Fitting air Bags or Blocks,

Bags or Blocks, thats the first question...

What's the better option? As always it depends on what you are doing.

Starting with blocks, they are harder wearing than bags, they wont pop, they are much more dog and child friendly, but they don't fit in the boat as well as an air bag, plus they cost a fair bit more.

As for bags, they fit much better than blocks and as a result they are more effective in terms of floatation and easing the job of rescuing a swamped boat. However they are not as tough, but they are cheaper than blocks.

So, if you have a dog, or dogs, or you have children, you may wish to opt for blocks, if performance is more important, then bags all the way. 

The only thing that skews the above, bag covers! Air bag covers will protect your bags from UV and also can make them more resilient to dog claws, and young children. But again, this adds a cost.

Either way having bags or blocks in your canoe will help with its flotation when things have gone wrong, so hence, they are a good idea either way.

So how best to fit them? To be effective they will need to be laced in, as per the picture above of Lyndsay McPhee's boat above. Im personally not a fan of P clips as they just aren't strong enough. The strong option is to drill and lace the boat. Now I know that drilling holes in a canoe can be a scary thing but its not actually that hard to do. Just remember, measure twice, drill once! Or you can meet us at any event where we run a workshop and get the job done by one of our team. Or of course, spec this as an option when you order your new Hou Canoe ;-)

As for what lacing pattern, cord size etc, its up to you, its what you like the look of. Just remember to drill at least an inch below the gunwale, and all will be well.

Enjoy the video which gives a little more info, and we will no doubt see you on the water.