This is a fairly obvious question, but I could not find much info on
the subject.
I have a dagger RPM, and I want to get air bags for it. However, I'd
like to keep room to put a dry bag (in the stern, because the bow is
inaccessible due to bulkhead footrests). My plan was to put 1 bow and 1
stern air bags (on opposite sides, to keep it flat), leaving 1 stern
"bay" for kit.
Does that seem a resaonable ? or do you really need to go for 2 font /
2 back air bags ?
Cheers,
MB

It doesn't matter where you put the air bags in your boat, it will sit level
in the water untill you swim and it fills with water. I have an I:3 221 and
only have 1 stern air bag as it has very little room and when carrying a
drink, splits and a throw line it gets a bit cramped, there is a solution,
just fit stern air bags and deflate them when you want to put kit in, then
blow them back up again. Not sure on the foot plate situ with the RPM as I
haven't paddled one for ages but if you wanted you could put a small one
infront of it if you so wish. Hope this helps!

Mike

"MB" wrote in message
oups.com...
This is a fairly obvious question, but I could not find much info on
the subject.
I have a dagger RPM, and I want to get air bags for it. However, I'd
like to keep room to put a dry bag (in the stern, because the bow is
inaccessible due to bulkhead footrests). My plan was to put 1 bow and 1
stern air bags (on opposite sides, to keep it flat), leaving 1 stern
"bay" for kit.
Does that seem a resaonable ? or do you really need to go for 2 font /
2 back air bags ?
Cheers,
MB

"MB" wrote in message
oups.com...
This is a fairly obvious question, but I could not find much info on
the subject.
I have a dagger RPM, and I want to get air bags for it. However, I'd
like to keep room to put a dry bag (in the stern, because the bow is
inaccessible due to bulkhead footrests). My plan was to put 1 bow and 1
stern air bags (on opposite sides, to keep it flat), leaving 1 stern
"bay" for kit.
Does that seem a resaonable ? or do you really need to go for 2 font /
2 back air bags ?


We fit two rear and deflate them to store kit. Kit is also carried in
airtight bags so acts as bouyancy too.

You only need airbags when you get swamped/ go for a swim. Until then all
they doo is take up space. Once you go for a swim air bags make recovery of
the boat easier (generally) - esp in X rescues, particularly if the rescuer
is small, or the rescuer's boat is small.

Having one airbag at one side at the rear may complicate things - I must
try this next time we are messing about and see if it makes any difference.

I suppose, like most things, there will be many different options :-)

Ewan Scott

Ewan Scott wrote:
You only need airbags when you get swamped/ go for a swim. Until then all
they doo is take up space.

True. That's all they do when you swim, too, of course.

Steve

Thanks for the input.
Yes I realise that the bags are only any use when you go swimming, but
surely having a sensible distribution of bouyancy is helpful for
recovery. If you put 2 bags front and back on the same side (the RPM
has split front and back), the boat would float go on it's side when
full of water, which would be a pain to recover... same goes for
all-at-the-front or all-at-the-back options (although inherent buoyancy
should prevent the nose or stern (whichever doesn't have the bags)
sinking altogether) ? if it wasn't December, I'd go out and try it !
Given the cost of air bags, I'm going to investigate recycling plastic
milk bottles for the back. A combination of 2, 4 and 6 pint sizes
should fill the space quite nicely at the back... might rattle though.
The front will be more tricky, cause it needs to go past the foot rests
flat.
MB

"cramersec" wrote in message
oups.com...

Ewan Scott wrote:
You only need airbags when you get swamped/ go for a swim. Until then
all
they doo is take up space.

True. That's all they do when you swim, too, of course.


I've heard folks claim that having airbags helps them in white water by
giving added bouyancy. I don't try to explain that they don't make any
difference because it is too counter such myths. Physics should really be
manadatory at school :-)

Ewan Scott

"MB" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for the input.
Yes I realise that the bags are only any use when you go swimming, but
surely having a sensible distribution of bouyancy is helpful for
recovery. If you put 2 bags front and back on the same side (the RPM
has split front and back), the boat would float go on it's side when
full of water, which would be a pain to recover... same goes for
all-at-the-front or all-at-the-back options (although inherent buoyancy
should prevent the nose or stern (whichever doesn't have the bags)
sinking altogether) ? if it wasn't December, I'd go out and try it !
Given the cost of air bags, I'm going to investigate recycling plastic
milk bottles for the back. A combination of 2, 4 and 6 pint sizes
should fill the space quite nicely at the back... might rattle though.
The front will be more tricky, cause it needs to go past the foot rests
flat.



Milk bottles might be cheaper but they are less flexible.

Don't know what sort of kayak you have, or where you paddle, but let's say
you have £500 worth of kit in your boat. You are paddling down a river, you
are somewhere where egress from the river is difficult, you go for a swim,
your boat swamps, your milk bottles dislodge (even if tied in) and you then
have a great struggle to recover self and boat. Or, fit £50 quid worth of
heavy duty airbags and at least your boat will be a/ more visible when
swamped, b/ easier to empty/ rescue, and your kit will still usually be
secure in your boat.

BTW, I'd also add that it false economy to buy cheap poly airbags. Better to
spend a little and get heavy duty ones that are tear resistant.

OTOH, milk bottles may be an excellent solution :-)

Ewan Scott

point taken.
It costs nothing to try, and it will be pretty obvious whether it is
secure or not. If they can be secured, they will certainly provide a
robust/heavy duty solution.

"MB" wrote in message
ups.com...
point taken.
It costs nothing to try, and it will be pretty obvious whether it is
secure or not. If they can be secured, they will certainly provide a
robust/heavy duty solution.


I don't mean to sound dismissive. I'm involved with Scouts and as long as
I've been involved I've come across adults who think that we can get away
with second-hand wolly jumpers, welly boots, tin cans and string and my
experience says that kids won't go with shoddy ideas any more. So when we
kitted out we went for the best we could get money for. That included poly
airbags all round. However, we are gradually changing to heavy duty bags as
the poly ones get punctured.

I've got nothing against folks who try "Heath Robinson" solutions, just that
I'm not keen on them myself.

Ewan Scott

I've heard folks claim that having airbags helps them in white water by
giving added bouyancy. I don't try to explain that they don't make any
difference because it is too counter such myths. Physics should really be
manadatory at school :-)

Ewan Scott

I'll second the physics at school motion, if this was true I'd be paddling
quite funny, what with my single sided air bag and splits in the other. I
paid £13 for my motion research airbag and it's fine, taken a beating this
season since sept (...ahem) and still isn't punctured.

As for Milk cartons, they work till the boat fills with water, then they
give up on life and either pop the lids off or go wondering down stream. The
air bags on the same side sounds as if it might work, if it fills with a
large quantity of water it's easier to pull it up from the side to let some
water out, then lift it on it's end (the one with the airbags in so they
displace the water) and drag it onto your deck to empty. If it's just
displace water while it's being towed to the side then I'd place two at the
rear as this is the most common place to put them (unless it's a creeker
then I'd also have some infront of the foot plate. Maybe this will help with
re-surfacing...... *cough*)

Mike