Instead of pool noodles.....

Interesting discussion 

   Why not settle it with a "Swamped Yak" Race? 

       See who can paddle out around the small island in front of the launch at Tiki
   
            .... with a 1/2 full of water yak! 

             
What I'd actually like to know is how long it would take to pump out a fully swamped yak.  I carry a pump all the time, but have heard a few stories where even with the pump people gave up.  I'll bring the pump 

I flipped my Caper in SPB with the 6" center hatch open and in the 30 or so seconds it took me to right my 'yak it was more than half full with water and pretty unstable. Allen let me borrow his pump and I was successfully able to pump out most of the water through the center hatch....but I was so pre-occupied with pumping that I ended up probably close to two miles away from where everyone else was anchored and had to paddle back against the current.

This seemed silly at the time, but I once participated in a similar race.
We started with fully swamped double touring kayaks and had to pump them out until we could paddle them, then paddle out around a bouy back to the beach. More time pumping=less instability, less time pumping=quicker time off the mark but a boat that is slower once on the water.
 My partner & I paddled the yak with about 4" of water in it. We won, but to be fair the other teams got into a water fight and flipped each other over. We waited until they were all swimming, them just paddled outside of them so they couldn't swim over & flip us too.
The hardest part of the whole thing was the chugging of a 12oz beer at launch and landing.

playing like this in a controlled environment is fun & very enlightening.

I'm going to go with a couple of cans of the self-expanding foam pipe insulation and then I'm going to create a mold to allow the foam to butt up against between the scupper tubes and the down the chines of each side and up to the underside of the deck and then I'm going to shoot that stuff in there and let it expand, buoyant, light, cheap=that ought to do'er.

I was planning on doing that but I was worried about distorting my yak when it expands.

I recall someone used the expanding foam before... Would love to know how it's held up

True, but stuff it all you want and it still won't hold a person if water in inside. 

It doesn't take a whole lot of water to make a kayak flounder.  4-5 gallons, maybe.

I'm going to go with a couple of cans of the self-expanding foam pipe insulation and then I'm going to create a mold to allow the foam to butt up against between the scupper tubes and the down the chines of each side and up to the underside of the deck and then I'm going to shoot that stuff in there and let it expand, buoyant, light, cheap=that ought to do'er.

I was planning on doing that but I was worried about distorting my yak when it expands.

I am pretty sure that stuff will soak up water...its open cell right? good luck getting the inside dry ever!

True, but stuff it all you want and it still won't hold a person if water in inside.

Are X-Factors not part of the discussion? 

Time for a new video.   

Found this online if anyone needed  any.. alot less inexpensive than 5 bucks each at most stores and the deliver!

http://www.dollartree.com/new-arrivals-seasonal/Spring-and-Summer-Toys/foam-water-noodles/215c334c334p308025/index.pro

wholesale 1.00 each in cases of 32 

The hardest part of the whole thing was the chugging of a 12oz beer at launch and landing.

you guys have all the fun.. lol

True, but stuff it all you want and it still won't hold a person if water in inside.

Are X-Factors not part of the discussion? 

Time for a new video.   

Seems like Eric's vid clearly shows him on the kayak full of water.  Not saying I want to spend a day in a swamped yak but it seemed better than swimming.  As to the amount of water to swamp a kayak, I had a tarpon 16 with enough water that it wanted to roll over, could barely pull it up the ramp and took a good five minutes to drain.  estimate about 1/3-1/2  full of water.  Way more than a few gallons, but still (barely) paddlable.  Underwater drain plug...BAD.

Loved your video on that Eric..    def shows that at least it won't sink below the water.   I have no great way to store poles in my yak so I have noodles stuffed in the back and on the sides, and a big heavy duty dry bag that fills up the front.    Cool idea filling the bag with empty bottles craig.. I might try that.   Usually ive got a towel, socks and a sweatshirt in my dry bag but I could put those in a smaller bag.

I borrowed my buddies T-140 and it filled to about half full due to sneaky kid removing drain plug. Was unstable but still able to paddle in with way more than five gallons inside. Wouldn't want to do that again though. jim

I packed mine full of closed cell foam blocks that I custom cut to fit, but feel it raised my profile so much that paddling in wind became noticeably difficult even with a rudder, so I yanked it all out. I tried to vary the amount but always noticed a difference in windy conditions.

You sure that was from the foam? The water is already displaced by your hull, adding foam to the inside shouldn't have increased your buoyancy at all.  The foam/noodles are to combat sinking once the hull is filling with water.

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I completely swamp my yak in this vid:



Half full, the hull was unstable because all the water rushes to one side and you're unable to counterbalance it.  FULL though, the hull is much more stable, and I was able to easily sit on and paddle the kayak, FULL of water.

I have 24 noodles and 4 crab floats evenly distributed in there.

Glad to know that a kayak stuffed with pool noodles will still float when swamped. Although 24 pool noodles will leave me no storage space inside the kayak.