Extra flotation

Putting floatation in your boat wont do any good unless your boat fills all the way with water. I've thought of the same idea. I was going to use crab pot buoys. But now I know my boat well enough that I feel right at home in the rollers. . my idea was adjustable flag pole mounts with locks. A pvctube and crab buoy . Easy cheap and works.

And adjustable!

Cohoman I did something similar with my canoe when I first started crabbing out of it. Like you said, when I got comfortable in the boat I took them off. To keep them from dragging in the water while I paddled, I had to mount them several inches off the surface, which probably would have made them pretty ineffective anyway if I had actually capsized. Especially since PVC flexes quite a bit.

When I did capsize (without the floats, another story), I was wearing a PFD, and the boat didn't sink to the bottom of the bay.

Well if this weekend is nice I'll be splashing around.

Flag pole is a good idea.

I'd love to have more money to work with but it is what it is. I receive wheelbarrows of bills from some freak medical problem WITH $850/mo health insurance.
Literally the mailman shut off my mail a couple months ago because I wasn't checking it often enough and it fills up daily. I had a paycheck returned 2x to my employer before figuring it out because I was still getting bills and junk mail.

In Hawaii last year I was out 8-10 miles where the charter boats were trolling in a sit-on top kayak. A shark went for the fish I had hanging over the side, I heard the fin cutting water behind me and reached over to pull my fish in right as he got to it. Learned not to tie bleeding fish to your yak.

I made a little visualization for what I was picturing:

Yes straps around the hull will dramatically reduce your boats glide. If you notice the last picture of the out riggers they are wearing full spray skirts.
You would be better served spending time getting comfortable in your boat rather than engineering training wheels. There are guys who regularly fish in the salt out of Sit Inside Kayaks but they are using full ocean kayaks with spray kayaks. These guys are also some of the best 'kayakers' on the site.

Welcome to the site Lee.  Glad you found us!

The 1st thing you should know is that your fellow NWKAers are as passionate about  safety as they are about fishing from kayaks.  In such, you may occasionally get responses that sound bitchy, demanding or derogatory but are actually based in a sincere concern for your safety or success.

Back on topic:

The straps will slow you waaay down.  Ammas are attached to outrigger canoes above the waterline.  The amma creates a fair amount of drag but it's compensated for by the long, narrow shapes of the both the hull an the amma.
The most practical application in a paddle kayak is to have them mounted to the top of your kayak, in such a way as to be deployed only for the time that you're fishing.  Rory uses this configuration occasionally when he's going to be sight fishing.

It's a good idea to have some sort of extra floatation in your hull, just in case.  Pool Noodles, empty wine bags, inflated shipping bags, exercise balls or whatever else you have to fill unused space will provide some extra safety in case all hell breaks loose.

The best safety measure though is knowing your kayak and practicing in less than optimal conditions before you go fishing. 

I know you really want to catch a Halibut out of Neah Bay, and it's an attainable goal but Neah Bay is an E-Ticket ride in a kayak and Halibut are truely dangerous prey.  So go paddle, go fishing, learn how your yak handles in wind, chop and swell then adjust your plans accordingly.

-Mark-

Thanks for the detailed rundown!

I definitely need flotation. Do the dry bags work as an air pocket if I stuffed one of them up in the bow or should I buy one of the triangular bladders made for it? Behind the rear seat is enclosed already.

I've used a lot of inflatable boats and love how buoyant they are which makes me want to strap 2 big tubes to either side. Make it more like a barge to row but safer.

I have spray skirt but do like having it all open. I was just thinking about keeping the leg area clear of fixed gear so if I did flip I wouldn't be tangled in all that crap. Instead I think I need to put a storage rod rack behind my seat to put stuff in when not in use. I'm thinking a rectangular pvc deck that rotates so I can flip it around so I can access stuff without having to move much...

This is my idea prototype for the deck rack:

Lee, the deck rack is what I use on my 17'6" sea kayak. I can hold a load of 10 bottomfish or a limit of salmon just fine. I also use it to stow my kayak cart sometimes. I just used 1" PVC from Home Depot and then some plastic fence material as "netting". I found that if you bend the PVC with a heat gun in the center the rack remains more stable. I copied most all of this from YakTrap's setup but mine is just slightly different in that I have a net area. I went through a couple of prototypes before I settled on mine..

Here's a couple of images but not exactly the best for showing every detail.

A couple of more things.. For keeping my fishing rods from going to the bottom of the lake or ocean I use bungee attached to the two holes on the Ram Tube http://www.rammount.com/part/RAP-119  I place this bungee over the reels. I think there's probably half a dozen YouTube examples on that idea. It's cheap and it works fine. It's when you're holding the rod and you go into the drink that you're phukked. LOL

As far as an outrigger is concerned... Whatever you build (if you do) the real test will be what happens if you crash in the surf. Will it fall apart and become a big mess on the beach? Depending on how you attach this gadget to the hull you may have to consider if you're going to crack or fracture the hull where the pontoon thing attaches. Why not just buy something like a Hobie Adventure Island if that's closer to your needs?

Why not just buy something like a Hobie Adventure Island if that's closer to your needs?

Yeah, he mentioned being strapped for cash so he's trying to work with what he has.

I read that part but I am suggesting it might be worth it - in my own way...