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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
alternate #1,2,3, 4s in a kayak
Posted By: mike allen In Response To: #1 in a kayak (Will)
Date: Monday, 29 November 2004, at 1:25 p.m.
i have not tried #1#2, but when i soon get around to going out for extended periods, i'll try side floats with possibly a dragchute to keep yak orientation in wavier conditions.
the sidefloats most commonly obtained would be sponsons, but instead i would use a second paddlefloat and do either of 2 things (air filled (double chamber) for more floatation(40# vs 15#)):
1/ the first obvious approach is to attach one to either end of my spare or main paddle and use a rigid paddlefloat harness behind the cockpit. end result would be in effect a double outriggered setup. the drawback is that you sorta need low backdeck yaks or there will be some tipping before stability - which i actually think you could get used to with highvol yaks.
2/ but the one that i have used to great effect in small yaks for other reasons is to connect (or make connect) the second paddle float to the first. in my case, using their webbing straps(usually used to connect to the paddle loom) connect ones female buckle to the others male buckle and vice versa. i end up with 2 filled bags connected to each other by their webstraps with about 16in(adjustable) between. then push/put/paddle/pull the yak over this strap 'saddle'. now in effect you have side airbags that have the same volume as sponsons but with their ctr of bouyancy even more outboard and therefore greater possible stability. (i don't bother to tie off for the greater stability, but it would be easy to use the perim lines in a wrap/tie/fasten to get a more fixed situation - and tie off either in front, beside or behind the cockpit)
one ends up with great extra utility just for the price and space of one extra paddlefloat.
this approach is really an extension of some odd selfrescues i wrote about here where yak orientation is irrelevant to getting yr body out of the water. in this case, even if yak upside down or upright or filled, some major portion of the body can be separated from the water with reasonably good stability without even trying to get back in.
((it would be interesting to see if the paddlefloats were more closely connected that it could help in deepwater dewatering of a shallow sof - dewater by longit rocking over the connectors, flipit, and board while still in floatsling or dewater, reenter upside down, and roll all while still in float ass'y. and it may be an approach historically possible.))
-mick
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