no really, what about floatation foam in your kayak?

well, I went by Tap Plastics in mountain view today.

they had X-30 2 part urethane foam in quart containers so
I got some instead of ordering from the link at the top of this thread.

also got something called a squirrel mixer since the store manager
said that "mixing is everything".  he must have been a bartender?

final bill for gloves, mixer containers, squirrel mixer and foam was about $50.

supposedly this foam can be mixed and deployed "at room temperature",
70F.

So I'll probably give it a go. if it blows up my kayak, well, I guess I'll just have
to steal mooch's scupper pro from him.  .

I'll post my results, first I need to wait for a 70 degree day.  might take a while at this rate!

Before you start the project check out my experiences (Tips/Tricks):

http://www.norcalskindivers.com/kayak.htm

You might also be interested in my version of Kayak Kart.

excellent tips. it will be interesting trying to fill the stern section on the scupper pro tank well. hmm...

the main worry I have with fog is sea sickness. you might have to tow me home while
I chum the waters,  .

  I've fished with guys  like that, too funny. 

 jmairey, hope you post your results with the foam, I'm still leaning toward the wal-mart noodles...

craigh, probably wise to stick with the noodles. but I will post my results. I need it to be 70 degrees to do it.

blue, I'm usually okay, but if I'm going to be sick, it'll be in the fog while being asked inane questions and plied
with bad tequila,  .

Walmart has some pool noodles in stock now. $3 sumpthing for the monster size, which by the way according to my postal scale weighs in at 6.9 oz each.

Also noticed if you look online you can find them in solid foam, w/o the hole in the middle.

I'm on jmaireys side on the PFD thing, it's one of the lesser important pieces of gear.  I keep mine handy in my milk crate, and usually put it on for landing if the surf is bad, but that's the only time I'll wear it.  The most important thing is to fish with a budy and stay within 50 yards of him.  That'll save you 99% of the time.  The surf is the only place where you're really exposed to grievous blunt trauma that could inspire concerns of unconciousness.  They've got their place, but their place isn't everywhere.


Once I was knocked pretty hard at bean hollow when practicing, actually the same day as those photos in the general section were taken.  I did an endo near the beach and held the paddle up over my head like you're generally supposed to do when big water hits you, anyway I was pole vaulted into the drink headfirst and the paddle happened to be between me and the water.  *thunk* I got a small black eye and spent a couple seconds underwater hearing bells and counting stars. I was wearing the PFD but the kayak was upside-down on top of me and I had to swim out from under it.

One landing I was saved by not wearing it, I'd jumped out of ethans outriggered sail-yak experiments (one of the early ones) and was pulling it ashore at bean hollow.  A big wave picked the boat up, turned it sideways and hurled it towards me.  I ducked under the water and the whole shebang went over me then the siderigger hit the sand so hard the 2x4's attaching it broke!   I popped up on the other side of the yak to see ethan saying 'oh shit, where's josh?' looking down at the wreckage on the other side.  Did lose my hat though.  I liked that hat...

I'm on jmaireys side on the PFD thing, it's one of the lesser important pieces of gear.  I keep mine handy in my milk crate, and usually put it on for landing if the surf is bad, but that's the only time I'll wear it.

  IMHO its about the most important piece of gear out there.  If the poop hits the fan and your three miles out your in deep, or more likely your done.  I swim 2-4 miles a week for excercise and safety, and I still wear mine each and every time.   Wayyyyy too opportunities for the unexpected.  They are even handy for holding your gear. 

 
 HOY HOY scwafish,
 the only people who died with a pfd were probably packing it somewhere like "in my crate", if you don't like the feel of it , try another brand or style, but allways wear it when venturing out on the "big pond".
 just my 2 cents worth (or less)

How does the PFD help me swim to shore?  Its not like I'm going to take a nap along the way. 

Divers don't need PFDs, surfers don't need PFDs either.  Why?  Wetsuits.  Well, I'm 85% covered with wetsuit.  That's like saying guys in cars don't need helmets, but guys on motorcycles do, so since a guy in a convertible is partially exposed he should wear a helmet and a nomex suit like the guy on the motorcycle?  It might help in rare instances, but for the most part, the car (wetsuit) that protects the majority of his body is enough.

How does the PFD help me swim to shore?  Its not like I'm going to take a nap along the way.

It won't help you swim...but it will allow you to rest so your sorry carcass doesn't drown from exhaustion.  If you pass out from hypothermia your head will still be out of the water.

Divers don't need PFDs, surfers don't need PFDs either.  Why?  Wetsuits.

Not really.  Divers have BCDs which can function quite nicely as a PFD.  Surfers don't because they are in close to shore and most can swim circles around people like us.  BTW pretty sure they found a dead surfer or two at ocean beach this year...when they washed up I believe they were still in their wetsuits.

In addition, the bouyancy provided by a wetsuit isn't the same kind of bouyancy provided by a PFD.  PFDs are designed to provide maximum floatation around your head...to keep your all important breathing apparatus out of the water...high out of the water.  Wetsuits don't do this at all. 

That's like saying guys in cars don't need helmets, but guys on motorcycles do, so since a guy in a convertible is partially exposed he should wear a helmet and a nomex suit like the guy on the motorcycle? 

Guys on motorcycles wear helmets because they are the crush zone absorbing the physics, not the vehicle.  MCs also have no airbags or restraints.  I am one of those reckless MC riders that also wears a helmet too (even before you had too).  I have walked away from a number of accidents that weren't my fault because I was wearing a good helmet and protective clothing.  Never wore Nomex on a bike...MC guys wear leather and plastic for abrasion resistancer.  Car guys wear Nomex for fuel fire protection.

It might help in rare instances

Since you only live once, dying is always a rare instance.  Feel free to do what you want, but I think giving folks the idea that a PFD is unimportant is an irresponsible thing to do.

scwafish is right on that count.
I think it's irresponsible too. you should all wear your pfds. I'm just not
wearing mine. I'm comfortable with my hypocrisy.
do what I say, not what I do.  . my kids wear their pfds.

I have rescued more than one person in my life and I expect to rescue one
or two more before I'm done.  and so far, I've never been rescued myself,
knock on wood.

It's also irresponsible to let somebody think they are safe cause they
paddled out 2 miles in jeans and a pfd in 52 degree water.  Your buddy is
not stopping hypothermia. You got about 30 minutes in 50 degree water.
That's were I'm coming from on the whole safety advice part.
the pfd is not a panacea.

likewise I think sending somebody out on a plastic boat that could sink in
cold, shark-infested, foggy, current-ridden waters is irresponsible. especially
when it's not to hard to make them not sink. hence this thread.
I think some things have not been carefully thought through.

safety is a tough nut. there are no perfect answers.

Another motivation is I just don't want some dorky kayaker in a plastic boat, pfd and helmet
telling me I should wear a freaking PFD 'cause then I will ruin both of our days with my reply.
But I still want to fish with you expert fisherman sometime, 'cause I have a lot to learn about fishing.
It's a dilemna. I guess that point should not be important.  but it is to me.

Well, I'd rather have one of (each of?) these folded up under my jacket.   

Just pull out a fosters and I'd be fine waiting for the CG to arrive.   

Seriously a mini-dinghy like that would make swamping much less of an issue.  Why don't we all carry one?  They're cheaper than paddle-fishing PFDs and they'd allow one to survive several times longer at sea.

It's also irresponsible to let somebody think they are safe cause they paddled out 2 miles in jeans and a pfd in 52 degree water.

I don't advocate for jeans either.  A wetsuit is always part of the equation around here...just not the entire equation.

I think sending somebody out on a plastic boat that could sink in cold, shark-infested, foggy, current-ridden waters is irresponsible. especially when it's not to hard to make them not sink. hence this thread.

This is a major risk of kayaking, and exactly why folks need a pfd and other safety equipment like a bilge pump etc. I am trying to convince several accessory mfgs. to make SOT specific floatation, but so far no takers.