Fitting in your Boat

 

Fitting in the boat is all about being snug and comfortable (very important) in the boat and not being able to move around in it too much. So the three points of contact are very important. Hips/bum, feet and thighs. If you are not connected to the boat properly all your movement will not move the boat in the way you would like it too. There are several things to help you have the three points of contact;

Seat: this is very important, if you don’t have one of these you will have a very uncomfortable time in your kayak. Seats can vary in size and style and can range from having no padding to lots of padding and being adjustable to not adjustable at all.  In my Pyranha REV there is the Connect 30 outfitting, so it is very comfortable over long periods of time and is snug enough so I don’t move around in it. It’s a perfect fit.

 

The seat in my REV, showing the thigh braces, back rest, the seat and the hip pads that are all included in the connect 30 outfitting. (You see here the connect 30 outfitting is orange but it is not, it is black, as the colours have changed)

Backrests: the backrest helps to support your back and stops you sliding backwards when vertical. You can sometimes get ratchets or straps, on the top of the thigh braces to help tighten the backrest, these vary in style from boat to boat. When I first got into a boat with these I never tightened them, but now I tighten them every time so I am comfortable and supported on my back. Do NOT over tighten the backrest ratchets, doing this can damage your back and stop you exiting the boat when needed.

 

The Connect 30 Backrest (Remember it is now in black not orange).

Footrests: Footrests stop you sliding forwards when vertical and help you transfer your movement into the kayak. Footrests come in many different forms, from blocks of foam to totally adjustable foot plates and this varies from boat to boat. You can have the balls of your feet on the footrests or you could have the whole of your foot on the footrests, but this is usually less comfortable. In some boats this means you can wear wetsuit boots, in some it means you have to wear wetsuit socks or nothing at all in order to fit in. I usually wear wetsuit socks only, this is because I have big size 11 feet and cannot get into my Pyranha REV with boots on. I hope they don’t grow any more or I will struggle to get in L.

 

The footrests in my REV. The only way to a just these is to add foam to the footrests or take them out and wedge your feet in the end, which isn’t very comfortable.

Thigh braces or grips: these are the hooks or grips positioned where your thighs are in the kayak and these again can vary in style and size from boat to boat. They can have padding or no padding. They can usually be adjustable to get the correct fit/position, weather this is on your upper or lower thigh, it doesn’t really matter, whatever is most comfortable. The ratchets/straps that are used to tighten the backrest are usually found on top of these so they are easily adjustable and accessible. In my REV they are on my thighs as this works best for me.

My REV showing the location of the different outfittings. , Backrest, Seat, Hip pads, Foot rests +thigh grips.

When you buy a boat you will get an instruction manual with it and this will tell you how to a just all the out fittings in your kayak. You can add padding or accessories (such as backrest ratchets) to the out fittings in your boat to make it comfortable but never impair the entry or exit of your boat as this can result in severe injury. Remember the more comfortable you are the more fun you will have.

JJ