How to Outfit Your Kayak
by Jeff Bennett
(Con't)

Seat pads:

The plastic seat most manufacturers install in their kayaks is molded to fit a generic butt. My butt isn't generic, and yours probably isn't either--fortunately, you can modify it (the seat, that is). Thin foam or rubber seat pads are remarkable leg savers. They help prevent leg numbness by spreading your weight over broader parts of your butt, while simultaneously increasing the friction between your butt and seat. Some folks swear they keep your cheeks warm on winter paddle trips. Remember that "thin" is an important word when selecting seat pads. Thick seat pads raise your center of gravity and make it harder to balance in your boat. Fortunately, most manufacturers know this and build pads perfectly designed for kayak seats.

Thigh braces:

Little more than a decade ago, I dreaded the thought of casting aside an old custom-outfitted kayak and picking up a showroom-fresh model. The old models came with primitive thigh braces that were good for, well, nothing. The customized foam interiors wrapped around my thighs like fur on a beaver. Nowadays, an ever-increasing number of manufacturers offer adjustable or interchangeable thigh braces which can be matched to the size and shape of your legs. All you have to do is pick the boat design you like and start swapping thigh braces until one fits you. I call this the "Goldilocks" approach to boat buying.

Thigh pads:

Every time you lean or roll, one of your thighs tends to sneak toward the centerline of your kayak. Left to its own accord, it would slip free from its thigh brace and cause you more control problems than you would ever want to contemplate. Foam or neoprene thigh pads not only cushion and comfort your connection with your thigh braces, they provide the friction necessary to keep a solid grip on your boat. If your thigh pads don't fit you quite right, you can increase or decrease the amount of foam around your thighs until your legs melt perfectly into your cockpit. You can even build foam hooks along the inside of your knees if your thigh braces lack these features, or shave cups for your kneecaps to give you the ultimate in fit and control.

Footbraces and bulkheads:

This is the final point of contact with your kayak. Footbraces and bulkheads provide solid footing and help you push the rest of your lower body tightly into position. When perfectly adjusted, your feet will rest comfortably against the footbraces. But once you apply a little pressure, your thighs, hips, butt and back press slightly harder against their respective pads providing the necessary whitewater fit. Kayak outfitting is never a one-shot deal. A winter's worth of relaxation can change the shape of your body, and the addition of cold weather gear can change the way your kayak fits. However, once you know how good it feels to paddle a boat that mirrors the curves of your lower body, you'll come to enjoy tinkering with your boat and seeing how good control can feel--just like a snug pair of shoes on a running trail.

--Contributing editor Jeff Bennett is the author of several books on whitewater. And he is proud to say that his kayaks fit him like a glove.