Pool noodles link $35.19 for 35 shipped

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hookedontronics

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Most people are using foam sheets from Home Depot or lowes for their floor but I've decided to go with pool noodles. It's cheaper and made specifically for water. I was out of town and saw these at the dollar store and almost picked up 100, However a quick internet search and I found out I could have them shipped for actually a tad cheaper. Just found a good deal and wanted to pass it along. The only catch is they are 2.38" in diameter but I'm just going to cut them in half, the hole in the middle makes that easy.

https://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=281594843808&globalID=EBAY-US
 
I used pool noodles in my boat because they allowed needed access to the insides of the floatation compartments. Just be aware, because of the geometry, if you fill a compartment with pool noodles you'll get about 1/2 the floatation you'd get if you filled that same compartment with foam.

On my to-do list is to get some giant ziplock bags and put the noodles inside - will keep my access and, somewhat, resolve the void issue.
 
Minuteman
I recently saw a video where a guy took pool noodles and put a bunch
in a food vacuum bag about 8' long. It was about five noodles in a bunch,
two bunches long.
He then vacuumed them smaller so he could slide them in lengthwise.
The bags come in a roll that you cut to the desired length.

Steve A W

 
Stuffing noodles...or filling a cavity with foam...doesn't give any more flotation than leaving the cavity empty. Flotation is all about displacement, and displacement is the same for a given area regardless of what fills the area.

The only thing that the noodles, or the foam, does..... is prevent water from filling the cavity in the case of a leak or taking on too much water from waves, etc.

Since foam weighs less than water, you will float longer before you sink.

I am NOT saying that the cavity shouldn't be filled with noodles or foam. It is the right thing to do and it should be done.

I am saying that the boat won't float any higher, nor will it handle any more people or a heavier load, if you have foam, or do not have foam, inside of the cavities.

richg99
 
Sucking all the air out of noodles with a vacuum sealer defeats the purpose of having the noodles. No air = no floatation.
 
It didn't suck all the air out, their made of a closed cell foam.
But it did make it easier to slide into the cavity of the kayak.

Steve A W

 
I'm with Fishjunky on that one...

Any time you compress something, it takes up less space. If it takes up less space, it displaces less water. Then...when you have a leak... more water fills more of the cavity. More water weighs more than air/foam/noodles..equals...less bouancy.

richg99
 
Question regarding flotation.
I'm thinking of building three boxes from 3/8" plywood in place of foam under my seats. The boxes would be 4' x 12" x 12" for two of them and one would be 3' x 12" x 12". All would be sealed and made water tight with fiberglass. Boat is a MirroCraft 14' alum.
Do you guys think this would be an acceptable alternative to foam??
 
If they were truly watertight, and you didn't put anything in them, then they would float as well as foam. In fact, they would float slightly higher than foam (since foam weighs SOMETHING..but not much). You would have to subtract the weight of the plywood to have a true calculaton.

However, I cannot figure out what their value would be.... if they were sealed and empty???????

Personally, I would fill them with foam, or noodles or something that floats;

richg99
 
I've been looking for the pink corning but have found none in my area, so have considered using plastic water jugs or bottles to fill the boxes. Square jugs seems like a good choice. Thanks for the replies.
 

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