C-Forum

I'd like to go with something other than Mike Yee thigh straps in my new Phantom. I've never used either the Northwater ridgid knee/thigh strap system, or the Beluga three strap or four strap system. Both look good.

What I need is for somebody to convince me that the setup they use is just what I need, so I can get going on at least purchasing the outfitting.

Questions:

The Northwater ridgid is one huge vinyl patch, with rather weird dimensions. Does it only work with a Northwater saddle? Is anybody using it with a Mke Yee saddle?

Beluga four strap system. ?????
Never seen one in person. Looks bomber but hard to get in and out of. Anybody using this?

Thanks,
Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I'm a big fan of Northwater outfitting. I've used it in several different canoes and it has never disappointed me. Their rigid thigh strap set-up looks very good and I think it should work with any saddle. Most saddles that I've used will work with the Northwater thigh strap base but if your saddle is long (at the forward end) it may have to be modified but that should be easy enough to do.

I'm not familar with the Beluga system.

Good luck.

Why don't you like the Mike Yee system? I've gone away from paddling boats with thigh straps and switched to bulkheads on all my OC1's. That said, I'm still a big fan of Mike's system. When its installed correctly, the Mike Yee system is bomb-proof. I had it set up in my Aftershock so that you couldn't come out of the outfitting, you had to release it, whereas in the bow of my tandem boat, it is really easy to slide out. If I were to get another boat with thigh straps, I would go with the Mike Yee system over the rigid straps. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the NorthWater system.

Martyn.

Part of what I don't like about the Mikey straps in my Ovation is that occasionally my offside knee comes out of its strap when I roll. Obviously when that happens, I lose the thigh strap as well and usually end up swimming.

The other problem is that to get the thigh straps as tight as I want requires that the knee straps be tighter than I want. Also, the system essentially creates a pulley, which compounds the force on the crotch anchor, and ripped it out once.

I like Mike Yee's system okay, it just doesn't seem to work that well for me . I think I'd prefer straps that can be adjusted independantly, and still have a Mike Yee saddle, bag system, etc.
I'm well aware that all the relativley minor complaints I have could probably be addressed installing everything just a little bit
better/differently, but I did my best last time...

Just to recap- NOT trashing Mike Yee. Merely ready to try something else.

Kevin

PS Nobody has ever used these? http://www.belugaworld.com/en/index.html

I use Beluga 4 Deluxe thigh straps and like them very much. They seem to be much more rugged than Mikey and has a plastic renforcement inside the straps that makes them rigid but not has rigid has the Northwater ones. THey stay on quite well when rolling and are very comfortable. With bungi cord the straps are easy to slip on and off. They are tough and stay on in the most sticky situation. It isn't any more complicated to set up than Mikey outfitting.

I think you would not be disapointed getting these. My friend has the Appaloosa saddle ( bulkhead ) from Beluga and he's thinking of maybe getting some straps after he tried mine out.

I think they are probably the best straps on the market right now, although some would argue with me ( Some paddlers are more loyal to Mickey than they are to their wife ).

My only complain is the central D-rings are the same for both the left and the right side ( kindda hard to explain on the net, but it doesn't affect the performance, it's just weird to fix at first). It's a complain that has been made to Beluga and it will be easily fixed.

IMHO the northwater rigid is the bomb. After paddling a friends Ocoee with a Yee saddle and the rigid straps I became a believer and installed the same setup in my two newest boats. The rigid staps make reentry after dumping super easy and they hold you in TIGHT. The large patch is daunting and takes care in installing. The trick is to mount the pedestal so that it overlaps the rear of the giant patch. Measure thrice, glue once. It is helpful to use clothespins to hold the straps together during gluing and to have a friend help you get it flat. You only get one chance, I used Mondo Bondo for the last install and it has held up great through some horrendous thrashings. The big patch seems to distribute the pull. The straps stay arched when you are out of the boat without the need for bungees or the like. Good luck.

obdave in montana

ps. the lochsa is prime if anyone is coming out for Open Boat nationals.

Scal,

What kind of saddle do you use with your Beluga 4 strap setup?

What boat(s) are you padling with that setup?

That must be a big 'ole spider web of bungee cord to suspend 8 seperate straps!

dave h,

what are your two newest boats? just curious.

Northwater's website describes the ridgid straps as having "cam buckles'. Are they similar to the cam buckles that are typically found on tie-down straps for roof racks?

sorry about posting all this minutiae(sp). I am temporarily too dense to send private messages

I have it set up in an MR Outrage and hopefully soon in an Esquif Blast or Vertige X ( The Vertige X hasn't come out yet).

I use Beluga's Poney saddle, but I ordered the saddle and the footbraces seperately. The Poney saddle without footbraces comes without that extra block of microcell with the waterbottle hole. I installed the Yakima footbraces with a separeted block of microcell, and now the saddle looks more like a Mikey saddle. I like that system for water flow and I wonder why Beluga doesn't seem to make these. It's a drawback in all of Beluga's saddles since everyone I know who owns a Beluga saddle cut holes in them to let the water flow. Anyhow, with the 4 Deluxe strap system pretty much any saddle would work.

The Bungee cord system isn't any different from the Mickey set up. Actually it is a little bit different since you have the choice of attaching the straps together instead of having your knee straps bungeed to your float bag cord, or you can have it set up just like Mikey or both.

With that extra piece of plastic inside they mold to your thighs.

By the way it isn't 8 straps but 4. I don't know of any 8 straps system from Beluga.

isn't it four straps per side, for a total of eight?

Anyone know if Beluga has a web site?

Hi Kevin,

I was more curious than anything else about your experience with the Mikey system. It sounds like it might be worth pulling the outfitting and setting it up a little more aggressively, maybe moving all the anchors back a bit and lowering the thigh strap anchor.

I checked out the Beluga website. I've never used their straps but had the opportunity a couple fo years ago to paddle some Esquif boats with Apaloosa-style outfitting. Do you order direct from them or do retailers stock their stuff?

Good luck getting the boat set up.

Martyn

Web site link on the home page of Cboats- http://www.belugaworld.com/

Kevin

The CC-4 Deluxe straps are two straps on each side, one for your knee and the other for your thigh. The way it is set up is not different from Mikeyee. Where do you see 8 straps on Beluga's site?

You can buy Beluga outfitting from the canoe-kayak store near my place they'll ship it to your door.

Kevin

I've just reread what is written for the CC-3 4 straps and I understand the confusion. My friend knows the owner Andre Drolet and sometimes paddles with him. He's a French Canadian and the translation is poor. It is written that it is two pairs of straps one for your knee and the other for your thigh. The translation somewhat confusing it is only one strap for your knee and one for your thigh. It does sound like a pair for your knee and a pair for your thigh. I guess I should tell my buddy to point that out to Andre.