Fluid Spice Outfitting Questions / Critique

AYockey · Post by **AYockey** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:55 pm

Fluid Spice L Fence Post Conversion Pictures

I put together a version of the fence rail outfitting in my Fluid Spice. Please offer any tips or critiques. The last pieces I put in were the ankle blocks and filled in under the saddle. I had problems with my feet cramping and freezing pointed straight down and my heels getting stuck under the seat. So, overall the set up feels pretty good except for a few things.

My toes are still cramping and freezing.

I can't stay in the boat upside down. Should I go straight to the lap belt or try thigh straps.

Seat belt is easier to set up and I do have experience with one.

Thigh straps are "safer" but harder to set up and fit right.

Can a skirt fit solve this? It seems like the skirt on my old boat used to help out a bit and my skirt will not stay on at all when upside down in the Spice.

I had a bulkhead only outfitting in my LL Session that seemed to work great. I did have a seatbelt in that one, but rarely used it.

Please help me out. I swam twice two weeks ago and the gash in my shin has yet to scab over. I posted pictures in the boat conversion gallery as well.

gumpy · Post by **gumpy** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:47 pm

here's some pics of my newly outfitted burn L

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44941726@N ... 654175583/

hope this helps

Post by **sbroam** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 10:49 pm

I wonder if you are falling out due to the shape of your knee "tunnels"? The foam, especially the wedge in the middle seems sharply angled. Is that parallel to your inner thigh? Does the foam on top come over the top of your legs enough? I wonder if you are contacting in pathes and spots or more continuous surfaces? More friction might give you more grip.

How about your feet, do you have any way to push forward into your bulkhead? Even just some neoprene foam on the floor might help.

Just $.02

AYockey · Post by **AYockey** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:25 pm

The Burn is great. How heavy are the buckles and everything?

I guess I don't really have anything pushing me into the bulkhead. Now that I think about it I did have to do a lot more squeezing to get into the old boats, but they were horribly uncomfortable.

Has anyone seen or made a seat that slides forward and back? I was thinking it might be pretty easy to set it up to slide on the fence post.

Post by **sbroam** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:45 pm

Ever see the old Slasher bulkheads? The seat adjusted forwards and back, secured with a nut. The seat in my Remix is secured with a strap and held forward with whatever sized block of foam seem appropriate (still experimenting).

Try making the foam more form fitting, certainly keep it comfortable. Looking at the imprint left by your legs, I'd guess you are pretty loose in there.

gumpy · Post by **gumpy** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:54 pm

seems to me most of the weight is in the fence post. next one's gettin a square aluminum tube, as soon as i find one...

AYockey · Post by **AYockey** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:15 am

I guess that would explain why I am so comfortable because I'm not wedged in enough. I do need to do some more foam carving and I can bring the bulkhead back towards me to tighten it up.

Joe, what kind of aluminum tube are you after and what do you have on the ends of the post? Are they pressure plate type things like sbroam or just raw ends?

Also, I was really worried about the bottom of the boat folding in without more support so I put a lot of foam in the gap between the post and the hull. Do you guys have any experience or thoughts on this? I might have put too much foam in and now the hull may be rounder than it should be.

gumpy · Post by **gumpy** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:42 am

the fence post is full length-4 feet-and extends into the foam pillars about 8 or 10 inches bow & stern. cut a slot in the top of the post 3"wide at either end for the pillars to slide into, the bottom of the post is under the pillars. nothing on the ends of the post. i then put tempoary shims under the post until i got it where i wanted it and used a carpenters compass to mark and cut one long shim that got glued to the bottom of the post. (the burn doesn't come with a foam pillar in the bow, so i made one.)

as for aluminum, i'm hoping for 3 inch square tube, thickness i dunno, have to look and see.

the downside to the fencepost is that it limits minimum saddle height. mine is 7" and i'm ok with that, but wouldn't be able to go much lower without a major redesign

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:42 am

you might be having trouble with your feet because the ankle blocks are really tall. if they're too high they will cut off circulation.

gumpy · Post by **gumpy** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:47 am

larry's right, ankle blocks need fine tuning. takes me forever to get mine spot on. too high and feet go numb, too low and feet cramp

AYockey · Post by **AYockey** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:51 am

The circulation always get cut off. I had my feet basically flat on the hull for the few trips I got in last season and it was way worse than these blocks. It may be more a function of my fitness and flexibility. Does that make any sense?

gumpy · Post by **gumpy** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:59 am

just looked at your pics again, it seems like the ankle blocks only contact your ankle/shin over maybe 3 inches or so? i started with that, now i'm up to 8 inches long, much more comfy, especially when i crank down on the straps

AYockey · Post by **AYockey** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:10 am

How high are they over the 8 inches? I guess I'll just have to keep messing with them.

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:15 am

yep. i don't like them on my feet or on the ankle, i like them to just barely support my shin.
ankle blocks close the angle of your knee, so the lower the blocks the better....in other words.. raising your ankle blocks 1 inch is the same as lowering your saddle 1 inch as far as knee pain/ circulation is concerned.
I'm working toward having NO ankle blocks so i can get the saddle lower .

nevermind. I just figure out what's making your feet go numb..it's those funny shoes!