Pool Noodles For Flotation

How many of you put pool noodles in your yak for flotation? I have 9 of the large pool noodles in my PA and 8 in my son's OB. I also carry a manual bail pump in my PA, better to be safe than sorry!

Two 4 inch noodles float my Adventure high enought to use the pump if I am overboard. Don't know how many it takes if you want to stay on board.

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I'm right 98% of the time. The other 3% I don't worry about.

Please specify the length of the pool noodles you're using because I suspect not all pool noodles are the same. I have six noodles, each four feet long, in my AI but I suspect that comparisons of noodle numbers, absent a specified length, is potentially apples to oranges.

The ones I use are four foot long, 4 inch dia. This Noodle provides 30lb of lift/floatation.

Thanks Ranger908. Your response was just what I needed.

Thanks Ranger908. Your response was just what I needed.

I found that a 4" noodle slides neatly down each side of a Sport. That seems like enough to keep from losing the boat and its contents in a serious hull failure. It might be possible to put another half noodle on each side but more than that would start to interfere with things.

I found that when I tested the noodles on my Adventure that it was not effective to put the floation midship or fore and aft.

I had to put all the floation in the bow in order to float the front hatch clear of the water so the hull could be pumped out. With the floation spread out and the hull full of water the midship hatch did not float high enough to pump out. I however was only using 2 noodles.

I wanted to take up the least amount of space and still be able to pump out. 60 lbs of floation does this for me in the bow. I only use one noodle, which folded in half fits nicely in the bow, then throw in a spare lifejacket for the remainder of the needed floation.

If you want to see a review of the test I did it was dated Jul 3, 2009

atavuss, this is an excellant idea. I never thought I would have needed it until last weekend when my Outback sprung a leak. You should market your pool noodles to Hobie.

I used the jumbo noodles, I think they were 4" in diameter and around 6' long. they had several boxes of them at a Bass Pro Shop. I was worried that the noodles would be in the way of the rudder strings but there are no problems with my PA or OB.