: Thanks. Do foam pillars provide enough floatation or do you bag it on both
: sides? Higher water max class 2's around here. Low water is a push and
: scrape. My biggest worry is strainers but that's part of the business. I
: think the really daring one will be interested in surfing but will have to
: discourage until skills there ( mine too, can't let him go alone)

i guess they;d actually provide a little floatation make them 3-4 in wide and cut outs where the heels come together for some space, but use split bags front and back if possible -they'll add to the structure before(maybe) but esp aft of the seat. if youre yak is real short you may not be able to fit front ones in, but try.

in real general design terms, i'd put more glass in around the cockpit cause thats the weakest point(big hole and no pillars) and in contradiction i'd make the cockpit as large as possible like in the typ ww boats(abt 16-17"x32" clear)

in my case my intention is to sorta match in wt my plastick yak by just adding glass, so that the wt tradeoff is even. in wood kayak terms it'll be a pig, but in the terms i'm used to it still may but may not be. for me it's an experiment, but i don't want to smash it up too much right away.

-mick