Another gotta ask question.....

So, I've read a few threads recently regarding adding flotation to yaks. I havent added any yet but am curious how many here add extra floatation inside their boats? Am I crazy for opting not to?

Crazy? Maybe not. But why mess with Mother Nature. Stuff a bunch of poolnoodles in the yak and as Lee mentioned in a previous post, the yak won't sink and you'll have something to hold onto instead of the Titanic +it's cheap insurance.

Pool noodles.

I had a bunch of bubble wrap I stuffed in mine for the Pacific City surf launch.  My wife does a lot of online shopping so we receive a bunch of that stuff sometimes.  I also use those plastic air pillows that e-merchandisers use to pad your packages.  They are free and I am cheap.   In my bow hatch I filled a large dry bag with air and stuffed it in there after I filled my foam puck with water and hooked my batteries to the fish finder.

This thread is reminding me to get more pool noodles, thanks threecreeks

Pretty much anything is durable, will float and fit inside of your kayak is fair game. It a few dollars to potentially save many hundreds of dollars, as fishnut said its like insurance.
 

This thread is reminding me to get more pool noodles, thanks threecreeks

Pretty much anything is durable, will float and fit inside of your kayak is fair game. It a few dollars to potentially save many hundreds of dollars, as fishnut said its like insurance.
 

+1

I have pool noodles in my Redfish. Had closed cell foam in key locations in the sit-in I sold. I used closed cell insulation from Home Depot and Lowe's when I repaired my sled. The noodles are the least expensive that I have found. And, I probably should get some for the Outback... .

Wow! Guess I am nuts for not opting to so far . I appreciate the replies!

So how much is enough? Say using pool noodles. I use the inner hull quit a lot and depending on the day planned it may be stuffed with gear. Still some room though. The aft hull is mostly inaccessible so I suppose i could stuff it with flotation and have a fantail sticking above water if the yak is swamped. Is there a way to figure this out without two days of math or live testing?

Nope. That wasn't enough. Now what?

Go to a pool... Jump in.  Sit on top of a pool noodle.  Do you float?  If you have lead in your butt, like I do, the answer is no.  Grab another pool noodle and repeat until you float high in the water.  Take that number and cut it in half, unless you have a PA in which case you could double it.  That's how many pool noodles would work, unless you are a tiny person.

Simple enough. So maybe I'm over thinking this. I get you need enough flotation to float the weight of the yak and gear. But since water is contained inside also. Do we have to float the water weight in conjunction?

The kayaks we are using are roto-molded polyethylene.  A natural result of this process is the formation of microscopic air bubbles forming in the plastic.  Hence, the material is less dense than water, so it floats naturally.  This means that even if you fill the thing with water, it will still float.  The only thing left to consider is the density of the gear you have on board your yak.  I stuff a couple of pool noodles inside my kayak and keep them there and forget about it.

Deafish,
Whatever air you can trap under water will displace its weight in water..1 cubic foot of fresh water weighs 62.4#, salt water about 64#..
So, if you submerge a 12" cube of foam, it will keep about 60# from sinking..a 4" diameter pool noodle with a 1" hole x 4' long, should have about 20# bouyancy.
But remember that the foam or noodles have to be fully submerged to give full bouyancy, and that you want more than neutral bouyancy to stay floating..
And bring a bilge pump.

The kayaks we are using are roto-molded polyethylene.  A natural result of this process is the formation of microscopic air bubbles forming in the plastic.  Hence, the material is less dense than water, so it floats naturally.  This means that even if you fill the thing with water, it will still float.  The only thing left to consider is the density of the gear you have on board your yak.

Cool, didn't know that!

Stuffing the hull full of noodles would mean less volume for water that enters and give you more stability if the hull is flooded wouldn't it?

+1 on the bilge pump.

So, I've read a few threads recently regarding adding flotation to yaks. I havent added any yet but am curious how many here add extra floatation inside their boats? Am I crazy for opting not to?

I wouldn't say, "crazy" but here's another thought. I keep a couple inside mine, not only in the event I ever need the additional floatation, but also have them cut to size, and they serve a sort of bulk head going from side to side. That keeps small things from sliding too far in either direction.