Installing footbraces on an SOT

Just bought a used Islander Lipstik on eBay, and to complete the outfitting, I’ll need to install some footbraces. It’s apparently built to be outfitted with the Keepers footbraces - those seem to be universally slammed for cheap construction in the paddling.net Reviews, so I’m a bit reluctant to consider them. Another interesting variable is that the Islander products have been discontinued, so there’s no real “compatibility matrix” I can refer to (Keepers were all that the reps at Islander knew would fit).



I’m pretty short, so I can’t just stick my feet in the footwells for support - footbraces are a necessity. Questions for you folks (especially anyone who’s installed footbraces in an SOT):


  • What models of footbraces do you recommend (and where can I find them)?
  • I won’t be taking posession of the kayak for another month or so, yet I’d like to use it the weekend I pick it up - what measurements or other data do I need from the current owner to insure that a particular model of footbrace will fit?
  • What tools does one usually need to install footbraces (drill, rivet gun, etc.)?



    Thanks all!

I Use Yakima Footbraces
I don’t know if they fit yout yak, but I use Yakima footbrace to repalce the ones on my Revenge. Yakima barces are also used on a lot of SINKS.



Stainless stell nuts and bolts are the best thing to use, but if you can not access the space you may need to use blind rivits. That requires a rivit gun, rivits, and a drill.



You might try just using padding.

Agree with Cuda

– Last Updated: Feb-08-05 4:02 PM EST –

I don't remember what the foot brace looks like on these boats but I remember I thought they sucked. See if you can glue some minicell foam in the foot wells or attach to the original block and shape it to fit you comfortably. Are the original foot braces gone or broken? I seem to remember just wells with a plastic block. I doubt the Yakima foot braces are going to work very well. You might also ask Tom Holtey at sit-on-topkayaking.com for ideas. What you want to watch out for is how far the foot braces are going to stick into the foot wells and if there are rough corners or edges that rub you legs from the tracks the braces slide in.

Yakima…
I replaced the Keeper footbrace in one of my touring yaks with Yakima. The Yakima drill holes are very close to aligned with Keepers. I think there was a faction of an inch off. I settled it by filing the hole a bit towards where it matches with the Keeper. Anyway, if you SOT is already outfitted with Keeper, it may not be a big deal to just take the nuts/screws off and replace with the Yakima. Yakima foot braces are solid and solid is good.



sing

Yakimas are stronger, but…
… I had Keepers in a WS Tarpon 160 for over 1400 miles of active paddling and they were fine. I use my legs a lot and drove that boat pretty hard. They were still pretty much like new when I sold it. For comparison, I busted the rails on my SealLines out of my QCC in a couple months.



My 2¢: Just give the stock setup a try for a while.

Different Application…
I think RedMiata is surfing with his SOT. Very sudden and intense pressure is applied on the foot pedals. Frankly, I don’t trust any foot pedal set up in either my white water or surf boats. I have had them popped at the worse moments… Foam bulkheads for all my boats. Of course, this solution is not application to a SOT.



sing

Padding Could Work
Some kind of padding could work, depending on the set up. Sing is right, it is always the best way to go for surf boats. But the Lipstick looks pretty shallow.