Re: [Paddlewise] Cockpit Size

Gotta laugh here Peter. I just spent a whole hour replying to your post below. I
went to a couple of kayak stores today and tried out some various arrangements,
and so detailed my findings. I was just about to hit send, when I hit a wrong
key or something, and lost the whole message. Drat! Well, guess it saves some
bandwidth. I don't have the inspiration to type it all out again.

I will say briefly that Matt is correct with his hip and thigh firmness point. I
simply come from it at a different angle (literally), as I much prefer the
European and K-1 approach, where the knees raise up more, rather than having
them splayed-out under thigh supports. Guys like Greg Barton prefer that, over
the WW type fit, for efficient paddling. Add this position with secure bracing
potential, and I have the best of all all worlds, minus fast exits. It is
nothing to do with the actual knee-tube pod, as that whole knee position could
be maintained with lots of foam, etc. The pod simply does that for me, and adds
storage out of free space, and reduces cockpit water volume. There is the
forced, short answer.

I also like my smaller spray skirt as it has less potential to leak, and pools
less water. I could go on about these points, but don't want to incur the wrath
of the "grumpy guru" :-)

As far as the picture of cockpit testing, I'll pass it buy Sea Kayaker first for
their "last glance", for money, before I throw it out to you sick puppies (Vince
wants it for a screen saver - sick man, sick).

DL


Peter Treby wrote:

> Final word? Let me squeeze these few in...
> Doug, I've scanned the "research paper" too. What do you think of the point
> that the prime importance in cockpit fitting is to fit hips and thighs
> firmly in, rather than the knee end? You seem to emphasize your knee tube's
> importance.
> And, for general entertainment, is there a photo somewhere of you dry
> testing cockpit fit, upside down with the boat in slings and you in the
> cockpit? I'd like to see that. It inspires thoughts of a dry-land rolling
> teaching machine. Maybe an obsolete boat, maybe someone's beat up Nordkapp,
> say, could be mounted on a lengthwise axle. Learners could be strapped in,
> and the basic motions of rolling taught. When proficient enough, the rolling
> machine, mounted as it would be in a drained swimming pool, would be
> flooded, and the learner would have to really roll. Survivors would be
> deemed partially seaworthy. They would be granted a BCU Silver Snorkel.
> And wait, maybe these rolling machines could be fitted with coin operated
> boxes, and placed in shopping malls for kids to play in. Say in downtown
> Angmagssalik. What do you think?
>
> PT

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