Serge wrote:
This is the common problem.
None of the remedies described above help much.

1. You need a kayak with higher deck to let you bend legs at the knees more.
It might not be much better, because with higher deck you might get a
real clunker - big and heavy expedition style kayak.

2. Another option is "open cockpit" racing kayak like West Side Boat Shop
or Nelo. You probably never heard of them.
These are fast and tippy (18" wide) kayaks - not good for a beginner.

3. Surf ski is another knee - friendly craft. They are "sit on top" style.
Those are even tippier than kayaks.

Kayaks were invented by generally small people for specific tasks
and do not suit all the people.

Modern forward paddling stroke technique generally requires you to
seat with your knees up and torso unobstructed for rotation so
most of the kayaks that would feel comfortable for you are built
for racing.

I had the same problem and abandoned "sit in" kayaks if favor of
surf ski and never felt any numbness or even tension ever since.

While it's possible that these ideas may help, they are by no means the
only solutions. There are MANY ways to paddle a kayak and having your
knees bent IS NOT mandatory. Greenland technique uses relatively
straight legs and works every bit as well and modern techniques. It's
also quite comfortable for many people. Similarly, large or open
cockpits are not only NOT necessary, many people find small ocean
cockpits to be more comfortable and far more supportive. It's easier to
get good knee/thigh contact with the boat when you don't have a huge
hole in the deck. It's also nearly impossible to fall out of the boat
unless you want to.

Here are a couple suggestions:

- Reposition your foot pegs so that you can fully straighten your legs
if you want to. You can still brace simply by flexing your feet forward
against the pegs, but you're not wedged in place uncomfortably.

- Consider replacing the seat with a custom made foam seat. It's easy to
do in most boats and typically makes a huge difference in comfort. You
can make the seat with as much support as you need and whatever angle is
comfortable for you. One simple method is shown in some of my Webshots
albums at:

http://community.webshots.com/user/brian_nystrom