sit on kayaks

Searush

Searush

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 Oct 2006
Messages
26,779
Location
- up to my neck in it.
back2bikes.org.uk
Does anyone have any experience of these? I have just acquired one in need of some minor repairs & I am wondering just how wet they are to use on flat water.

As I am 110 miles from the sea, I will probably have to test this in the local cut & I do not fancy sitting in an inch or two of scummy Shropshire Union sludge. I see it has scupper drains in the foot well, seat & rear load area & that plugs are sold to fill these to prevent water coming up them but have no idea if it is drier with out without the bungs.

Incidentally, I have found that the corks out of my empty sherry bottles are a perfect fit for the smaller drains (and much cheaper than buying official plastic bungs) but what will fit the larger holes?
 
Scupper Stoppers - available from any good kayak retailer :)

Scupper_Stoppers_4_sizes.jpg

And, without them, yup, you'll get a wet bum - Then again, with them, anything that gets slopped onto your deck, runs around and ends up joining you in the "cockpit". You really need to judge whether you will need them to the conditions and water you'll be paddling in. I tend to keep my Seat Stoppers in, but the luggage area and feet area ones out - 4 hours or so of fishing in a bay tend not to result in much more than a damp bum - you wont be able to stay totally dry.

Oh, I read where you say you'll be testing it, sorry engaged fingers before brain - if you've got a nice calm day then stick some scupper stoppers in and you'll only get whatever drips down the paddle....:p

Hope that helps?
 
Last edited:
In terms of whether they are wet on the bum or not depends very much on your personal displacement!

Ours has drainage holes in various locations and when my kids (10 & 13) are using it, even the strapping 13 year old boy, the boat keeps dry. On the other hand if I (at c.85kg) get on it I can guarantee a wet backside. I had considered the bungs to make it a little more user friendly over winter and as a means to getting out to the boat on her mooring in normal gear but, like you baulk at buying the proper bungs when there must be a material that could be easily cut to shape that would suffice... just haven't discovered it yet.

Our is like this one. http://www.shore.co.uk/perception-k...-orange.html?gclid=CNyH3ZLu0cACFSXKtAodKwsAWQ
 
I have two, a Bic Bilbao or something and a Perception Scooter. The Bic is dryer but you do get a wet patch with both so I always wear swimming shorts or something quick drying. I have not got the bungs that are available for the Perception but reckon with care and using bungs you could stay pretty dry on flat water. I have also been on a sit on that was not really big enough for an adult. Suprise suprise that was very wet. Playing in small waves they fill up very easily but equally drain quick too.
 
emsworthy said:
In terms of whether they are wet on the bum or not depends very much on your personal displacement!

Ours has drainage holes in various locations and when my kids (10 & 13) are using it, even the strapping 13 year old boy, the boat keeps dry. On the other hand if I (at c.85kg) get on it I can guarantee a wet backside. I had considered the bungs to make it a little more user friendly over winter and as a means to getting out to the boat on her mooring in normal gear but, like you baulk at buying the proper bungs when there must be a material that could be easily cut to shape that would suffice... just haven't discovered it yet.

Our is like this one. http://www.shore.co.uk/perception-k...-orange.html?gclid=CNyH3ZLu0cACFSXKtAodKwsAWQ
Click to expand...

That's exactly the one I have just got and sherry corks are a perfect fit in the 4 slightly smaller drains. Whisky corks or even wine corks would probably do but sherry & whisky ones have the plastic caps on that flush fit in the recesses. Still easy enough to poke out from underneath with a small stick or pen.
 
Searush said:
That's exactly the one I have just got and sherry corks are a perfect fit in the 4 slightly smaller drains. Whisky corks or even wine corks would probably do but sherry & whisky ones have the plastic caps on that flush fit in the recesses. Still easy enough to poke out from underneath with a small stick or pen.
Click to expand...

Have to start drinking sherry then!! Was thinking I might hold off a few more years but needs must!! ;)
 
FishyInverness said:
Scupper Stoppers - available from any good kayak retailer :)

View attachment 45258

And, without them, yup, you'll get a wet bum - Then again, with them, anything that gets slopped onto your deck, runs around and ends up joining you in the "cockpit". You really need to judge whether you will need them to the conditions and water you'll be paddling in. I tend to keep my Seat Stoppers in, but the luggage area and feet area ones out - 4 hours or so of fishing in a bay tend not to result in much more than a damp bum - you wont be able to stay totally dry.

Oh, I read where you say you'll be testing it, sorry engaged fingers before brain - if you've got a nice calm day then stick some scupper stoppers in and you'll only get whatever drips down the paddle....:p

Hope that helps?
Click to expand...

Cheers, a set of them at a £5-10 a pair would significantly increase the cost of the kayak. But your other info is invaluable.
 
emsworthy said:
Have to start drinking sherry then!! Was thinking I might hold off a few more years but needs must!! ;)
Click to expand...

I can recommend the Waitrose's Amontillado, very smooth, not too sweet & slightly nutty, an excellent pre-prandial snifter for your Sunday Lunch. You may also consider a bottle of Baillie Nichol Jarvie (the BNJ) a top quality (one of the very best in fact) blend of Scotch, also available from Waitrose (or sometimes Morrisons) at just over 20 quid & nicely corked too.
 
Last edited:
FairweatherDave said:
I have two, a Bic Bilbao or something and a Perception Scooter. The Bic is dryer but you do get a wet patch with both so I always wear swimming shorts or something quick drying. I have not got the bungs that are available for the Perception but reckon with care and using bungs you could stay pretty dry on flat water. I have also been on a sit on that was not really big enough for an adult. Suprise suprise that was very wet. Playing in small waves they fill up very easily but equally drain quick too.
Click to expand...

The Scooter seems to be a very popular model. It also appears that I will need to make sure my corks are in place & be prepared to disinfect my shorts after a test run in the canal.
 
Kayaks can be a very useful addition to a yacht.

A few years back, we got an Ocean Kayak Malibu 2 XL, which we've used on the Tamar. It's proved good fun and very stable, even in when there's some wind blowing and the water is not flat. Yes, we do get splashes and wet bums, but wearing swimming shorts makes it tolerable.

The best times we've had with it is when we had the boat moored at places like Dandy Hole. Creek exploring and bird watching is great fun, plus we'd paddle the kayak up to St.Germans to get supplies from the Post Office there. It's surprisingly useful as a tender, a rucksack can be clipped on deck, and no worries about running out of fuel for an outboard motor.
 
Last edited:
It's a bit bulky & fat to store on deck, so I don't expect to use it on SR.

I do have a Palm Waveski that can be slipped against the lifeline down the side decks which is much slimmer. Unfortunately, being slim means that it lacks the buoyancy to support my portly self. The kids & G-kids enjoy it tho, which is one reason why I bought the Perception.
 
Searush said:
Does anyone have any experience of these? I have just acquired one in need of some minor repairs & I am wondering just how wet they are to use on flat water.
Click to expand...

Mrs H got very bruised using one in (white-ish, certainly non-flat) water in the Ardeche many decades ago. On really flat waters, paddle drip is likely to be the problem.
 
Boreades said:
Kayaks can be a very useful addition to a yacht.

A few years back, we got an Ocean Kayak Malibu 2 XL, which we've used on the Tamar. It's proved good fun and very stable, even in when there's some wind blowing and the water is not flat. Yes, we do get splashes
Click to expand...
Excuse the drift but the tandem issue is interesting. I had a friend who sold his as it was not used enough and unwieldy. We have two singles bought one at a time (years apart) as we have realised the potential for the kids. They love the independence. They weren't interested in the single kayak but with two you can go off together. However if buying two my strong advice would be to get two that stack together (like the Perception scooters) for ease of transport. My two kayaks are a very imperfect match on the roof rack and tieing them down is an art form. Ideally I'd like a third as my wife finds she cant go off on her own as the boys want them...
I hate what we look like as we tow them behind the boat but keeping the family happy is the price...
(okay, it doesn't make the family any happier....:)
 
Last edited:
FairweatherDave said:
... tieing them down is an art form. Ideally I'd like a third as my wife finds she cant go off on her own as the boys want them...
I hate what we look like as we tow them behind the boat but keeping the family happy is the price...
Click to expand...

Inflatables are a lot better than they used to be and solve the roof rack and towing problems - could try one as your third?
 
Hydrozoan said:
Inflatables are a lot better than they used to be and solve the roof rack and towing problems - could try one as your third?
Click to expand...

Inflatable kayak would be a good idea, but then we'd need a bigger boat and a bigger car (so I'm not really getting a third kayak, it would be just nice sometimes). Instead I row our inflatable Avon dinghy in certain circumstances (not a great pleasure). The joy this weekend was a moonlit family paddle from Emsworth out to our mooring, giving the kids and my wife a surreal spooky thrill on mirror calm water.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top