I have a small problem.I am short (5’2") and if i have my footpegs set at the closest (1st hole) then i get cramped and sleepy feet, plus there is no room to move my legs as i am wedged up in the thigh braces pretty tight. But the next hole down seems to long and i can’t push against them very well when doing the forward stroke.UGH!!! I should mention that i am paddling the P+H Scorpio LV for those of you that are familiar with this type of footpeg system. What i was wondering is if there is an easy fix? I was also thinking of trying to attach some closed cell foam to the footpeg to get the right length. Anyone have any experience in this area or advice? Hope this makes sense.
Thanks
couple options…
one is to pad out a bit more your thigh braces which lowers your knee and stretches out your leg to reach the next foot peg spot.
The other option I use when changing footwear is to make a small tweak on my backband to move my butt and therefor body maybe 1/2 an inch to fit my peg options better.
Foam
Using foam to customize the fit sounds like the smart choice, assuming you can attach it well. But even if it falls off at an inopportune moment, you’re just back to the boat you have, so probably not a big deal.
foam
Put a layer of foam on footpegs. Don’t want to use foam, there are other materials as well, say marine plywood, expanded PVC. You don’t have to go overboard with fasteners, regular zip ties will work.
Comment regarding positions - I suspect it is you, not the foot peg adjustments that are to blame. Go to that next step that feels way too loose, paddle for some time, see if you really need that much contact. There is no need for that constant locked in feeling, neither in SK nor in WW.
great tips
The thigh braces are fairly aggressive…i won’t be adding any padding to them…but i will adjust the back band as much as possible. I will look into the foam option a little more too. Thanks
how can that be
I’m not familiar with that footage systen, but it seems weird that one level of adjustment can be that far apart. I know on all my boats the pegs adjust an inch or so at a time. Either way…good luck. I would just build out the pegs a bit. Somebody even makes pads for the pegs and that would probably work and you can paddle bear foot if you want.
Ryan L.
These aren’t flat
footpegs…so barefoot would be out of the question. Plus the Atlantic Ocean is to cold for that. Can’t use the YakPad thingy’s because the boat is so low volume that there wouldn’t be enough room. I’m gonna keep searching for ideas.
Far from locked in on the 2nd notch
but feel quite locked in in the 1st notch. I want to be able to apply some pressure to the footpeg when forward paddling…if i am in the 1st notch i feel jammed up in the thigh brace and second notch i feel like i am stretching to reach the pegs.I know it seems crazy, i thought it was a big difference also. I am going to stick myself in there again tonight and take another glance around and maybe call P+H.
Backrest
The backrest can make a significant difference on how far forward or back you sit. Adjust the backrest until you get it right for you.
You shouldn’t need to press on both footpegs at the same time. For an efficient forward stroke, you should be able to straighten one leg completely, and have the other leg quite bent. This allows you to use the strength of the legs help power the stroke.
When the leg is straight, you should be able to brace against the footpeg with the foot flexed to a 90 degree angle. With the knee bent, press the ball of the foot forward to brace against the footpeg and knee braces.
Edging is easier if you relax one leg. Both knees pressing up on the deck tends to prevent to boat from leaning.
Sounds like the second placement might be perfect for you, but you need to get used to alternating pressure from one leg to the other.
Besides this issue, how do you like your Scorpio?
Use a firm, high-density foam
Firmer than typical minicell.
How about experimenting with the black jigsaw-style closed-cell foam squares sold at auto accessory shops? It’s cheap enough to play around with.
I used a chunk of extra-firm, dense minicell that someone gave me when I bought the Explorer LV. I never succeeded in finding a source to buy more of that type of minicell, though.
Spacing between footpeg positions–I have a similar problem but not as severe as what yours sounds like. If I paddle barefoot, the closer position is very good. If I use booties, it’s a little tighter than I’d like. If I use booties with the next-farther position, it’s just a smidge looser than I’d like. The looser position is great with Chota Mukluks.
So, some of us are just more sensitive to variations in foot position. The Princess and the Pea?
You find it easy to roll, when set up
that loose?
I love my Scorpio
I am not trying to press both feet at the same time in my forward stroke…Maybe i am not saying this right. I know it’s Right foot engaged with right paddle blade entering the water so on and so forth, my problem is the reach…so no my foot is not at a 90* angle but more like my toes are reaching for the footpeg.Stretched out pretty much (searching for it almost) Maybe i am missing something in the adjustments. For 2 yrs. i have played around with this and am getting a bit more serious on getting it correct i guess. I have the NRS Water Moccasin and just an inexpensive pair of Neosport thin sole also booty. not enough room for thicker soles. I sound like i must have enormous feet. But they are size 8-9 depending on the style booty.
Just learning to roll
But actually don’t even use the footpeg on the off side at all…learned to roll without it.(my own preference) So yes, but either way i guess.
May be missing something
I’ve never encountered foot pegs that didn’t adjust by around 1" increments. To go from stretching to touch them to cramped in would take much more than that. Maybe there is some defect? Maybe they’re partially plugged with sand. I would take a real close look at the adjustability and figure out what’s going wrong.
They may only be 1" spacings…sooo
I do have a large thigh…maybe that’s all that my problem is. I have tried dialing back the biking intensity on the hills a bit (and we are all about the hills in Northern NH) because i feel it bulks me up to much. So it doesn’t take much for me to get contact under the thigh brace. So i have thought about removing the factory thigh braces and making new ones, but actually thought that the footpeg thing would just be a whole lot easier. It’s where i am going to start this time i think. Took the seat liner off to get under the thigh brace a bit lower/better, it helped a little- No sand Jammed in there…my boat is always really clean. Yep, i’m still in the honeymoon phase with it.
Yes… usually…
… and when I do miss a roll… if no one’s looking, it doesn’t really count, does it…
That’s how I learned to adjust the pedals from Nigel Foster’s DVD series.
In a WW boat I have the footrests much tighter.
I’m working on using a wingblade and developing good forward stroke technique, so I’m trying to get my legs more involved.
When I practice rolls I try to do 50 rolls. I can feel it in my calf muscle, from using that muscle to help lock my foot and leg in. I know some ppl like the foot pegs up real tight so they’re secure and snug in the kayak, but I can’t paddle for a long distance without being able to move my legs.
Room to lift legs
Sounds like the combination of low deck, thigh braces and big quads is giving you little room to move your knees. I have big legs too, so I get the same thing in some kayaks.
I would suggest trying a kayak with a higher deck, just to see if more room to lift your knees makes it easier to get the right adjustment on the footpegs.
If that helps, then I’d look at taking out your thigh braces, and maybe just putting some thin foam on the underside of your kayak.
An inch can be quite a bit
When your inseam is only 27 inches to begin with.
The footpegs in one of my boats were not installed evenly at the factory. The left rail is at least an inch further forward than the right making it impossible to adjust for my short legs. I glued about an inch and a half of minicell foam to the left peg to even them up. It has stuck and worked perfectly for more than a year.
I am thinking about pulling both rails out out and relocating them so that I can adjust better for winter wear. The problem with adjusting the backband is that depending on the shape of the seat pan, the seat may become less comfortable if you sit further forward.
It sounds like a plan is in
order for adding material to the footpegs…now for the right material. I will do a search in an auto parts store and my boyfriends garage. It will have to wait for another weekend as i am off to BoothBay this weekend.Happy!!!
try stretching
Have you tried consistently stretching your hamstrings, calves, and glutes? My left leg fell asleep constantly. I thought I was sitting on a nerve and pinching it. As it turns out I just needed to stretch some.