> Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 14:08:40 +1000 > From: "Wilky" <carrot_at_vision.net.au> > Has any one used or do use a sea sock?? > Cheers > Wilky > From down under down under in Tasmania where most people use electric bilge > pumps Hello Wilky, I bought a Feathercraft K1 a few month ago and am using it with it's sea sock which is standard equipment. Comments from a sea kayaking newbie: * little water in cockpit after wet exit & re-entry. this may also be a function of the internal sponsons which float the boat up on its side quite high when righting it. * about 10-20 litres water in hull after 60 minutes of bracing practice, 2 wet exits & re-entry, and boat being rolled 2 X [not by me ... yet :-) ] * have once sat on the kayak behind the cockpit and emptied the sock by turning it inside out while it was still attached to the cockpit rim. * haven' t quite found a way yet to feel fully at home with my feet on rudder controls=footrest with the sock in between. * read of people concerned about getting entangled in their sock, but haven't had a feeling that this is an issue yet (maybe it depends on choice of sock material & slipperiness of your clothing). * it is important to allow air to get out of the hull when you first get into the sock, otherwise it closely hugs your legs & feet. I guess the plus side of this could be that this minimises the amount of water getting into the sock, but on the other hand it definitely increases chances of entanglement. * could imagine things getting quite hot in the sock during summer, but right now it feels nicely warm & snug (for those of you who are upside down from our perspective - it's middle of winter here). * haven't quite come to grips yet with how you could implement the Australian Board of Canoe Education standard 'pump or self-bailer capable of 'no hands' operation' for both the hull and the sock. * sock is very nice to have when arriving at overnite camp: just pile all your gear into the sock and amble up to your chosen spot looking like Father Xmas. If you want to have a look at mine, let me know. Cheers, Andreas ---------------------------------------------- Andreas Hack Hobart, Tasmania, Australia Phone 0408 123 658 anytime ---------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Andreas Hack" <andreas_at_ahack.org> > > I bought a Feathercraft K1 a few month ago and am using it > with it's sea sock which is standard equipment. > > Comments from a sea kayaking newbie: > * little water in cockpit after wet exit & re-entry. this > may also be a function of the internal sponsons which float > the boat up on its side quite high when righting it. > * about 10-20 litres water in hull after 60 minutes of > bracing practice, 2 wet exits & re-entry, and boat being > rolled 2 X [not by me ... yet :-) ] Feathercraft has an aftermarket version of the sea sock that has a neoprene material where it attaches to the cockpit coaming. This neoprene hem pressed against the hem of a neoprene skirt is reported to keep water from coursing past the sea sock rim into the hull. > * have once sat on the kayak behind the cockpit and emptied > the sock by turning it inside out while it was still > attached to the cockpit rim. Yes, I once did that with a Feathercraft double we intentionally capsized. I was able to do it from the water and little water actually was in the sock. > * haven' t quite found a way yet to feel fully at home with > my feet on rudder controls=footrest with the sock in > between. That could be tricky with the rudder controls but should be okay when the pedals are fixed. You might want to try what some people mentioned here earlier, namely put a piece of hard form at the front end of the sea sock and let that be your contact with the pedals. But this won't work with a rudder, necessarily. > * it is important to allow air to get out of the hull when > you first get into the sock, otherwise it closely hugs your > legs & feet. I guess the plus side of this could be that > this minimises the amount of water getting into the sock, > but on the other hand it definitely increases chances of > entanglement. Yes, that is the tradeoff. Air pressure inside the hull would definitely help keep water out. best, ralph diaz-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:23 PDT