Yo Larry

This posting won't help you at all. I haven't gotten around to building any footbraces - to lazy to be honest. I probably suffer a little lack of chine steering because I don't have foot braces, but I can compensate by wedging my fat thighs against the inside cockpit and use an exagerated torso twist when I need to. Once, I did Roll myself clean out of the cockpit (with a greenland paddle to boot) which shouldn't have happened, but would be less likely if I had gotten around to putting those foot braces in.

But I remain foot brace free because my back is bad and I need to stretch out regularly. Having a bulkhead in the perfect place would soon become uncomfortable for me after about 5 minutes.

Your posting reminded me of a great afternoon cruise on the Manakua Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand last year in a borrowed kayak. The paddling was great but I soon lost any enthusiasm for fitting foot braces. You see, I could just squeeze into the borrowed kayak (set up for somebody a little taller and skinnier than me) rather snuggly. The permanently fixed foot braces were fine for 10 minutes. I got to the half way point of an otherwise very enjoyable afternoon with my legs completely numb and my back screaming. But I had to walk the last 200 m home because I could not take it any more!! I was secretly surprised that my confinement didn't result in death soon after from 'deep vein thrombosis'.

Moral - if you ever damage your back (and that will only be a matter of time youngster) or lend your kayak, I am betting you or somebody else will soon learn to loath the lack of flexibility of a fixed bulkhead foot brace system.

Just my two bits - remember I have no footbraces at all and you should take my advice with no more than a grain of salt

good luck

Pete