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.
While paddling or before
The stretching…i try to constantly stretch while in the boat.Not so easy on the shortest peg length, but there is no problem on the 2nd one. In the Scorpio LV there isn’t much room to get A (yes A single foot) between the foot pegs, you kinda have to turn your foot sideways,forget 2 feet all together. i think that is because they are so close/short. the further down you put the foot pegs the more room you have overall. All this because i am so damn short.UGH!
not really
You chose wrong boat.
I bet dollars to doughnuts, VCP Avocet LV, SKUK Pilgrim/Pilgrim Expedition, Tiderace -S boats would fit you better. I am quite sure there are other boats as well, but I personally know people in your height range that paddle those.
I would love to suggest fixes, but I am not sure it is possible without seeing you paddle. You obviously chose Scorpio LV without having much of an idea how to choose a boat. This is NOT knocking on you, but rather the selection process.
I went to the paddle shop
an hour an half away.(closest to me) and had a budget and a plan. needed to get something that i could manage weight wise, budget wise and i live on a river and needed it to hold up to a rocky shore etc… but also needed to take me to the coast.(3 hrs. away) I tried 3 kayaks that fit all of these perimeters and not knowing anything about a sea kayak, i had to rely on the help of an owner.I ended up choosing the one that felt “less sloppy” when seated in it. I am okay with making some adjustments in life, i think it teaches us valuable lessons. Mine is as i am going through this process i am learning what to look for in my next boat and i think it teaches me to work harder at the things that i want. I know…blah blah blah right. Hell, it will be happy day when i get in my next boat and it’s easy to roll, paddle etc… all in good time. with that said, i am not unhappy with my purchase, i just need to make some adjustments.
one thing
I don’t like suggesting it, but changing the seat might help you a bit - this is too much of throwing lots of things and seeing what sticks.
PH ABS seats have that turned up bit right under thighs that some people find uncomfortable, that might lead to other fit issues as well. Try swapping it out for something else. The seat is quite easy to remove. For the beginning, you don’t even have to make a new seat, can use something soft to sit on just to see how it feels.
Thanks…tossed that around
also…Took the liner off from it and it was a tad better than before, plus it allows for better rotation.(it’s a little more slip without it.).
???
She bought a boat that she loves, that fits her criteria, and a kayak with a very good reputation, and you’re saying she bought the wrong boat!?!?!?
Sounds like it’s a great boat for her and just needs some custom fitting.
The only thing I’d say about the seat, is check whether it can be lowered. Call the store you bought it from or a P&H rep and they should be able to tell you if it’s possible.
Been there done that…
– Last Updated: Jun-08-11 2:06 PM EST –
they said to remove the seat liner. Helped ever so slightly maybe? The other alternative they suggested was custom making thigh braces from closed mini cell. I will try the footpeg thing 1st. though. I do love my boat. So far it has taken good care of this rookie!
Thank You Watermark!
You could foam the BH instead
Remove the footpegs and put firm foam against the front bulkhead, IF it’s a glass bulkhead. Don’t do this in a boat with a foam bulkhead.
Gives you lots more area for sudden bracing and takes up floodable volume. Also takes up space that some people put small drybags in. Like most things, there’s a tradeoff involved.
Are you going to Boothbay for training with John C? If so, he might be able to offer useful advice for foaming-out. One of the kayaks I used up there was a Capella 161, and he had put foam in it that was easily tweaked for various sizes of smallish paddlers. That boat was for sale at a huge discount last year–might be worth considering if you’re thinking of getting a different boat. The 161 had lots of room for cyclist thighs.
The slippage is good
Better for rotation, and it doesn’t grab the Cordura-reinforced seat of a drysuit. When that happens, your shorts (or long johns) literally get twisted inside the suit. Not pleasant. This does not happen with a slippery-surfaced seat.
No new boat in the
Budget. Not training with John this weekend…wish i was though. Just trained with him in RI 2 weeks ago. We didn’t get time to work on the boat though. It’s a thermo boat. Not glass.
not thermoplastic
PH uses 3-layer poly.
Yeh…that stuff!