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Modifying the kayak
A bit of thought was required before I broke out the drill and started making holes in the kayak. I had to decide what equipment I was going to carry and where in the kayak I was going to store it.
To modify the kayak I needed some basic tools:
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Drill
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Screwdriver
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Tape measure
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4.5mm and 9mm drill bits
Some hardware was also needed:
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Extra eyelets (pad eyes)
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Well nuts (rivets or self tap screws will also work)
The well nut has a nut bonded inside the neoprene. As the screw is tightened the neoprene is sandwiched between the pad eye and inside of the hole creating a secure and water tight finish.
Extra eyelets
Before I could use the kayak for diving I needed to add some extra eyelets for the extra lines and equipment I would be carrying.
Extra eyelets were added to the bow and stern for the leashes to attach to
Bow and stern leashes
The bow leash is made up of 5mm rope which is long enough to reach from the bow back to the cockpit. This is to enable me to connect the anchor line/buddies kayak without having to climb up to the front of the kayak. A bolt snap on the end is ready to connect to the anchor line/ buddies kayak and is also used to secure it to an eyelet by the cockpit. The bow leash and backup lines are permanently attached to the carry handle via a bungee loop and the bolt snap clips to a cockpit eyelet out of the way when not in use.
The leash connected to the kayak via the carry handle and extra eyelets. I use a bungee loop on the carry handle to help to absorb some of the shock when connected.
The bolt snap is also used to secure the front leash out of the way when not in use
The stern leash is a 3m buddy line which had a small float threaded onto the webbing. This is stored in the back well ready for my buddy to knock into the water. The float helping to keep it on the surface so it is easily picked up. To connect the stern leash to the kayak I did not want to rely on the carrying handle so I added a couple of extra eyelets to the stern for some back up lines. A stainless steel clip on the leash and bolts snaps on the backup lines allow the leash to be removed at the end of the day.
The leash is connected to the carry handle via a bungee loop and two extra eyelets with bolt snaps. This allows me to remove the leash when its not needed.
It is stored in the rear well ready to be knocked into the water when needed by my buddy.
'A' Flag
It is important to use an 'A' flag when diving from the kayak. This not only warns other water users of the presence of divers, but also signifies that the kayak is not simply adrift, which could cause the Coastguard to launch a major search operation. I use a collapsible type diver safety flag available from all dive shops, as it is easily stored when folded. I added some pipe lagging to the bottom so it fits snugly inside one of the scupper holes, and a small bolt snap on a length of bungee to secure it to an eyelet and keep it upright.
The 'A' flag is secured in a scupper hole and clipped to an eyelet to help keep it upright.
It folds up so is easy to store when not in use.
Anchor pulley
In order to make recovery of the anchor easier I have fitted a simple line to bring the bow leash back to the cockpit so I can recover the anchor back into the kayak. I used the same 5mm rope as the front leash, long enough to run from the leash back to the cockpit. On the anchor line end I tied a bolt snap which is then clipped onto the bow leash. When I want to recover the anchor I simply pull the line back to me. The bow leash can slide through the bolt snap bringing the anchor connection to me. I can then pull in the anchor line without having to climb to the front of the kayak. A carabina on the other end is used to clip to an eyelet by the cockpit when in use so is to hand when I want to recover the anchor. When not in use it can be coiled up and stored with the anchor ready to clip on before anchoring up.
The line attached to the bow leash via a bolt snap and clipped to an eyelet by the cockpit. Pulling the line brings the anchor line connection back to me for easy anchor recovery.
