fitness paddling: exercise, train, race by kayak & canoe

For the beginning I decided to fabricate a half-size footrest as seen on right. It works pretty good. I experimented with a strap instead of a pull bar, but this does not work at least with my installation. So, after more time on water, I am going to make a full size footrest with a pull bar as in the Dan's picture. My real problem is that I have troubles to reach foot braces in this narrow kayak: too short arms, too broad shoulders ...

After three years of paddling Sisson Nucleus I am quite comfortable with a tiller bar steering. However, if you do not like the tiller bar idea you can install a gas pedal/footbar from ONNO paddling shop. Trilobite02 wrote on paddling.net a long review of this gas pedal system installed to his WSBS EFT kayak.

Purchased the carbon fiber gas pedal/footbrace system from Pat at Onnopaddles and installed it in the EFT. The wide, flat carbon footbrace is a thing of beauty, and superbly executed-the matching gas pedals for rudder actuation pivot easily on hinges at the top and incorporate a series of rudder line holes that secure the kevlar cord, making adjustments in line tension and pedal position a snap. Each pedal adjusts individually to the rudder, and there is no springback system-line tension provides this. The carbon surface has a matte finish that encourages a secure foot position even when wet, unlike the slippery metal footbrace that came stock. The width of the brace allows an extremely positive and solid platform to push from, as well as a multitude of foot positions. Possibly the most positive aspect of this design is that it is extremely easy to actuate the rudder from any position on the footbrace-the stock setup required you slide your toes in to actuate-with this one you can place your legs wherever you'd like and still get to the controls.

Would you like to share tips, experience, pictures of outfitting your racing kayak? Please write some comments below or send me e-mail. I would be happy to post them here.

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