Thigh Straps for Prelude

[bathtuboy]

I've been paddling my prelude for 6 months now, and one of the first modifications I made was to fit thigh straps. These I have located through the saddle at the front and back. At the back I have replaced the pegs with minicell blocks, and attached the straps to the sides of these. This all makes for a very snug fit and combined with the great performance of the boat, it is lovelly to paddle.
The problem comes when I need to get out. My roll is pretty reliable, but on the couple of occasions I have swum (both in Norway) it has taken a little while to get out of the boat. The performance of the boat is enabling me to run harder stuff with confidence, but I am a little concerned about being able to get out quickly if the need arises. Any one out there have any ideas on this.

Jon

[Martyn]

Jon,

Do you have any kind of quick release system on your thigh straps ? I have thought about putting straps in either my Skeeter of Prelude but found that rearranging the outfitting gave a snug enough fit such that I was no longer getting sucked out of my boat but was still able to step out of it and walk away when the need arose.

On another note, where were you paddling in Norway? It looks like I will be over there this summer so any advice would be much appreciated.

Martyn

[bathtuboy]

Martyn, I have quick release on my thigh straps which I made out of a pair of diving weight belts. The outfitting is pretty snug without the straps, but my bum still lifts a little too much form my liking.

Regarding Norway we went for two and a half weeks in July August. We spent the first 5 days at Sjoa, taking in the kayak festival which is a great place to get info on rivers. We then spent 5 days in Otta and the last few days in Voss. I don't remember seeing any other C1 paddlers, and certainly no OC1 paddlers while I was there, (I was with a group of kayakers). There is a really good guide on www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk under the reports section. There is an old guidebook called elvespaddling which covers the easier grade rivers, though I'm not sure where to get this.

[Martyn]

I found the "bum lifting too much for my liking" was happenning with the bulkhead-style outfitting until I moved the bulkhead back and hollowed it out a bit so it sat higher on my thighs. I've never had any problems getting out of the boats with the bulkhead moved higher on my thighs but I suppose a vertical pin could be tricky to get out of (and in a Prelude, tricky to get into).

Hoppefully Martin and Craig Smerda are watching this thread as I think they both have some pretty good ideas for outfitting adjustments.

Thanks for the information on Norway.

Martyn

[the great gonzo]

Yes Martyn, I have followed this thread and I do also suffer of the 'bum lift' problem, I even get sucked out of my boat while getting soundly thrashed in a hole .
I do also have a bulkhead setup in both my C1 boats (Delirious and Finkenmeister), but there the bum lift problem is virtually non existing. The biggest difference between the setup in the Prelude and my C1 is that both C1 have a fairly tall back support, while the back of the saddle of the prelude is very low. With the high saddle back in my C1 I am pretty much 'wedged' in between the saddle and the bulkhead. I have to wiggle my way into the outfit to be in there properly. Exit is still easy, all I have to do is push off thye saddle to lift my bum over the back of the saddle, and out I come.
In the Prelude the back of the saddle does virtually not contribute to keep you in, you have to wedge yourself into the bulkhead through the foot braces alone.
I am currently working on raising the back of the saddle in my Prelude by about 4 inches to get the same wedging effect I have in my C1.
If this does not work, I will install a North Water lap belt I have, although I prefe a) a belt and strapless outfit and b) I hate to have to drill holes into the hull of my boat.
I am not considering thigh straps, since I think they are way too much of a hassle to install in a PE hull, particularly if you are, as I am, not too keen on drilling holes into the hull of your boat...

martin

PS: Martyn's solution of moving the bulkhead doesn't work for me, as the bulkhead was already glued in place when I bought my boat (it was a demo).

[Martyn]

Hey Martin,

I know Craig doesn't recommend it but I glued and sawed out and reglued the outfitting in my Skeeter about three times. A long saw seemed to work fairly well, and I suspect you could also use one of those camping saws made of wire. The foam kind of expands with the sawing so I don't think the current setup in my Skeeter is any more loose than it was at first. I'm still just using 2-sided carpet tape in the Prelude.

Denis and I got out to the Gull last Saturday. We both managed to get our first swims of the year. Looks like it may be a little too cold to boat for the next little while.

Martyn

[Craig Smerda]

I would stay away from thigh straps with the bulkhead system. I do suggest carving the blocks out to give a better bite as they are set up generically from the factory, adding pieces of foam to the front and rear of the thighblocks can extend the bite on your legs. Mine are 10 inches thick rather than the 6 inches from the factory. They are high on my thigh and almost cover the knee.

It's crucial to get your seat height correct as well. I also taper the height of my saddle where I sit. From the front to the rear there is a 3/4 inch difference. The back being lower. If you kneel on the floor without a saddle your pelvis naturally leans upward at the front. It's all about ergonomics.

Craig

PS> I can hang upside down in my boat out of the water on sawhorses comfortably and still get out very easily.

[chuck naill]

Can you tell me what is meant re bum outfitting. I too have a Spanish Fly. I put some additional inches of minicell behind my behind to get a tighter ride.