CLIFF JACOBSON

IF YOU CANOE RAPIDS, YOU'LL WANT GLUED-IN KNEE-PADS! 

 

Thick, closed-cell foam pads that have a raised edge (to keep your knees from sliding inward) are best.  But since the kayak/SUP revolution, pads like these have been hard-to-find.  What's available are too small and too thin.  These new closed-cell foam pads from Northstar Canoe Co. are a full one inch thick,  9 inches long and 7.5 inches wide!  The raised lip is 3 inches high!  Now that's a kneeling pad! 

 

Cost is just $22, from Northstar Canoes.  These are the best canoe knee-pads I've found.

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HOW TO INSTALL YOUR KNEE PADS

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1. Place them on the floor of your canoe with the raised edge facing inward (TOWARDS the keel-line) of the canoe.   Kneel on them with your butt firmly against the leading edge of the seat.  Move the pads in our out, forward or back until they are located comfortably.

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2. While kneeling on the pads (to hold them in place), draw around them with a dark pencil or Sharpie pen.

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3. Remove the pads from the canoe; lightly wash the contact area of the canoe bottom with rubbing alcohol.  Allow the alcohol to dry thoroughly.

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4. Lightly coat the contact area of both pads, AND the placement areas on the floor of the canoe with Weldwood waterproof contact cement.  A foam varnish brush works well for this.  Allow the cement to dry.

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5.  Repeat #4 above.   

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6. Press the pads firmly into place--they will NEVER let go!*

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* I've tried specialized adhesives but have found that nothing holds as well as Weldwood waterproof contact cement.  Once the pads are in place the only way to remove them is to cut them out!