Aftermarket kayak thigh braces

Advice
#1

Hello,



Does anyone know if it is possible to purchase aftermarket kayak thigh braces that can be bolted on to the poly kayak cockpit ring.



I have already looked into thigh straps, and decided that they are not what I’m looking for.



Thank you in advance for your reply.

#2

NRS has them for rafts, maybe you
can retrofit. I have a pair I used in an aluminum Grumman. They were of good quality and it worked out great.

#3

Yup…
I bought a set for my plastic mystic from a local outfitter. Having said that, it’s really weird that US 'net retailers don’t seem to carry them. If you look at the British retailers, you’ll find one made my Teksport which is similar to what I used.



If you are desperate, go to a kitchen store and buy a small 1/4" HDPE (high density polyethelene) cutting board. It’s usually white. Cut to shape, heat to put in some curvature. Two (short, stout) screws for each brace. Make sure to use washers for the screws to avoid tearing the plastic kayak. Pad the thigh braces with minicell.



HDPE is great stuff. I bought a large sheet of it and use it for making custom surf fins for my waveskis and surf kayaks.



sing

sing

#4

NSI has lots of foams premade
http://www.northshoreinc.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=7

here too:

http://kayakoutfitting.com/mainpage.php

#5

Thank you
Thank you all who replied.



Teksport offering is pretty much what I’m looking for, but I did not yet find any distributors for their stuff.



Looks like homemade may be the way to go this time around.



NRS carries thigh straps. These can probably be retrofitted to Kestrel, but I am concerned that they may impede the exit should I have to bail out.


#6

buy used
For my west side boats, I went to a kayak dealer and bought used from scrapped out boats.

#7

dealer
I don’t know of any sold specifically as aftermarket parts, but you can certainly adapt parts from one make of boat to another. I ended up modifying a couple of old Perception thighbraces for our Avocet RMs.

#8

How did you modify the Avocet ?
Hi,



I have an Avocet RM - a couple of years old - without the adjustable thigh braces. Is that the boat you modified? If so - an you share some details and photos please?



Thanks!



Avi

#9

thigh-straps are for OC-1s…
I think foam(several densities) with contact cement has been the standard method of construction…the pre-packaged hip foam must work for some…

#10

Avocet RM mods
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/556880671HXOMWF



Perception used to sell interchangeable thighbraces for some of their models – I think the early Shadows and Eclipses had that feature. On my boat I cut out the hooks from the Perception brace and riveted them to the stock inner cockpit rim/thighbraces(the black piece). For my wife, who had shorter legs, I pulled out the stock inner rim and bolted the Perception brace in as a single piece.

#11

Thanks
Thanks for the description and the photos. Looks like a nice solution. I’m looking to do something like this. If I can’t find any hooks that I can bolt on, then I may try to carve some out of foam.



If there are any hooks that can be bought and bolted on to this boat - I’d love to know about it.



Thanks,



Avi