Habitat 80

fleckbass · Post by **fleckbass** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:36 pm

I bought a Habitat 80 a few years back with thoughts of Kayaking. I know. Oh, the shame! Since then I've paddled it twice. I just don't like the whole butt boater thing. So, I've been thinking of turning it into a C-1. I thought I've seen mention of this hull on here before. Haven't seen any on the water. Is this a good hull for conversion? Creeking? Big water? I dont have a clue on how to outfit this thing. I'd really like to do it with out drilling into the hull. I'm 6 ft. 220lbs and wondering how tight it will be also. Pain!

oopsiflipped · Post by **oopsiflipped** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 9:18 pm

although i usually can't find anything using the search function here, i did type in 'habitat' and find a few threads on the subject. converting it to a c1 shouldn't be too hard.

use the seat rail as an attachment point for your thigh straps with the other end going to the seat bolt holes. you can also attach some metal or cutting board hip grabbers to the seat bolt holes if you like .run a piece of foam in the rail from pillar to pillar. in my ezg i ended up gluing a piece of foam onto the rear pillar so it contacts the stern of the boat to cut down on the whole thing shifting back, but don't know if that is really needed. glue some 3/4" minicell to the sidewalls where your knees will go and some underneath as well. make some blocks to hold your knees out. glue some more 3" foam on to the bottom of the boat and side of the piece between the pillars for a nice, wide comfy seat. for the back rest, make sure it is glued to the rear pillar. i also think it is important to get it up over the cockpit rim a couple inches, again to keep it from sliding back. the only reason you would need to drill holes is for a forward attachment for knee straps, if you can't rig something up off the from set of bolts. or just make a foam bulkhead, or do without.

i've done at least 10 conversions now and i think the K.I.S.S principle is key. the last one was was the first time i cut all the foam out before i started gluing. saves time to be able to do all the glue work at once, or in a couple batches.

if you're still unsure about how to do the conversion or looking for more feedback on it as a c1 before you give it a go, just send it down to TN and i'll do it for you and even paddle it a bit to let you know what i think.

fez · Post by **fez** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 6:25 am

http://www.riverrunner.de/?page_id=154

see here a little bit more complicated conversion.

Raphael was not happy with the boat though.

oopsiflipped · Post by **oopsiflipped** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 12:35 pm

wow. i had seen that before and forgot about it. puts my custom job in the hercules to shame.

do you know what he didn't like about the boat, fez?

fleckbass · Post by **fleckbass** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:22 pm

That is a sweet set-up! I'm curious why he didn't like it also.

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 2:57 pm

it does look nice, but he may have discovered after his first rock boof that aluminum has no memory..
It bends, and it stays bent

fez · Post by **fez** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 3:40 pm

he sold it a while ago as a kajak.
If I recall it right he felt the boat to be to twitchy.

@Larry: the aluminium setup is bomber, I know some people that use similar conversions (one of them shown here with a Eskimo Xeno http://www.riverrunner.de/?page_id=148 ) and they never had problems. The only downside I see in weight and setup work. For this reasons I like more conversions in Minicell and Carbon. Faster an lighter. I absolutely LOVE your seat but missing for me is a solution to open the straps from the outside http://www.wildwasserboard.de/g18p42-outfit.html

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 1:05 am

fez wrote:he sold it a while ago as a kajak.
If I recall it right he felt the boat to be to twitchy.

@Larry: the aluminium setup is bomber, I know some people that use similar conversions (one of them shown here with a Eskimo Xeno http://www.riverrunner.de/?page_id=148 ) and they never had problems. The only downside I see in weight and setup work. For this reasons I like more conversions in Minicell and Carbon. Faster an lighter. I absolutely LOVE your seat but missing for me is a solution to open the straps from the outside http://www.wildwasserboard.de/g18p42-outfit.html

It's asking me to log on so i can't see what you're showing..
but if it's some kind of thingy rigged up to your skirt loop, I think that could be done. you can bolt anything you want to my saddle..any where you want.

Post by **PAC** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:20 am

Bruce let me know if you have any questions once you start the fab process or if you want to check out my set ups. Someone had a Hab on a creek I was on recently as a C1 ... just can't remember who.... will keep on thinking! Paul C.

Ben McKeown · Post by **Ben McKeown** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 12:56 pm

One or two shots of C1 Habitats in action in the gallery here (-:

Drop me an email if you have any questions...

www.thebigbluetree.com

jnorto01 · Post by **jnorto01** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:31 pm

Sell it and get a Burn or Solo in size L.

fez · Post by **fez** » Wed Oct 13, 2010 2:49 pm

wow, great pictures

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 11:43 pm

I just borrowed a friends broken habitat 74 so I could see how my saddle sytem fits and mock up the pillar attachment...(and to take it for a quick spin)
The kayak outfitting in the wavesport habitat and dagger nomad has a plastic step out front pillar that bolts to the center rail. The center rail and seat is all one piece. Because of the design, If the pilllar's not bolted to something it won't work as a pillar anymore. It'll rotate upward under any load. So I needed to come up with a solution.
My saddle drops right in like it was made for the boat

and I designed a small adapter plate so that the pillar can bolt to my saddle. No pic's but It's clean and simple.

As for the boat, I can't judge how it padddles because i was only in it for a minute before it started sinking. and i had my street clothes on, so...
It felt like it looks though, kind of round on the bottom. I wouldn't mind giving the 80 a real test sometime, but this 74 is too small and wobbly(or I'm wobbly) to even bother taking it to moving water.