Cockpit padding

[josko]

I feel I've never paid due attention to cockpit padding. This winter, I'm game to go buy some foam pieces and have at it, but realize that I don't know how, or more importantly, what I'm trying to achieve. How tight do I want my butt in the cockpit/ What about thighs, knees? I've also heard the 'new' school advocates a looser stance and fit than the old 'wear your kayak' adage, so want is the latest line on thought of padding out a cockpit?

If anyone has some advice on how to do it or can point to a useful link, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

[jason]

The only padding I have in my boat is a little foam block as my back band. The only other foam I have is for my feet.

-Jason

[Doug]

Ditto with what Jason suggests. To add one more element to the equation, are you able to engage your thighs easy enough to brace yourself in the cockpit.

I have the same Cetus as Jason and find no need to add foam but my ROMANY Excell on the other hand needed to be foamed at the thigh braces. I believe Greg P likes to create a knee hole under his deck. It may pay off to give him a call. Tom B at Maine Island Kayak will spend time with you customizing out your boat to fit your body as well.

Feel free to call be if you want to discuss options

Doug

[rfolster]

The latest I have been hearing is that you want to be able to move your hips in the seat to assist rotation for paddle strokes. If you feel your seat is too wide, and it might be, and want to add padding to reduce the overall width, just leave yourself some room to allow your hips some freedom of movement. This is also why some people have gotten rid of their backbands and opted for just a block of foam at the center of their back. They can rest against it, but it still allows their core to rotate.

As for thighs and knees, Doug is spot on with that. You want to be able to brace when needed, but you do not want to lock yourself into the boat. The old adage of "wear your kayak" is considered to be outdated since being locked into a bouncy boat makes you bouncy and unstable. Allowing the boat to do what it needs to do while you do what you need to do seems to be the latest concept.

I think that Doug's suggestion to seek out an outfitting professional may be a good idea for you since they will be able to help guide you in what each modification will actually provide you. Without knowing the purpose and outcome of any additional padding, you could be in for a long trial and error process. Although most professional coaches can probably help you with this, you should try to find someone with not only the experience and knowhow, but also a personality that you can work with. Carl Ladd is another one who does a lot of boat customization.

[Brian Nystrom]

I feel I've never paid due attention to cockpit padding. This winter, I'm game to go buy some foam pieces and have at it, but realize that I don't know how, or more importantly, what I'm trying to achieve. How tight do I want my butt in the cockpit/ What about thighs, knees? I've also heard the 'new' school advocates a looser stance and fit than the old 'wear your kayak' adage, so want is the latest line on thought of padding out a cockpit?

The "wear your kayak" concept is important in whitewater kayaking, where you must be able to maneuver your boat rapidly and precisely. You can endure a tight fit because you're not in the boat for long periods of time. In a touring boat, you need some room to move around, but you also need to be able to lock yourself in when necessary. With a properly outfitted boat, all you need to do is flex your ankles to lock your thighs under the coaming and brace yourself solidly in the cockpit. When you don't need solid control, such as when you're just cruising along, you can relax and shift around a little, which makes long days on the water much more comfortable.

[jason]

The "wear your kayak" concept is important in whitewater kayaking, where you must be able to maneuver your boat rapidly and precisely. You can endure a tight fit because you're not in the boat for long periods of time. In a touring boat, you need some room to move around, but you also need to be able to lock yourself in when necessary. With a properly outfitted boat, all you need to do is flex your ankles to lock your thighs under the coaming and brace yourself solidly in the cockpit. When you don't need solid control, such as when you're just cruising along, you can relax and shift around a little, which makes long days on the water much more comfortable.

Even in white water, you want room, tight padding is a bit old school Rotation and edging is still very important, with a whitewater boat, too much padding will get in the way. Whitewater boats tend to have aggressive thigh braces that are normally out of the way when your upright but are great for when you need to roll. With white water the tightest part tends to be around one feet and that's just because of the lack of volume with the boat. The more playful the whitewater boat the less volume it will have on the ends.