C-Forum

I'm throwing around ideas for putting thigh straps into the '85 Sunburst I recently found. Harmony makes a couple options used for sit on top kayaks with brass snaps. I could get a couple anchor points and attack them to the underside of the aluminum gunnels. Harmony also makes the type with buckles w/o the brass hardware.

I think I'll leave the original slat/thwart seat. I had to take off 30 years of bumper stickers and was pleasantly surprised the original BH decals intact.

Roy Guinn el all really made a good product. There is nothing really that needs repairing. The front grunch Kevlar is cracked but that's an easy fiberglass repair if I decide.

I have this type of thigh strap currently sold by Harmony Gear and previously by Mad River Canoe in several boats:

https://www.harmonygear.com/products/97 ... traps.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They are not contoured but I find them quite comfortable and they hold up well. They do require a 2 inch D ring or anchor as the webbing is 2" wide.

The sit on top straps appear to use 1" webbing and are not as wide. My guess is they would not be as comfortable although you could use them with 1" D rings.

You could also consider these straps which are contoured, appear to have wider padding, and are a bit cheaper:

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/149 ... -Logo.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You could make your own straps from 2" webbing (seat belt, flat, or tubular) and associated 2" triglides and buckles.

Also, I'm not a big fan of kneeling thwarts in whitewater boats, at least not unsupported ones, especially when coupled with thigh straps (which would slow exit). I have a friend who had an entrapment on the Ocoee paddling with a kneeling thwart. He ran up on a rock, water started coming in over stern, and the boat started to wrap collapsing the thwart over his ankles - they had to cut the thwart to get him out. [He took up C-1ing right after...] I'd encourage you to consider at least a small foam pedestal under the thwart to support it. the seats in the ends tend to be where the boat is narrower and more rigid, so they don't concern me as much (but still a little...) - thwarts in the middle are where the boat tends to be more flexible.

I too have a sunburst, old Blue Hole, with the kneeling thwart.

If I was to put in thigh straps I'd use North Water thigh straps,
http://northwater.com/collections/thigh ... igh-straps" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting and good safety concern about the hull collapsing to the thwart.

I think on Class I and II and even CIII?, where a Sunburst would be paddled a hull collapsing to the thwart would be extremely unusual. Definitely scary and a no no in ClV or higher.

sbroam wrote:You could make your own straps from 2" webbing (seat belt, flat, or tubular) and associated 2" triglides and buckles.

Also, I'm not a big fan of kneeling thwarts in whitewater boats, at least not unsupported ones, especially when coupled with thigh straps (which would slow exit). I have a friend who had an entrapment on the Ocoee paddling with a kneeling thwart. He ran up on a rock, water started coming in over stern, and the boat started to wrap collapsing the thwart over his ankles - they had to cut the thwart to get him out. [He took up C-1ing right after...] I'd encourage you to consider at least a small foam pedestal under the thwart to support it. the seats in the ends tend to be where the boat is narrower and more rigid, so they don't concern me as much (but still a little...) - thwarts in the middle are where the boat tends to be more flexible.

Thank you and good advice. I had a perception saddle in the one I paddled in the '80's.

Paddle Power wrote:I too have a sunburst, old Blue Hole, with the kneeling thwart.

If I was to put in thigh straps I'd use North Water thigh straps,
http://northwater.com/collections/thigh ... igh-straps" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting and good safety concern about the hull collapsing to the thwart.

I think on Class I and II and even CIII?, where a Sunburst would be paddled a hull collapsing to the thwart would be extremely unusual. Definitely scary and a no no in ClV or higher.

Yes, I agree. This boat will be a learning platform in 2 and 3 class water, but his points are well taken and appreciated.

I went and looked up the incident - my memory was not precise, but generally accurate -

https://www.americanwhitewater.org/cont ... entid/574/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The report says he was on a traditional seat and emphasizes the exposed bolts from shortening the spacers (to make the seat higher). Similar mechanics would still apply with a thwart and my take away is the same.

Note that this occured in a mild, class IIish stretch.

Thanks again. The boat was a MR Explorer. I am not familiar with that brand's construction.

I had a Sunburst for a bit. When I got it there was nothing (no saddle/pedestal, no seat, nothing) in it. I'm not necessarily recommending this but it worked for me. I added a web seat by bolting in square tubing then hanging the seat from that with the front edge lowered and used Mike Yee's tripping kit. http://www.mikeyeeoutfitting.com/catalo ... pping.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

on the cheap but, I used golf bag straps and d-rings.

JzP wrote:on the cheap but, I used golf bag straps and d-rings.

No a bad idea at all.

REI has 2" straps that work great. They'll even cut them to length for you. You'll need 2" D-rings of course. Walmart sells 2" plastic buckles. Cheap.