NorthWest Kayak Anglers
Kayak Fishing => For Safety's Sake => Topic started by: Trident 13 on September 25, 2016, 11:10:25 AM
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(Meant to be SOT-Sit on Top in the heading)
Did the best I could to look for a thread. Checked with Ocean Kayak and in a worst scenario, a flooded kayak with no flotation will sink pending attached gear. I'v decided to use an old PFD to wrap around the hanging battery bag up front and have stuffed some others back under behind the seat under the cargo area. Thought about getting an typical flotation bag to stick under and inflate. I keep my lids on and have been in rough water with things undercover totally dry so that's one issue. Just wonder if guys, especially ocean fishing have any flotation in the hollow plastic tube kayaks. Just thinking about the kayak, personal gear is a different topic...
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What kind of kayak is it?
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What kind of kayak is it?
Is it a sit-on-top kayak, or a sit-inside kayak? "SIT" isn't a term I'm familiar with. And what do you mean by "hollow plastic tube kayaks?"
If it's a sit-on-top kayak, one way to add flotation is by stuffing a bunch of pool noodles into the kayak in places where you wouldn't want to store gear, such as under the rear cargo area or up in the gunwales. Strap them together or to things inside the kayak so they don't slide around inside the kayak.
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are you referring to a SIT as a SINK=sit in kayak?
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You can also buy inflatable canoe flotation bags (bow and stern specific) at WWW.NRSWEB.COM, Outdoorplay.com and at ACK.COM. There's probably more sites butI know those 3 have them.
For a Trident 15 (SOT) for instance, you will need 2 large of each [ that advice came from NRS]
Hope that helps.
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Sit-InTo. One less letter than SINK and I'm in favor of fewer letters!
The fitted floatation bags will be the best and most expensive option. There's no reason why you can't use pool noodles in a SINK the same way we use them in SOT's. You can throw empty gallon water bottles in a pillowcase - Arrowhead, with the screw-on caps do a good job. You can go more expensive - but still less costly than floatation bags - and get some 6 x 36-inch foam yoga rollers. Beach balls, soccer balls...
For a while, Amazon had 6-inch x 36 inch yoga rollers for $6.00. I got a bunch and put them in the kayaks - because a flooded SOT is no different than a flooded SINK. Just in case you were wondering.
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Forgot about the beach ball trick. Those would be far cheaper and work just as well.
Just checked Amazon, yoi can get like a dozen 24 inch beach balls for $16.00
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Pool noodles work great. They're probably still in the stores now most stores pull them off the shelf for the winter. They're cheap and they won't develop a leak.
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Forgot about the beach ball trick. Those would be far cheaper and work just as well.
Just checked Amazon, yoi can get like a dozen 24 inch beach balls for $16.00
another option- when you get a box from Amazon (or whoever) and it has a big strip of those air filled cushion things they pack with, stuff them into an empty space inside your hull. repeat a few times.
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Didn't someone do a rough calculation of how much of how little floatation it takes to keep a kayak afloat? I couldn't find it in a SEARCH, but I remember it being "not very much".
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Sorry, I mis-typed SOT and meant to include any kayak that could be filled completely with water and having no flotation.
My Trident 13 wasn't the focus. Old PDF's I've inserted as well as all the things mentioned above work fine. I've talked with some new sit-on-top owners and "hollow plastic tube" owners and asked what they use for flotation, most say nothing. Just thought it was a topic worth bringing up in the Safety forum in case others hadn't thought about kayaks without water tight sections that when filled with water (hatches bad or off) and holding a little weight will sink without some help. I do like the beach ball thought as they would be pretty form-fitting. Bubble wrap is tough even when you try to break it to scare the cat, lol.
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I have a
Ocean Kayak Big Game 2 and I managed to stuff 18 pool noodles inside and it still leaves lots of room of storage of misc. stuff. I folded most of them in half and did a little duc tape to hold them folded.
Most went into the no mans land behind the seat inside the yak where if things slide back there they disappear, lots of room in most yaks, my boat should float like a cork.
If I remember right one cubic foot of air will support 63 lbs in the water, most life jackets will support about 19 lbs or less....warf
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I have a
Ocean Kayak Big Game 2 and I managed to stuff 18 pool noodles inside and it still leaves lots of room of storage of misc. stuff. I folded most of them in half and did a little duc tape to hold them folded.
Most went into the no mans land behind the seat inside the yak where if things slide back there they disappear, lots of room in most yaks, my boat should float like a cork.
If I remember right one cubic foot of air will support 63 lbs in the water, most life jackets will support about 19 lbs or less....warf
POOMA, but that's gotta be too high. A gallon of water is 8#, so you're saying you can fit 8 gallons into a 1'x1'x1' container ? I'll say more like 3-4 gallons max, so somewhere in the neighborhood of 30# of floatation in 1cf.
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I have a
Ocean Kayak Big Game 2 and I managed to stuff 18 pool noodles inside and it still leaves lots of room of storage of misc. stuff. I folded most of them in half and did a little duc tape to hold them folded.
Most went into the no mans land behind the seat inside the yak where if things slide back there they disappear, lots of room in most yaks, my boat should float like a cork.
If I remember right one cubic foot of air will support 63 lbs in the water, most life jackets will support about 19 lbs or less....warf
POOMA, but that's gotta be too high. A gallon of water is 8#, so you're saying you can fit 8 gallons into a 1'x1'x1' container ? I'll say more like 3-4 gallons max, so somewhere in the neighborhood of 30# of floatation in 1cf.
yes, there are 7.48 gallons per cubic foot.
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lol, I appreciate the thoughts and the technical clarification. I have what I was looking for, which was some good ideas of what others are doing and hope new kayakers have some information as well.
I did find this link before posting and had some of the technical down, this is just interesting reading if you're curious. Turns out a 75-lb yak might not need 75-lbs of flotation once in the water:
http://www.screamandfly.com/archive/index.php/t-53895.html (http://www.screamandfly.com/archive/index.php/t-53895.html)
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lol, I appreciate the thoughts and the technical clarification. I have what I was looking for, which was some good ideas of what others are doing and hope new kayakers have some information as well.
I did find this link before posting and had some of the technical down, this is just interesting reading if you're curious. Turns out a 75-lb yak might not need 75-lbs of flotation once in the water:
http://www.screamandfly.com/archive/index.php/t-53895.html (http://www.screamandfly.com/archive/index.php/t-53895.html)
exactly, the density of the material is a key part of the calculation, which is why a PDF with 19# floatation is plenty for a 200# human being. also why a log weighing several thousand pounds can float...
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Just so people aren't misguided by the idea of flotation, it's important to remember that this will only keep your kayak from sinking completely. Just a few gallons of water in the hull will generally cause your kayak to be so unstable that you'll be tipping over on a consistent basis.
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Just so people aren't misguided by the idea of flotation, it's important to remember that this will only keep your kayak from sinking completely. Just a few gallons of water in the hull will generally cause your kayak to be so unstable that you'll be tipping over on a consistent basis.
When whitewater kayaking, I have had my spray skirt blown off in big water, and have pulled my skirt in a effort to get out of a very sticky hole, and can attest that paddling a kayak which is full of water is difficult, because the water sloshes around in the kayak and makes it very unstable. I haven't experimented with filling one of my sit-on-top kayaks with water, because it doesn't seem like that would be at all fun, but I imagine that they would be just as unstable, despite their greater width, because of the higher center of gravity of a sit-on-top kayak. Sloshing water would be particularly problematic in a pedal kayak, unless you quit pedaling and start paddling so you can brace yourself upright every time the water in the kayak makes the kayak lurch.
The advantage of having a lot of flotation in a kayak is that the flotation will reduce the amount of water which can get into the kayak, which will make it float higher in the water, and will make it easier to recover from whatever mishap resulted in the kayak being full of water. But emptying water out of your kayak when you're out on the water without assistance from other kayakers is pretty difficult. In calm conditions, you can pump water out of a kayak with a bilge pump from the area below your seat. But I would hate to try to pump water out of a kayak in rough conditions, because you'd be floating low in the water, and would be lurching from side to side, and might take water in the open hatch faster than you could pump it out. In sit-on-top kayaks which have a hatch in front of the seat, if the kayak is floating low enough in the water, the hatch will be below water level, and water can come in the scupper holes, fill up the cockpit, and flow into the hatch if it's open. Does anybody have an educational story they can tell about attempting to pump water out of a kayak while out on the water?
If somebody's kayak fills up with water, the best way to get the water out when you're on the water is for two or more kayakers to flip the kayak over and pull it up on top of their kayaks, draining water out in the process, which is tough because a kayak full of water is very heavy. And this would be exciting in rough conditions. Does anybody have an educational story they can tell about doing this? I've dumped water out of a lot of whitewater kayaks on shore (most of them not my kayak, fortunately), but have never tried doing it out on the water.
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here is the calculations:
density of air at about 70 deg F at sea level is roughly 1 kg/m^3
density of fresh sea water is roughly 1000 kg/m^3
a cubic foot is .0283 cubic meters meaning it will hold up ~28 kg (~62 lbs)
Source(s):
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2002/EdwardLaValley.shtml
http://www.onlineconversion.com/
the
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The net boyant force is the difference between the two weights...the mass of water displaced - mass of the displacing substance multiplied by gravity. However, if we instead think about the net "lifting power", if you will, and consider the mass which will be able to be supported by the net boyant force, we can ignore gravity (but remember why we are doing it).
28320 grams - 18.22 grams = 28301.78 grams.
28301.78 grams = 28.30 kg.
Now, going back and finding the net boyant FORCE, multiply by gravity (9.81 m/s^2),
28.30 kg * 9.81 m/s^2 = 277.6 Newtons
Thus, 1 ft^3 of air would be able to support an object weighing 277.6 Newtons.
The object to be supported would have a mass of 28.3 kg (62.3 pounds).
Isn't Mr. Google just wonderful!!...warf
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here is the calculations:
density of air at about 70 deg F at sea level is roughly 1 kg/m^3
density of fresh sea water is roughly 1000 kg/m^3
a cubic foot is .0283 cubic meters meaning it will hold up ~28 kg (~62 lbs)
Speak English!
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The net boyant force is the difference between the two weights...the mass of water displaced - mass of the displacing substance multiplied by gravity. However, if we instead think about the net "lifting power", if you will, and consider the mass which will be able to be supported by the net boyant force, we can ignore gravity (but remember why we are doing it).
28320 grams - 18.22 grams = 28301.78 grams.
28301.78 grams = 28.30 kg.
Now, going back and finding the net boyant FORCE, multiply by gravity (9.81 m/s^2),
28.30 kg * 9.81 m/s^2 = 277.6 Newtons
Thus, 1 ft^3 of air would be able to support an object weighing 277.6 Newtons.
The object to be supported would have a mass of 28.3 kg (62.3 pounds).
Isn't Mr. Google just wonderful!!...warf
I think I just hurt my drain trying to READ that let alone comprehend it :o
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The net boyant force is the difference between the two weights...the mass of water displaced - mass of the displacing substance multiplied by gravity. However, if we instead think about the net "lifting power", if you will, and consider the mass which will be able to be supported by the net boyant force, we can ignore gravity (but remember why we are doing it).
28320 grams - 18.22 grams = 28301.78 grams.
28301.78 grams = 28.30 kg.
Now, going back and finding the net boyant FORCE, multiply by gravity (9.81 m/s^2),
28.30 kg * 9.81 m/s^2 = 277.6 Newtons
Thus, 1 ft^3 of air would be able to support an object weighing 277.6 Newtons.
The object to be supported would have a mass of 28.3 kg (62.3 pounds).
Isn't Mr. Google just wonderful!!...warf
I think I just hurt my drain trying to READ that let alone comprehend it :o
https://youtu.be/ammpNEhU34g
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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The net boyant force is the difference between the two weights...the mass of water displaced - mass of the displacing substance multiplied by gravity. However, if we instead think about the net "lifting power", if you will, and consider the mass which will be able to be supported by the net boyant force, we can ignore gravity (but remember why we are doing it).
28320 grams - 18.22 grams = 28301.78 grams.
28301.78 grams = 28.30 kg.
Now, going back and finding the net boyant FORCE, multiply by gravity (9.81 m/s^2),
28.30 kg * 9.81 m/s^2 = 277.6 Newtons
Thus, 1 ft^3 of air would be able to support an object weighing 277.6 Newtons.
The object to be supported would have a mass of 28.3 kg (62.3 pounds).
Isn't Mr. Google just wonderful!!...warf
I think I just hurt my drain trying to READ that let alone comprehend it :o
Mojo, if you read it using your brain instead of your drain, you'll realize that what Warf said is "light things float."
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The net boyant force is the difference between the two weights...the mass of water displaced - mass of the displacing substance multiplied by gravity. However, if we instead think about the net "lifting power", if you will, and consider the mass which will be able to be supported by the net boyant force, we can ignore gravity (but remember why we are doing it).
28320 grams - 18.22 grams = 28301.78 grams.
28301.78 grams = 28.30 kg.
Now, going back and finding the net boyant FORCE, multiply by gravity (9.81 m/s^2),
28.30 kg * 9.81 m/s^2 = 277.6 Newtons
Thus, 1 ft^3 of air would be able to support an object weighing 277.6 Newtons.
The object to be supported would have a mass of 28.3 kg (62.3 pounds).
Isn't Mr. Google just wonderful!!...warf
I think I just hurt my drain trying to READ that let alone comprehend it :o
Mojo, if you read it using your brain instead of your drain, you'll realize that what Warf said is "light things float."
Nope still incomprehensible for my simple mind... can I get it in a picture? BTW2SOT (stay on topic) I have about 12 or so pool noodles in my Jackson Big Tuna
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Thanks guys, I think I'll just use my noodle(s) and hope for the best...
After looking at the size of the hatches on the trident 13, if sitting in one of the hatches to lower the center of gravity to keep from continued tipping is in the plan, I'm not putting any long noodles in the large oval one in the front for sure!
I'm done...
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Thanks guys, I think I'll just use my noodle(s) and hope for the best...
After looking at the size of the hatches on the trident 13, if sitting in one of the hatches to lower the center of gravity to keep from continued tipping is in the plan, I'm not putting any long noodles in the large oval one in the front for sure!
I'm done...
I never ever thought of trying to sit in the front hatch of my Trident 13 for any reason whatever. It would be a seriously bad idea.
The best place to stuff pool noodles in a sit-on-top kayak is under the rear cargo area, because that keeps the pool noodles right on the bottom of the kayak, where they do the most good. And there isn't much you can do with that space anyhow. Pool noodles will keep items of gear from sliding back under the cargo area where you can't reach them.
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I stuffed the rear of my outback with large bubble wrap that came in a package. I couldn't throw it away because it took up my whole garbage can so I recycled it as flotation. My revo has Amazon air pillows stuffed inside. Free and free. The best price. And so far, they have lasted for years.
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Now if some math wizard could figure the length, diameter less the center hole to come up with the something or other to get the floatation value of one noodle we would have it made!!..lol..All I know is one noodle will float a fat lady in a swimming pool,,,,warf
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The net boyant force is the difference between the two weights...the mass of water displaced - mass of the displacing substance multiplied by gravity. However, if we instead think about the net "lifting power", if you will, and consider the mass which will be able to be supported by the net boyant force, we can ignore gravity (but remember why we are doing it).
28320 grams - 18.22 grams = 28301.78 grams.
28301.78 grams = 28.30 kg.
Now, going back and finding the net boyant FORCE, multiply by gravity (9.81 m/s^2),
28.30 kg * 9.81 m/s^2 = 277.6 Newtons
Thus, 1 ft^3 of air would be able to support an object weighing 277.6 Newtons.
The object to be supported would have a mass of 28.3 kg (62.3 pounds).
Isn't Mr. Google just wonderful!!...warf
I think I just hurt my drain trying to READ that let alone comprehend it :o
Shannon, you think this is bad you should have been here about 6 years ago when we had a discussion on leverage of fishing rods from a kayak....that qualified as pure geek speak after about the 2nd page
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For the not so nerdy folks.
Take your damn kayak down to a lake and start stuffing various floaty materials inside the hull until you feel you have stuffed it to mass floaticty.
Now, take a pump or bucket and start filling your kayak with water. Once full, leap on and see how the rodeo ride goes.
Play around with various floaty objects and see what works what doesn't.
Drain kayak, remove all the floaty crap from inside the hull, and go use your kayak as it was originally intended.
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For the not so nerdy folks.
Take your damn kayak down to a lake and start stuffing various floaty materials inside the hull until you feel you have stuffed it to mass floaticty.
Now, take a pump or bucket and start filling your kayak with water. Once full, leap on and see how the rodeo ride goes.
Play around with various floaty objects and see what works what doesn't.
Drain kayak, remove all the floaty crap from inside the hull, and go use your kayak as it was originally intended.
What he said!
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I'm a little concerned about why the question was asked in the first place. Are you concerned your kayak will sink if it fills with water? In most cases where paddlers disappear the kayak is recovered. The material for SOTs will float even with the hull completely filled. If you bolt on a bunch of gear you may need a couple empty water bottles will keep it afloat. If you want a number, weigh all of your bolt on gear. That same weight in FULL water bottle plus 10% or so and put the EMPTY, SEALED bottles in your hull to keep it above water. If you want to use pool noodles (less rattling), cut the noodle to be about the same length as the water bottles put end-to-end.
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I'm a little concerned about why the question was asked in the first place. Are you concerned your kayak will sink if it fills with water? In most cases where paddlers disappear the kayak is recovered. The material for SOTs will float even with the hull completely filled. If you bolt on a bunch of gear you may need a couple empty water bottles will keep it afloat. If you want a number, weigh all of your bolt on gear. That same weight in FULL water bottle plus 10% or so and put the EMPTY, SEALED bottles in your hull to keep it above water. If you want to use pool noodles (less rattling), cut the noodle to be about the same length as the water bottles put end-to-end.
it almost sounds like the density of rotomolded polyethylene is lower than water. well what do you know, at 0.939g/cc, it is! so as several people have suggest, just ensuring that a small volume of air is trapped inside the hull will keep it from sinking.
however, as many have also pointed out, a kayak full of water is not really a 'boat' anymore, it is probably better described as a hazard to navigation.
now this isn't an issue with an inflatable boat ( ;D ) but my approach for our Oasis is to keep it upright but also make sure the hatches sealed up tight, especially the front one on Hobies, adjust those bungies to keep that lid down tight, and I carry something to pump out water from inside the boat, just in case. These sort of water spray toys are cheap ($1), about 2' long, and can be used to quickly remove many gallons of water from your hull.
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Relax. You'll live longer.
(It's a good quote)
Relax folks, no reason to be concerned. While thinking about ways to keep gear accessible I started thinking about the solid plastic build. Out of curiosity I checked with a manufacturer of a frequently used kayak who said it's possible for a kayak to sink, especially if it has attached gear. The issue of keeping gear accessible was solved with some noodle floats and tape. I understand the tape might com loose at some point, so don't be concerned. Seems like lots of folks have inserted some pretty economical flotation for the same reason and it seemed worth mentioning to those new to the sport.
Please don't overthink the question, which was pretty straightforward. I appreciate the thoughts and the question is answered.
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Please don't overthink the question, which was pretty straightforward. I appreciate the thoughts and the question is answered.
I don't know what everyone else's excuse is, but I'm a well-known over-thinker.
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I don't know what everyone else's excuse is, but I'm a well-known over-thinker.
Guilty here. Hazard of my profession. The quote is there to remind me to relax. ;)
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For shop the tinkerers, if carrying a 12v battery for a fish finder or other electronics, perhaps a small bilge pump with the water coming out of a one way valve attached to the outer shell of the kayak. Just a thought since my boat has no hatch access in front of me, only at the bow and right behind the seat before the deck.
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Now THAT''s overthinking it.
If you check YouTube, there's a series called "Ultimate Inshore Fishing Kayak" where the person did, in fact, install an electric bilge pump on his kayak...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXn--tGc9vE
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I have a rule 500 gpm pump in my Revo, it works quite well. It can take my kayak from completely swamped to stable enough to re-enter in a few minutes.
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Now THAT''s overthinking it.
If you check YouTube, there's a series called "Ultimate Inshore Fishing Kayak" where the person did, in fact, install an electric bilge pump on his kayak...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXn--tGc9vE
Marty aka zoffinger is quite the maverick with making mods. I've watched many videos of his. Perhaps he is where I got the idea from but I forgot... Or it could be from other videos I've seen on similar topics.
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It's not an uncommon addition for surf kayakers who need to get water out of the cockpit. They can flip a switch and have both hands free to keep fighting the waves.
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Out of curiosity I checked with a manufacturer of a frequently used kayak who said it's possible for a kayak to sink, especially if it has attached gear.
Don't forget the weight of a kayaker! It's a good idea to have enough flotation in your kayak to keep the kayak and its attached gear afloat if it's full of water. It's a terrific idea to have enough flotation in your kayak to keep the kayak and its attached gear afloat if it's full of water and you're sitting in it.
I have a rule 500 gpm pump in my Revo, it works quite well. It can take my kayak from completely swamped to stable enough to re-enter in a few minutes.
Low_Sky, I'd be interested in seeing pictures of your bilge pump setup, in particular the locations of the water intake and water discharge. Can you pump water out of your Revolution with the hatches closed?
Although I always carry a hand bilge pump in my Revolution, I've fortunately never needed to use it. It seems to me that if I get enough water into my kayak, pumping the water out while I'm sitting in the kayak isn't going to work, because the hatches will be near or under water level. I've mulled over ways to mount a port on the top of the gunwale which I could stick a hand pump on and pump water out of a kayak by hand with the hatches closed. But the chances of filling my kayak with water seem remote enough that I haven't pursued any of my ideas.
If you carry a hand bilge pump in your kayak, it's probably a good idea to clip it to something near a hatch so it doesn't float away into some inaccessible spot inside your kayak if your kayak fills up with water. For example, in one kayak I have tied a length of cord with several loops tied into it inside the kayak between a scupper hole under my seat and a scupper hole in the foot well, so I can keep my pump, a water bottle, and similar items near the hatch between my legs.
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I thought that by having a kayak I wouldn't have to worry about things such as leaving the drain plug out. Well I've made it a habit of opening the Hobie drain plug to drain the cup or two of water that somehow accumulates in the kayak (I think because my back hatch seal isn't great and rogue waves breach the lid a bit.) Well on a trip out salmon fishing about a month ago I noticed I was sitting pretty low in the water after about 4 hours on the water... Sure enough a peek into the hatch confirmed my suspicion that I had taken on a fair amount of water! The drain plug was left out and with all the power boat wakes, as well as everything else enough water made it in via the open plug to weigh me down just enough to start drawing it in without much of a wave needed. It wasn't catastrophic by any means, I was only 50 yards from shore and I brought my hand operated bilge pump with me (always do.) About a minute of good pumping and the hull was emptied and drain plug put back in as it should have been... Yet another reminder to put that plug back in and to bring the bilge!! An electric one would be handy, although it seems like if I was regularly taking on enough water to use it then there would be something else wrong with the kayak (leak perhaps.)
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Low_Sky, I'd be interested in seeing pictures of your bilge pump setup, in particular the locations of the water intake and water discharge. Can you pump water out of your Revolution with the hatches closed?
I'll see if I can find some pictures on my other computer, Pete. I probably need to give the installation its own Drilling & Cutting thread, because there is a little physics involved in plumbing it up so the system won't become hydraulically locked or allow water incursion into the hull. The pump is installed under the tank well, and the discharge is into the tank well above the water line, with a check valve between the pump and the thru-hull.
I haven't tried pumping out the boat with all of the hatches closed. Even if the extra load on the motor from sucking air in through the rudder line holes wasn't enough to overheat and kill the motor, it would be a slow way to pump the boat out.
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Just sharing a few photos of my internal flotation.
Great topic
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Are you a kayaker or a Puget Sound Ferry? That's a lot of flotation.
;D
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I think the ferry system could take a few pointers from this thread
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Holly Molly
I think you spent more on swim noodles than I did on my outback.
:o
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Imma head me down to Home Depot and get like 10 cases of that expanding foam stuff and just flood the hull. I figure 120 cans should do 'er.
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Very artistic too!
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Perhaps this is the rubix cubic of floatation? However, if we ever fish together and are caught by a big storm, I'll be the shadow next to you.
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OK guys ....
Number one, your kayak will float long after it is impossible to keep it stable with you on top.
Number two, a bilge pump will work if you have access directly in front of your seat all the way up to the time the kayak looses stability.
Here is some real world first hand data for you.
About 4 years ago I had a Hobie Adventure with the dreaded drive well leak. I patched it and it got worse on and off for about a year. My standard for when I needed to repatch was when I had to pump more than 4 times a day.
The day the leak finally decided to become a big deal I was out at Neah Bay. Short on time I decided to make a run for the beach rather than stopping and pumping for twenty minutes. Bad idea!
Then the boat was at the edge of stability I was pedaling and bracing with my paddle. I looked back and the entire back of my kayak behind the seat was under water. I was about 100 yards from shore and could barely stay on top of the boat. I decided to jump out of the boat in hopes that the boat would level out and I could swim it to shore .... second bad idea!
As soon as I jumped out the boat rolled and with all my gear and the water in the hull it was very slow going. I'm pretty sure it was just the on shore breeze and incoming tide that was getting me closer to the beach. Eventually I was able to get the attention of other kayak guys you helped drag me in to shore and tow my boat in.
All in all I spent about 45 min in the water.
Take aways ... for flotation to help with stability it needs to almost entirely fill the hull and your kayak won't sink without pool noodles. Also ... bilge pumps are a good idea.
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Just sharing a few photos of my internal flotation.
Great topic
Super well done Hydro! Love the creativity and thriftiness of this solve.
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Dollar store has pool noodles.
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For a while, Amazon had 6-inch x 36 inch yoga rollers for $6.00. I got a bunch and put them in the kayaks - because a flooded SOT is no different than a flooded SINK. Just in case you were wondering.
Are you a kayaker or a Puget Sound Ferry? That's a lot of flotation.
;D
Actually, this is only the foundation for these boats. The ideal state is zero dead space. No matter how much gear I have in my dry bags, I keep them fully inflated and place them in the spaces that are not packed with flotation. This helps eliminate even more dead space.
The flotation not only has to fill almost all dead space but must be balanced throughout the entire boat. If the flotation is not running the full length of the boat, when the hull becomes flooded, you will have a Cleopatra's Needle scenario.
Tinker, please share pictures of your flotation solutions. Im interested in what you've done with the larger yoga rollers.
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Another flotation innovation that I have been using on my boats for some time now.
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How do you use the transducer like that? Doesn't it have to be submerged in water in order to give a readable signal?
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You can shoot through the hull. That's how I was rigged in my smaller boat. Also handy in river boats when rocks are a threat. About the only negative I saw was a delay in temp changes.
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I have a shoot thru hull transducer too, but I submerge the puck in water.
If I have air below the transducer (before the signal leaves the hull), then I don't get a good signal when I'm Trying to find fish. Just never seen it done in air like that without being submerged - thought that was really hard on the receiver in an air medium.
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bb2fish, The transducer isn't exposed to air, but its not in a bath either. I used marine goop and stuck it directly to the hull. I don't own this boat anymore but as far as I know, everything is still smooth ops.
I just wanted to show that there are other advantages to using the pool noodles in the hull. Like stuffing all of the loose FF wiring into one and using it as the spine for the rest of the flotation.
Ill be starting another project like this very soon and I'll document and share.
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A Cleopatra's needle example
Looks like someone didn't think a SOT needed flotation.
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A Cleopatra's needle example
Looks like someone didn't think a SOT needed flotation.
Bet that's a bitch swimming that thing with the scuppers as a handle.
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A Cleopatra's needle example
Looks like someone didn't think a SOT needed flotation.
Gotta keep those hatches closed...
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