I'm considering some upgrades for my WD12 -- I already got the VCP hatch and am wondering whether to get something other than the standard seat, which doesn't appear all that attractive or durable.
I don't want to go crazy with adding options, but at the same time want to end up with a well-appointed first kayak.
Any suggestions?
My back & backside really like my Creature Comfort seat. I also put a layer of 3/4" minicell foam on the bottom where my ankles rest. The carbon fiber paddles are a pretty good upgrade that can be moved from boat to boat. Then there's stem & stern pieces instead of endpour (among other things, they allow the easy attachment of rudders if needed), completely glassed inside, graphite/epoxy bottom and a wood duck logo.
Laszlo
On my Shearwater (similar boat design, but longer and skinnier) I upgraded the footpegs to easy-adjust types (SeaDog) with the fiberglass mounting instead of through-hull fittings, added a Redfish custom seat, used Moby hatch cover attachments, moved the forward bulkhead back to maximize storage space, did a full fiberglass layer inside the hull and deck, and made soft padeyes for the deck rigging. As Laszlo said, a good lightweight paddle is a wonderful investment.
The beauty of building it yourself is you can do whatever you want! Have fun with it,
Kathy
Interesting timing on your posting Mike. I am in the fill coat stages of my WD 12 Hybrid, and was thinking that the supplied seat just might not look that great. So today when I spoke with Matt at CLC, and ordered some extra epoxy, I also ordered a Happy Bottom Seat. In addition, I am having a bit of a problem drilling holes thru the hull at the bow and stern for the toggles, so I have ordered the brass padeyes, and will probably splice a line through them. Now I am thinking that I really don't want to drill holes for the foot braces. I also spoke with Matt about the graphite bottom, but was not convinced that it is the right thing for me. Any thoughts on that would be appreciated.
Barry
I'm very happy with graphite/epoxy bottoms. I've used them on all my current boats, including retrofitting the older ones that didn't have them. They're easy to apply, cost-effective, durable and easy to repair.
I also like the CLC stainless steel footbrace studs.
Laszlo