Pool Noodles to help w/floatation in event of kayak damage

REMEMBER A TRUE CAPTIAN GOES DOWN WITH HIS SHIP TO VISIT DAVEY JONES!!!!! Things to live by... Fish with friends, don't pull an Exxon Valdez, Learn to swim, Don't coat your kayak in seal blood, and things will be OKAY ????  I hope

Kickin Bass,

I don't think you will get far with Mr.or Mrs. Whitey on your ass.  That a other ? I have to asked.  Why are most wet suit black=seal or seal lion?

Ken kickfish

According to at least one "expert", GWS's most often ignore black wetsuits, while showing interest in brighter colors, for whatever that's worth.

If anyone is curious I found noodles at Leslies Pool Supply on Calaveras.  Big 5 was out of them.

I probably have enough pool noodles to fill my kayak, but I think it would be a little overkill.  I've got a prowler 13, how many pool noodles would be enough?

the volume of a noodle in cubic inches is length-in-inches*pi*r^2, so call it length * 12 and the weight of water is 0.036 lbs/cubic inch.

if you want to float 150lbs above the water line that is 150lbs / 0.036 / 12 so you want 347 inches of pool noodles.

this assumes a pool noodle weighs basically nothing compared to the same volume of water.

if a pool noodle is 48 inches, you want 7 pool noodles.

call it eight for safety and you are done.

or six and 2 rolleez wheels,  .

somebody better check my math, I suck at arithmetic.

J

I stuff the whole hull with them....Sorry John....but there are light weight and I don't tried to stick anything in my hatches out in the ocean.  Ocean salmon, halibut, lings and rockcod it very simple.  If I can not fit it in a dry bag on top my of yak.....it just don't go.  Also a dry bag is is not a dry bag.  Only way it is a dry bag is it if inside your hull.  Used a lot of plastic baggies for stuff you want to keep working.  I have thought of foam but like the extra storage place when you don't need the noodles.

Ken kickfish

its always safer to put more in like Ken does. I just estimated the minimum to keep you floating above the water line.

Hey John,

   I mean that in a "Manly Way".

Ken kickfish

While I'm sure lots of pool noodles in the hull will float a kayak, does anyone know if the kayak will remain somewhat stable and paddle-able?  Has anyone tried this?  I'd guess a kayak that stays afloat but is immobile is better than a sunk one in any case.

Don't some of the Malibu kayak have foam lining?  Was this so the yak could survive punctures better?

Kevin,

If something happen to your kayak that you are taking on water.  I don't think I would be worry about would much drag you have to paddle.  Maybe, you would be happy to paddle into shore.  Unlike the guy in San Diego that was in the water for hours.  We probably have a couple of hours up here to live.  Even in a wetsuit.
Stupid is as Stupid does.....can I have my box of chocolate's......Now?

Ken kickfish

Ken -

I am more questioning the whether the kayak can be paddled at all if it is full of water.

How much water needs to be in a kayak before it becomes unstable?  I would be curious to know how much water was in Frank's yak before they fell off of it and it was un-rideable.  1/2 full? 1/3 full?  I'd bet it is less than that, but it is a total guess on my part. 

Kevin,
  If you got it full of noodles.  I think there would be very little water in the hull.  It gots no place to go.  I had Mooch's old Cobra Tourer with a lot of water at Buck's Landing sturgeon fishing.  I had it stuff with the blow up type of flotation.  John Dale was wondering why I was paddling so slow on the way out and in.  The hatches would leak.  I came back into the dock and it took 3 guys to get my yak on the dock.

A ton of water but it still floated.  Sold that thing back to Joel.

Ken kickfish

Guys,
There are a multitude of kayak flotation applications on the market; these range from inflatable w/or w/o built in storage that can be inserted in the bow, stern, or midship and then inflated. These are primarily designed for enclosed cockpit true sea kayaks, but could easily work for the SOT's; you will lose some of the ability to utilize the storage capabilities with this type of device. There is yet another option that I think is a great way to go and is designed for sea and whitewater kayaks; this is a solid block of Mini-cell foam 3" by 12" and can be order in 1 foot increments up to however many feet long you need. You can glue it or just wedge it, this also will work as a great centerline or bulkhead reinforcement which can help prevent "oil canning" of the hull (this is when the hull or deck is pushed in and dented from being strapped too tightly on a rack or having other kayaks stored on top). This type of foam is used to outfit kayaks, can be shaved or molded easily to any shape, and is an excellent way to add a great amount of buoyancy/flotation, while at the same time adding some structural integrity too. You can find much of this type of product at Northwest River Supply or REI. Good luck and hope this helps. Mike
http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product_list.asp?deptid=1760

Minicell Foam >3" thick and 12" inches wide and can be shaped and sanded to fit many boating applications.

Item# 2076     $9.95 

Watershed Futa Float Bag
b]Float bags with dry storage are a simple concept, but leave it to Watershed to pull it off in amazing style.

Item# 2892     $79.00  [/b]

NRS Split Kayak Storage Flotation

 
 
 The NRS Split Kayak Storage combines flotation with dry storage.

Item# 42084     $35.00 - $89.00 

I don't like the inflatable.  I have some and thought on hot days will ex span too much and pop or need to check every once and a a while to see if their are full of air.

I don't want anything permant to be glue into the hull because I like the storage space when river or lake fishing.

Pool Noodles are cheep and I can store them in the backyard when not ocean fishing.

Ken kickfish

I don't like the inflatable.  I have some and thought on hot days will ex span too much and pop or need to check every once and a a while to see if their are full of air.

I don't want anything permant to be glue into the hull because I like the storage space when river or lake fishing.

Pool Noodles are cheep and I can store them in the backyard when not ocean fishing.

Ken kickfish

Ken,

Perhaps you should read this:

http://www.nrsweb.com/Tech_Talk/Infinity_Flotation.asp

All,

Modern inflatables are tough, light, puncture resistant, more efficient at displacing space, store better, easily live in a boat, and can be topped off in 15 seconds per bag at the beginning of a trip.

Pool noodles are much more difficult to fit to the tapered ends of the hull, will not readily conform around gear that is stowed, and if you pull a large number of them out to clean out the hull after a trip, will take much longer to put back in place. Their one advantage is that they are cheaply available at the local McMart.

Kayakers that aren't trying to be cheap, and have the options to use anything they want, overwhelmingly choose inflatables.

Regards,
Scott