If you use that boat where it is designed to operate, the most you’re going to need is a good pfd. If you haven’t already, you might want to work on your swimming proficiency.
I do use a pfd, thanks.
@SpaceSputnik said:
@Overstreet said:
In my experience you’re screwed. It won’t work.Can you elaborate a little more?
I’m back from traveling and on a pc keyboard so I’ll elaborate.
The whole thing is to make 2/3rds of the boat water free such that the boat floats high enough to A) provide some floatation and stability when making an unassisted water entry (ie cowboy or paddle float entry) …B) float high enough to keep some of the waves out when you are inside and pumping…C) keep enough water out so the assist boat kayaker doesn’t bust a gut lifting the thing during an assisted rescue. … Likely a 10 ft boat like yours is most likely 2/3rds cockpit and foot well.
Your boat is mostly cockpit. Getting enough pool noodles stuffed in under the deck to exclude the water will likely eat into your leg space. Pool noodles are round. Round against round forms little voids. Unless you really jam 'em in and “square 'em up” removing the voids. You will know if this works when you try and get into the swamped boat and it just rolls over on you. You’ll know when you get into the flooded boat and the cockpit combing is at or below the waves. By all means though add some floatation. The hatch, the recessed gear deck aft and cockpit size will work against you in float bags and pool noodle volume. I’m not sure you could find a float bag to fit your under deck dimensions. If you look for one remember to get a size larger so it presses against the boat.
The best way to empty a recreational kayak during an assisted rescue is from amidships. (the cockpit) if you are an assist boat come up beside the cockpit and lift the opposite side. ( I find this side easier) Just ease it up and let the water slowly work its way out. Try and keep the boat level and move the boat higher, slowly. If the boat has a bulkhead aft of the seat you can tilt it up on the side of the cockpit as described above then work your way to the bow down the lifelines. Oh that’s right, most rec, boats don’t have lifelines. Note, rescue kayaker if your rescue boat doesn’t have a skirt be careful not to swamp the rescue boat with the water from the swamped boat. Of course if you’re in a high side rec boat it might not be a problem. Here is a video link. Note he gets the paddler in the boat with out a paddle.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vZb8Po_YkA8
If you are alone in the water. Go to amidships, the cockpit. Push down on the side closest to you raising the opposite side. Raise it up as high as you can make it. Use the pfd floatation. Pull the boat upside down over your head if needed to get maximum water out then “flip” it back upright. Note slowly lift, slowly drain water out. Once it is right side up, IF enough water got out. if it worked do your paddle float reentry. Here is a video of a Greenland style skin on frame kayak doing this technique. Skin on frame Greenland boats are often made of wood frame. When he talks about 'worse case" that would be your rec boat. But this is the technique…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=xDsgjtzfg64
Now there is something called a kayak sock or kayak condom that fits on the cockpit combing and goes down into the cockpit to keep water out of the kayak. They are rarely used. They may be hard to find. Bets are they aren’t made for your size cockpit. They are mostly a seakayak, Greenland boat kind of thing.
There. Need more?
DP
thanks, that’s good enough 
I had a thought on anchoring float bags. First, most people find that getting anything to bond to polyethylene is an iffy proposition at best, so even if D-rings or whatever seem well attached, they could come loose when stressed. If it were my boat, I’d drill a pair of holes in the hull near each end, and thread some thin rope like para-cord through them. Inside the boat, that rope will attach to a float bag, and pulling the rope tight from the outside will cinch the bag into the end of the boat. Simply tie-off the free ends on the outside, then trim the excess. Yes, that means you will waste rope with each new installation of the bags, but that’s better than having a few feet of excess hanging around on the outside of the boat.
Before doing this, I’d make sure that the inflation tubes are accessible when the bags are installed, because you will need to deflate them when storing or transporting the boat and re-inflate them when on the water, and you want to be able to to that without the need for removing and re-installing them. If the tubes aren’t long enough, go to the hardware store and get longer tubes. The connection to the bag and to the valve is just a pressed fit, so replacing the existing tube with a longer one will be easy.
If you are worried about leaks, realize that only a drop or two will get in when the bow or stern dips below a wave, and if that bothers you, slap a dab of sealant on there once the rope is tied off. The sealant won’t stick to the hull very well, but if you work it into the hole around the rope, it will stay put and stop all but very minor seepage.
You can get goop from a good hardware store that will fill in around the rope, they have to use this stuff in WW boats. Can’t tell you what it is but my WW boats have it so it must be available.
@Guideboatguy said:
… I’d drill a pair of holes in the hull near each end, and thread some thin rope like para-cord through them. Inside the boat, that rope will attach to a float bag, and pulling the rope tight from the outside will cinch the bag into the end of the boat. Simply tie-off the free ends on the outside,If you are worried about leaks, realize that only a drop or two will get in when the bow or stern dips below a wave, and if that bothers you, slap a dab of sealant on there once the rope is tied off. The sealant won’t stick to the hull very well, but if you work it into the hole around the rope, it will stay put and stop all but very minor seepage.
I have done this on a boat with better shaped spaces. Only I don’t trim off the excess I tie it off. That way I don’t have to re thread the line. Water seepage is less through the line than through my shoes, an old leaky skirt.
Thanks Overstreet. I’m sure a person could find a way to deal with the excess rope, but I was playing it safe with my answer. And yes, I really can’t imagine the amount of leakage you’d get would be enough to matter, but I half expected someone would balk at hole-drilling for that reason. Also, if done as you say with no re-threading needed, you could make the rope a pretty tight fit in the holes (you’d only have to struggle with threading it one time), keeping water entry to a minimum.
What a pain man!
Do they think we like to sink or something ? JFC Designers w/out calc!
What about Styrofoam ?
So 1 cu ft provides 60 lbs of floatation.
I leave the conversions for you set up as proportion solve for x.
It’s cheap and a person can shape it. Glue it, paracord it, bracket it whatever on/in.
Styrofoam! Cause if your bag pops on the rocks … well you know.
YOUR FUCKED! lmao
save the noodles for bumpers!
Aha, a new “expert” appears (and on a 4 year dead zombie thread).
Sorry, friend, but polystyrene (styrofoam) does gets waterlogged when immersed and is unsuitable for flotation. Nobody uses it for boating applications.
Gee whiz, it’s been a while. That pelican went to a new home shortly after this thread was created. Many a boat ago. I since settled on a Zegul Arrow Play, switched to a greendland paddle, and developed a reliable roll 
And I do dab in surfskis a bit as well.
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Well, I was waiting for a paddler to return when I saw this old post. 
. I put the phone away. This where I was.
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“Learned much have you, Young Skywalker”.
here’s what I suggest to rec boaters and what I use now in my ww kayaks
cram these in where you can, they can blow out on the highway so really stuff them in tight. The fact that they are odd shaped helps with the cramming.
Also very important, it is easier to drain the boat while it is still in the water, gradually pull up onto shore, tilting on its side while it is still in the water, empty a bit then pull it up a bit and continue until manageable.
I have a Widerness Aspire 105 and needed to add flotation in front. I went with float bags. To secure them I drilled a small drain hole (with plug) just behind the front carry handle. I looped a long length of paracord around the handle, through the hole and attached each end to the grommet holes in the float bag. Bags are the best way to go. I used two of these to sandwich the foam block.
You just need to get it to float enough that the cockpit opening is a few inches above the waterline. This will take some trial and error. Then bail and sponge all the water out. It’s going to be really hard to reenter a kayak like that if there is any water left in it. Float bags are the best choice, you could even replace the factory foam with them for the greatest effect. Otherwise use closed cell foam, or maybe tire intertubes. Don’t try stuff like inflatable pool float toys or other stuff that’s not robust. Whatever you add needs to be secured to the boat, including your bailing bucket and sponge.
Annoyingly, what appears to be the same Harmony bow float bag is basically twice the price in Canada. 
That means basically $100 for me to get two to fill the front of the bow. (My rec kayak doesn’t even have a foam block at the front, it’s just totally open space.)
I carved a 10 INCH kayak for my grandsons. It floats!
If using a boat in open water, you must have enough floatation to keep the cockpit rim far enough above the water that the waves that probably put you in the water in the first pace will not wash back into the cockpit and using a paddle float or other means of self rescue will not tip the cockpit rim under the water.
It helps if you can at least partially empty the boat before attempting to reenter it. Not having many hundreds or pounds of water in the boat in the first place is a good thing.