Breakdown Paddle, Dry bag - and seat positioning
Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=15591
Printed Date: 03 Sep 2025 at 11:28am
Topic: Breakdown Paddle, Dry bag - and seat positioning
Posted By: Matt Haverly
Subject: Breakdown Paddle, Dry bag - and seat positioning
Date Posted: 09 Jul 2016 at 10:32pm
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I just got a 4 piece breakdown paddle and a dry bag to put it in, and placed it in the stern of my kayak. I have been paddling my kayak - a Jackson Zen - with a seat positioning on notch back from the center position (common positions for seat in that boat are center, or one notch back from center).
The boat really seemed to handle different today. Could only adding that much cargo to the stern really make a noticeable difference? Have any of you experienced this and had to adjust seat when even adding just a few pounds of cargo to the stern of a river runner?  ------------- Matt Haverly Sultan, Washington matthaverlymobile@gmail.com |
Replies:
Posted By: megspk
Date Posted: 10 Jul 2016 at 9:29am
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Did you try putting two pieces in each side of the stern? Then the weight is more balanced.
You can paddle a fully loaded boat without it changing how the boat performs too much. The big difference you'll see with significant added weight is sluggishness. The roll won't be affected much and you can punch through things easier with the added weight (but I'm talking a boat full of camping gear). ------------- “A strong person and a waterfall always channel their own path.” -Unknown |
Posted By: Matt Haverly
Date Posted: 10 Jul 2016 at 9:31pm
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I tried moving the seat forward one notch to the center, and it seemed to work much better all the way around. It was a little easier to try that than to reposition the breakdown paddle (I don't presently have 2 dry bags for each half of the paddle), but I think I will try that also soon if I can. The guy I was boating with today mentioned that in sea kayaking, distributing the weight in the boat has a significant impact if it is not balanced front to back. Probably same for whitewater, and perhaps moreso if you are already at the upper end of the suggested weight range for the boat, which I am (unfortunately). But for now, moving the seat forward a notch is working.
------------- Matt Haverly Sultan, Washington matthaverlymobile@gmail.com |
Posted By: cchollnd
Date Posted: 11 Jul 2016 at 6:13pm
| Just curious, but why use dry bags? Its extra weight and your paddle is waterproof. I put two pieces of the paddle on each side of the center pillar in the stern and use my float bags to hold them in place. Works real well. |
Posted By: Dale
Date Posted: 11 Jul 2016 at 9:05pm
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What cchollnd said.
You can also add a couple of loops of bungie through the rear center pillar to help hold them in place. Is there room in the bow for the 2 smaller sections of paddle? That would help a bit with the balance issue. |
Posted By: Matt Haverly
Date Posted: 11 Jul 2016 at 10:16pm
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cchollnd, I had to use a breakdown paddle that belonged to somebody else that kept it in their boat and due to dirt and sand getting into the joints, we almost were not able to put it together at all. I've talked to others who have experienced difficulty with breakdown paddles getting exposed to sand/dirt when not connected, and being forced to send them back to the manufacturer. Some breakdown paddles do a better job of creating joints that are not as vulnerable to elements but in turn they are not the type of paddles that I would actually want to paddle with. So I keep my Werner Powerhouse breakdown paddle inside a dry bag - purely to keep the joints from exposure to sand while not assembled. ------------- Matt Haverly Sultan, Washington matthaverlymobile@gmail.com |