Re: [Paddlewise] Heel Pads - me too

I guess I'll throw in my solutions for this. I have a w/w boat in which my
feet have to be pointed like a ballerina's - only not so dainty - only my
toes touch the bulkhead. I took some closed cell foam blocks and used an
electric carving knife (these work GREAT for slicing up closed cell foam) to
create an angled footpad that filled the void left by my foot. What a
difference this made!!!

Another idea would be to use an old blue camp pad glued (just use contact
cement but don't breathe much of it or you'll end up like me) to the bottom
of the hull where your heels would go.

You could use the pieces of an old wetsuit, too.

I think that a lot of people with a "numbness" problem would alleviate a lot
of that with proper outfitting of their boat. White water paddlers commonly
set their boats up so that the paddler is all comfy against foam. If you can
call not being able to move much "comfy". LOL

Craig Jungers
Royal City, WA


On 6/28/07, Joyce, Thomas F. <TJoyce_at_bellboyd.com> wrote:
>
> In my Greenlander Pro, I use a small strip of minicell (6"x10x1/2" or
> so) under my heels (I like to paddle barefoot).  I don't fasten it down
> and when I'm done paddling, I throw it into the day hatch.  In the
> Greenlander there are no foot pedals; I have a large block of minicell
> against my front bulkhead, which I put the flats of my feet against.
> The geometry of my legs and everything keeps my heels pretty snugly on
> top of the heel pad, and in a great variety of paddling conditions, I
> have not noticed any problems.
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