At Necky we wanted to design an outfitting system that was simple, durable, and easily customized to individual needs. The basic system in our touring boats comprises an alloy seat cradle, foam seat, backband with forward adjustment, and adjustable thigh bracing. For most users this basic system can be adjusted to afford great comfort and boat control without additional work.
Some paddlers, however, enjoy a highly customized cockpit, and we understand that. Some of us have been known to go to great lengths to modify our own boats for a perfect custom fit. The Necky system is designed to allow for this.
The seat can be easily removed and replaced by a hand shaped, or other foam, seat. It can also be shimmed, or trimmed with a razor knife. The alloy cradle can be drilled to attach numerous backbands as well, for those who prefer the simplicity of a basic, rear-adjustable backband. Likewise, the thigh braces can be positioned and padded further with foam, or removed entirely. For those wanting the ultimate in aggressive thigh hooks, you can order the Whitewater Hooks from Necky or your dealer.
Customization affords the ultimate in comfort and boat control for not only experienced kayakers, but also beginners learning skills such as bracing and rolling. Experienced paddlers are familiar with gluing foam into boats and shaping it for a perfect fit. You can purchase two-pound Minicell foam from most kayak shops for this purpose. Typically, this foam comes in a gray color and can be cut with a bread knife, band saw, or similar saw. You can become very creative in shaping hip pads and thigh pads using simple tools. Once the foam is cut to rough shape, it's easy to further refine it with a sureform or 40-grit sandpaper. This process is fun, and the pleasure in paddling a customized cockpit is worth the effort.
Contact cement works best for gluing foam to the seat cradle, thigh hooks, or inner surface of the kayak. For composite boats any weatherproof variety will serve, but we've found that 3M's 4693 Scotchgrip Adhesive works very well on both composite and polyethylene boats. On poly kayaks it's more effective if you rough up the surface a bit before applying adhesive. Simply coat the surface of the boat to be "adhered to" and the surface of the foam part to be "adhered." Let adhesive dry for a few minutes, and then press surfaces together. Now you can do the final shaping with 40-grit sandpaper or a sureform, then vacuum up the dust and give it a try!
For some, custom cockpit outfitting may consist of nothing more than adding some hip shims to the cradle. Others may want to pad more heavily under the thigh braces, affix highly shaped hip pads, and even put in a hand-shaped foam seat. Whatever you do, rest assured you can tweak and revise it as you wish.
Always remember, though: You MUST be able to easily exit your cockpit when upright or inverted! Be careful not to trap yourself or others in an effort to achieve maximum boat control. A cockpit that's too tight is not only dangerous, but also uncomfortable on longer paddles, and can interfere with good forward stroke technique.
Most specialty dealers are experienced with customizing cockpits and can offer help and advice. Some even sell pre-shaped padding with adhesive already applied.
