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Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
By:Allan
Date: 5/1/2011, 7:15 am
In Response To: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice (Peter B)

Having seen well over a hundred 8 to 15 year olds in canoes and kayaks, my impression is that the problem is not that the kayak is not sufficiently stable, but that he thinks it is not stable. As you have said that he is not a heavyweight, my observations confirm what Tom has said. 19" is quite wide for a child's kayak. I assume that you have the seat as low as is practical.

It is not unusual for people, both adults and children, to have quite unfounded fears about the stability of kayaks or the danger of being trapped in them. So your son's reluctance is not unique. Usually they overcome those fears with a little bit of encouragement and some time in the kayak. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a "one size fits all" solution. Several people here have offered some useful ideas. As you know your son better than we do, I guess you will just have to try whichever ideas you think he will respond best to.

My advice for what it is worth is to try any or all of the ideas offered here, but don't whatever you do, buy him a wide plastic kayak. What he has now is a vastly superior craft.

Messages In This Thread

Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Peter B -- 4/29/2011, 8:52 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Bill Hamm -- 4/29/2011, 9:18 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Peter B -- 4/29/2011, 9:22 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Bill Hamm -- 4/29/2011, 9:32 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Peter B -- 4/29/2011, 9:39 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Bill Hamm -- 4/29/2011, 9:48 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice *PIC*
Tom Yost -- 4/29/2011, 10:20 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Doug S -- 4/29/2011, 10:41 am
Re: Training Wheels?
Charlie -- 4/29/2011, 10:59 am
Re: Training Wheels?
Clayton Plunkett -- 4/29/2011, 11:14 am
Re: Training Wheels? - ROLL
Foster -- 4/29/2011, 12:04 pm
Re: Training Wheels? - ROLL
Peter B -- 4/29/2011, 12:27 pm
Re: Training Wheels? - ROLL
Bill Hamm -- 4/29/2011, 2:32 pm
Re: Training Wheels?
Tom Yost -- 4/29/2011, 11:20 am
Re: Training Wheels?
Charlie -- 4/29/2011, 4:56 pm
Re: Training Wheels?
Tom Yost -- 4/29/2011, 8:24 pm
Re: Training Wheels?
Charlie -- 4/30/2011, 12:53 am
Re: Training Wheels?
Bill Hamm -- 4/30/2011, 7:12 am
Re: Training Wheels?
Tom Yost -- 4/30/2011, 10:06 am
Re: Training Wheels?
George in Va -- 4/30/2011, 4:09 pm
Re: Training Wheels?
Peter B -- 4/30/2011, 4:17 pm
Re: Training Wheels?
Farback -- 4/29/2011, 11:40 am
Re: Training Wheels?
StephenHJ -- 4/29/2011, 11:43 am
Re: Training Wheels?
Tom Yost -- 4/29/2011, 11:54 am
Re: Training Wheels? Gull Wing!
Ken Brunton -- 5/1/2011, 10:50 am
Re: Training Wheels?
Kevin McAtee -- 7/21/2011, 7:38 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Dean -- 4/29/2011, 2:13 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Peter B -- 7/17/2011, 9:41 pm
Ballast?? *NM*
Tony Ling -- 7/22/2011, 4:52 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Mark Seilis -- 4/30/2011, 12:06 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
StephenHJ -- 4/30/2011, 3:33 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Allan -- 5/1/2011, 7:15 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Bill Hamm -- 5/2/2011, 12:50 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Mike Savage -- 5/2/2011, 7:24 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Bill Hamm -- 5/3/2011, 1:38 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Mike Savage -- 5/3/2011, 7:28 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Peter B -- 5/3/2011, 4:24 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Bill Hamm -- 5/4/2011, 1:46 am
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Peter B -- 7/21/2011, 3:10 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Allan -- 7/21/2011, 6:24 pm
Re: Skin-on-Frame: Kids SOF advice
Paul G. Jacobson -- 7/22/2011, 8:00 am