roll in the conditions in which you paddle. Installing a New Seat Replacing an existing seat or installing a new one is a more ambitious project, and you should consider a number of things before removing your existing seat. First, have a clear idea what it is you want to do, what materials and tools the job will require, and how long it will take, because you won't be able to paddle the kayak in the meantime. When removing the old seat, be sure you are not altering any structural parts of the kayak. Particularly with whitewater boats, stock seats may be part of the system that provides rigidity to the hull or holds the pillars in place. If so, you must accommodate these structural features in your new design.
If removing a hanging fiberglass seat that is built into the coaming, you may want to leave in place a length of the sidewall for use as an anchor point, perhaps for a back band, the new seat, or a set of hip pads. Keep the original sitting part of the seat for mounting at a different angle or height or as a template for another seat.
An important issue to consider is the effect of the position of the seat on the balance point of the kayak. In some cases, this may be the primary reason for modifying or repositioning a seat. Since your body weight is such a high percentage of the weight of the kayak when in the water, even small changes in the seat position can have noticeable effects on the way the boat handles. These changes in the trimor the waterline shape of the kayakwill determine how the hull turns, how it reacts when crossing an eddyline, and how it is influenced by the wind (weathercocking), among other effects. So unless you are certain of what you are doing, try not to move this balance point. Use a measurable reference, such as the line defined by your hipbones, as a way to note where the seat should be positioned.
Some kayaks may have some adjustability built into the design of the seat to allow for fine-tuning the trim. You can also control the trim by how you load the kayak. The farther from the center that a given item is stored, the more its weight will affect the trim. Too much heavy stuff toward the ends of the kayak will increase the swing weight and make for sluggish turning.
As mentioned earlier, maintain a low center of gravity for the boat. Unless you need clearance above the cockpit coamingsay for a paddler with a short torsokeep the thickness of a new seat arrangement to a minimum. When removing an old seat, make a few measurements of its height above the keel line of the hull for future reference.
If you find a commercially made seat that fills your needs and is available as a separate accessory, you need to determine if its width, shape, and method of attachment is compatible with your kayak's cockpit. Most likely some sort of dissimilarity will require drilling, gluing, or shimming with foam. Creating a new seat from raw materials is not as difficult as it may sound. The easiest base material to work with is likely to be minicell foam. Making a simple platform for some of the commercially-available cushions or padded seats is probably the simplest route and will provide adequate comfort for many paddlers. The trickiest part of the operation is shaping the underside of the piece of foam to match the contour of the hull at the point where you want to install it.
First, make a template of the contour of the hull. Do this by measuring along a given line and transferring those numbers to a piece of cardboard, which will be your template cutout. Use the line defined by the front edge of the foam seat platform. The rear edge of the seat platform is likely to have essentially the same contour unless your kayak has a pronounced taper or V-hull. Another way to create a template is to bend a piece of pliable metal like a coat hanger into the correct shape. (Another useful item for this purpose is the aluminum stay out of an internal-frame backpack). Use the template to check the contour of the underside of the seat foam as you cut it to shape.
A complete seat can be fashioned from minicell foam. Ken Rasmussen's article in Sea Kayaker on seat construction (see chapter 8) has become one of the definitive works detailing a method for doing this. In addition to useful methods for making a positioning template and shaping the foam to the contour of your anatomy, Rasmussen makes several good suggestions, including the use of a custom seat to lower the center of gravity and tips on covering the shaped foam with a fabric for added durability. Hip Pads Hip pads can be built into your custom arrangement to prevent slipping sideways while executing leaned turns and bracing strokes. If you fit them snugly, hip pads make it easier to stay in position in the kayak without straining against the foot pedals or tensing your legs. Curving the pads outward at the tops produces even more of a grip on your hips. Keep in mind, however, the importance of both a tight fit and a quick exit from the cockpit in an emergency.
A variety of commercially-made kitsminicell being the material of choiceare available. Such whitewater kayak companies as Perception, Dagger, Wave Sport, and Prijon supply hip pad fit kits with their boats. Some newer kayak models have width-adjustable seats that eliminate all or most of the cutting and gluing. Also, several accessory companies, including Planetary Gear and North Shore, Inc., also distribute hip pads and other outfitting pads. Some of these sets are pretty basicjust shaped minicell pads that are glued into place. More deluxe models have foam sections encased in nylon, allowing for different widths, with Velcro or strap attachment methods that eliminate the need to use adhesive. These deluxe alternatives give more adjustability between different kayaks or between different users.
Making your own hip pads is quite simple. Cut the foam into the approximate shapes and depth you wantusually about 4 by 4 inches (10 by 10 cm) or 4 by 6 inches (10 by 15 cm) will do, depending on the size of the surface to be attached to. When fitting, be sure to allow for the thickness of your paddle clothes. Put the pads in place temporarily with tape and try them out. Once you are satisfied with the fit, then fix them permanently in place with contact adhesive. Use dragonskin to fine-tune the fit as needed. Back Bands and Back Rests Lower back supports are another aspect of kayak accessory design that has seen a lot of innovation in the last few years. With improvements in padding and the quality of back bands, the trend has been away from rigid or tilting back rests, primarily to provide a greater range of back motion during active kayaking and certain styles of rolls. Your upgrade from one band to another will be smooth if you pick a model with a mounting method compatible with your kayaks construction.
If you're installing your kayak's first back band, you need to determine what on the kayak the back band is attached to. On molded seats that come installed in most polyethylene whitewater and touring kayaks, look for slots for that purpose on the sides. There may be bolts holding the seat in place near the sides of the coaming on the hull; these points are commonly used for back band attachments. You may need to drill holes or slots in the sides of a fiberglass seat. You can avoid dismantling or cutting by creating an attachment point with a length of nylon cord threaded around the seat support and tied off in a loop. Some of the commercially made back bands come with mounting kits that have suggestions specific to that design.
Usually some sort of support strap or stretch cord is required to hold the band in place so that it meets the small of your back. These support straps attach to the rear pillar, bulkhead, or back edge of the coaming and may interfere slightly with access to the space right behind the seat if you use it for storing gear. On the other hand, the straps can be utilized to help hold things securely in the boat. Several of the more deluxe back band models have zippered pockets that provide storage for an assortment of small items.
Rigid fiberglass and plastic seat backs, though less common now on touring and sea kayaks, are still used on a variety of primarily North Americandesigned kayaks. They provide lots of back support and often come with an easily adjustable line that controls the amount of tilt. However, rigid seat backs interfere with lower back motion and get in the way of snug-fitting spray skirt designs.
You can trim a bit across the top of some fiberglass seat backs to reduce some of this height. Sand the resulting cut smooth and if necessary touch it up with a bit of epoxy to prevent fraying. A back pad of minicell foam can easily be shaped and glued along the top several inches of the seat back to focus more of the support into the lower lumbar area of the back. If you wish, the rigid seat backs can also be completely removed and replaced with a nylon backband. Thigh Braces An effective thigh brace arrangement is the key to holding yourself securely in the kayak and staying in control in complex water conditions. If the surface of the thigh brace wraps around the lower thigh or knee sufficiently, you can grip and hold yourself in the kayak with your legs, allowing more flexibility with your lower back for aggressive paddling maneuvers. Casual paddlers find that a well-fitted set of thigh braces improves leaning and turning techniques, leading to an improvement in most other skills.
Thigh braces supplied with most state-of-the-art whitewater kayaks have improved greatly over the last few years, and a bit of tinkering with extra minicell foam may be all that is needed for an exact fit. Some kayak models now have sized or adjustable thigh brace options that allow you to fine-tune the fit.
General river touring and casual recreational kayaks are the least likely to have a well-thought-out thigh brace configuration, if any at all. Check with the manufacturer or your paddlesports dealer to see which models have a thigh brace set available as an add-on accessory. Otherwise, it's again time to play around with the minicell foam. A good knee or thigh brace can take on a number of shapes, depending on the inside space and shape of the hull and the amount of support you are seeking. One option for experimenting with possible foam configurations is to use some duct tape and some throwaway Styrofoam, such as a chunk left over from appliance or electronics packaging. Use this to shape some potential thigh brace sets and test them in the kayak. Once satisfied with your creation, you can copy the shape into more durable minicell and install it into the kayak for fine-tuning. For sea kayaks some of these same options apply. Stock thigh brace systems vary from very good to none at all. Molded thigh braces may be available from some makers of older model kayaks, or there may be some that can be adapted to your kayak. You can retrofit certain composite sea kayaks with a knee tube. This fiberglass trough accessory is mounted to the inside of the deck and can be used for storage and as part of a knee-bracing system. It is available from Great River Outfitters, one of the importers of British sea kayaking equipment. Foot Braces For many paddlers, the adjustable foot pegs that come installed in most kayaks do the job quite adequately. Their adjustability is an advantage for kayaks used by more than one person or perhaps for conditions requiring different thicknesses of footwear. In situations in which you want to push on a more solid platform or to eliminate the chance of foot entrapment, a foam or bulkhead foot brace may be the way to go. These permanent foot braces are more common in whitewater kayaks because of an increase in techniques that put substantial pressure on these supports. Several whitewater suppliers have bulkhead footbrace kits available, but check for compatibility between models.
You can custom order some models of performance sea kayaks with the glassed-in bulkhead in the correct position for use as a foot brace or in conjunction with a foot-operated pump. This eliminates the need for an installed sliding brace but limits the fit to individuals with a certain leg length. This option, therefore, may not be practical unless you intend to keep the boat for your own use. An added advantage is that by bringing the bulkhead aft a bit, the size of the airtight front compartment is increased, and the floodable cockpit space is reduced.
While tinkering with the foot brace, you may want to put in some small foam pads to cushion or insulate your heels if that is a comfort issue for you.
Again, when experimenting with fitting components, keep in mind the entrapment issue and be certain you can instinctively release from the system and wet exit if necessary. Additionally, for longer distance touring, consider legroom and overall comfort issues. A certain amount of wiggle and stretch space may feel pretty good at times to keep your circulation flowing and allow you to keep focused on the paddling experience. Sit-on-Top Outfitting You can incorporate different levels of outfitting to SOTs. A basic sitting position and footrests are usually molded into the hulls of these craft. For longer touring or for maximum comfort, some sort of nylon backrest is the first level of outfitting necessity. These generally have a strap or clip system that allows adjusting the tilt of the backrest. SOTs used for recreational paddling in calm water conditions should not require much more.
A setup for holding the paddler in place is required for sit-on-top kayaks designed for more serious paddling conditions, such as surfing. Without a deck, a SOT requires a thigh strap system similar in principle to those commonly used in whitewater canoes. Several accessory companies, including Mark Pack Works, have components available for this type of outfitting. Deck Layout Attachments to the outside deck of a kayak range from nothing in the case of performance slalom kayaks to the overflow storage capacity of an expedition sea kayak. Depending on the type of kayaking, the layout of deck accessories can include a range of personal preferences that are ideal for customizing. Whitewater, racing, and surf kayaks require only the minimum of accessorizing so as to preserve the sleek hydrodynamic characteristics of the craft.
There is considerable debate over the subject of how best to accessorize the deck of a touring or sea kayak. With no absolute right or wrong ways to do things, you can choose from good ideas and not-so-good ideas, depending on your style of paddling. Many factors can go into a decision as to where to place an attachment point or carry an accessory. Some paddlers prefer to keep a clean, spartan look to their kayak deck, whether for aesthetic reasons or for the sake of gear security in rough conditions. Others want certain pieces of equipment easily reachable without removing the spray skirt or opening a hatch.
The best approach for most kayakers is to proceed with caution and avoid getting wrapped up with the over accessorized look of a fully outfitted expedition sea kayak. One of the joys of the sport, I would be the first to admit, is tinkering around with all the gadgets and their placement. But you will have plenty of time to ponder some of these issues as you put time in on the water and think things out before drilling. Whitewater Kayaks Whitewater and slalom kayaks, with their need for sleek, hydrodynamic shapes, both on and under the water, require a minimum of deck attachments for best performance. Almost all models have grab loops or handles, however, for convenience and for rescue considerations, and these have evolved in the last few years into low-profile placements unlikely to get caught in tight spaces between rocks. Several retrofittable parts can be helpful in certain applications. Drain plugs are useful in kayaks with upturned ends or tightly fitted flotation that inhibit draining all the trapped water out through the cockpit. Simply stand the kayak on end and let gravity do its work. Available from a number of the whitewater kayak manufacturers, drain plug kits are not difficult to install, although they may require a bit of acrobatic dexterity to reach the necessary mounting position from inside the hull. Bow and stern end caps are available for many kayak models. These molded plastic covers reduce some of the damage done to kayaks used in shallow and rocky rivers. They may be rather clunky looking and add weight to the boat but will definitely help prolong the life of the boat for those who tend to trash their kayaks rather quickly. Sea Kayak Deck Layout There are as many variations on ways to organize the deck accessories on a sea kayak as there are models of kayaks. The broad categories of British style vs. North American deck layout configurations are very general ones, and the distinctions have become blurred over the past few years.
You will undoubtedly want to modify the following suggestions to your own particular situation. Remember to proceed with caution; you don't have to do everything at once. If you are in the process of purchasing a special-order kayak and feel strongly about some deck configuration issue, most manufacturers should be willing to install various fittings, such as deck lines and bulkheads, to your specifications or at least provide one without these fittings for your own do-it-yourself job. Placing Deck Fittings Plan ahead before you drill holes in your kayak. That sounds obvious, but whereas it is quite simple to install new deck fittings, it is a much greater chore to fill in old or improperly placed holes. The woodworker's adage of measure twice, cut once applies to kayak customization as well. Follow these steps for making deck fittings. 1.
Choose the fittings you need for your project. Browse around a paddlesports shop or shop for ideas at a kayak symposium. 2.
Choose the locations for these fittings on the deck. You may want to do a practice trip with the fittings temporarily duct-taped in place to see if the idea works for you. That area of the deck may need reinforcing in some cases to spread the load out from the fitting. 3.
Drill bolt holes to match the bolt diameter. A snug fit may mean no leaks and no further need to caulk or seal. 4. Mount, seal, or trim off the extra bolt length, and don't overtighten the nuts. Self-locking nuts prevent loosening and leaking in the future. 5. Thread the stretch cords or grab lines, if that's what you're doing. Fasten down the ends of stretch cording with electrical tape or nylon zips, the one-way fastening loops used to hold bunches of wires together, to prevent untying. Seal or melt the ends of the cords to prevent unraveling.
If you think you may eventually upgrade to another kayak and sell the current model, keep the resale value in mind before adding any exotic or unusually placed fittings. Deck Accessory Stretch Cords Almost all touring and sea kayaks come with a pattern of stretch cords mounted to the deck just forward of the cockpit. Whether a basic square or a more elaborate figure-8, this configuration of stretch cords is designed to hold down and keep accessible a number of important accessories that are needed throughout the paddling day. First and foremost of these items is a map or chart case, but other commonly carried items typically end up there, including a handheld bilge pump, sunglass case, waterproof pouch for a radio, camera, or GPS unit, flashlight, and so on.
Remember that stretch cords are not a totally secure way to hold things in the event of rough conditions. Be vigilant of the gear on the deck and consider other storage options, including deck bags and pockets in your jacket, PFD, or spray skirt. Secure indispensable items with a clip or short tether or stow them inside the kayak if the going gets rough.
When on long tours, you will be spending lots of time looking at the foredeck and perhaps pondering better ways of arranging deck accessories. Changing the position of existing deck fittings requires filling holes, but adding new fittings for special purposes is not difficult. A deck bag or compass mount accessories may require specially located fittings. Look at different brands of kayaks when possible and swap ideas with fellow paddlers for imaginative layouts of deck cords. Take a cautious approach to these projects, however, and do a trial trip with the duct tape method to test out a proposed layout.
As for other deck-mounted accessories, some paddlers prefer to carry a spare paddle on the foredeck, as it is more readily accessible without reaching behind. Especially suited to this deck location is the Greenland storm paddle, which is short enough to fit in one piece on most bows. One disadvantage of having paddles and other items too far forward is the splash factorin choppy conditions, waves washing over the fore deck can hit this gear and cause splashes that inevitably seem to splatter your face. Stern Deck Rigging A rectangular pattern of stretch cord on the deck immediately behind the cockpit, which can be utilized as part of the paddle float self-rescue technique, is now often standard equpment. Paddle-float rescues can be done successfully without relying on these placements, but this rigging may be useful for practice or for setting up the paddle and float as an outrigger for some other purpose, such as photography. I am leery of the stress that a rigging-anchored paddle and float put on the blade or shaft of the paddle in choppy or breaking waves. These stretch cords can be useful for stowing certain pieces of gear, such as a partially inflated paddle float or a hydration system. If customizing a deck without this setup, you may find alternate uses for this space.
Another common use of stern deck space is for carrying a spare take-apart paddle, which needs to be accessible in a hurry in some kinds of mishaps. Two short lines of stretch cord can be rigged up to snugly hold down the paddle in such a way to make it reasonably easy to slide out when needed. The exact position of the paddle will depend on the shape of the deck, and in most cases it will have to straddle the rear hatch. Safety Grab Lines Bow and stern safety grab lines, a feature found on British-made kayaks for many years, are increasingly becoming standard on North American kayaks. These lines enable a paddler in the water to have something to hold onto while maneuvering into position for a rescue or for quickly retrieving the kayak after a capsize. For this application, stretch cord material has too much play, so a static cord, usually polypropylene, is used. These lines are generally installed through recessed deck fittings, which reduce the chance of clothing or gear getting hung up while doing rescues involving the deck.
You may want to add your own safety lines if your kayak doesn't have them. Unless you want to undertake some intricate fiberglass work, recessed fittings are not practical, but some of the newer snag-resistant fittings are the next best alternative. Because of the possibility of a heavy force being placed on them, mount the fittings in a structurally stiff part of the deck near an edge or the curve leading into the seam. On lighter decks that can be flexed with the push of a thumb, place a reinforcing patch on the inside surface to give additional support. Safety lines should extend far enough toward the bow and stern grab loops so that one line or another is within reach by a person in the water. Grab Handles Virtually all kayaks have some variation of bow and stern handles or loops built into them. These serve various purposes in addition to being a means of carrying the kayak around. Like deck safety lines, grab handles can provide an important point to hold onto and are essential in windy conditions and surf. The toggle, or handle part of the loop, should allow a firm handgrip on the outside of the cord, so that if the kayak twists around, fingers won't get trapped in the loop. A good toggle will also be more comfortable when carrying a loaded boat for any distance.
The grab handles are often used as tie-down points for car-topping, which probably produces the most wear and tear of any of their uses. Maintain the integrity of the cord in the loops for this purpose, as well as for towing in a rescue. You can upgrade the handle configuration when it comes time to replace this cord, or sooner if need be.
The cord should enter and exit the toggle relatively close together to prevent pinched fingers. Use a durable nylon, nylon-sheathed polypropylene cord, or Spectra cord for abrasion resistance in a diameter that allows the knot to be tied and worked inside the toggle. Replacement toggles are available from a number of manufacturers, or if you prefer you can make one yourself using a small section of PVC piping. Cut, drill and sand the pipe into service. The grab handles of some older kayaks and basic recreational kayaks may simply be loops of cord bonded into the hull. When replacing these, it may be simplest to cut them off and start from scratch.
If relocating or installing a kayak's first grab handles, each should be as close to the tip of the kayak as possible, although in the stern a rudder may interfere with this location. If the kayak has an end poura filler material bonded into the last six inches or so of the bow and sternthen a hole can be drilled through the hull at the desired point to accommodate the cord. If need be, doing an end pour can be a major project that involves propping the kayak on end and rigging a method of getting the filler into the end space without making a mess. Some of the building-related books listed in chapter 8's bibliography describe this process in detail.
I have seen several recent kayak models with grab handles that are held neatly on the deck with a Velcro tab. They are a nice touch if you don't like the grab handles flopping around, but make sure they are accessible for safety purposes. Painter Lines Painter lines are another useful deck accessory preferred by some paddlers, myself included. These lines are attached to the bow and can be used for a number of purposes, including tying off to a dock or other landing point when you want to leave the kayak in the water, securing the kayak on a beach where waves or tides could pull it off, or lining the kayak through a shallow area or up a stream. You can thread the painter through the grab handle hole, if there is enough space, and tie it off with a figure-8 knot or tie it directly to the grab handle cord.
Depending on your specific needs, about 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.6 m) should be a sufficient length. Cinch off the free end of the line at a jam cleat or run to a T-cleat and back to the bow loop. I have tied a small brass clip to the end of my painter for convenience in attaching the line to things. If you desire, a stern painter can also be utilized as part of the system. Paddle Leashes A paddle leash can be used in various configurations, some of which can generate a considerable debate over the pros and cons of such use. In its simplest form, a short line or section of stretch cord can be used as a paddle park. While the paddler rests or does something else, the paddle can be allowed to float next to the kayak out of the way. A substantial strip of Velcro is the easiest way to attach the line to the paddle shaft. This technique avoids the need to tie a knot or take the paddle apart to slip on a loop. An alternative method uses a wrist loop with a small ball on the end that the paddler wears with the other end attached to the paddle. The ball end can be slipped under a deck line to park the paddle.
A paddler-to-paddle leash helps hold onto the paddle in the event of a capsize, but the risk of getting tangled or clobbered if you let go of the paddle is always there. A paddle leash connection from the kayak deck to the paddle is used with the idea that, in a capsize and a missed roll, you retain control over the kayak as long as you hold onto the paddle. Again the danger is one of entanglement in a line if things go wrong. This danger must be weighed against the possibility in open water of having the kayak blow away faster than you can swim. Either possibility is serious, but the underlying issue is one of skills practice so that it is not likely to happen in the first place. It is a bit like the mountaineering debate over the use of a safety leash on an ice axe; whether falling with a flailing axe attached to your arm is worse than losing it altogether is an unpleasant choice that proper practice can largely avoid.
I have heard of paddlers that use a tether running from the paddler to the kayak, but without some sort of foolproof quick-release system, this would involve an even greater chance of entanglement. This could be particularly true in high winds or surf where the kayak might rotate around and around, not something I would want my foot or arm attached to. Hatch Covers Some of the many varieties of hatch designs on modern sea kayaks come with tethers connected to the hatch covers for added security. If you are the sort of paddler who likes as many backup systems as possible, installing a hatch tether or attaching some foam flotation to them is not a difficult project. Though rare, you could lose a cover in a number of ways. Although opening a hatch while underway on the open water is generally poor practice, the necessity may arise. A hatch cover could be dropped while loading or unloading a kayak from the awkward position on a dock or wharf. And of course there is always the possibility of merrily driving off into the sunset on the interstate with the hatches unfastened.
Fiberglass hatch covers in particular will not float. The round VCP (Valley Canoe brand) or similar hatches found on many kayaks will float slightly but being black may not be very visible in the water. For a retaining tether, you need enough cord1/8-inch nylon should doto reach from an attachment point inside the compartment to the hatch cover when it is placed out of the way while loading. You can anchor the inside attachment point to some existing bolt, a mirrored fitting as described later, or a small D-ring bonded into place. On the cover, an attachment point can be affixed with structural adhesive or epoxy. Tether polyethylene hatch covers that utilize an interior neoprene cover to the outside of the kayak. As for rubber hatch covers, you can use a small stainless bolt, mounted into the top surface and reinforced with wide diameter washers, as a tether point.
An alternative to tethering is making the hatch light enough to float. Do this by bonding enough minicell foam to the underside of the cover to give it buoyancy. It won't take as much foam as you might think, so experiment before the final bonding job. The foam will take up an inch or so of space under the hatch cover, but should not be enough to affect the amount of packing space. Compass Mounts One of the key pieces of navigational equipment for serious touring is the deck-mounted reciprocal compass. Most of the top-of-the-line sea kayaks now have some sort of spot molded onto the deck for the purpose of attaching a compass. Exactly how and where this is done may warrant being a consideration when you purchase a particular kayak model.
On some British-designed kayaks, recessed compass mounts are positioned well forward of the central deck area. This recessed area is limited to specific compass models, usually a top-quality Silva or Suunto marine model. The forward position reduces the angle that a paddler's eyes need to drop from the horizon to read the dial; you need good eyesight for reading at this distance, however. By recessing the compass housing, it becomes protected from possible damage during over-the-bow rescues and from errant paddle strokes.
A flat compass-mount area at the peak of the foredeck accommodates a greater variety of compass models, but exposes the compass to more hits from equipment or scratches if and when the kayak is turned upside-down. Several popular compass models, including Perception's Aquameter, have a snap-off base allowing the compass to be removed when desired. A compass mounted within 12 inches (30 cm) or so of the front of the cockpit may interfere with the prime space for a map case spread out under the stretch cords.
Clip-on compass mounts create a small flat platform suitable for mounting a compass on kayaks that have no flat place to attach a compass to. Available from a number of kayak accessory distributors, the compass clips are usually connected by stretch cords, which are attached to the deck lines. These compasses are easily removableperhaps too much so, if you are inclined to paddle in the rough stuff. However, one advantage of this setup is moving the compass easily from one kayak to another if you have more than one.
A few compass models have optional lights available for night paddling. Check carefully to see what type of battery power they require and what it will take to keep the batteries waterproof. A less expensive option for the occasional night paddle is to use a chemical light stick, Cyalume or other imitations, taped to the deck in such a way as to illuminate the dial. The color red is easiest on your night vision, by the way. You can rig up a short piece of stretch cord on the deck to act as a light stick holder for these rare occasions. Rudders and Skegs The pros and cons of rudders and skegs have been discussed previously, and you will have to evaluate their value to you based on your paddling style and needs. Upgrading and adding rudders, and to a lesser extent, skegs, is a relatively common procedure, particularly on polyethylene kayaks that are often sold in basic or standard versions without some of the extras that usually come with the expedition models or with composite-hull kayaks. Most manufacturers of kayaks with rudders will offer some kind of rudder upgrade kit to match their boats, and some of these kits may work on other models and brands as well. Expect to pay around $200 for these kits, if they include the necessary foot pedals. One of the most reliable is the Feathercraft rudder, which is used on many different makes of kayaks.
Before investing the time and money, consider what it is you are trying to accomplish with the upgrade. A rudder or skeg is primarily a tracking aid in certain types of crosswinds and following seas, particularly useful for saving some energy on longer cruises. If your kayak seems completely unmanageable in these and other conditions, or your kayak-handling skills haven't progressed to where you can yet evaluate the difference, then the rudder system may only be a crutch on a boat that may no longer suit your needs. If possible, try out some other styles and models of touring kayaks and take some instructional courses to be better able to decide on the best plan of action.
With that said, let's look at some of the elements that make for a good rudder system and what it takes to fit it on an existing kayak. Rudder design has come a long way in the last ten or fifteen years, so don't necessarily stick with components that work but go back a long way. The most important feature to look for is the ability of the rudder blade to flip up out of the way onto the rear deck when not in use. This keeps the blade out of harms way when approaching the shore or other hazards and also allows the blade to pivot and ride over obstructions in the water. The flip-up feature takes one or two lines, depending on the brand, to raise and lower the blade, and these should operate smoothly and quickly with one hand. The blade should be relatively long and narrow, so that it stays in the water if choppy waves lift the stern out of the water.
How maintenance-friendly will the system be once installedare bolts and other parts accessible and workable with reasonably common tools? How the rudder housing attaches to the stern of the kayak is critical; a handcrafted or unusual kayak design may require some serious modifications. If a particular rudder requires a pivot pin or axle mounted into the stern, an end pour of filler may need to be made, and the existing stern grab handle will most likely have to be moved.
The cables connecting the rudder housing with the foot pedals have to enter the kayak hull at some point; exactly where will depend on the contours of the deck, the location of other deck accessories, and so on. Fewer bends or curves in the cable path produce a smoother operation. Following the advice of the particular kit is a good starting point, but you may have preferences as to whether you want the cables exposed on the rear deck or running along the hull inside the boat. If you don't want to compromise the integrity of the stern compartment by having the cables run through it, pass the cable through a channel of plastic tubing. This will protect the cable and any gear packed near it. To control the rudder blade's range of motion, most rudder systems use sliding foot pedals connected to the cables. To accommodate different leg lengths, the cable length or the cable attachment point to the pedal must be adjustable.
A classic problem of rudder systems is that the sliding pedals used to control the rudder reduce the ability of the paddler to stay braced in position and effectively control the kayak. Some rudder systems have a slot or wedge built into the rear deck to hold the upright rudder blade in a locked position, thus preventing the cables and the foot pedals from moving. There is a certain amount of looseness in this setup, however, and it doesn't solve the problem for situations when one may want to brace, lean, and rudder at the same time, as in a turbulent following sea. The need for a fixed-position foot peg with a rotating control for the rudder cables was the impetus for one of my early innovations. For many years, I used such a configuration cooked up by a paddling friend in a machine shop. Mounted into a 15-foot (4.6 m) touring kayak, it gave me control over weathercocking with a rudder in breezy conditions while still allowing for strong braces and carved turns. Several kayak manufacturers, including Prijon and Seaward, now have fixed-position foot pegs available on various kayak models. The system developed by Seaward Kayaks allows for easy adjustments in both leg length and pedal angle while giving a firm platform for serious bracing. You can purchase this pedal system separately for retrofitting other makes of kayaks.
UCO, a manufacturer of candle lanterns and other machined accessories for the camping market, has just released an integrated foot brace-rudder system. This system also offers fixed-position foot pedals that may be incorporated into several kayak lines and is expected to be available as a retrofittable option, as well. Details are still sketchy, but my hunch is that this system may become something of a milestone in accessory design.
The possibilities for retrofitting a skeg onto an existing kayak are more limited. The best retractable skeg configurations involve an enclosed housing built into the hull in the stern compartment, an ambitious fiberglassing project for most do-it-yourselfers and virtually impossible in polyethylene hulls. A basic drop-down skeg arrangement is used by Dagger and others, which is mounted on the stern in a similar fashion as a rudder without the pivoting capabilities, eliminating the need for cables and modified foot braces. A single line raises and lowers the blade in increments and helps the skeg blade control weathercocking in crosswinds. Recreational Kayaks For nontechnical river touring and lake touring kayaks, many sea kayaking deck layout ideas can be put to good use. The two indispensable ones in my opinion, if you are into any kind of exploration, are the use of a compass and a map fastened to the deck for ease of referral. The raised-profile, reciprocal compasses commonly used for serious sea kayaking are easy to read and use, but even a basic base-plate hiking compass is handy if you want to avoid the $40 to $100 cost of the others. Having a map or chart visible in a waterproof map case on the deck is also convenient, allowing you to keep track of your position without periodically rummaging in the cockpit for the map.
A simple four-point pattern of stretch cord installed on the deck in front of the coaming will hold down a map case, a clip-on compass mount, and perhaps a few other small items. There are no hard and fast rules on exactly where to place the deck hardware. Just make sure there is enough clearance in front of the tip of the coaming to provide an unrestricted grip on the grab loop of the spray skirt and that there is enough clearance on the sides so that items being held down do not interfere with the forward paddle stroke.
Other sea kayak deck layout ideas may or may not be as useful on basic touring kayaks. In most situations, keeping your gear stowed inside keeps the weight low, reduces the chances of loss, and lessens the surface area presented to the wind. Skegs and rudders can be useful on shorter kayaks to control weathercocking in open-water conditions, but if you find yourself doing a lot of that type of paddling, you may want to consider getting a longer, more seaworthy kayak. Interior Customizing Besides the seat, a number of other useful tweaks and modifications can be made to the inside of your kayak to fine-tune its performance and keep miscellaneous gear organized. Remember that any projects undertaken should be done with the escape issue in mind. Whitewater Kayaks As whitewater playboats get shorter and lower in volume to facilitate control over the boat, the amount of free space for storing necessities has become limited. Manufacturers are compensating for the lack of storage space, building in placements for items such as water bottles by molding out fitted slots in the seat structure or support pillar. Back bands may have small pockets to hold keys, snacks, and other necessities. Recreational Kayaks and Sea Kayaks Several interior customizing ideas are applicable in varying degrees to either touring kayaks or open-water sea kayaks. How useful some of these ideas are will depend on how much gear you are usually carrying around and how much you just like to tinker around. Interior Tie-Down Points Interior tie-down and attachment points for gear can be useful for almost any kayak. Unless you always paddle with a full load with everything wedged into a stable position, your dry bags, containers, and other loose items can shift, becoming inaccessible or throwing off the weight distribution. In the event of an unintended capsize, gear located in the cockpit area can float away and be lost. A series of tie-down points used with stretch cords or tethers can help secure your gear.
The possible locations and varieties of these attachment points are almost endless. The interior space available in your kayak, the type of gear you most frequently carry, and the nature of the water conditions you will be paddling will enter into the planning of where to put them. Most touring kayaks have a number of small spaces that can be utilized for gear storage. Some kayaks have a lot of space immediately behind the seat, which is ideal for day-use items. Wider kayaks may have enough space for storing water bottles or similar sized things between the side of the seat and the hull. You may even have usable space between the forward bulkhead and the foot pegs.
Once you have a use for a particular space, figure out what it will take to hold in place the items to be stored there. Often a simple tether or loop of stretch cord can be attached to an existing part of the kayak, such as a back band or the side of a molded seat. In some cases, an additional deck fitting can be attached to the bolts that hold down an existing fitting on the outside of the deck. You can then tie or bungee things to these mirrored fittings. You may need to replace the existing bolts with longer ones to do this.
If you need an attachment point on the sides or the hull floor, it is not difficult to install D-rings of the type commonly used for outfitting whitewater canoes. Smaller sizes, of an inch or less, will be adequate for these tasks. Avoid corrosion by using stainless steel or durable plastic. The rigid plastic-base D-rings produce a stronger bond to composite hulls than do vinyl-base D-rings. Use a urethane structural adhesive and follow directions for best results.
An additional storage area where tie-down points can be useful is the bulkheaded compartment, where water containers, fuel bottles, and other heavy objects should be firmly held down. Also, the space immediately under the front deck ahead of the cockpit is potentially a space where long, narrow objects such as a hand pump, rolled-up map case, or a mesh bag with a rain jacket can be held in place by an attached shock cord pattern. Bulkheads There may occasionally be situations in which you want to add, reinstall, or move a bulkhead. Adding a bulkhead to a polyethylene touring kayak is probably the most likely scenario. Many of these boats are sold in a basic configuration to keep the price down. These manufacturers usually have bulkheads or a complete installation kit available. If you decide to go this route, you will also have to add hatches to gain access to the bulkhead compartments. Although the compartments will add convenience and needed flotation, this effort should be weighed against the alternative of using flotation-storage bags when you go out on the water.
There may also be good reasons to move the position of an existing kayak bulkhead, but this may require a fair amount of work. One possible reason would be to move one or both bulkheads closer to the center of the kayak to reduce the floodable volume of the cockpit and increase flotation. Bulkheads made of foam are the easiest to remove and replace. Because of the increasing circumference of the kayak toward the center, one or two new bulkheads will have to be created. With luck, the larger of the two old ones can be reshaped and used again. You can make a template out of cardboard, using a series of measurements or a stiff wire to create the shape. Cut and tape as necessary to fine-tune, and then transfer the pattern to the piece of foam and tweak the fit with dragonskin. Lexel polyurethane caulk or a urethane structural adhesive should do the trick of sealing the bulkheads into position.
Newer polyethylene kayaks often have molded plastic bulkheads welded into position, and some composite kayaks have bulkheads made from a fiberglass laminate. Being quite durable, they are probably best left alone. For the average do-it-yourself project, a foam bulkhead is still the best bet. If you are experienced in fiberglass work and willing to work in a confined space, then a glass bulkhead would not be too difficult to make and install. Day Hatches Day hatches are an increasingly popular sea-kayak feature. They essentially create a third bulkheaded compartment located immediately behind the seat and are used for carrying items needed during the course of a normal paddling day. They reduce the need to carry many items on the deck or loose in the cockpit and also help to reduce the amount of volume in the cockpit, thus aiding flotation. You typically get to the space through a round VCP-type hatch cover.
On some models of kayaks, it may be possible to build a day hatch into the existing space behind the seat. The compartment must be long enough, front to back, to accommodate the hatch opening. VCP hatches can be obtained as a complete kit from the importer, Great River Outfitters, or one of their dealers. Smaller, screw-on access portholes are available from marine dealers. If there is much of a contour to the deck at that point, some creative fiberglass or gasket work may be needed to fit the hatch. Pumps Optional bailing pumps can be retrofitted into most sea kayaks. The hand-operated and foot-operated models are designed for the relatively low volume cockpits of British kayaks but will fit into many other models if desired. The foot-operated varieties seem to be gaining in popularity since they free up the hands for paddling and bracing in rough conditions. These foot pumps generally attach to the front bulkhead, so a customized bulkhead position may be necessary for best operation. To help these pumps to get virtually all water out of the boat, an accessory attachment called a strum box can be mounted onto the intake hose to create suction in tiny depths of water.
A small number of paddlers advocate the use of electric bilge pumps, particularly in larger single kayaks and doubles. You can obtain several models and sizes of portable pumps that operate on batteries from marine distributors. These pumps move water as fast or faster than the human-powered models and can be used for a number of cycles on one set of batteries or battery charge. Although the pumps themselves are fairly reliable, any system that utilizes electrical parts in a water environment needs to be tested and used with caution. These pumps have a discharge hose that will need to be exited somewhere on the deck, unless you want to run the hose out manually through the cockpit when needed. The pump will need to be mounted at a low point of the cockpit compartment floor, most likely just behind the seat.
In most situations, it's a good idea to carry a handheld pump, or even the basic cut-off plastic gallon jug, as a backup bailing method. Mechanical pumps are generally quite reliable but still can fail, clog, freeze, or sometimes just be in the wrong position. Customizing Equipment You can modify or customize your favorite kayaking accessories in a number of ways to match your paddling needs. Before you begin any project, keep in mind the limitations of the original piece of equipment, and then decide how much energy you want to invest into that item. A heavy paddle with its blades skillfully trimmed down is still going to be a heavy paddle. If what you really want is a higher performance paddle, it may pay in the long run to upgrade to something new and use the time saved for more paddling. The old paddle can become a valuable spare, the old skirt can be used for pool practice, and so on. Nevertheless, most people get great satisfaction using their creative energies to make something do a better job, to extend its useful life, and save a bit of money. Paddles I have seen two noticeable trends over the last few years in both whitewater and touring paddles toward shorter lengths and to slightly smaller blades. Several factors have probably contributed to this trend, including an increased awareness of performance paddling techniques, more women entering the sport, and the greater number of smaller volume play or day-tripping kayaks. The result: a lot of longer and bigger paddles are out there that don't get used, and the question of cutting these down to make them smaller then arises.
First, as to the issue of blade size, a smaller blade area allows for a faster paddling cadence without increasing the load on the paddle and your arms and shoulders. Most blade materialswood, composite, or molded plasticcan be trimmed down within limits and with certain exceptions. The proportional shape of the blade, especially the area on each side of the long axis of the blade, should be retained. In other words, don't just trim away on one side.
Proceed with caution: mark your cut lines carefully, use a fine-toothed saw or hacksaw blade, and sand smooth. Exceptions to this procedure include blades with Kevlar, which is very difficult to cut and sand; blades with some sort of built-in edge reinforcement; and some foam-injected blades, in which the outer surface is harder and denser than the core. If you have doubts about any of these parameters, make a small test cut that can be filled with epoxy if you decide to retreat or contact the paddle manufacturer for alternate advice.
Trying to shorten a paddle will create more problems. Merely cutting length out of the blades is not an answerit is the paddle's shaft length that determines its functional length. Some shafts, particularly composite, may have selective reinforcing around the take-apart joint or the ends that should not be cut away. On some models of paddles, the blades have flanges that are inserted into the shaft. Depending on the adhesive used, it may be possible to get one of these blades off and shorten the shaft. Again, check with the paddle manufacturer for advice on your particular situation. Many of these companies are relatively small and are able to offer various repair services or work with their dealers and customers' special needs. Keep in mind that major modifications to a paddle or other product is likely to void any warranty that may be in effect.
The popular ovaled shaft feature gives an instant feel as to the alignment of the blade. Some manufacturers achieve this by adding a shaped extension to the shaft, usually in the section gripped by the right hand (on an asymmetrical-blade paddle). This type of grip can be created on a round shaft by taping a shaped triangular length of minicell foam, about a third of an inch thick, in the grip area on the side of the shaft away from the power face of the blade. Use a wide electrical or heat-shrink tape for a smooth surface.
Another paddle enhancement that is easy to install is a set of drip rings. Primarily used for kayak touring, where there is a chance of keeping your hands dry for intervals of time, drip rings come in several different forms. For take-apart paddles, the rings simply slide onto the shaft into position about six or so inches (15 cm) from the base of the blade. On a single-piece paddle the drip rings need to be cut, wrapped around the shaft, and spliced in place.
A final paddle add-on to consider is reflective tape. This self-adhesive tape comes in squares that can be cut to shape and put on any smooth surface, including paddles and decks, and even, it is claimed, fabrics such as a PFD. If you occasionally paddle at night, or even have the chance of being out at night, it may be worth considering this safety technique. A flashing pair of paddle blades is often the first sign of a kayaker to be seen by others on the water, and that should be doubly true at night for any vessel using lights. Spray Skirts For serious kayaking, the spray skirt or spray deck is the most important accessory after the paddle in improving your performance as a paddler. A good quality skirt that fits you and your kayak correctly and remains in place when the water gets rough is indispensable for keeping water out of the cockpit and allowing you to roll and brace with confidence. Like money invested in a good paddle, it pays in the long run to get the best spray skirt you can. Of course, there is no rule you can't have two spray skirts, one for rough conditions and inclement weather and another style for lazy days and protected waters.
Skirt design has improved steadily over the last decade or so. The greatest improvements are how they fit both the kayak and the paddler. Reinforced rubber or Kevlar brands have created bombproof cockpit fits, even on kayaks with large cockpit openings. Neoprene-nylon combination skirts provide a greater range of fit possibilities for the paddler who may be wearing varying layers of protective clothing. Additional features like suspenders or pockets may be advantageous as well in certain applications. For years, I have used a skirt pocket to carry a small emergency kit on trips in remote areas, in the event of being separated from the kayak.
Finding the right skirt that fits your kayak is the first step. Most kayak manufacturers offer one or several standard spray skirts or spray decks that are designed to fit their models of boats. Also, several specialized makers of skirts, such as Snap Dragon Designs and Palm, build a variety of high-quality styles for most major kayak designs. If you are shopping for a new skirt, be sure to haul your kayak along to assure a good fit.
There is a limit to what you can do to improve an older or very basic skirt that fits poorly or collects water above your lap. For a sagging nylon skirt, it may be possible to add some suspenders to pick up the slack. Using nylon webbing and various plastic buckle components available from outdoor stores, a functional set can be rigged up without doing any sewing. If you are handy with a sewing machine that can handle layers of nylon, a permanent set of suspenders, a better grab loop, or even a pocket could be added.
Adding a pocket to a neoprene skirt is a pretty straightforward project. A simple patch pocket or one with sides for more depth can be fashioned from neoprene material and bonded to the spray skirt tunnel or onto the deck area to hold a radio, GPS, snacks, or some other item you want handy. You may want to face a pocket on the deck area of the skirt with the opening to the back so that it is not upside down when you step out of the kayak and the front of the skirt hangs downward. Use Aquaseal with the Cotol accelerator for bonding purposes. PFDs Personal flotation devices for many years were the ugly orange things that you had to have along on outings and maybe even wear sometimes. Like many of the other accessories discussed, PFD design and styling have come a long way in the last few years. The fit of many styles has greatly improved, particularly for wearing over spray skirts, for performance paddling where upper-body flexibility is needed, and for most women. Useful accessories such as mesh pockets, rescue gear attachments, and knife tabs have also helped make PFDs more desirable to wear. Some of these accessories are available as add-ons that may fit on older models of PFDs, so you may be able to customize your old one. Kayak Flotation Choosing the best way to outfit your kayak is a matter of balancing weight, cost, and storage needs, but one prime rule should be to fill all unused space with something that floats. A swamped kayak in calm water is a virtually unmanageable hulk, and one in moving water is a deadly missile. Even if you are on a tight budget or are just going for a spin around the local lake, put something that floats in each end of the kayak.
With the multitude of float bags and dry bags available today, organizing a flotation system for any kayak should be easy. These bags come in a range from inexpensive, but heavier, vinyl material to PVC-coated fabrics, to urethane-coated nylon bags that are lighter, more abrasion- resistant, and more expensive. Most kayak manufacturers will distribute flotation sets specifically designed for a given kayak model. You can obtain a wider selection from the actual flotation manufacturers, such as industry leader Voyageur, for fine-tuning your needs.
Outfitting a whitewater kayak with flotation devices is pretty straightforward. Kayaks with support pillars will need split bow and stern sets of a specific length, and some of the latest ultra-short play boats may only have room in the tiny space in front of the foot pegs in the bow for a rodeo float bag. The float bags should fill as much of the compartment as possible and fit snugly in place when inflated. When topping off the float bags with air on a cool morning, leave a bit of expansion room inside for a warm sunny day; conversely, make sure the bags will stay snug if the water temperature is a lot colder.
Larger river touring and recreational kayaks usually don't have the pillars and will then need larger, single air bags in the bow and stern. When you get into longer day tours and overnight camping trips, then it is time to add combination storage-flotation bags and other dry bags to the mix, with the goal of filling up all the available space. Storage-flotation bags can be used full or partially empty and will usually come with long air hoses to make filling with air far easier. Dry bags come in many different sizes to match your equipment needs and can be nestled into many different corners. Keep in mind that even a dry bag packed tightly with gear still acts as flotation by displacing water.
Sea kayaks with bulkheaded compartments will have buoyancy as long as the hatches are watertight. In many cases, it is a good contingency plan to keep a dry bag or air bag in these compartments when empty. Hatch covers can be lost, and damage can result in leaks.
For kayaks with large volume cockpits or for kayaks with no bulkheads, an alternative piece of gear, a sea sock, can create extra flotation when needed. A sea sock is basically a large sock-like bag of nylon that attaches to the cockpit coaming and lines the inside of the cockpit. The spray skirt fits over the coaming and the sock, and the paddler sits in the bag and braces off the inside contact points as always. The sea sock is held in place by air pressure, and prevents water from filling the farther recesses of the kayak, thereby adding buoyancy. These work especially well in wood-frame kayaks and other kayaks that may be difficult to fill with inflatable bags.
When paddling a large-capacity kayak mostly empty, you may want to carry some extra weight to improve stability and handling in windy conditions. This ballast, whether it be water containers, rocks, or gear, lowers your center of gravity and aids in tracking as well. Keep this weight low and as close to the center of the kayak as possible, with a proportion of the weight somewhere to the front, so as not to affect the bow-to-stern trim. Use your empty float bags or dry bags to wedge the weight firmly in place or come up with a tie-down system so a shifting load doesn't put you in an impossible situation.
Another flotation idea that comes up occasionally is the use of expanding polyurethane foams that come in pressurized cans for household use. Unless you know exactly what you are doing, expanding foam is hard to control, can be quite messy, and can generate a lot of pressure that could damage the hull of some boats. I would be very cautious about proceeding with this idea and suspect that a significant amount of the foam would be heavier than a set of float bags. It would be safer to fill the odd spaces here and there with shapes of minicell foam, if you want to be meticulous about maximizing flotation. Cockpit Covers Another useful accessory for most kinds of kayaks is the cockpit cover. They keep not only the rain but also small critters out when your kayak is outside. They also make your boat more aerodynamic when transported on the roof of a vehicle. If you transport your kayak right side up as most sea kayaks are, a cover can keep out substantial amounts of rain as well. For serious distance travel, neoprene covers stay on the cockpit better and withstand better the rapid flexing in the wind. On a kayak camping trip, the cover will save on wear and tear to the deckand a deck compassby eliminating the temptation to turn the boat upside down at night. Additional Touring Accessories Kayak touring and sea kayaking can be a very gadget-intensive sport as innovative paddlers with an inventive streak come up with new and easier ways to do this and that. To keep abreast of the newest innovations, it pays to search the paddling magazines and other sources listed in chapter 8. Keep in mind that even with all these convenient accessories that are sometimes so much fun, the fundamental basis of kayaking remains the kayak, the paddle, the water, and youand your sound judgment. Map and Chart Cases A number of good waterproof map cases, small and large, are available to make navigation an easier task. They will last longer if you keep them dried out and use a UV inhibitor on the vinyl surfaces. The inks on some printed materials or photocopies of maps may occasionally stain the inside vinyl surfaces of map cases. To avoid this and to extend the life of the maps and charts, treat maps with a waterproofing designed for maps or with an artist's lacquer spray. Self-Rescue Equipment The foundation for safe paddling is built on strong paddling and boat handling skills and the judgment skills to stay out of trouble in the first place. As a backup, a number of commonly used self-rescue accessories have become standard equipment. Handheld bilge pumps are by far the most popular. They can be used solo or to assist another paddler. Their drawbacks include the possibility of easily losing one and the difficulty of operating such a pump in the types of conditions that may cause a capsize in the first place. To reenter a kayak after a capsize, the paddle float is the commonly carried piece of equipment for self-rescue. These floats utilize a paddle to create an outrigger for stabilizing the kayak while climbing back in. Most commercially available paddle floats are the inflatable variety because they fold up out of the way easily, but rigid foam floats are gaining in popularity since they don't need to be inflated and will not leak. Designs of both of these types have been improving so that they stay fastened better to the paddle blade and they accommodate more paddle blade shapes. Seats and backrests are available that double as emergency paddle floats.
Another, less commonly used piece of gear that I see as valuable is a sling or stirrup that can be used in conjunction with a paddle float rescue or with various group rescues. This short 5- or 10-foot (1.5 to 3 m) loop of nylon is easy to rig up in various ways and is set up as a foot step to help a cold or tired paddler climb back into the kayak. Towing Systems Towing systems are a fundamental piece of rescue gear for guided and organized group paddle tours. There are a number of good towing setups on the market at a variety of prices, with models available for both whitewater paddling and sea kayaking. The best way to learn and evaluate them is through an instructional program or a comparative demonstration at an on-water event. An instructor or trip leader will probably want a deck-mounted system for maximum towing versatility and comfort on a long haul. For occasional use, the waist-belt systems are generally adequate and probably necessary for paddlers in kayaks with rudders to keep the towline from getting caught. The length of line needed varies with the type of wave conditions likely to be encountered. Components should be rugged, with stainless-steel carabiners and other hardware to reduce corrosion. Specialized Safety Equipment A number of specialized accessories may be useful in certain applications. Most of these fall in the realm of committed open-water paddling, in which access to the shore may not be possible and immediate help from other members of a group or from a third party may not be likely. Reliance on these pieces of equipment must be looked at as being a bit of a gamble. In other words, have a solid background of experience before experimenting and relying on some of these more esoteric items.
The first category of items is the collection of things used for signaling purposes. Some of these are standard emergency kit accessories such as a whistle or signal mirrors. A whistle can easily be attached to a PFD or paddle jacket with a lanyard and may be of use if it isn't too windy and your group understands a few prearranged signals. Signal mirrors require practice and a sunny or hazy day to be effective.
Several types of signaling devices may be required on waters regulated by the coast guards of either the United States or Canada. For night paddling, a bright white light, but not a strobe, must be available for use if other craft are approaching. A good quality waterproof flashlight or headlamp with a halogen or equivalent beam will satisfy this requirement. A Coast Guardapproved, handheld or hand-launched flare set may also be required. These serious pyrotechnics must only be used as directed, or they can cause injury. Also check their expiration dates periodically. Other open-water signaling devices include smoke bombs, water dye markers, and trailing ribbons. The time of day or night, haze, wind, and waves will determine how effective any of these devices will be.
The use of any signaling device assumes that someone is going to see or hear them. If you are in trouble, continue to take active steps to solve your predicament, since your signaling attempts are not guaranteed to work, especially in remote areas. If you are attempting to warn another craft of your position, it is not wise to assume that the other vessel has seen you. You may have a feeling of being very visible out in the open, but in reality a kayak is a very hard thing to spot. The idea that a larger boat or ship has a captain standing on the bridge intently peering out over the endless waves is a myth from a bygone era.
Over the years, a number of inflatable rolling or self-reentry aids have come on the market. Some of these are essentially small rafts or floating seats that inflate with the use of CO2 cartridges, and these may be useful for emergency reentry tools in rough conditions or as an aid for a group member who has become sick or incapacitated. The key to whether any of these devices is of use to your paddling situation is to practice with the item thoroughly in anticipated conditions before trusting its ability to work for you.
Another specialized open-water tool that has a number of uses is a sea anchor, which acts like an underwater parachute when deployed and holds the kayak steady in a fixed position against a strong wind. The Driftstopper, a popular model by Boulter of Earth, can be launched and recovered from the bow of the kayak with a line running from the cockpit position, eliminating a destabilizing retrieval from the side. Other styles of sea anchors may be obtained from marine dealers or fishing supply stores.
By greatly slowing down any backward drift in a strong breeze, the sea anchor can hold one's position for a break or for photography or fishing, or during a squall it can hold the bow into the wind for stability. Sea anchors are useful for holding a kayak well away from the surf zone, shoals, or a dangerous shoreline during a rescue. I have heard of their use as a way to maintain stability in the surf, but I would consider that to be an emergency approach. Too many things can go wrong while paddling in the surf without adding another complex variable. A sea anchor needs a certain amount of depth to function effectively, so it is best to avoid areas where it is shallow enough for the anchor to get hung up on submerged objects.
Kayak sponsons are another inflatable rescue and stabilizing accessory that have generated a certain amount of debate. Sponson floats come in a set of two that attach to either side of the cockpit, adding considerable width and stability, so much so that it is even possible to stand up in the kayak. The variety distributed by Voyageur can be rigged into position quickly enough, with a little practice, to be an alternative self-entry method to the standard paddle float procedure. Sponsons also can provide stability for someone in a group who has gotten ill or incapacitated. For quick deployment, however, some deck fittings and buckles need to be installed on the kayak in advance.
In steep or breaking seas, the extra width created by the sponsons may actually be destabilizing if the kayak broaches to the waves. But with the use of a sea anchor to hold the bow into the wind, the sponsons could provide a stable platform that can be used to ride out a storm or to take a needed rest on a long crossing. Several years ago, I practiced with such a setup before a trip with a 45-mile crossing on Lake Superior and strongly recommend that anyone anticipating using a combination of this gear thoroughly practice to get a feel for the limitations of deploying and retrieving the system. Fiddling with lines, buckles, and straps in rough conditions are moments when you cannot be poised to react with the paddle in hand.
The final piece of emergency-related gear that gets mentioned occasionally is the use of something to act as a radar reflector. Round, basketball-sized reflectors are available that are generally used on the masts of sailboats. The consensus on this idea is that any kayak-mounted system is very probably going to be invisible, or very intermittent at best, on any ship's radar. Electronic Equipment and Kayaks Electronic gadgets are increasingly becoming a major part of the equipment repertoire of the serious sea kayaker. Photography has always been a motivating factor in drawing people to the outdoors, and cameras have become more dependent on complex electronics. VHF weather and broadcast radios have become smaller, more affordable, and widespread amongst kayakers. The advent of GPS instruments is revolutionizing the art of navigation. And of course, cellular phoneslove'em or hate'emare becoming ubiquitous in the outdoors as well.
As discussed in chapter 4, water, especially salt water, and anything electrical are at best an uneasy mix. How waterproof, submersible, weatherproof, or splash resistant a gadget can be made is an elusive characteristic, and even the best of the best can occasionally fail. Often there is a compromise between the most waterproof construction and the most sophisticated features available, so you may have to prioritize your needs. Other than diving, few other activities require as much waterproofness as sea kayaking.
Cameras are a classic example. You generally will need to give up a number of features, such as interchangeable telephoto lenses, to get a waterproof camera. You can always carry several different cameras; otherwise, it will be necessary to choose between point-and-shoot, here-I-was snapshots, and the once-in-a-lifetime, calendar-quality wildlife photo. The versatility of waterproof and weather-resistant cameras is improving all the time, and the same will eventually be true of digital photography as well.
Technology is racing ahead with GPS features as well, but absolutely reliable waterproof construction is still not quite here. Ease of interaction with map software will be the greatest benefit for kayak navigation, allowing preplanned trip waypoints as well as a post-trip record of the route, and we can only speculate what the future will bring. In the rush to acquire electronic navigational gadgets, don't neglect your classic map and compass skills that remain the foundation of route finding.
VHF frequency handheld marine radios are the preferred means for serious open-water paddlers to monitor weather forecasts, conduct important communications within a group, and contact the outside world in the event of emergencies and overdue returns. These also have varying degrees of waterproofness. The distance a VHF radio can reach is dependent on a line-of-sight connection and on the power output of the unit, so there must be another boater, ship, or land-based station in the vicinity monitoring their radio for a signal to be picked up. Whether you are just looking for an occasional forecast or want to be in constant contact with the rest of the marine world will determine the degree of sophistication you need in a radio system. The basic three-channel weather radio available from a number of sources provides access to forecasts for a modest price but is not waterproof and does not seem to have the range of the better VHF radio.
Cellular phones are making inroads as an alternative form of emergency communication in the outdoors. Since they are becoming so common for business, personal, and automotive use, it is inevitable that they will show up on kayak tours. Cell phones are great for making quick connections to the outside land-based world, but there are a number of limitations. As of yet, there are no remotely waterproof portable models available that I have heard of, so they need careful protection from the elements. They are also dependent upon being within range of a signal pickup point, although with satellite technology, this will probably change.
As for emergencies, many land-based authorities connected to the 911 system may not be equipped to carry out water-related rescues, although this too will change as links to coast guard and marine rescue facilities are built into the system. A cellular signal does not provide for the ability to locate the position of the caller in the way that a VHF signal can be pinpointed. At this time, a cell phone should be looked on as a supplemental form of communication, mainly good for phoning in changed float plans in relatively populated areas.
With any of this electronic equipment, the degree of waterproofness, or lack thereof, can be made up with the use of watertight storage bags. Some of the radio and GPS distributors may offer such cases with their products. You can get other, and probably better, ones through marine or outdoor sports sources. The degree of versatility and ease of use of your device may be somewhat compromised by the type of protective case needed. This is part of the waterproof issue you will need to weigh when making an investment in a valuable instrument.
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A disappointment,
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This review is from: The Optimum Kayak (Paperback)
There's nothing in this book that you won't find in a book you probably already have. I was expecting step-by-step instructions on how to use minicell foam to make thigh braces, etc., and while there's some vague description there's nothing useful. Save your money.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Since its origins as a hunting and transportation craft in the indigenous cultures of the polar regions, people have adopted and adapted the kayak during the twentieth century into one of the most, if not the most, popular of human-powered recreational boats. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
minicell foam, polyethylene hulls, composite kayaks, polyethylene kayaks, touring paddles, recreational kayaks, deck accessories, kayak models, latex seals, folding kayaks, kayak designs, touring kayaks, kayak manufacturers, whitewater kayaks, float bags, grab loops, most kayaks, spray skirt, kayak hull, reinforcing patch, thigh braces, kayak touring, river touring, urethane adhesive, flotation bags Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Optimum Kayak, Ragged Mountain Press, North American, Keeping Your Kayak, Old Town, Wilderness Systems, Boulter of Earth, Cascade Designs, Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook, Picking Out Your First Kayak, Planetary Gear, Wave Sport, Great River Outfitters, Mark Pack Works, Seaward Kayaks New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Since its origins as a hunting and transportation craft in the indigenous cultures of the polar regions, people have adopted and adapted the kayak during the twentieth century into one of the most, if not the most, popular of human-powered recreational boats. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
minicell foam, polyethylene hulls, composite kayaks, polyethylene kayaks, touring paddles, recreational kayaks, deck accessories, kayak models, latex seals, folding kayaks, kayak designs, touring kayaks, kayak manufacturers, whitewater kayaks, float bags, grab loops, most kayaks, spray skirt, kayak hull, reinforcing patch, thigh braces, kayak touring, river touring, urethane adhesive, flotation bags Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Optimum Kayak, Ragged Mountain Press, North American, Keeping Your Kayak, Old Town, Wilderness Systems, Boulter of Earth, Cascade Designs, Globe Pequot Press, Old Saybrook, Picking Out Your First Kayak, Planetary Gear, Wave Sport, Great River Outfitters, Mark Pack Works, Seaward Kayaks New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 14
books:
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2
books
cite this book:
- The Strip-Built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build by Nick Schade on page 132
- on page 131
- The Aleutian Kayak: Origins, Construction, and Use of the Traditional Seagoing Baidarka by Wolfgang Brinck on page 132
- Sea Kayaking by Nigel Foster on page 132
- The Essential Wilderness Navigator: How to Find Your Way in the Great Outdoors, Second Edition by David Seidman on page 133
See all 14 books this book cites
- The Complete Sea Kayaker's Handbook by Shelley Johnson in Back Matter
- Sea Kayaking: A Manual for Long-Distance Touring by John Dowd in Back Matter
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