we have an older 10’ Walden kayak. It needs knee pads. The only thing I’ve seen is poorly reviewed stick ons. Are there any other sources or ideas?
minicell foam
Get some minicell foam of whatever you think the maximum thickness of your pads will be. Cut it to size and shape it to fit using Surform (surface forming) tools and sandpaper. Glue them in with contact cement such as DAP Weldwood (flammable variety in red and black can) using multiple coats on the foam.
Yes, the pads with contact cement preapplied do not yield a durable bond but you can sand off the applied contact glue and apply contact cement as above.
get the stick-ons and get creative
I bought a pair of these:
http://www.nrs.com/product/2048.2/padz-kayak-hip-wedges
And used contact cement to fix them. For me they semed to fit and be less restrictive than the “Padz” knee pads they offer. They haven’t come off after years of use.
surpised
that there aren’t better commercial ready made solutions for this.
welcome to the world of kayaking
They don’t make cars for us either. It’s a tough road all around.