Are you prepared?

[Harry Hill]

Originally Posted by alanw

You sure 6 will keep it up? I mean if you're going to do it, you gotta put enough or it's like having none.

I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to just use pour foam, pour it in from the hatch to fill the bow and stern. if you use the light weight stuff you could fill to the hatches and have floatation plus it would take away space for water to fill.

[da22y]

This is much better than the noodles...

https://www.amazon.com/Harmony-Vinyl...otation+Bag%3A

[PapaDave]

This is better, IMHO...

https://www.amazon.com/GREAT-STUFF-W...rds=spray+foam

(It's only 3.99 at WalMart, and will fill a good portion of your hull)

[mpc]

RE : pool noodles. I recently added some to my boat project to fill some miscellaneous voids for more floatation. I did a crude water test with weight tied to a noodle because I was curious. It calculated out to a 4' Dollar Store noodle being able to float about 10 pounds of weight. Your mileage may vary.

[fongman]

Originally Posted by PapaDave

This is better, IMHO...

https://www.amazon.com/GREAT-STUFF-W...rds=spray+foam

I was reading this thread on iboats.com about using Great Stuff for Marine applications. This one guy made a lot of sense. Take it for what it is worth. "Great stuff is great for sealing up around doors and windows in the house but for what you are intending I would say it sucks. Take one can of it and try to fill a one cubic foot cardboard box. Ain't gonna happen. On top of that it will be wet forever in thick sections. The pourable foam expand much more and is a two part mix that cures solid in about 15 minutes. It is worth the extra money but I don't think there is extra money."

I have researched the 2 part pour foam for one of my projects. It is the recommended type of foam for marine applications. It comes in different weights; 2lb, 4lb, 6lb, 8lb, etc. The weight refers to the weight of 1 cubic foot when using each of those foams. The heavier the foam, the higher the density and the harder the foam. The 2 and 4 lb density foams expand the most and are used for flotation. Here's a link to a SD company that carries it. Check out the FAQ if you have any questions. 1 cu ft of 2 lb density foam will float about 60 lbs, so your kayak would take about 1 cu ft of this foam. You would need the 1/2 gallon kit (1 qt of part A and 1 qt of part B) of the 2 lb density foam since it makes 2 cubic feet.

You have to work fast with it. After about 20 seconds of mixing, you have less than a minute to pour it before it starts to rise. In 3-4 minutes it is getting hard.

[jruiz]

So basically everyone is converting their sit on top kayaks to stand up paddle boards.

[Starsky]

Seriously guys, kayak fishing has been around a long time, things like this happen. I don't think we need to fill our hulls with foam, as long as we follow all the safety guidelines and keep a watchful eye, we can be prepared for a situation like this. It's not the first time and definitely won't be the last, I think you guys are over-thinking this.

[jorluivil]

Originally Posted by Starsky

Seriously guys, kayak fishing has been around a long time, things like this happen. I don't think we need to fill our hulls with foam, as long as we follow all the safety guidelines and keep a watchful eye, we can be prepared for a situation like this. It's not the first time and definitely won't be the last, I think you guys are over-thinking this.

That's a bit of an understatement.

I think I'll take some milk jugs, fill them with expanding foam, tie the milk jugs to buoys and stick them in my haul......that'll keep it from sinking.

[fongman]

Originally Posted by Starsky

........ I think you guys are over-thinking this.

AGREED. I personally wouldn't do it, but if he is going to do it, he might as well do it right!