C-Forum

Been thinking I need to change something on the outfitting for my Karma. Curious if there are other people out there that are using Jackson's c1 outfitting and what mods they have made? I don't feel as connected to the boat as I would like, but I'm feeling indecisive as to what to change. I read somewhere that to be locked down with thigh straps you should have the side anchor come behind your hip. The side anchor on the Karma is right in front of my hip. Thought about moving it back. There is already a drilled hole, so it should be easy. Also read that the floor anchor for the thigh strap should come up by your crotch. It's a bit forward on my boat. Thought about drilling holes and bringing that anchor closer in. I realize being able to easily exit the boat is the other consideration here, just curios what other people's preferences are for creeking? I also thought about adding some more foam somewhere around the knee area. It feels fairly locked down, but I feel like I'm missing some responsiveness somewhere. I wonder if adding a bulkhead would help, but I wouldn't mind avoiding it if I can. Lastly I debate the spread of my knees. My knees are closer together than I would prefer, or what I'm used to. Problem is I seem to be out of room. I wonder if a small tweak here would also help. Anyway, sorry for the long winded post. I realize that the whole outfitting thing is somewhat subjective, but I still find it helpful to hear what others are doing. Cheers!

Never tried the Jackson outfitting but it looks pretty inadequate from what I've seen. Some may disagree but I consider either a bulkhead or knee straps mandatory for good boat control. I'm also of the opinion that getting your knees out as far as possible helps with both stability and comfort. My Remix doesn't allow much spread and my legs and feet cramp up bad compared to my other boats. Others say they are quite happy in certain boats with minimal spread.

The one thing I do like the looks of on the Jackson outfitting is the backband. I'd love some adjustability in that respect. Moving your thigh strap anchors back will help keep you in the boat but escape becomes much more difficult. I strongly recommend quick release straps with quality buckles.

Thanks for the feedback GSG! I'm with you on your preference for either double straps, or bulkhead. That being said I stay fairly locked down with this outfitting for some reason. Much better than the 2 other boats I've had with single straps. I know it could be better though. I did add some foam to where the kayakers put their thighs, which has helped a little, but I need to add more. I'm thinking that if add more foam there it would do the same trick as a bulkhead for my knees. As far as the knee spread I'm thinking about redoing the foam under my knees. Might be able to figure out a way to get them a little further apart. I also added a loop of rope that connects to the end of the thigh straps that acts as my quick release. Haven't had to use it yet, but once I get the straps further back I'll have to test it some more.

Before you do anything, I would be sure to check your boat trim and work from there. My friend who has the Karma with JK outfitting did some adjusting, with his seat position as it related to the boat trim. But the biggest problem was that the thigh strap attachment point at the bottom of the boat was pulling up from the floor, maybe they fixed that? So he added a piece to the center pillar to hold the rail down to the floor and gave him much better contact with the boat.

The trim is easy to switch with the adjustable outfitting. A while ago I moved a half inch forward and was convinced that it improved the handling. Then I decided I didn't like how it was handling and moved back to where it was and was convinced that it improved the handling. What the thinker thinks the prover proves:) They must have fixed the seat problem AJ. Unless Bernie, who I bought the boat from fixed it before selling it to me. We have actually talked about this before. This is Shane from MN. Have you had a chance to try the Karma? Curious as to your impressions coming from the Burn. I wish it was easier to demo c1s around here. I like trying different boats.

I Paddled a lg karma for about 8 months as a C1 . I used the cascade seat pod.
I had to carve a little on it but it fit fine. used the front strap to make
brackets to hold the seat down. Zero flex in the outfitting .
It is totally critical where you sit in the lg karma. +- half an inch i mean.
It made a big difference for me. But , I never got it to handle just right . For me, Its was a good c1
conversion but not a great one. The med karma might be different tho.
I'm in a mamba 8.6 now , Its a little more edgy, but its the superb so far.
That being said , I still believe a top C1 is not shaped like a kayak, therefore, even the best conversion boats will always have a limited range of excellence.
Vic

Hi Shane. How does that large Karma paddle?