: Is it worth upgrading to Yakima footbraces?
: Are Keepers that bad?

In my experience, yes. In my Nordkapp, the Keepers rails have deformed permanently into a curved shape. Twice, I've had a footpeg pop off during rolling practice. In my case, it was necessary to unscrew one end of the rail to get the peg back on. Fortunately, it hasn't happened at sea and I haven't lost a peg, but I did lose one on a boat I was demo-ing when it came off during a roll and washed out of the boat when I wet exited. I also find Keepers to be a pain to adjust out on the water, when you can only use your feet to do it.

The only problem I've seen with Yakima footpegs is that sand can jam them, though I suspect this is more of a problem with demo boats that with boats used in the real world. Make sure you mount the rails with the drainage slots downward and try to keep the inside of your boat clean. Spraying the rails with silicone won't hurt, either.

Another option is to dispense with footpegs and just pad your bulkhead. The adjustability of footpegs is only necessary if other people are going to be paddling your boat on a regular basis.