Put them on as tightly as possible. They WILL stretch, and you'll have to pick apart the knots and tighten, possibly twice, no matter how much you think you stretch them before you put them on.

On my 19" wide kayak, I could only get 2 crosses of the deck per latigo strip. Knot on inside on port gunwale, out through gunwale, over deck, in through starboard gunwale, back along inside of gunwale, out through hole, back over deck, in through gunwale, and knot on inside of port gunwale. I think Brian Schultz has some pics of this on Cape Falcon website. I thought I could go 3, but the strips just aren't long enough... This I why I buy wide strips of latigo, so I have plenty extra to cut straps from, and then the thickness of the leather is more consistent, as opposed to the first time when I ran out...

I have a 3 strap/2 slider system on my front deck. This system doesn't really tighten anything, but it does seem to trap a norsaq or spare paddle if you slide the slider over to it. I'd much rather have 2 sliders per pair of straps (as most do for behind the cockpit) because moving the sliders to the outside does tighten the straps.

I don't have any beads on my straps forward of the cockpit. I imagine they would prevent the sliders from full range of movement. It looks pretty and traditional, but I think that utility was more important for me.

I caution you to put the first strap forward of the cockpit well forward. I thought I did for mine, but I find that I frequently catch the corners of my thumbnails on the straps right where they dive over edge of the gunwale. (Sometimes) painful "D'oh!" reminders...

Brian

: I am using latigo leather deck lines for my SOF. I plan on using 3
: lines in front of the cockpit with 2 sliders. One slider between
: lines 1 and 2 on the right and one slider between lines 2 and 3
: on the left. I also will be using one bead on line 1 on the left
: and one bead on line 3 on the right. Kinda like the pic shown
: (minus the seals). Behind the cockpit, I'm using 2 deck lines
: with 2 sliders. Question: How tight/loose do I put the deck
: lines on?

: Also, do I have to do each line separately or can I run them
: continuously?

: Thanks everyone.

: Rosanna