Leg length adjustment

Our standard footrest position is fine for the majority of paddlers, but we know everyone is a different shape and has a personal paddling style. We can customise the footrest assembly position to ensure the range of adjustment is optimised to you.

The assembly typically includes th the footrest, any internal boat fittings and the tiller bar assembly. All you need to do is measure your existing kayak seat-to-footrest position and use the look-up tables below to find the amount of adjustment required. We can reposition in 1″ (25mm) increments in shortman or longman directions, relative to our standard. Different footrest options have different ranges of movement so pick the table with your preferred footrest choice – standard, sliding or K2 rear.

Taking measurements

Measure from the footrest, approximately 50mm below the tiller bar, to the middle front of your seat pan (that’s the bit you sit in and not the surrounding material that forms the overall seat). Alternatively, if you don’t have a Kayak, your trouser leg measurement is a good indication of footrest length so match this with the middle position values (in the tables), and there will be enough footrest and seat adjustment range to fine tune the position out on the water.

Trim vs leg length

As a general rule, the seat adjustment should not be considered to be part of the leg length adjustment range, especially in a single kayak. It’s all to do with trim. To make choosing easier, we’ve calculated the footrest-to-seat ranges with the seat fixed in a central position – look for the min and max values in the tables below.

It is important that your boat is trimmed properly for optimal performance. A well trimmed boat will sit level in the water, bow to stern, or slightly bow down if prefered with performance boats. Get someone to check your boat from the backside as you paddle.

To adjust the trim, use the seat to move your weight forward or backward. In a K1 You will not usually have to move the seat far from the central location as this is the designed optimum. In a K2 you should aim to have the lighter paddler in the front, and crews should spend time finding the most comfortable positions that achieve the desired trim. Generally, heavier people will tend to need to move their seat backward, and lighter paddlers will conversely need to move forward.

Once trimmed, you can then use the footrest adjustment until you are comfortable. You should aim to have a leg angle of approximately 120 degrees (measured behind your knees).

Seat-to-footrest look-up tables

Choose your footrest, and check if you need adjustment. The most important values are the leg  length and Min-Max values with a mid seat position. For club boats and K2s you can consider the Absolute min and max values but remember that generally the systems are more effective when they work in the middle ranges.

Notes

• All measurements in inches
• Choosing the platform seat gains you an extra inch at the Shortman setting.
• Boats from the Standard Range are supplied with footrests in the Standard position.
• Junior boats will typically be setup at -5 Shortman. 

Front footrest

Front	Adjustment (inches)	Leg length	mm	Absolute Min (seat + footrest)	Absolute Max (seat + footrest)	Min (Mid seat)	Max (Mid seat)
Shortman	-5	26	660	21.75	30.75	24.25	28.25
	-4	27	685	22.75	31.75	25.25	29.25
	-3	28	710	23.75	32.75	26.25	30.25
	-2	29	735	24.75	33.75	27.25	31.25
	-1	30	760	25.75	34.75	28.25	32.25
Standard	0	31	785	26.75	35.75	29.25	33.25
Longman	1	32	815	27.75	36.75	30.25	34.25
	2	33	840	28.75	37.75	31.25	35.25

Rear footrest

K2 Rear	Adjustment (inches)	Leg	mm	Absolute Min (seat + footrest)	Absolute Max (seat + footrest)	Min (Mid seat)	Max (Mid seat)
Shortman	-5	25	635	18.5	29.5	21	27
	-4	26	660	19.5	30.5	22	28
	-3	27	685	20.5	31.5	23	29
	-2	28	710	21.5	32.5	24	30
	-1	29	735	22.5	33.5	25	31
Standard	0	30	760	23.5	34.5	26	32
Longman	1	31	785	24.5	35.5	27	33
	2	32	810	25.5	36.5	28	34