[Paddlewise] Custom Cockpit update

A couple weeks ago I started a thread about using 3" minicell foam to custom-outfit
a kayak cockpit for comfort & performance.  Well, my cockpit is finally finished and
I must say that it's a vast improvement over the "off-the-shelf" model.

I followed instructions from Ken Rassmussen via the Feb '98 issue of Sea Kayaker
magazine & sculpted a foam seat, hip braces & knee braces.  After a day trip I
noticed that the seat wasn't quite right, so I got out the Stanley Shur-form Shaver
& dragon skin to shave down the trouble spots.  Then I spent some time rolling at a
pool session & decided the knee dimples needed to be deeper.  Again - a half hour of
sculpting did the job.

Now, the whole thing fits like a glove and is extremely comfortable.  I feel it was
well worth the money and time required.  One thing I would suggest - different from
Ken's instructions - is to take the boat out for a paddle, at least a couple hours,
to try things out before gluing in the fabric over the seat.  I had to rip the
fabric off to reshape the seat.  You just can't tell if it's a good fit by sitting
on it in the garage.

A paddling friend of mine, Dan Hagen,  also had a good idea.  Instead of gluing the
seat down, use some heavy-duty Velcro so that the seat can be easily moved to adjust
the trim of the boat.  Hip braces prevent lateral movement and the back band & foot
pegs prevent any forward or reverse movement, so I think the Velcro would be sturdy
enough to do the job, and it would be nice to be able to easily adjust the boat's
trim for best performance in a changing sea state.

Craig Olson
Bellingham, Washington
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