: Haven't heard one sound reason to not use them. What is the reasoning behind
: the product rejection? How many have tried them for self rescue?

Brian gave several reasons. One is particularly important... time to deploy. They take a long time to deploy and they are difficult to deploy. He also mentioned the fact that they aren't as stable as they are cracked up to be.

Have you ever deployed sponsons? Try it. Unless you have thru-hull fittings with the sponsons pre-deployed... you are talking about a major effort including swimming around the boat to get the other side. By the time you deploy the sponsons, you may have lost the use of your hands due to frigid water. If you have to deploy straps and the sponsons, the situation is even worse.

Now after you see this in calm water... do it in 4 or 5 foot wind waves. Remember the difference between primary and secondary stability? What about the hull form of a kayak with sponsons attached makes you think that there is a high degree of secondary stability... the kind that is necessary in steep pitched waves? Brian alluded to this point. The sponsoned craft has higher initial stability but it is doubtful that this will help in seas that have caused you to capsize in the first place which call for high secondary. The paddlefloat doesn't change your hull profile... it acts as an outrigger. Big difference.

What if the boat flips upside down before you get back in... now you have to flip it back upright with the sponsons acting for a short time as wind/wave-catchers... that is more difficult... and it increases the chance that when you flip it that the wider profile will get caught by the wind and torn out of your hands... now you can swim after a kayak blowing away from you at 10 or 15 knots. Bad scenario... maybe fatal.

Sponsons are a tool. They have uses... but they are not a substitute for a full quiver of techniques. Deprecating other self-rescue techniques to put all your eggs in the sponson basket is just as foolish as banking all your chips on a paddlefloat. Sponsons are not without their weaknesses. That's why Tim has alienated so many people. He preaches. He does not educate. He hides the weaknesses and exaggerates the strengths. Their is no balance to his methodology. People aren't stupid... they figure it out after awhile and resent his aggression and intellectual dishonesty.

Unfortunately a perfectly good tool is misunderstood by both adherents and detractors. We have these silly flame wars that simply swap opinions with no genuine evidence one way or the other. Come back with some statistics about effectiveness in practice and then you might command some attention. Until then statements like telling us what is or isn't advisable are not really advisable... in my humble opinion.

Safe Paddling!
Brianne