C-Forum

I recently bought an old OC1 that came with only a kneeling thwart.

I don't want to put much into this boat. What would be a frugal (cheap) option for outfitting with saddle, thigh straps, and knee pads? I will not use this boat for anything higher than Class III and will not be rolling it. So, minimal would suffice, but comfort is required.

Are any of the commercially available saddles wider than the standard 8 inch width? I have read here that a wider saddle helps with comfort.

Can you make a saddle more cheaply than buying a prefab model?
I recall seeing some pics of a really nice custom made saddle that Chris Kelly posted here a year or so ago but could not find them again. Are they still in the archives?

Is there a cheap source of mini-cell cell foam?

I do have a set of Yakima footbraces that can use.

Thanks,
Lou

Building your own is cheaper, finding something you can salvage from another boat may be even cheaper still.

Minicell is preferred, but not the only suitable material. And you don't have to buy new - keep your eyes open. I have found a number of aerobic steps (in spiffy mint green) and seen folks with curiously perforated saddles of the same green foam - turns out they were salvaged archery targets. A can of weldwood and some patience can turn the walls out of a trashed kayak into a saddle, too.

Access to a band saw is a bonus, but I've made plenty of saddles with a hand saw and a wood rasp.

D-rings you'll probably want to buy new along with some Vynabond.

Thigh straps can be made from webbing anywhere from 1" (uncomfortable to me) to 1.5" (odd size) to 2" and can be salvaged from seat belts, infant car seats, etc.

Mounting foot braces can be done economically, too - the nicest is to have the aluminum rods (available from Mohawk probably), but threaded rod cut to length (and covered with vinyl tubing to protect the minicel from the threads) will work.

Good luck! I've got some pictures in my gallery - holler if you need more details.

In addition, don't forget that you could also elect to leave in the kneeling thwart and just install straps and possibly toe blocks. Kneeling thwarts are very old school and some people don't care for them - usually out of concern for possible leg entrapment or desire to further lower seat height for increased stability - but there are also a few of us old school paddlers who still use them in some boats. Depending upon the model OC-1 you're paddling and your personal inclinations, this might be another low-cost possibility.

I We have an old Caper and I always wanted to remove the kneeling thwarts because of being trapped in. However something happened that changed my mind.

My brother brought is girlfriend in town, and he wanted to paddle solo, so I told him we could stick her in front of the caper and I could paddle her down the nanty. As luck would have, she had a seizure while we were in a class 2ish rapid. As she started falling out of the boat, and the thwart prevented her from falling completely out. I was able to safely paddle her to the shore, and yes, she was unconscious. If you can imagine, she was face down, and her nose was dipping in an out of the water as I was paddling. If it wasn't for the thwart, we would have been initiating CPR trying to resuscitate her.

Also, I have an old perception saddle you can have for 30 bucks. Not the greatest for performance, but you can stick it in your boat, and just move the thwarts to secure it in. No glue necessary.

Wow. That's fortunate and another example of why you can almost never say "never" or "always"...

My whitewater kneeling thwart story involves a boater who had to be cut out of his boat on the Ocoee. Happy ending all the same - he now C-1s.