Jay typed

: Lots of kayakers use deck lines.... They are for
: the day you are crossing tha North Sea and find yourself in the water and
: need to grab something quick so you don't get separated from the boat.

Deck lines are for a lot more than just in-the-water dramas. When you have a large party, paddling with the tide, you will often have to carry loaded boats either a long way up from the water to camp, or a long way back next day. You _can_ stagger down two people to a boat, or make it a bit easier with another couple of folk either side of the cockpit, but having strong deck lines gives enough for the whole party to get a good grip, so you don't drop the boat if one person has to let go to negotiate those seaweed-covered rocks. They also provide handy points to hold your mate's boat whilst he is making a difficult exit up rocks, and then to pass the boat over obstacles to join him - not all campsites are on easy angled sandy beaches !

Deck lines are also useful when rafting up for lunch, or to pump out a boat which has taken on water. If a person being towed can't keep the boat straight in wind and waves, a helper can raft up and use deck lines to keep the boats parallel. For a _short_ tow you can clip two boats together with a sling and krab between deck lines - the tower is a lot nearer the towee if more help
is needed.

And finally (?), deck lines provide yet one more place to clip on bits of gear like a camera (when you are using it, so dropping it when you have to snatch up the paddle fopr a brace doesn't result in a lost camera).

Of course, how much you need deck lines will depend on the conditions you intend to paddle. If you are doing mainly day trips between sandy beaches with an unloaded boat in calm waters, you may find the boat has cleaner lines without them.

: The
: British boats really like those things since they seem to get carried away
: with the dramatics.

Most British kayakers remember Lyme Bay !

: Lines that run from the front of the bungees
: to about 2 feet shy of the bow and back on the other side.

I take my deck lines right up to the bow and stern, just short of the end grab loops. They also come close to the cockpit fore and aft, but its important that they don't run along the side of the cockpit, as this presents an entanglement risk. Deck lines should also be reasonably tight, so that they don't hang over the sides and catch on passing rocks or other paddlers.

Cheers, Andy