Replacing PVC with 4" PVC in L'edge Saddle

[fleckbass]

Has anyone replaced the stock PVC pipe in the L'edge saddle? I'm thinking this is really gonna help with the roll. I had two, near (soooo close) rolls last Friday. The guy that was with me said he thinks it will make the difference for me. He suggested a couple 4" PVC and maybe leave a small one in there also. Measurements on the two in there look to be 5 3/4 (front) and about 7 5/8 ?? (mid).

[fleckbass]

Best way to cut the whole bigger with out messin' up saddle?

[ian123]

I haven't experienced any water-daming issues with the small tubes. I doubt that's your problem. The boat rolls dry enough there isn't actually much water to transfer.

Take a piece of pipe, cut a couple of nicks out of the end and borrow it through. It's not going to look as tidy as what's there. It'll probably be easier if you take the saddle out of the boat first.

If you want a temporary fix to see more water transfer will make a difference ( before you hack up a perfectly good saddle), get a 4" U-shaped abs pipe fitting and duck tape it around the back of the saddle.

[fleckbass]

Another question is: If the tube or square was put at bottom of saddle or directly on top of hull would it affect hull strength or void warranty?

[ian123]

There's a warranty??

[Todhunter]

Another question is: If the tube or square was put at bottom of saddle or directly on top of hull would it affect hull strength or void warranty?

40+ days in my boat with the fence post transfer tube and no issues.

[Smurfwarrior]

Mine rolls just fine with the stock transfer tube setup. Try a little more hipsnap (try initiating it sooner in the roll) is what I would respectfully suggest.

[eddyhops]

I noticed a big difference in rolling the L'edge by adding some flow channel.

Just punch a few more 1" or 1 1/2" holes. I've never had a saddle collapse as a result of not using pvc in the holes and some of my saddles look like Swiss cheese, but if you feel the need to pvc 'em use Schedule 20, not the Schedule 40 they use... boat's heavy enough as it is. The one kicker is that black foam they use is not quite the density I would prefer, so keep the holes spaced apart at least a couple of inches

[eddyhops]

Here's a Swiss cheeser-



This is the 3rd boat this saddle has been in.

[gumpy]

i did that with my option. get some 4" tube, file down the edge on one end, and twist and push it through. if you file the tube from the outside in you'll cut a slightly smaller hole, so that the peice of tubing you put in permanently(not the sharp one) fits tight, no glue needed, and looks stock. i dont know it makes a difference rolling, but i did notice a difference just boating when carrying 6" or more water.

[Craig Smerda]

transfer tubes have very little to absolutely nothing to do with rolling... they're simply put in to allow the water to balance out from left to right equally.

[disqo]

I just replaced the stock pvc in my L'edge with 4", but have not paddled with it yet. I am not sure how much it will affect your roll, but I can definitely feel the water stuck to one side of the saddle or the other at times. You will for sure need the saddle to be out for this operation. I waited until my glue came undone on its own before changing the pipe diameter. The real pain is that the stock pvc is glued in and very difficult to remove without tearing up the saddle. I would concentrate first on rolling technique. The biggest factor for my roll seems to be getting quickly to my set up position and then using the initial sweep phase of my paddle motion to begin rolling the boat over. Good Luck!

Shane

[eddyhops]

transfer tubes have very little to absolutely nothing to do with rolling... they're simply put in to allow the water to balance out from left to right equally.

Thigh braces have very little to absolutely nothing to do with canoeing... they're simply put in to hold you secure in the boat



Rolling technique is not improved with tubes, but the time the boat stabilizes following a roll is greatly reduced.

[ian123]

The boat rolls up with about 3" of water in it... if that's all it takes to blow your roll, then you've got issues that all the PVC pipe in the world won't fix. Better to spend energy addressing the actual problem.

[eddyhops]

The boat rolls up with about 3" of water in it... if that's all it takes to blow your roll, then you've got issues that all the PVC pipe in the world won't fix. Better to spend energy addressing the actual problem.

I've stood in waist deep water with many of my boats inverted and slowly roll them to the point they will right themselves and observe the time they actually stabilize... before cutting holes, then after. If you've ever done this you've seen how dramatic it is. Most outfitting tweeks in my opinion are to maximize performance and/or comfort... every bit helps as far as I'm concerned, especially with my issues.

You also don't need air bags or pumps... just leave the bastards out from now on