Water is heavy. And although modern boats are designed to remain buoyant- even when filled with water- adding flotation increases safety and reduces cleanup hassle. Float bags should always be used unless you need the storage space for gear; it is a matter of reducing space for water in your boat. A large bag of gear still weighs much less than water.
Kayak float bags come in a variety of sizes. We recommend you get something a little too big if you are deciding between sizes. It's easy to not fully inflate the bag, which successfully prevents you from having extra room for water.
Kayak float bags are used in the fore and aft hatch compartments.
Canoe float bags are really just big square sacks of air, nothing to write home about. But they will keep your boat ridable even when it is full of water. Make sure to lash your float bags down, and be aware of expanding air from changing temperatures. Let a little air out if the day gets hot or splash some water on the bags to avoid punctures.
Since they are just bags of air, sizing is incredibly easy. You need to inflate the bags until it fills the given space. Kayak float bags will often come in different dimensions, and you can determine which size you need by measuring the interior length and width of your hatch compartments.
What about if you are doing an overnight trip or carrying gear?
Pack your belongings in watertight bags (which you would do anyway) and simply deflate the airbags to allow enough room for your packing! Though gear is heavier, it is still a fraction of the weight the same volume of water would be.
Float bags are placed in the fore and aft compartments of kayaks, accessed from the cockpit (on whitewater kayaks) or hatches (on sea kayaks). It is easy to secure these bags down because they are trapped between the hull, deck, and seat bulkhead.
Canoeists will have a more difficult time securing their bags. Canoe bags are often placed in the middle of the boat and lashed to the yolk and thwart. The grommets on these bags often rip out, so running extra cordage over the top is a good idea. However, be extra wary of potential entanglement. Canoes can also be outfitted with smaller float bags that nestle into the bow and stern of the boat, for a little bonus floating!
Make sure to pack evenly. Don't put all your flotation in one end of the boat.
If you are reading all this and thinking, "This is silly, I'm not going to spend my hard-earned money on a sack of air!!" We understand.
So, for the budget boater, here are a few do-it-yourself options. Everyone has extra bags laying around, and likely a few empty jugs of milk, soda, etc. You can fill your that bag with empties and wallah! Custom made float bag that will serve your buoyancy needs.
Please be careful if you take this approach to not lose your containers. There is already enough trash floating around, you don't want to add to this problem.
Happy Floating!
Float bags, along with throw ropes, PFDs, paddle floats, and bilge pumps, make up the essential safety gear for boating.
Have a question? We can help! Ask us on twitter or via email.
