: Jeff, this is a future nessmuking article that I just haven't had time to
: finish. It's still a draft and will be finished in the future. It's rough
: and some of the thoughts not completely fleshed out. This might help out:
: A well-designed kayak cockpit makes the difference between a full day of
: comfort and the feeling of wanting to sell the kayak at a bargain basement
: price. Whether building a new boat or buying a commercially available
: design, the following criteria should be considered.

: Cockpit Height

: The side of a cockpit coaming should come no higher than the top of the
: kayaker’s hip bone. This allows for freedom of movement in torso rotation.
: It also often keeps the rear cockpit coaming low enough to allow for easy
: rear deck rolls. A lower cockpit rim also makes it easier to sit into the
: seat and pull your legs in after you. This is a nice feature to utilize
: during launch and a nice feature to reverse when landing on rocky beaches.
: During building, the height can be adjusted by including a recess of some
: type for the coaming. Some designs will have coaming rims higher than the
: top of your hip bones, and this can be easily avoided by choosing another
: design.

: Cockpit Length and Width

: The length and width of a cockpit will partly be determined by your choice of
: ocean or keyhole. Ocean cockpits are often cited as better because they
: require a smaller skirt and lessen the chance of implosion from waves.
: Ocean cockpits may also help people with poor eyesight see their maps
: easier, because an ocean cockpit is shorter and the map can be kept
: closer. In addition, it could be argued that ocean cockpit provide greater
: contact with the boat and thus control more control over the kayak.
: Generally, most ocean cockpit are 16” by 20”.
: For most paddlers though, a keyhole cockpit is ideal. It’s easier getting in
: and out of. Good thigh braces provide excellent contact to control the
: boat, and modern neoprene skirts will stand up to plenty of surf without
: imploding. The only disadvantage is that the map must be stored further
: away.
: With a keyhole cockpit, make sure that the front of the cockpit is long
: enough so that the legs can be pulled in easily after sitting down. This
: helps during launching and landing and also helps on the water when
: reentering. The width is also important in this aspect. It needs to be
: wide enough to be able to drop into quickly. Keyhole cockpits very in
: design and size, but a good size is 16 inches wide by 31 inches long.

: Constant Curve

: The coaming lip needs to be shaped so that it is in a constant curve with no
: flat areas. When the spray skirt is in contact with a constant curve it
: will be tensioned its whole circumference, which will keep it tight up
: against the coaming riser. This will result in fewer leaks.

: Knee Height

: The height of the front of the cockpit and in the knee area is also
: important. A coaming and front deck that is too high will result in the
: banging of knuckles during paddle stokes. It can also compress the bending
: of the knees. Most people find that by sitting in a diamond shape with
: their legs in the kayak that they will be more comfortable. A very low
: deck forces the knees and legs into a straight out position which can
: stress the hamstrings. This can be very uncomfortable. A front coaming
: height of around 12” generally is low enough to avoid banging the
: knuckles, high enough to be comfortable, and it makes getting into and out
: of the kayak easy.

: Knee and Thigh Braces

: It’s important to have solid contact with the kayak. Thigh or knee braces
: provide contact for the top portion of the knees, and this helps with
: kayak edging, rolling, and generally stability. Some boats provide an
: additional brace or protrusion to fit knees and others just narrow a bit
: at the thighs.
: A good thigh brace shouldn’t just connect with the paddler at the knees, but
: that contact...

I still like the ocean cockpit or NDK's round cockpit. After a season of paddling with them I now prefer them.

Bill H.