> Can anyone tell me if there is a standard for the amount of floatation to
> install in a boat? Should it be just enough to keep a boat afloat, with
> gear, or more for some reason? I'm trying to be safe but conserve weight
> and space.

Hi Arnold, if your trying to be safe then don't worry about weight, whatever space the float bags take up is space not occupied by gear or you. If you are carrying gear then a few extra ozs. of bigger float bag is a moot issue.

I think the standard is one you set from experience doing rescues with your boat and gear.

Is this a typical long kayak (16ft+) without bulkheads? if so, hopefully it has float bags that fill the space immediately behind your coaming and past the foot peg rails. I find that some production plastic boats that don't have front bulkheads put in absolutely the minimal worthless float bag secured with 3mm line. A fully inflated float bag that is loose in the ends of your boat is not going to help one bit except to keep the boat from becoming a buoy,maybe. Even with an oversized bag in a kayak,water can get past the bag and begin to fill the ends,i find that isn't too much of a problem in the stern, but in the bow it may make lifting the boat harder for a rescuer. It would be a good idea to tie a bungie or line between the far end of the foot peg rails to keep a partially inflated float bag from floating out or impeding your re-entry into the boat,especially if there are bags up there too. Just try and get the biggest bag ,placed as far into the ends as possible. I find most stern bags are big, but if you try and use one in the bow the inflation tube may not be easy to get to,bow bags tend to be smaller with a long tube. Bellows pumps with hose help.

Bulkheads or not, float bags are a great way to keep gear pressed down and immobile on the bottom of the boat,especially heavy items like water. If you are truly trying to be safe then a sea sock would be a fine idea,not talking from experience here though.

I've seen some people try to practice a basic t-rescue with the little bow float bag in a Dagger Vesper and the rescuer was not able to lift the bow onto his coaming. That little bag probably displaced only 50lbs out of 150lbs of water in the bow. Wilderness systems has also sent new boats with teeny float bags. getting on my soapbox here. more thoughts, if you've got a wood/epoxy boat here then make sure the inside doesn't have any rough epoxy edges to wear the bag, also don't leave the bag inflated for a long time in hot weather, my daughters pygmy 13 survived being neglected that way for a couple summers in Calif. but here on the East coast it took one months worth of float bag confining moisture against the deck to stew the wood a bit to stain it through to the other side and darken the wood a little. cheerio