Padding

[BillyT]

I figure this is as good a spot as any to pose this question... I do pretty much all of my fishing out of an Old Town Discovery 119 and I do love that little boat, my only problem is most of the time I'm sitting upright and cross-legged which really wears on my feet and ankles. I want to add some foam to the bottom but don't know the best adhesive to stick the pad down with. I have carpet tape and spray adhesive but I don't know if either of those will stick to the plastic that old town uses and I don't want to make a mess of things. Any recommendations would be great appreciated.

 

[PaddlingPika]

I figure this is as good a spot as any to pose this question... I do pretty much all of my fishing out of an Old Town Discovery 119 and I do love that little boat, my only problem is most of the time I'm sitting upright and cross-legged which really wears on my feet and ankles. I want to add some foam to the bottom but don't know the best adhesive to stick the pad down with. I have carpet tape and spray adhesive but I don't know if either of those will stick to the plastic that old town uses and I don't want to make a mess of things. Any recommendations would be great appreciated.

Have you tried a pad that is not glued in place - something with rubber grip material on the bottom and/or a pad cut to fit snugly wedged from one gunnel to the other? I don't have any advice for what glue or tape to use, but if it were me I'd try to find a removable solution first.

 

[Rubbaboo]

I’ve had good luck with 2 sided carpet tape, It’s semi permanent and can removed and cleaned off with GooGone.

 

[gumpus]

If your discomfort is from your feet/ankles rubbing against the boat (friction) then another easy fix is to buy a rubber-backed bathroom mat and throw it in the boat.

 

[Erica]

Or I just wear wool socks. Or neoprene booties.

 

[Chip]

Weldwood contact cement was often used to glue foam into boats. These days I see a number of spray-on contact cements are available.

“Guest,” a former member here, has taken to laying a bead of E6000 glue around the edges of glued-down foam. I think it is to keep sand from getting under the edge of the foam and eventually working it free. Perhaps that would be overkill in this case.

 

[stevet]

After many iterations over many years, I finally realized it’s best not to glue in the foam. There are several reasons you may need to replace it and it’s a lot easier to simply lift it out at the end of the day than to try to remove it once it’s glued down. There are several kinds of kneepads that will stay in place due to the construction and materials used. If you just want to get some foam, cut a piece to fit from gunnel to gunnel and that should hold it in place well enough. I would only glue foam in if I were running white water and had a chance of losing it. Just my two cents….

 

[BillyT]

After many iterations over many years, I finally realized it’s best not to glue in the foam. There are several reasons you may need to replace it and it’s a lot easier to simply lift it out at the end of the day than to try to remove it once it’s glued down. There are several kinds of kneepads that will stay in place due to the construction and materials used. If you just want to get some foam, cut a piece to fit from gunnel to gunnel and that should hold it in place well enough. I would only glue foam in if I were running white water and had a chance of losing it. Just my two cents….

Good point, my whitewater days are over I think. I like still waters and smooth rivers