: Here is what I wrote as a draft of what I understand. It reflects what may be
: a basic difference between the euro and Greenland cockpit which I have not
: previously seen highlighted.

Rick,

It is true that many kayakers who use a Greenlandic-style SOF do not use hip pads (and you would never find hip pads on a qajaq in Greenland), but it has more to do with kayak sizing than just the cockpit, per-se. A (true) Greenlandic kayak is sized so that you are a custom-fit, making hip pads unnecessary. A (true) Greenlandic kayak is generally a very snug fit, due to narrow beam and low volume, but it is considered an asset to be able to move around in the cockpit to a small degree (e.g. rotate in the cockpit so that your butt is somewhat on the side of the seat, etc). With a number of techniques (not just a balance brace) it is beneficial to get your weight down as close to the water as possible. Wide hip pads prevent this, and raise your center of gravity when the kayak is on its side. While many kayakers may not care to explore this aspect of kayak handling, this gray zone between being fully upright and fully capsized, is explored in Greenland-style technique (side sculling, chest sculling, balance braces, Petrussen, etc).

In Greenland the ribs are usually spaced so that you sit between ribs for comfort, the backrest and footrest are fixed, although sized for the individual paddler. The only outfitting needed is a thin piece of 1/4" foam that runs from the backrest (deckbeam behind cockpit) to the footrest. This provides insulation, comfort and keeps sand and grit out of the lashings.

I have a Anas Acuta, which is a pseudo-Greenland kayak, and I need small hip pads in it, simply because it is too wide for my body dimensions. However I don't have knee tubes or other devices under the foredeck that would prevent me from rotating in the cockpit which is a tremendous asset for some of the techniques described above.

Greg Stamer