I was just wondering if anyone has experimented with using foam or something to enclose the wide opening of a recreational kayak. I recently bought a rec kayak (got a really good price) and the wide opening leaves no way to lock your knees in.
Any ideas!
Thanks
Mike
you could probably
bolt on some thigh hooks and hip pads if you really wanted to. some rec boats have a console or dashboard made for them that will close in the forward part of the cockpit. a “soft” way to do it is a Seals SplashDeck, which partially encloses the cockpit and also gives you a storage pocket. They make it in an “X” size which fits large cockpits.
I used to have a Pamlico for beginners and it had nice pads by the knees, not as aggressive as thigh hooks but it was helpful to have some leg control for turning and scooting around rocks.
How about a diff boat?
You profile includes WW. Is that where you are planning to take this boat? If so, I suggest you ditch that idea and look for a used WW boat with all the right stuff, including reinforcement up front so it won’t collapse if pinned.
A rec boat is just that - you can mess with it but it’ll still be a boat designed for flat water and limited performance.
removable 'masik’
i have a kayak with a big cockpit and i use a piece of 1/4" plywood about 4" wide and about the width of the boat to brace my knees when things get rough… i slide it under the coaming/deck after i get in the boat so that it fits over my thighs just aft of my knees. its a jam fit with rounded edges, and it works to help me lock into my tippy boat
decked canoe
Think of a rec boat as really a decked canoe. It’s actually much more like a canoe than a kayak. Thigh straps will work if you feel like you want to lock your knees in, though with most rec boats beam it matters little.
Bill H.
agreed
Sounds like you might be trying to use this boat in conditions above and beyond the intent of the design. I’m not much of a whitewater paddler, but those boats aren’t built the same as rec boats.