: ...I use an inflatable paddle float that I roll up and stuff through bungee
: loops on the backrest. In a pinch, it could be stored nearly fully
: inflated behind the back band. Unhooking a single bungee cord would make
: it easily accessible, though the back band is flexible enough that it
: could probably be yanked out without detaching the back band. I've heard
: of foam backrests that double as paddle floats, but I cannot recall who
: makes them.

: I saw somenone at a skills clinic last night who's paddle float was nothing
: more than a couple of 10" long sections of a pool "noodle"
: with slots cut in them so they could be slid over a paddle blade. They
: permitted her to do float assisted rolling practice, without interfering
: unduly with her ability to sweep with the paddle. Pretty ingenious.

Not quite the same ideas as you recounted, but say you had a foam paddle float sideways on the rear deck right behind the seat. The paddle float is held in place by say 1" webbing goin thru 4 typical recessed fittings. 2 on one side and 2 on the other side of the yak. Ea pair is 2in apart, and separated as wide as possible to ea side but still under float. Starting from the open end of the float, the webbing attaches to the float(at the closure-maybe like a drawstring) and then under one of the FAR fittings, up over the float and under the fitting 2in away, to the closest fittings on the other side of the yak, up over the float and CLIPPED to the fitting 2in away. So float is held in place w/ webbing up over each end. (maybe a little velcro for security.

To deploy, just push paddle into float, and keep pushing, and the more you push the tighter it cinches to the yak and around the shaft of the paddle, and cinches the float in place. Need to test once to get the webbing the right length. Unclip and paddle comes free. Hold on to webbing on shaft and float stays in place. Don't have to pull paddle out sideways, can pull it out any direction.

Downside, is you have to switch sides to mount or is awkward to deploy on near side for first bit(maybe). But in any case one motion attaches float and cinches paddle.

-mick