This article was produced in partnership with the Aquatics Foundation
When shopping for a recreational kayak, most people go for the affordable one. As long as it floats, right? Wrong.
Inexperienced amateurs may not be aware of one important difference between real boats and cheap ones: the bulkheads.
Drowning is a ubiquitous risk when recreation on the water, whether you’re on a lake or in the ocean. In addition to owning a quality life jacket, getting a kayak with compartments is the smartest thing you can do for your safety.
What Are Bulkheads?
Baffles are watertight spaces or sections filled with foam that provide buoyancy to prevent a kayak from sinking.
The sinking Titanic compartments for landlubbers come to mind. One reason this mighty ship sank was that the watertight bulkheads, designed to keep the ship afloat if the outer steel shell was damaged, failed. They eventually overflowed and ceased to be watertight, which eventually Titanic He set out on his final journey to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
The location of the bulkheads varies depending on the rig, whether touring, inflatable, pedal or sit-on-top kayak. Touring kayaks have a vertical wall inside the body of the kayak, front and back, that creates a water- and air-tight chamber.
Most recreational kayaks don't have a bulkhead, or at least have a bulkhead behind the seat. Sit-on-top kayaks don't. Think of them like extra-fat surfboards; they won't sink when flipped over because they won't fill with water.
If you were to tip over in a watercraft without bulkheads, it would sink almost instantly, leaving you moored in the open water. Now, if you have purchased a watercraft without bulkheads, here’s a life-saving tip: Get some float bags.
These removable, air-filled bags can be attached to the body of a kayak at the front and back to provide additional lift. By doing this, you will create air pockets that will help keep the kayak afloat so you can maneuver it right side up.