: Maybe wed better open another thread for this, but there have been many...
: Anyhow what that site was referring to are real external air bags, something
: so big that can keep afloat a flooded canoe with people in. Now, i didnt
: make it through the whole site (heavy, hopefully wasnt a sale pitch), so i
: dont know how the whole thing can go on a kayak without bothering the
: paddler, they were posting various sketches and different systems though.
: Im not talking about internal flotation, there doesnt matter if its at the
: sides on the ends, if its airbags or compartments or whatever. Those
: things stay outside and apparently with their size they should keep the
: boat from rolling (in the same way, if you actually go upside down, its an
: exit and would be difficult to roll the whole thing back up) but, in a
: case like this with 3 guys in the same kayak ....

: As for legislation im not saying theres the need for that, PFDs its ok makes
: sense, anything else its like saying that we need a law that says you have
: to have a sprayskirt, or flotation bags inside a SoF.
: My point was simply that maybe, as something to deploy in emergency
: conditions, with the opportune modifications they could have their merits.

: PS: yes that directive was an oversight and got corrected but there are
: single man rafts on the market, they are just not used by kayakers.

Hi Acors,
I finally realised that you were talking about sponsons. Not something I'm impressed with but they may have uses. I think they make a hull too wide for some conditions. I often paddle in short sharp chop and any hull wider than 22" gets twitched too easily. For long swells or flat/calm water, they could be handy in emergencies/situations.

I know of the military one-man rafts, I practised with them in Service, but I haven't come across any in civilian use or in chandleries. I do recall a triangular type (like a Toblerone in shape) that was in development about the time of that Directive. There was a review of it in Practical Boat Owner magazine but it seemed to have disappeared off the scene.
Do you have a makers name of the ones you know of?

Mike Savage
South West Cork