C-Forum

Serriously, I dont have a big butt but it seems to come lose from the seat so easily. I feel lke i have no control of the boat. I have the one strap on my knees and one straps on mid of my thights. The straps are fine.

What do you do to keep your butts in there especially when you are trying to do loops?

cheers

nam

Two words - velcro shorts.

nam what kind of boat are you using (just one or all of them) that you are slipping out. How is the outfitting set up - ankle blocks, butt block, etc.?

To keep my "wider" area in I use thigh straps up really high, ankle blocks for leverage, suicide knee block for more contact to the boat, and a very high butt block. I still slip a tad but only a very small distance. But then I'm not on the pro circuit in terms of play either.

Funny as it sounds, I sort of have to agree with Scott - except for the velcro part (we're not going to ask him), different shorts might make a difference too!

Hope this helps - Let us know. Paul C.

Are you going up, back, or to the side? Hip pads will keep you in from the side. I like a back-rest that's ~6" above the seat to keep me from slipping back. Either moderately high thigh-straps or a lap-belt will keep you down. As for loops, my boats haven't been trained for that

Yep. Gotta agree. Your butt falling out can be quite em-bare-assing

Your thigh strap system sounds adequate, so just make sure your hip blocks cut down on side wigglin' and you have a backrest that comes up high enough--you'll have to be the judge how high, but you don't want it to interfere with your back movements (especially when leaning backwards like when looping). Somewhere around 6 inches high can be a good starting point. Keeping you seated should be that simple. Or you can install a suicide lap belt like Mike W. uses.

KNeal

I have the sfs set up with the knee blocks it also has one strap on thighs. I have hip cups, and it keeps me very nice and tight in the center of the boat. Ii have a back rest that shaped like a half moon thingy. It is as high as can be so that it does not interfere with my back. However when i am upside down by butt slip up and slid over my back rest. when i roll over, it feel like i have to take a hand and put it on the front of the cockpit rim to pull myself forward so my butt can slide back down.

I would love if some one can send me some pictures of their toe blocks or some sort.

Thanks, you guys have been great.

nam

straps on the middle of your thigh seems too low in my opinion. my straps go pretty close to my crotch.
i think the upper anchor of your straps might be too far forward. move em back to your hips at least. the lower anchors could be too far forward too. it makes a big diff. there is a sweet spot in there..... when i set up my newest c1 the lower anchors were too close and i couldn't exit. i moved them 1" forward and now its perfecto.

Don't know if you're paddling an open boat or a decked boat. If it's a decked boat, make sure your skirt is not dragging you backwards out of the rigging. I have my skirts set up so that they pull me a bit forward and hold me into the straps. I have used a kayak skirt in a pinch, and it does the opposite, drags me back out of the rigging...... not good.

Gotta agree about the thigh strap position. If your butt is lifting off the pedestal, the straps probably need to be higher on your lap.

KNeal

also, one thing to think about is the angle of your backrest. I recently changed my race boat back rest to seat angle from like 80 degrees, to about 110, as in acute to obtuse, and I find that regardless of my outfitting which has never been an issue in the boat before, I am coming out a little about 3 inches, not badly, but not how I like it. so I am going to prop my back rest a little more, at least back to 90, they helps keep forward pressure on the pelvis, and helps you push into your outfitting from the lower back. try just adding a shim to the top, and see if you can notice the difference, I find it helps.
hope something works out
Skaal
-Isaac

Nam,

There's a guy here in Richmond that's pretty good and loops, front and back. I talked to him about his outfitting one day, he uses a bulkhead and thigh straps that are pretty high up. When he's playing and looping he uses a lap belt. From talking to him, he said it was pretty much necessary to keep him on the seat when looping. When river running he would unbuckle the lap belt and the bulkhead were sufficent for that.

Hope this helps.

...........for playboating, seems like a big kayak backband with ratchets would work great. does anyone use one?

I think someone on the board has mentioned pulling themselves into their outfitting with a backband, that is the same principle I tried with the top angled forward, worked well for keeping pressure against the outfitting.
Skaal
-Isaac