Thanks for responding Greg. It is from your posts, during my efforts to master the balance brace, that I first began to think about the difference.

I absolutely agree that a kayak which is very wide may be much more in need of hip braces than one which is already sized to the individual. I also think it is much more possible than is common for strip built boats to be sized anatomicly. Custom built station forms can be generated with several of the kayak designing programs which could allow builders to do Greenland like sizing of the kayak for an individual. Nick's approach to offer the Guillemot in several sizes is another approach to the same idea.

Of the four kayaks I have rolled and tried to do the balance brace in, I can roll all of them (even the ugly Old Town Otter), but can only manage a semblance of a balance brace in my Morris West Greenland. And it is still difficult. The Morris was built at a width that was my hip width plus two fist widths. That is getting pretty wide by example of several greenland boats that you and Harvey and others have built. Consequently, it is hard for me to not have the boat flop over on top of me while I try to balance. In the two plastic boats I have and my Great Auk, my hips are held between 4 and 6 inches above the side of the boat by hip pads or seat pieces. In the two plastic boats, there is enough space between the seat and the side of the kayak to stuff a water bottle. This, and their high volume, holds my lower body well out of the water, making the balance brace or layback roll, more difficult.

I now wish to hear the opposite side of the coin... Why hip pads are necessary for a crisp hip flick and successful roll.

(Yes, I am egging us on to a "heated discussion" for fun and learning.)