Kayak knee brace and method of placement

Abstract

A knee brace for a kayak includes a structural backbone constructed of a rigid plate bent at an angle, the inside surface of the plate's curved form is lined with a resilient foam pad. The crease where the plate is bent divides it roughly into first and second portions, the first portion having a series of apertures for mounting the brace to the underside of the rearward portion of the foredeck, the second portion of the plate depending generally perpendicularly when mounted and being adapted to receive force from the inner face of the knee and lower thigh portions of a kayaker' leg. The series of apertures in the first portion of the plate is linearly arranged, but offset from the crease by 20 degrees, or so. A channel is cut out in the foam beneath the series of apertures. The first portion of the plate also includes a mating fabric patch able to be engaged with a complementary mating fabric patch which may be affixed either to the underside of the rearward portion of the kayak's foredeck, or to the underside of the tail portion of a C-shaped brace plate, if the kayak is so equipped. A round-head screw passes downward from the upper side of the rearward portion of the kayak's foredeck, and down through one of the apertures in the first portion of the brace plate to where a T-nut is engaged with the screw and holds the knee brace in place.