When I first came onto this board more then two years ago someone recommended that I read "Sea Kayaker-Deep Trouble by Matt Broze and George Gronseth." It was pretty scary and it seemed most kayakers died from hypothermia. Even experienced one in groups and in site of land that would get into trouble because of wind and waves. Some could even re-inter their kayak only to fall back out because the kayak was full of water and unstable in high seas, Hypothermia would go to work on them. Even when they didn’t die they had close calls of dying. So on my first kayak, which was 28" wide I put two side water tight storage compartment in that made it possible to craw over the side and into the boat when it was flooded and the boat didn’t spin over like a barrel tossing me back out. Then I could paddle to shore in a very stable flooded yak. That worked so well that I am thinking of doing something like that on my Shooting Star. I picture a one inch thick by six inch wide foam running the whole length of the yak from the gunnel down and on both sides and sandwiched in fiberglass. This would stabilize the yak when filled with water and keep it from rolling so easily. I think...

John