This Fall I went kayaking with some friends on Lake Michigan and got the kayaking bug in a big way. I'm now building a Cheasapeake LT 17 in the basement, and am having a great time with this project (I'm ready to glass the hull this weekend). This BBB has been a great resource, and I find all the comments to be helpful and sincere. Since I am a novice, you can imagine that I have been reading a lot of books about sea kayaking; I also plan to take a course at the YMCA to hopefully learn the eskimo roll. I don't plan to go out in rough weather, or go that far from shore, so maybe I'll never have a problem. But I want to be prepared. From what I can tell, if one fails to execute the roll properly, one must wet exit, and then try to get back into the boat. Most books talk about the paddle float, which seems OK in fairly calm seas. But in the worst case, it could be very difficult.

Which leads me (finally!) to my question: has anyone had experience with sponsons as a rescue device? (I found a rather strange web site [http://www.bconnex.net/~timkayak/index.html] that sells inflatable sponsons called Sea Floats. Despite the curious nature of the site, I must admit that the idea is appealing--if one is going to pay about $30 for a paddle float that may work, why not spend a bit more and get something that would go a long way towards making the kayak rock solid?). Again, has anyone used these? Any thoughts, pro of con about this device? Thanks very much!