Hi Kudzu,
I'm not familiar with the Diva, but if there is a big height difference between fore and aft deck, then it may be better strip over the cockpit. If you have a high fore deck you must use more strips to cover that area than on the flatter back deck. If you are stripping straight you will that find stripping over the cockpit will help to keep it all more symmetrical and the problem resolves itself.
JohnK

: Just about decided to hybridize the Diva Kayak I am about to start building
: with a strip deck. Question is do I need full boat length strips? Or, can
: I use shorter strips letting them end in where the cockpit opening will
: be? Letting them extend past the cockpit opening to be trimmed latter. Or
: does that present a problem? The only photos I have ever seen show full
: length strips completely covering the cockpit opening.

: Reason I ask is I have some nice looking WRC I salvaged and would like to
: use. But, it is all in 8 to 10 foot lengths. It is 4x4's and a couple of
: big slabs that were used as a diving board. I will have to resaw these
: into planks and then into strips.

: I could resaw and scarf them to length but then I wonder about the scarf
: joint showing. Plus they might end up lining up at the same place in the
: boat. But thats another issue.

: Now a WHAT IF question. Since I haven't decided on what pattern I am going to
: lay the strips in, maybe I could come up with a design that had a breaking
: point so that I could use the shorter strips and still fully cover the
: cockpit if I need too? That would solve the problem I guess.