Just bought a new kayak today. It’s a Dirigo 140. Big reason I got it was for the large cockpit and the jump seat for my 4 year old granddaughter.
My previous kayaks are a Islander Swifty 9.5 and a RTM Tango. Not a lot to adjust on either of them.
I’m not used to the thigh braces. Where should my legs/thighs be, against the braces, or below them.
How much bend should I have in my legs… how far out should the pegs be adjusted? I put the yak in my front yard lawn and made some initial adjustments to the seat, lumbar support, seat back height, and foot pegs. I’ve got the pegs so when my feet touch I have a very slight bend at the knee…my leg is almost straight.
Any suggestions on the initial adjustments would be appreciated. I know in the long run I’ll be making more until I get a good fit, but I’m looking for a starting point.
your legs should have sligt bend,
they should not be straight. This allows you to control the kayak.
They say “slightly bent,” but your knees
may be bent a little more than that. And if you thighs are under the thigh braces, your knees will be splayed somewhat. Usually the ankles are bent less than 90 degrees and just your toes and the balls of your feet will contact the braces.
Once you get things reasonably right, you will feel how you have better control of the boat. Later you’ll do a lot of fine tuning for comfort. For example, in a warm climate, some like to have padding on the footbraces and under the heel.