Frame flex?

[jerryg]

Hi again,

I guess it is my morning for questions.

I got in my unskinned kayak last night just to see how it felt. It felt good!

I was pretending to do a little paddling, and couldn't help but notice that as I pressed against one of the foot rests, the entire frame flexed a little bit. Is this normal and will it stop once the boat is skinned?

Thanks.

[Hirilonde]

The skin tightens things up a bit but it will always flex to some extent. The strength of these boats is in part due to the fact that they do flex, just like a suspension bridge or a kite.

[jerryg]

Thanks Dave. I really wasn't too worried, in fact it was kinda cool seeing the flexing going on. Looking forward to see how it moves through the water.