Canoe Air Bags explored and tested

Рет қаралды 19,202

Жыл бұрын

Canoe air bags are a useful addition to how we outfit canoes.
Often seen as being most useful in white water, here we explore their use in open flat water environments.
With different sizes and styles of air bag available I thought it would be useful to compare some and their effects on a similar style of boat.
The three prospector style boats are similar in style and weight, all being the tougher heavier types of three layer plastics for rocky rivers and trips, rather than lightweight flat water composite flat water boats.
There was no pre-practice with any boat re entry, and each boat film segment was simply shot off the cuff and had a genuine initial reaction. In short everything was improvised.
I hope this helps to guide and inform peoples choices for their floatation needs.
Cheers Adam
www.outdoorinstruction.co.uk

Пікірлер: 65

@dentonbragg6283 Жыл бұрын

Very instructional vid! I particularly like how you actually tried the variables out to see their differences.

@outdoorinstruction Жыл бұрын

Many thanks hope it was useful

@fellmonkey 13 күн бұрын

As a novice to the canoe this video is very useful and also inspires thought about how weight impacts this.

@outdoorinstruction 13 күн бұрын

Glad it’s been useful

@explorerjames8563 8 күн бұрын

Great video. The other variable is the kit you need to carry, which both takes space, and assuming air-tight, adds flotation

@outdoorinstruction 8 күн бұрын

Thanks for the kind words. The only way kit carried assists floatation when the boat is full of water is if the equipment itself is tied down tight in the boat. Otherwise it floats up on the inside upon the water. However I have devised ways of the equipment bags to assist with emptying techniques.

@BaroudeurAventure Жыл бұрын

Very rare and useful video, thanks. It looks quite obsious that in wavy conditions only the set up where buoyancy rise over the gunnels will actually help for self rescuing. With the two other set ups waves would fill the canoe faster than we can cope it. I'm thinking about making an inflatable rain cover for the half front of my canoe. That way I would still have room to strap my backpack inside at the bow, the weight could be enough to keep the stern out of water with a simple paddle float or hand flotaison device that I could then fix on the side to help me get back in.

@outdoorinstruction Жыл бұрын

Many thanks for the kind words

@murraylongworth5214 Жыл бұрын

Great video Adam - top job!

@georgemikodesigns 10 ай бұрын

got my first "real" open boat last weekend....loving the airbag demos...but I must say wearing the knee pads look almost as critical as the bags themselves!

@outdoorinstruction 10 ай бұрын

Absolutely! Knee pads help with connection and comfort and posture, all of which significantly improve paddling performance…. As well as add protection if you find yourself outside of the boat in a rocky environment 🤓

@TN.70 Ай бұрын

Thank you for the video. I just bought a canoe. Very useful information.

@outdoorinstruction Ай бұрын

Glad it’s a help. I would recommend some training for both safety and performance. Have fun

@lingerslongest 8 ай бұрын

Excellent instructive vid

@outdoorinstruction 8 ай бұрын

Thanks

@MrMjt888 Жыл бұрын

Great vid Adam.

@outdoorinstruction Жыл бұрын

Many thanks 🙏

@dondiego124 5 ай бұрын

Great video thanks

@outdoorinstruction 5 ай бұрын

Thank you

@randyclement2687 5 ай бұрын

Good demo of the old adage, “some is better than none, and some is good but more is better”. Practically, foam blocks are far better for long term and low maintenance - they stay in the boat( almost a permanent part of the hull) and never get punctured like leaky air bags..the hassle of taking bags out-deflating then putting them back in for the next use…no thanks. A leaky air bag is less buoyant than a good old dependable float block..you can kick ‘em, you can stab ‘em, you can leave it in the boat while you drive @ 120/ km per to or from to paddle, you can stand or sit on them, you can burn them, hot, cold , frozen, windy, brand new or 30 years old…like a good friend…they’re there keeping your mis-guided canoe dreams afloat! Just one person’s opinion-

@outdoorinstruction 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the constructive comments. 👍🏻 I’ve used solid blocks a lot over the years and really rate them for group boats. Interestingly I’ve never had to remove air bags for transit and happily do 70mph with them. I totally agree, some is better than none and more is better for open water.

@frankmangieri2077 5 ай бұрын

who can tell me what those seat pads are for on the red boat?

@p.istaker8862 Ай бұрын

It would have been interesting to see how the blocks compared to 32" air bags.

@outdoorinstruction Ай бұрын

They won’t be as buoyant and neither will have the capacity to keep the gunnels above the water when sat in afloat and filled. Both serve assist access and stop people being trapped underneath with no air

@p.istaker8862 Ай бұрын

@@outdoorinstruction I was just curious as to whether the 32' bags were any better than 32" blocks .

@outdoorinstruction Ай бұрын

@@p.istaker8862 slightly more floatation less rugged. Blocks are great for centres doing simple trips. Bags are better for paddlers and the more air the better.

@khmaul Жыл бұрын

Great video, I’ve got a couple of tribal 36” bags in my prospector and I’m considering adding a couple of side bags. which ones did you get and how are they mounted?

@outdoorinstruction Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words I don’t know what the side bags are in the video as it’s not my boat, but I own a pair of BPM side bags that have two integrated wrap around straps to help fixing.

@khmaul Жыл бұрын

@@outdoorinstruction can you send me a photo of them fixed in and how you did it?

@outdoorinstruction Жыл бұрын

@@khmaul sadly I don’t have a photo to hand, but they are super simple as the straps that come with the tubular bags wrap around various wood and gear loops and clip in easily and quickly.

@khmaul Жыл бұрын

@@outdoorinstruction thanks

@MancsGonewild 10 ай бұрын

I have a question.. let’s say the you was doing a canoe camp… if you had a barrel with your kit in would that not also aid in keeping water out of the boat before trying to flip it over? Only asking because I don’t actually have a canoe yet.. but I’m about to get one for camping… and the medium air bags look like they take up quite a bit of space 🤔

@outdoorinstruction 10 ай бұрын

The barrel would need to be lashed down hard inside the boat like an air bag to displace water, this can be a useful idea on bigger white water trips to minimise swamping before reaching the bank of the river. On open water it becomes a hinderance to rescues and emptying.

@MancsGonewild 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the insight… nice vid by the way… I forgot to mention that before 🙌🏻👌🏻

@epenaloza52 16 күн бұрын

just bought my first canoe its definitely a fixer upper. do i absolutely have to have those air bags or is it just in case i go over board and the whole thing doesn't sink to the bottom

@outdoorinstruction 15 күн бұрын

Highly unlikely the boat will sink as almost all canoes have inherent buoyancy in the plastics. However rescue is much much harder without added flotation. There are two types of paddlers, ones that have fallen in and ones that will fall in.

@robmackins2111 Жыл бұрын

Nice video. What are the pads you have on your seat

@outdoorinstruction Жыл бұрын

Thanks. I dont know unfortunately as the red boat isn't mine.

@cbxxb4841 4 ай бұрын

Can anyone tell me how much and where you can stow gear in the event you want to use airbags in a whitewater canoe, for a several day trip? Talking about food, tent bedding, stove.....

@outdoorinstruction 4 ай бұрын

This should be useful kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p9xgfqWktZvGlqM.htmlsi=a0TqD5DOWi-bZMN3

@gordienj 8 күн бұрын

Pack it in the air bag. 😂

@CristiNeagu 13 күн бұрын

Soo... what if you have small airbags, but they go above the gunnels?

@outdoorinstruction 13 күн бұрын

Now…. That is an interesting question. Do let me know if you get an answer.

@CristiNeagu 13 күн бұрын

@@outdoorinstruction First I need my own canoe 😂

@outdoorinstruction 13 күн бұрын

@@CristiNeagu 😂 I only have one….

@gordienj 9 күн бұрын

Maybe the outside air bag could help lift the boater out of the water - like an air ladder.

@outdoorinstruction 8 күн бұрын

I’m not sure what you mean. Can you elaborate please?

@gordienj 8 күн бұрын

@@outdoorinstruction I'm thinking that an air bag would be useful for the boater to climb onto the canoe - so the boater would be less likely to to the canoe over when he is getting back in.

@outdoorinstruction 8 күн бұрын

You can use your equipment bags for that and to counter the boat from being pushed edge ways into the water as you get back in

@gordienj 8 күн бұрын

@@outdoorinstruction Thank you. I think that's a good idea.

@ryangreenfield2870 Ай бұрын

Hello, Sorry to go completely off topic of the video but what knee pads are you wearing?

@outdoorinstruction Ай бұрын

Warmbac caving knee pads with Velcro

@ryangreenfield2870 Ай бұрын

Thankyou !

@stevekelly6463 4 ай бұрын

Air bags seem to be getting bigger and bigger to the point you can no longer call them by open boats.

@outdoorinstruction 4 ай бұрын

They do indeed. We can still call the boats “Canoes” though. I hope the video shows we don’t need fully bagged boats just thoughtfully bags ones

@whitchwyman 5 ай бұрын

your just learning.

@outdoorinstruction 5 ай бұрын

I’m always learning

@brentkelly5445 Жыл бұрын

i'd say that those big air bags on big water and wind would the canoe way more susceptible to tipping. higher in the water, No

@outdoorinstruction Жыл бұрын

Do you mean big white water or big open water?

@brentkelly5445 Жыл бұрын

@@outdoorinstruction big open water

@outdoorinstruction Жыл бұрын

@@brentkelly5445 thanks for clarifying. I’ve spent the last two years with bags 95% the volume of these ones , but with heavy covers on paddling often in force 4 to 5 and once in force 7 and found no issue at all. I also know a lot of advanced paddlers, leaders and coaches that use highly similar systems and they found not ill effects. As the bags weigh only 400grams each it’s of no consequence on trim and they protrude much less than a paddler so the wind effects are negligible. Go try them they are great and give much more safety options for rescue.