On the subject of small cockpits, Jack Martin wrote: " The downside is decrease in ease and speed of entry and exit, especially in extremis --- in surf landings, I always pop my skirt before getting to the beach, but, even then, beaching and getting out before the next dumper gets to you can be difficult. (I do not easily forget one such landing, where the big dumper which followed me in overtook my wave just as I was preparing to exit. Unfortunately, my nose arrived at that nice, solid foredeck a fraction of a second before my helmet rim did." I'm acquainted with that oh-so-vulnerable feeling associated with climbing out of a kayak before arrival of the next wave. A small cockpit boat adds a degree of difficulty, but a relatively small one. Here's an exit strategy which I worked out in a (small cockpit) Pintail: After popping the sprayskirt, in a single motion pressing down with both hands, ease your butt up onto the rear deck, tuck, and roll backward off the stern deck and into the water, angling towards the seaward side of the boat. Obviously, it's prudent to take into account the location of any deck cargo and rudder (ouch!). And a helmet is de rigeur. The maneuver neatly avoids the dangerous moment of being seated with one or both legs outside the boat and a wave -- even a small one -- approaching. Sure, you'll get wet, but that's probably going to happen anyway. So you might as well get wet with panache. A bit of athleticism is required, but in my experience athleticism and fear have always been closely related. Mike Vandamm *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dare I chime in here? I think you have to balance between comfort, seaworthiness, and bracing when choosing a cockpit. While I have tried an "ocean cockpit" in a NDK Greenlander, for me it is too tough to get in and out of, and would take significant modification to make it good for me to brace in. On the other hand, I am enamored of what is generally termed a "keyhole cockpit," which is I believe is a modification of the whitewater cockpit. This is on many kayaks, including NDKs. It is longer than the ocean cockpit, but has flanges that come up over the thighs to allow good bracing. You get in one leg at a time. In this cockpit I need only some thin padding for the thighs and for the knees, and some hip pads on the fiberglass seats. (I am considering adding a knee tube, but I'm not sure yet.) With a good neoprene deck on a sprayskirt, this should hold you in and stand up to a wave dumping on your lap. Of course, I haven't yet tried Doug's "The acid test for me, is to suspend my Nordkapp upside-down in straps, then climb in (a dry re-entry and roll). If I can hang there after letting go of all props, then I know it is a secure fit." :) Doug, please post a picture of you doing this! BTW, thanks to Rex for that pointer to his www.kayakfit.com website. I had not heard of it, and it is fantastic. I am looking at this issue as I wait for my kayak to arrive. Gabriel Romeu also has a good site for this. My wife Jacqueline went yesterday to kayak on the Dead Sea with Nigel Dennis and our club. She had a great time: salt formations, hot springs, and the famous Dead Sea medicinal mud! Kayaking tomorrow will make three times this week! Best wishes, Josh in Ra`anana ============================================================================== Dr. Joshua Teitelbaum, Research Fellow Tel: [972] 3-640-6448 Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and Fax: [972] 3-641-5802 African Studies Tel Aviv University Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978 Israel E-mail:teitelba_at_ccsg.tau.ac.il www.dayan.org ============================================================================== *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Joshua Teitelbaum wrote: [snip] > BTW, thanks to Rex for that pointer to his www.kayakfit.com website. I had > not heard of it, and it is fantastic. [snip] Wow. What a great job, Rex! An attaboy to Josh, also, for his testimonial -- it motivated me to hit Rex' site. Buried towards the end of the "Instructions" are text and pictures detailing Rex' method for incorporating an **ice chest** into the rear compartment of his kayak. Y'all have to check this out! An excerpt from Rex' site: [BEGIN] I utilize my rear bulkhead, which is foam, as one end of an ice chest, accessible by means of the rear hatch. I lined the [interior of the] deck and hull aft of the bulkhead with foam from half-inch Insulite pads and made a two piece door out of heavy foam backed with fiberglass. The two piece door easily fits through the hatch and jams into place against the Insulite, sealing the ice chest nicely. (The latch for the door is a paint stirring stick with Velcro attached to one side. The two halves of the door have Velcro also. When the stick is attached to the two sections of door it all acts as one stiff piece. [END] Rex: I assume you use blue ice or similar so when it melts, it does not leak into the rest of the rear compartment, yes? -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Dave Kruger wrote: [re: article on Rex' site;] > Buried towards the end of the "Instructions" are text and pictures detailing > Rex' method for incorporating an **ice chest** into the rear compartment of his > kayak. Actually, it is Ken Rasmussen's article, and Ken did the clever outfitting. Apologies to Ken. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> > On the other hand, I am enamored of what is generally termed a "keyhole > cockpit," which is I believe is a modification of the whitewater > cockpit. This is on many kayaks, including NDKs. It is longer than the > ocean cockpit, but has flanges that come up over the thighs to allow good > bracing. The WW keyhole cockpit is considered to be far safer than the smaller cockpit. There had been a significant number of fatalities in the US when a WW paddler was pinned and either could not get out of the boat or the boat folded and he was leg entrapped. With the keyhole one could scrunch a knee over and out fairly readily. In a vertical pin one could place a foot on the forward edge and push out. It's hard to get good statistics but from Charlie Walbridge's reports I'd say that it's helping a lot. The other major improvement was the installation of a bulkhead type platform in lieu of footpegs. Joe P. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 1/10/2001 8:10:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au writes: > Does anyone who has paddled in rough water, as we all must at times, prefer > an oversized cockpit? > To Peter's question --- having now read a lot of other responses --- I much prefer the "Ocean" cockpit on my VCP Pintail. This small, 16" by 20" cockpit has some definite advantages --- smaller, tighter skirt fit with significantly less chance of implosion by dumping waves or surf, better options for fitting out knee and thigh supports, and less chance, in general, on getting significant amounts of water inside the cockpit. The downside is decrease in ease and speed of entry and exit, especially in extremis --- in surf landings, I always pop my skirt before getting to the beach, but, even then, beaching and getting out before the next dumper gets to you can be difficult. (I do not easily forget one such landing, where the big dumper which followed me in overtook my wave just as I was preparing to exit. Unfortunately, my nose arrived at that nice, solid foredeck a fraction of a second before my helmet rim did.) Re-entry and roll procedures are probably more difficult in a small cockpit equipped boat, but they're certainly doable once you remember that you slide in with knees straight inverted the same way you slide in with knees straight in normal entries. There are tradeoffs everywhere, and it's certainly what you get used to that counts for as much again. But I'll trade the solid security of the Ocean cockpit for a quick exit just about any time. Jack Martin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> There are tradeoffs everywhere, and it's certainly what you get used to that > counts for as much again. But I'll trade the solid security of the Ocean > cockpit for a quick exit just about any time. > > Jack Martin I also prefer the ocean cockpit, and mainly for the same reasons as Doug and Jack, but why worrying about the exit ??? Most people find wide cockpit "safer" because they can easy exit by simply lifting their knees out of the kayak while still seated, and this is their mistake. If you learn to slide in and out of the cockpit the same way you do with your trousers, you´ll find no problem at all. To enter the kayak, just sit on the aft deck and slide into the cockpit, your legs firs (both togeather), and then your butt. To exit, simply pull of the skirt, hold both hands firmly on the aft deck for support and pull your but up and backwards, finishing by sliding both legs out, just the same way you take your pants off. And with a little practice you won´t care even if you are upside down. Don´t underestimate the pressure big brakers make over your squirt. Best regards ! Fernando Lopez Arbarello Kayak Argentina - Sea Kayaking Mailing List kayak_argentina_at_uol.com.ar *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Doug saig >>In some respects, I wonder how much all this matters to many PW'ers anyway. I see a lot of talk about velcro seat fasteners. I found out the hard way that this is not a seaworthy, safe way of securing a seat, yet many do.<< Doug I have to disagree with you on this one. It is a very secure way of fastening the seat. Quite a few paddlers down under use this technique and this is by people (including myself) who practice in the surf and paddle in rough weather. I am not a brillant surfer and have been tossed around quite a few times when I have muffed y bracing and the seat has shown no signs of dislodging. Even when I want to move it, it takes some effort to lift it off the deck of the kayak. Mine is held on by two lengths of 2" velcro going the length of the seat from fore to aft. WHen you consider the forces envolved I am at a bit of a loss to understand why someones seat would come adrift. As you are not attached to the seat there is no force on it trying to lift it from the deck but there is certainly a force (when you are upside in the surf) trying to lift you off the seat. My hip pads are also held on by velco which would also stop the seat dislodging. I agree with you about the small cockpit being far superior is rough seas David Australia *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Important to not the various incarnations of velcro out there. The usual sewing stuff wears rather quickly and has a poor grip I have also gotten 2" stuff from marine supply stores quite superior to this more common type. A combination of wedging and good velcro seems to hold outfitting quite well. Seems a very few can fit my boat with my hip pads unless they were removable. "Whyte, David" wrote: > > Doug saig > >>In some respects, I wonder how much all this matters to many PW'ers > anyway. I see a lot of talk about velcro seat fasteners. I found out the > hard way that this is not a seaworthy, safe way of securing a seat, yet > many do.<< > > Doug I have to disagree with you on this one. It is a very secure way of > fastening the seat. Quite a few paddlers down under use this technique > and this is by people (including myself) who practice in the surf and > paddle in rough weather. I am not a brillant surfer and have been tossed > around quite a few times when I have muffed y bracing and the seat has > shown no signs of dislodging. Even when I want to move it, it takes some > effort to lift it off the deck of the kayak. Mine is held on by two > lengths of 2" velcro going the length of the seat from fore to aft. > > David > Australia -- Gabriel L Romeu http://studiofurniture.com furniture, mixed media http://members.xoom.com/gabrielR a daily observation, photograph ħ text http://studiofurniture.com/paint paintings, etchings, photographs and objects *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 1/12/2001 2:10:51 AM Eastern Standard Time, dlloyd_at_telus.net writes: > Also, does anyone know of a good material to cover foam with, for creating a > I'm experimenting with the same idea, Doug. When I built in a solid foam backrest in my Pintail most of nine years ago, I covered it with one eighth inch neoprene, single sided nylon with the bare rubber surface attached to the foam, and nylon out for abrasion resistance (in the Pintail, the only way in or out is to slide down or up the backrest). Can't tell you how it'll be long term, but after the first nine years or so, it's doing fine. Gabriel and I have discussed options in the past. I'm considering the use of stretch Cordura --- if there is such a thing --- and I've used (experimentally only so far) the liquid (black) plastic stuff you can get in hardware stores to dip tool handles in for protection and identification. It seems okay so far, and is, obviously, easy to conform to the seat or other pads. The key to success here is to get the surface as smooth as possible before painting this stuff on; for that, I've found the plaster and wallboard sanding screens --- the same stuff used to keep Yakima SnapArounds from slipping on the bars, so it's multi-function, Ralph --- makes a great final sander. Gets foam to the finish of Ultrasuede. (Oh, Ralph --- I guess you could use that sander screen for sanding plaster or wallboard, too, but we don't want to get ridiculous about this redundancy business!) Additionally, someone recently suggested smoothing rough-surfaced foam using a heat gun. So far, the old travel hair dryer I call a heat gun hasn't done much, but I'd be interested in knowing if a full fledged gun would work better. Neoprene seems excellent so far, and it will conform and stretch a lot while it's being glued on. Probably my choice of materials, but you have to remember that it's "dimensional", adding a tiny amount of thickness to the pad or seat, so keep that in the planning process. Jack Martin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: <JCMARTIN43_at_aol.com> > Gabriel and I have discussed options in the past. I'm considering the use of > stretch Cordura --- if there is such a thing --- There is. I've got a backpack (MEC) that uses the stuff. Good luck finding some though. There are several outoor-oriented fabric shops in the US that might. Try Penny Schwinn's web site for leads (http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/) Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I hope you don't mind me throwing this out to the list, I think my response could be mis-interpreted. Yes Jack, I have been in stuff that would blow out less secure foam- it is the playtime paradigm around here. More than the the velcro, the hip pads served as a very tight set of wedges for all of the seat assembly in my North Bay. I don't know how quite to put this, but the way I have them cut probably will not really necessitate the velcro they are so tightly wedged. The back is also wedged under the inch or so of the back coaming, and the seat extends under each side (under the coaming) to further secure it. I would say that the velcro is more of a redundancy factor and is only there because we tend to trade boats around a lot and nobody (except John Ferriera and Doug Van Doren) has been able to fit the width of the cockpit without big hip compression. I did contact adhere the seat cushion and thigh support as when you remove the hip foam it could release the seat. This called for close tolerances in all the fitting out and a closed cell foam which retains a good 'spring'. I definitely would not use velcro for my knee/thigh pads however. granted, the Northbay hardly needs any thickness to them as the cockpit does not allow much bend in my legs, but the stresses I put on them will not suit anything but the strongest glue. I had thought of carving them out of wood and epoxying them up but the foam seems to work ok cemented. In retrospect, the velcro is there as a redundancy factor more than my primary outfitting security. Great stuff for all the changes and modifications I made over the couple of months of changing the cockpit. If I was the only one using the boat, they would be glued in. The fit is so that I am sensitive to any weight gain and loss within 2 lbs. without a scale- me, not the boat. BTW Jack, I just bought a Silhouette from Matt Broze (a very pleasant chap to deal with by the way) for a great price, thinking that it may be all the things I was hoping for in the North Bay. My wife was unusually supportive of the purchase(not that she would have been too adverse, thought I would have to think of more obtuse rationality's as we are currently waiting for the Romanys to arrive. Found her looking at Betsy Bays last night. >From a 2 to six boat fleet within the year, and I am still looking to build another stitch n glue, folder, and skin boat yet. Seems absurd, even to me. gabriel > In a message dated 1/12/2001 12:46:09 AM Eastern Standard Time, > romeug_at_erols.com writes: > > > I have also > gotten 2" stuff from marine supply stores quite superior to this more > common type. A combination of wedging and good velcro seems to hold > outfitting quite well. > > > > This is an interesting issue, raised again, Gabriel. I'm trying to finalize > the mechanics for my interlocking foam pad system in the North Bay, and I > think I can get away with Velcro-ing or fastening just the last pieces to go > in. And that'll be the knee/thigh pads up under the deck, where there's > little sand or water contamination likely to occur. The question: have you > tried to simulate a flooded cockpit, paddler out of boat scenario in rough > weather? I share Doug's concern --- and, in the past when I had the option > of being more active on P'Wise, I've been the anti-Velcro "voice in the > wilderness" before, too, mostly 'cause I've worked with Velcro in marine and > aviation environments, and, basically, I don't trust it to hold a seat pad > down or a hip pad in when faced with the bouyancy of the foam in a flooded > environment. Sure, maybe it'll hold --- and maybe not. Buckles and snaps > work we! ll, but Velcroed sandals are always a risk in white water. > > So, just wondering if you've put your Velcro to any extreme --- or, better, > worst case --- tests. -- Gabriel L Romeu http://studiofurniture.com İİİİİ furniture from the workshop http://studiofurniture.com/diary İİİİİ life as a tourist, daily journal http://studiofurniture.com/paint İİİİİ paintings, photographs, etchings, objects *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The cockpit size issue actually a little more complex than previously noted. Almost all native kayak designs use very small coamings for safety reasons, but they looked at it very differently. Before modern materials, drysuits, PFDs, etc. the only way to stay alive in the cold northern waters was to stay in your kayak and keep water out. All their training and equipment were designed with this in mind. The smaller the coaming the less chance of a broken seal, and the less chance of falling out, etc. Exiting a kayak was not really an option unless of course help was immediately available, and even then trying to warm up someone after they spent anytime in the water, even if briefly, meant a significant delay possibly endangering the whole group. So wet exits were basically a last ditch effort, and a very dangerous one at that. Not really a bad philosophy even with modern equipment, for whatever caused the capsize and the need for a wet exit (rough seas, breakers, etc,) will likely endanger a recovery, and the rescuers, as well. Also consider that our modern idea is that we are riding in a hull the way we might ride in a larger boat, the kayak is just smaller. I think theirs was that they are "wearing" the kayak, hence the all important fit of the cockpit. You would not want to loose your survival clothing in an emergency, neither did they want to exit their kayak. Consider their kayaks only weighed about 30 LB. (not the 60 to 75 of most modern factory kayaks), were generally much smaller and closer to the surface. To use it properly it had to be an extension of their body. One that allowed them to survive the harsh conditions, so why would you want to exit it and face almost certain death? I am not a very experienced kayaker but I have used a large number different types of kayaks, both production and custom made to see what they are like. If I was to buy a modern heavy factory kayak, I would want a large cock pit I can raise my knees in, a high coaming, a seat with a high back, fairly stable design, etc. they make it more comfortable to ride in but harder to roll, and so the ability to quickly exit becomes more important. Because of this the first thing they teach you is a wet exit, and so it become a reflexive reaction to most kayaker (including me). But for traditional kayaking they first thing they teach is to stay in the kayak, and the features of most modern factory kayaks hamper your ability to roll. My current desires are to build 'traditional' designs, so when I build my skin on frame kayaks I want none of these feature. I want to learn to stay in it first, to "wear" it properly and use good rolling technique, which is actually difficult in a modern, heavy, factory kayak. So it will have no seat to speak of, no seat back, be tight fitting, small, light, and have a low coaming so I can lean back, and will be somewhat less stable (it is easier to roll this way). And I will eventually go to a one piece parka with the built in spray skirt. All of these things increase your ability to move around in the cockpit without breaking your seal, reducing the chance that you have to exit at all, and I think making the experience more enjoyable because of the extra freedom. I have never succeeded in rolling a factory kayak, but the first time I attempted it with a lightweight skin-on-frame kayak (using a native style paddle) I succeeded on the first attempt, and the second and third! I am going to stick with what works, and look to the thousands of years of experience the native kayakers have for instruction. But the skill level needed for this style of kayaking is higher (I am still working on that) so for most recreational kayakers, for whom most of the factory kayaks are designed for, are much better off with the easy exiting, more stable, comfortable kayaks. Though I have found that with just a little practice being able to wet exit the small cockpit is no problem. It quickly become automatic, just like taking off a pair of pants like someone noted. It does not worry me so much now that I have some experience with small cockpits, I still have to work on staying IN the cockpit!. I think when people look at kayaks in the showroom, it is easy to think they could get trapped in a small cockpit, so there is a market perception that I think most manufactures just accommodate rather than fight. Why intimidate a first time buyer, it only hurts your sales? The keyhole coamings I suppose were an attempt to get the best of both designs and a very good idea. I find my large muscular thighs however (from spending too much time on land and not enough in a kayak I suppose) actually could trap me easier in a keyhole cockpit. I have to twist about some to get my legs out of the small keyhole opening. So as much as I like the concept I do not think I can use one. I am with Doug on the seat issue, it must stay attached to the hull and I would not trust Velcro to do this. If it is not securely kept in place it can become a serious hazard in an emergency, as any loose equipment could. Even with my limited kayaking experience I have had things come loose at very inopportune moments and I must remind myself of this everytime I pack, especially when I am in a hurry. I have extensive wilderness experience with other outdoor activities and have had too much trouble with Velcro to trust it. Velcro wears out quickly, will fail to hold if muddy, sandy or icy or gets crushed or damaged. A loose seat at the wrong moment could be deadly in a kayak. Strapping the seat in with webbing and Fastex buckles I think is best if you want it removable/adjustable. If you simply use the Velcro to keep it from shifting around I suppose that would be harmless if you use other means to keep it secure. Gluing it also works though most adhesives, especially when exposed to the elements, break down very quickly. So I was to glue it, I would inspect it before each trip and repair if necessary. Getting in and out gracefully is a much more difficult problem of couse, especially getting out. I still feel like a total klutz, and I have actually capsized more getting in or out than everything else combined, including doing rescue practice! No real danger since you are always close to shore, though docks can be a bother. It will just take more practice I suppose. Peter *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I would think that getting BACK into the kayak is at least as great a worry as getting out of it in the first place. Especially in modern survival gear, i.e., wetsuit or drysuit. Joan > Though I have found that with just a little practice being able to > wet exit > the small cockpit is no problem. It quickly become automatic, just > like > taking off a pair of pants like someone noted. It does not worry me > so much > now that I have some experience with small cockpits, I still have to > work on > staying IN the cockpit!. I think when people look at kayaks in the > showroom, it is easy to think they could get trapped in a small > cockpit, so > there is a market perception that I think most manufactures just > accommodate > rather than fight. Why intimidate a first time buyer, it only hurts > your > sales? > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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