C-Forum

Does anyone anything bout these? I think Guillaume Larouche here is using them at chambly

http://www.holeriders.com/chambly03/km-18407.jpg

Jamie D'ors set up a Score with bulkhead blocks at the attachment point for the k-1 thigh braces :

http://home.sc.rr.com/thebroams/outfitting.htm#Score

He had a dowel was screwed into the thigh brace, the foam blocks had a hole bored with the same diameter and slid over the "pin". Very elegant solution.

The foam thigh brace/bulkhead with lap belt looks like a great setup. I found the lap belt to be even better than foam hip pads as far as boat control. Never did have the patience to make my own foam thigh braces.

But it made me think that in a boat truly designed as a C1 you would have your cockpit placed to the back of the boat. If I wet exit from a kayak or for that matter from most C1s, I have to scooch back out of thigh straps and then push my knees forward to get my heels out of the boat. If the cockpit was longer behind me seems like all I'd have to do is undo the lap belt, slide back slightly, and fall out.

People have told me that they don't like lap belts because you have to physically unbuckle them rather than just slide out. All I can say is this surprises me because any outfitting that I've ever been able to just slide out of has not been tight enough.

The Northwater C1 Lap belt is god's gift to C1'ers who use bulkheads. I love them.

I've had the opportunity to paddle a couple of boats Jamie Dors has outfitted. The lap belt system works really well. Yes, it is one more thing you have to undo to get out of the boat, but then, you have to pull the skirt anyway.

I'm not familiar with the Northwater system but it is really hard to imagine the system Jamie has developed ever jamming. I think he has also set up some boats so the bulkhead can be pulled in an emergency

If I were to ever come to my senses and switch to C1 (the novelty of draining out my boat is starting to wear off), I would go with Jamie's bulkhead/lap belt system.

Martyn