additional flotation

[tibro]

I recieved a Pungo for my 50th birthday! I hope to fish the Thames river area in Connecticut and Narraganset Bay in Rhode Island. I hope I can hookup with someone from the boards here who would be willing to spend a little time with a kayaking novice, I know how to fish but the kayak is a new experience.My question today is weighing in at 220-230 lbs should I add additional flotation to the yak ? If yes what would you reccomend ? Airbags, permanent injectable foam etc. Will adding flotation alter the stability of the Yak ? Thanks for any advice . tibro:)

[bluewatr]

I would definately add as much floatation as you can fit. Adds more bouiancy (spelling?) and makes things a whole lot safer should you dump. Be sure to have a bildge pump very accesible also and secure somewhere where it can not fall out should you dump. If you want to go sometime let me know.

-mike

[Bob Parsons]

Adding airbags will do nothing for bouancy while your upright and dry. But if your not wearing a sprayskirt then the airbags will be a great help keeping a swamped boat up and if your careful you can stay upright and bail it out.

[rockfisherman]

I have airbags, front and rear for my Pungo SuperLight. Hopefully they will help in the event of a collision ;). Once inflated, it only takes a minute to tie them in when launching. They will occupy space that water would in the event of a dunking, and provide additional floatation. The sticker on the inside of the SuperLight says you must use them. On the advice of the kayak store I had already bought inflatable floatation for my other yak. It doesn't take as long as I thought to install it each time. I thought it would be a PITA while I anxious to get out and fish.

Just the same, I'd be interested in hearing about injectable or canned floatation foam myself.

[SamRiley]

In addition to the sealed hold in the stern and structural closed cell foam in the bow, I've squeezed in to float bags that I leave in and only pull out for cleaning the yak. As a word of caution, if you have had fish sloshing around in your craft and you leave your float bags in place for extended periods of time, fish juice will get stuck behind them and get pretty ripe. Almost passed out the first time I removed them:D

[bluewatr]

Sam,

It was an instructor of 20 years during a clinic at CC&K two weeks ago whom I quoted saying that the airbags would add bouancy. You may be correct... But this guy really knows his stuff and has also been building kayaks for years now.


AT any rate. Air bags are a must!

[SamRiley]

Hey bluewater -
It was Bob P who said that air bags would do nothing for your bouancy, not me.... but he was correct and so get the gold star for the day :p although saying that they are a must earned you half credit :)

The only time the bags have any effect is when the displacement of your yak is taken out of the equation... like when water start pouring in. Then it's the bags that do the displacing instead of your hull.

[bluewatr]

Thanks Sam and Bob!

[ruge13]

tibro, Bob was right, it wil not help bouyancy when you are paddling along in the boat. If you want to do that glue some floats the the bottom of the outside of your yak....no don't really do that. Airbags will save you alot of pumping when you right the yak after taking a swim in the drink. and if you can't get back in, at least something to float on....Your wieght is not a consideration, pungos are rated for much more wieght than that.
as for permanent foam....this will work like an airbag but, its pernament. You may want to customize later on, i.e in deck rod holders etc. You may even want to add a bulkhead, in this case foam is a bad idea. Airbags will allow you to make modifications. But they are a must if nothing else than a cheap way to save you from doing alot of bailing and pumping when you take a dive....either addition will in no way alter the stability of your yak, as they said...its displacement not weight....this will not alter your displacement at all since you are not altering the dimentions of your yak

[Bob Parsons]

Airbags are lighter than permanent foam. Permanent foam will break down eventually.

[Coof]

You guys know about those silly swim "noodles"
the kids use at the beach? They work great for additional displacement/boyancy in kayaks. If you cut them slightly longer than yer yak, they bend and conform to the shape of the gunnell, allowing room for all those extras below deck. Cheap, cuttable and conformable.............they even come in different colors!

[RJ]

Coof,

Your the best! I have air bags, but bright orange noodles for suplemental floatation is just the ticket. My new PUNGO is sand in color and I have a minor concern about visability, and I was thinking of carrying a bright orange flag. You've saved the day! A bright orange noodle, stuffed under the deck will be accessable for pulling out and extending a large Rhode Island single digit salute to the stink-pot crowd. I love items that function at different levels of awareness. And I can buy them on sale at Wal-Mart!

Thank you Sir!



;)

[ruge13]

Rj, I find paintball guns work great for boats that think watching bounce around holding on for dear life in their wake is funny....just make sure you can paddle fast....

[RIBill]

bluewatr: you would be well advised to hook up with tibro for some paddling... if memory serves, he has some weakfish secrets!!! Sam Riley: I know how you feel about putting a weakie in your yak, so you might also take note. sorry to spill the beans, tibro!

as for floatation: I guess I should add some... I've seen Paul's (R'man) and it does appear to be easy to install etc.

sounds like we should have a yakkin good get together at some point in the next couple weeks/months. I'll talk to R'man about hosting something in Rhody, maybe tibro and bluewatr play host in CT, and Sam does the honors on the Cape. food for thought. RJ, as I recall you make your way east as the season progresses, yes? I'm sure that there are others who'd join such a flotilla... :)

[SamRiley]

Weakfish... let me at em :)
Landing my first is high on this year's priority list. Any info would be greatly appreciated by your friendly moderator

[bluewatr]

tibro,
Let's go at it!

Sam,
New Haven Harbor,

RIBILL,

Any time I would love to show some folks around the mouth of the CT.....

Now it's tide to East at night fall! Water is clearing believe it or not! Although presently sharp drop in temp on outgoing down to 50-52 degs due to all the rain......

Easy launching and 10-15 min paddle to the fishy water depending on water level (various routes)..

-mike

[BluesCruiser]

Tibro , I am 6' at 230 and the pungo holds me just fine

:-%

[chickenhead]

Does anybody have a recommended brand/size of bow floatation bag for a Pungo 140? Mine has a foam insert in it. Do you remove that or do they make float bags designed to fit around that. I just got my Pungo over the winter, and have most of what I need (I think). This is the last essential item on my list. Thanks for any help.
Matt

[SamRiley]

Is the foam in the bow a bulkhead (sealing off access) or structural (running down the center line). If the latter (like my yak) I'd just stick a bag on each side and inflate. If you have a bulkhead, then you should be all set w/o the bags.

If you have to install bags, be sure to remove them a few times each season to clean out the yak. Nothing says breakfast more than reconstituted Bluefish puke http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/wuerg/vomit-smiley-015.gif

[chickenhead]

Its structural, down the center. Two bags it is. Thanks for the cleaning tip, that's the kind of thing I'd not think of until I was down wind on a nice warm day. At this point I'm almost willing to make the sacrafice, just to have a nice warm day!