Re: [Paddlewise] Another way to spill a kayak

superiorvisions_at_att.net wrote:

> (snip)
>
> I also know of some kayakers that deal with this when
> their feet are braced right on a bulkhead. They have to
> get out of their kayaks every two hours so they can
> stretch their legs because they have no stretching room
> in their kayaks.

I have this problem too. I'm 6 ft. tall, and find that my legs fall asleep
after about two hours of paddling. Usually I pop my spray skirt and bring up
each knee for a while to get the circulation going again, then get back into
position and reattach the spray skirt. It gets to be a hassle, and it's
impossible in rough water. It can be tricky trying to rudder through choppy
conditions when your feet are numb:(!! I found that my legs fell asleep less
quickly after installing some closed cell foam padding under my heels. I don't
know why this helped, because my physical therapist told me the numbness was
the result of the seat cutting into the back of my thigh - tall folks don't
have enough legroom to bend their knees enough so their legs sit straighter in
the cockpit. This means that their legs don't clear the front, raised edge of
the seat, and it presses against the backs of their thighs, cutting off
circulation.

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