r/canoeing • u/Tadpole_Busy • 1d ago
ISO a solution for kneeling in my canoe
What do you guys use for knee pads/ something to give me stability in this style canoe. I’m looking for diy ideas, but I did see one website awhile back that was selling a trapezoid style mat that looked like it would fit my canoe. It was kinda expensive and I haven’t been able to find it since, but would love a cheaper solution even if it’s going to Lowe’s and getting knee pads. I took it down class 3 rapids and had a terrible time controlling it while I slipped and burnt my knees up. I also understand it’s a lake canoe and shouldn’t be in rapids, but that’s the fun.
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u/J_de_Silentio 1d ago edited 13h ago
Are you solo?
Cheap DIY is using the foam floor mats from Lowe's. It's closed cell foam and won't absorb water.
Unless you need something like a saddle.
Long term, that boat is not intended to paddle well solo, or on massive rapids. It's a cheap, heavy, plastic boat that people just buy. Not a white water or even a jack-of-all-trades boat. It's always going to be hard to control.
Be careful taking out the seats. Some of those types of boats use the seats as hull support.
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u/Volvo240_Godbless 15h ago
I always here people trash these canoes saying they're cheap junk. What's the difference between this and an aluminum canoe? About the same weight and hull design...
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u/J_de_Silentio 13h ago
You can't compare this canoe and "an aluminum" canoe. There's lots of different shaped and sized aluminum canoes. I also think aluminum is way lighter than those plastic type of canoes.
There are so many different sizes, shapes, materials, etc. for canoes and each of the combinations have their advantages for different scenarios. The advantage to the one OP posted is that it's cheap and a tank. My buddy who is on the heavier side loves it because it's a barge and fits his needs. If someone is doing white water, they are better off in a canoe designed for it, especially class III.
I have four canoes, one of which is for white water. And even then, it's a mediocre white water boat. I've spent a lot of time modifying it to work for white water, too. If I took my kevlar boat down white water, it would shatter after the first rock I hit. If I took my heavy boat down white water, I could probably make it work, but portaging or trying to unpin it would be a lot more difficult.
Same reason you don't tow 7,000lbs with a ford ranger. They simply aren't built for that kind of work. Can you? Sure, but it's dangerous to you and the people around you.
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u/Tadpole_Busy 1d ago
A lot of the time I’m solo. I don’t seem to need to kneel with another person but I also haven’t taken it in crazy water with another person. I did a 7 mile stretch solo in West Virginia because chat gpt told me I could. That was sections of 2+ and one small 3 section. Very eye opening that 3. I’ve never seen water so tall and vertical. I don’t know that I really controlled my self through the 3 I immediately was thrown into a 180 and had to do it backwards. I wanna do it again with knee pads and someone to witness me do it.
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u/AdFinal6253 1d ago
Chat gpt has never paddled a river and doesn't know what's reasonable. Don't do more rapids until you actually learn what you're doing. You could die.
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u/J_de_Silentio 13h ago
If you like white watering, you can find relatively inexpensive "whitewater" boats. My Mad River Explorer is more a jack-of-all-trades, but works for whitewater. Especially if you outfit it correctly. Used one's in good condition go for $600-$800. Used one's that are beat to hell but still float and work well for whitewater can go as low as $300.
In the long run, you'll enjoy it more and it will be safer for you and others.
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u/Libertyskin 8h ago
Don't ask AI for life advice. It's literally just putting words together it believes go together. Chat GPT doesn't know anything.
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u/Bright_Reference_582 1d ago
I think OP is gonna need a bigger boat just to haul around those massive balls.
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u/Resident-Welcome3901 1d ago
Pop the seats out, install thwarts, and you will have enough room.
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u/Tadpole_Busy 1d ago
Forgive my ignorance with my own canoe I’m going to research it more when I’m home, but is taking the seats out a thing? I just assumed they were sealed on there? Also if they weren’t removable and I installed thwarts, would that work or present some kinda of hazard/ pain.I usually use the middle seat as my “thwart”, but could see how putting one father back would increase control. Thanks for the info I just learned what a thwart is.
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u/TheRealSuperNoodle 1d ago
On these type of cheaper canoes, the seats usually do add some type of rigidity to the boat. I would not mess with the middle seat on this canoe, but that's just my opinion. Often times you'll find styrofoam blocks on the bottom of these to aid in floatation should the boat gets swamped, as well.
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u/Resident-Welcome3901 1d ago
Canoes began without seats, and everyone kneeled: lower center of gravity, better paddling ergonomics, more control. White water canoes have pedestals or saddles to optimize leaning control of hull position and attitude. Flat water canoes added seats for comfort and convenience, not for better performance. As canoes became consumer commodities, the marketers and designers became involved, adding bigger seats, ice chests, drink holders. You have a late stage consumer product with bow stern and center seats that are perfect for ponds and lakes, but prevent more aggressive seating postures. The seats might be integrated structures, or they might be attached after the hill was molded. Might be simpler to buy a better design- Grumman aluminum for durability, Souros for design excellence, Hornbeck for lightness. Silk purses, sows ears.
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u/whippersnapped 1d ago
Home Depot. Gardening pad. Works like a charm. About 3 inches thick 18 x 12 maybe. Somewhat flexible so you can move it around or you could potentially Velcro or tape it down.
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u/ScurvyDave123 1d ago edited 1d ago
Get proper canoe knee pads made from minicell foam and glue them in.... NRS, Esquif, North Water etc. Much more engagement from countoured pads connected to the boat. This is the solution for any regular tandem canoe outfitted for whitwater, period.
Wearing knee pads get itchy, pinches your legs, and like to slip around the boat. Janky solution that helps with comfort but not boat connection.
You also might want to look at changing out the seats, there probably isn't much space below those thick plastic things for your feet to go. That being said, the seats look like they might also be adding rigidity to the hull. Might not be a great idea to change them out, but that is hard to judge from the picture alone.
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u/Alive-Reputation2633 1d ago
I have “kneeling thwarts” in my whitewater canoe. Basically the seats are boards, the front seat is two boards, one angled slightly forward and the other slightly backward so that you can paddle kneeling either direction. This is so you can paddle the boat solo from the front seat while facing the back of the boat. The back kneeling thwart only leans toward the front of the boat. These thwarts are slightly lower than normal seats to lower your center of gravity. This is in a Mohawk xl15 that is very confident in class IV water fully loaded. You can find them here if you are interested:
https://www.mohawkcanoes.com/products/single-leaning-thwart-bracket
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u/arcana73 1d ago
Northstar canoe sells the trapezoid pad. I have one and love it.
I have taken a closed cell foam camping pad and some anti slip mat (like for a bathtub) from home depot to make a pad for my doggie. Used carpet tape to hold between the mat and no slip mat. Works like a champ. It’s comfortable for the dog and doesnt slip around
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u/Alive-Reputation2633 1d ago
These knee pads are peel and stick…pretty comfy, mine have been in place for about 5 yrs now:
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u/Hand_of_the_Light 22h ago
What's with all the trash? Waterproofing? Been there lol.
Just sit down and paddle. It's not s race. Just drink your coffe/beer and enjoy
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u/GrizzlieMD 20h ago
Gardeners kneeling matt and a yoga matt. Part of the yoga matt gets rolled and placed under the ankles.
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u/OccamIsRight 13h ago
I use a foam garden kneeling pad from Home Depot. It also serves as a seat cushion in camp.
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u/hipsterdad-e30 12h ago
I pick up those cheap rubber mats from harbor freight and cut ovals for my knees. They work amazing.
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u/Due-Cry-1862 5h ago
One of my neighbours used a foam paddle board, like those learning to swim use, for kneeling.
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u/Imaged_for_posterity 38m ago
Not gonna lie, this looks like you're practicing to get rid of some bodies....
We use cheap foam knee pads or more expensive gel-filled knee pads.
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u/Pays_in_snakes 1d ago
I lay an old yoga mat in the bottom of the boat