Foot Clearance on Kayaks with Deck Boxes

[PaddleDog52]

I’d rather have a soft bag below small deck hatch.

[High_Desert]

2nd Gen Eddyline Raven. Pretty compact box with a smaller 4" hatch opening:

[High_Desert]

Tahe Reval MV. Unobtrusive rounded shape, foam-lined, 6" hatch opening:

[High_Desert]

Tiderace Xtreme. Large deck box with 6" hatch opening:

Wood Arctic Hawk built by Superior Kayaks with a carbon fiber storage tube mounted under the deck (ocean cockpit):

[Medawgone]

I have a Raven, as well. The 4” opening is too small . My average size phone will not fit through the hatch. Keys or a candy bar is about it. But leg room around its decent.

[Medawgone]

My old Tiderace Xplore LV was similar to the Xtreme, but with a lower deck. My legs where basically limited to one position, no room for movement.

My kayaks without a whiskey hatch, have an under deck pump storage similar to the A.Hawk. This is my preferred pump storage area.

[CapeFear]

I guess the whiskey hatches really have become pretty common. I just realized I’ve got 6 different kayaks that have them, all different brands. I hadn’t really thought about how common they had become. I think for me, the only place I’ve had any hiccup with them is quick assisted re-entries when I’m trying to roll from my stomach to seated position. I know if it’s there, it’s convenient to use, especially as a place to store my sunglasses when I don’t need them or if I want to do some rolling and be able to put them back on clear and unsalted.

[sing]

@rival51

The 150 has the whiskey hatch but no day hatch. The whiskey hatch is good for keys & phone in a dry bag & not much more. The dry bag is required as that hatch is NOT sealed from inside the hull. It pod is quite shallow & the fore deck is pretty high so I don’t notice it while entering or paddling. In some ways I’d prefer to be able to store a pump there and have a small day hatch.

Ditto. I agree with you and @raisin on this. I had the Delphin 150 and thought that little front hatch didn’t offer much than additional weight. Never used it. I would much prefer to have the under the deck space to install a kydex clip or bungee lines to hold a pump, as I did with all my previous sea kayaks. I appreciate the Sterling having glassed in eyelets under the front deck to run bungee cords for retaining a pump. Except for the compass, I appreciate a clean front deck. I keep the spare paddle behind me. If I go on a longer trip, I’ll keep a water bladder behind me.

Luddite indeed.

sing

[Brodie]

@Medawgone

I ended up with a Valley Gemini SP

I have a plastic Gemini SP that I adore - very glad Valley did not put that weird “pod” on that boat!