3 tweaks for your sea kayak

[kayakwriter]

So knowing my own lack of skill when it comes to crafting things, I'd never be foolish enough to put to sea in any boat I'd built from scratch. But as long-time Westcoasters know, I love tweaking and modding my kayak. I recently posted about three of my easiest improvements on my blog at http://philiptorrens.com/2015/10/20/yak ... /#more-321
(My Facebook friends will already have seen this link, and can carry on watching cat GIFs.)

 

[Water Horse]

Thanks for sharing, those look like great mods. I have considered doing the cockpit anchor area but I am reluctant because it seems to be a potential source to get caught up in a rescue situation. From reading your Blog I am sure you have thought about that but having a water tube floating around or handles on a duffle bag by your feet seem like potential catch hazards. Thoughts? I am sure if you were careful about this there wouldn't be any problems but it is the one time when everything aligns not in your favour that I worry about. Most disasters happen when multiple things go bad all at once.

 

[Roy222]

I would replace the water tube mouth piece with a straight thru plastic bite valve.
That right angle valve could become a hook or snag!

Roy

 

[kayakwriter]

Thanks for sharing, those look like great mods. I have considered doing the cockpit anchor area but I am reluctant because it seems to be a potential source to get caught up in a rescue situation. From reading your Blog I am sure you have thought about that but having a water tube floating around or handles on a duffle bag by your feet seem like potential catch hazards. Thoughts? I am sure if you were careful about this there wouldn't be any problems but it is the one time when everything aligns not in your favour that I worry about. Most disasters happen when multiple things go bad all at once.

You're welcome, WH. You're right that everyone needs to evaluate their own situation - I've test exited with both the duffle and the water bag in place. There's enough give in the securing bands that I could pull free with brute force if I had to. I also have a knife on my PFD as a last resort.

I agree with you about the multiple things going bad at once. When you read the Transportation Safety Board reports on marine or aviation accidents, the chain of events is often so long it seems like something out of fiction. And there's only a 1% chance of contributing Event A happening and a 1% chance of contributing Event B happening, etc. etc. Then you realize that with thousands of voyages/flights per day, each in effect a roll of the dice, such "impossible" accidents are, in fact, almost inevitable.

 

[Bluenose]

How are you dealing with the tube and your spray skirt? Wouldn't a hydration pack on the back of your PFD work better?

 

[kayakwriter]

How are you dealing with the tube and your spray skirt? Wouldn't a hydration pack on the back of your PFD work better?

I've got the High Volume version of my kayak, so the cockpit is (mostly) high enough above the water level to pop the front of the sprayskirt and drink.

On long trips, the back of my PFD is already occupied by my bail-out bag. Besides, while a hydration pack is neutrally bouyant and "weightless" if it's fully submerged while you're swimming, it is not weightless as you scramble back onto the rear deck for a re-entry, or come up from a roll. Even in normal paddling, it puts a fair bit of weight above the deck, raising the centre of gravity and reducing stability. Having the main water bag "on the floor" keeps the centre of gravity right down by the keel.

Of course, my choices may just reflect my own bias and/or limitations as a paddler. The great thing about kayaking is that everyone is free to make their own assessments and choices. (Lots of folks would never destabilize their kayak with a tall mast and sail, for example, but I do. Sometimes even with two sails.)