how hard is it to add a rudder to my kayak?

Question

The kayak is a Current Designs Kestrel 140 roto. I am considering buying the Current Designs rudder for that kayak and wondering how hard this will be.

Answer 1

I would take it to the shop and ask them to apply it. My only concern is that people often use rudders to compensate for bad paddling techniques, and it also changes the turning moment of the craft to the rear, so the kayak wants to pivot from the rear, not from the center. If it is to be used to compensate for a weather helm (turning upwind while paddling in a crosswind) maybe a retractable skeg would be a better alternative. The last concern is that if you are coming in with a following sea in windy weather, as your kayaks rear lifts with a wave, your rudder comes out of the water when you need it most, and that is when the craft will have a tendency to broach and tumble, which can be a real problem. The Europeans use a retractable rudder that is at least 1 meter from the aft of the boat and stays in the water at all times. Just thoughts to ponder, thanks for listening.

Answer 2

pretty hard