Flotation in an SOT Kayak?

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.

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!

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.

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 (  ) 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. 


 

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.

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.

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. 

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...

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...

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.

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.)

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.