You can use inflatable hull fenders for flotation. I used to have 8 fenders strung together in two daisy chains. I could slide a string of four outside the scupper posts in the hull of my Drifter. The fenders are extremely durable and hold air virtually forever. The problem with them is the weight and the loss of internal storage space. When I started paddling an X-Factor with a Kayatank I lost the ability to stow rods on the centerline. I had to stow them outboard of the scupper posts. To do that, I had to scrap the fenders. I only kept a couple in the stern and one in the bow; just enough to keep a swamped yak near the surface.

Inflatable fenders
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|10391|321174|30250|321909&id=1110593

As I mentioned in the thread about pool noodles, they won't make a swamped kayak stable enough to hold you upright, but they will keep it at the surface so you can recover your gear and the kayak. I flooded my Drifter just to see how it would handle with 7 fenders inside. It remained floating with the deck barely awash, but I couldn't sit on it.

Attn. Kayak manufacturers!
 

If anyone who works closely with some of the kayak manufacturers is reading this thread, please take this message home. Kayaks need to be designed so they have positive buoyancy.

It would be very easy to build in a sealed bulkhead or two. The obvious places would be in the bow and stern but the space right under the seat might be another good place.

Someone called the story in Bigbarrel's thread a "teachable moment". With thousands of views and close to 100 comments, it is clear that this is an issue that many yakfishers consider important. Hopefully the manufacturers will take notice.

Bob

Be careful what you ask for. When the manufacturers start installing internal bulkheads and foam flotation several things happen:

1: Price goes up. Rotomolding doesn't do internal bulkheads. Those will have to be installed by hand after molding. Same goes for flotation foam. The hull shapes of SOT kayaks are not as conducive to installation of internal bulkheads as are those of SIK.

2: Internal volume goes down. There will be less space to stow rods or your catch.

3: Modifications become more difficult. You will have to remove or cut through internal bulkheads/foam to route wiring or rudder cables. It will still require some amount of modification to get your kayak just the way you want it for your needs.

It has been proven that, short of filling the entire kayak with foam, the internal flotation devices are not adequate to keep a kayak on the surface AND stable enough to paddle/sit on. At best, it will keep the swamped kayak at the surface so you can hang onto it for support and visibility while you're in the water. You can already achieve that with relatively cheap, easy-to-find materials such as pool noodles, inflatable fenders and flotation bags. The current system gives the owner flexibility to select the level of internal flotation, storage and access that he needs and wants. I would rather have it that way than getting a one-size-fits-all product from the manufacturer.

Just my two cents

Douglas, I am sure you are right on all counts but a modular sealed flotation "bulkhead" that is designed to fit in the unused spaces could be easily designed and installed. It would not have to be part of the rotomolding process but rather a piece that gets put in place just like a hatch cover.

Sure this would add a bit of weight and maybe get in the way of rod storage in some situations but it it keeps a yak afloat in an emergency or saves a life, I think it might be a good trade off.

Bob