Hey, Kirk, I built a Sea Rider. The boat is snug, but not as bad as some SOFs I've paddled. I'm about 190 pounds 30" inseam, size 9 US feet. I used the standard 2 deck ridge config as in the plans, and I'm fine. I did move section 3 back maybe 2 inches toward the stern, and shimmed the gaps in gunwales and chines. I find it's in a good position for a foot rest now. (I sat there with my feet in a comfortable position on the wall, balanced a 2x4 thin edge behind my kneecaps, and measured to get an approximate distance.) If you do the same, email Tom Yost, and he'll give you new offsets for section 3 so you won't have to shim gunwales and chines.

The one thing I would recommend is a modified masik. When cutting out the center hole in section 4, I would change the arch shape to a more flat topped shape. This is where her knees would touch the underside of the top of the section. The smooth arch I have makes forward finishing rolls more difficult, as my knees tend to slip inward along the arch, and thus lose contact, as the top of the arch is higher. I have glued a 2x4 to the back side of section 4, along the top, to make a broader masik, as there is no way I want 1/2" ply to be my main knee contact. When you do this (I used PU glue like Gorilla Glue) also radius the front and back side of the underside of the masik. And, I mean really radius it, not just sanding the corner off. This will get you just a little more kneecap room for getting into the boat. I fit fine, but my friend who is just a little bigger couldn't get his kneecaps in, and he suggested I do this on the next boat. To see what I mean with regard to masik shape, please look up pictures on qajaqusa.org forum or galleries. You will see people with flatter masik, and much shaping of the underside edges.

Also, I would recommend using your 3/4" boards (from which you rip your gunwales and stringers) to make bow and stern ends, rather than the 1/2" ply that Tom recommends. My 1/2" ply ends look thin and fragile compared to other SOF boats, and it was hard to center the 1/2" ply on top of the 3/4" keel stringer. And I see that crooked junction where I tried to plane even the sides of the keel stringer every time I have the boat on the car

Mind you, my bow and stern extends 4 or 5 inches past the end of the gunwales. I put a stern on that curves up in the same shape of the Anas Acuta (from which I traced it.) The Anas Acuta is based on the upturned ends of Ken Taylor's 1959 Iglorsuit kayak built for him by Emanuelle Korneliuson. (eh, probably spelled that wrong.)

Email me direct if you need to see pictures to understand what I mean...

Brian

: I have just started the yost Sea Rider.The table of offsets for the sea rider
: are in feet as the other yost boats are in cm.It says (ftx12)x2.54=cm to
: convert.Lets say at its widest HB at section 4 is .811 ft would be 24.7
: cm.Is that right? It doesn't seem that there will be any leg room or room
: for feet. I am building this for my wife whom is very short but it seems
: it will be small even for her.