Fine tuning your Bee’s Knees for optimum performance

Got a new JK boat? Congrats! You’ll notice the Bee’s Knees right away – it’s our biggest outfitting upgrade in a decade! Don’t forget these are 100% adjustable and may require some playing with depending on your seat position and body type and boat. Want to go paddle right now and not fool with it? OK – rip em out and throw them in the back, your JK boat is now just like they used to ship! When you’ve got time to play.. like waiting on shuttle or for friends to scout.. hop out and try this fast-track I’m using and see if it works for you.

Challenge 1:

Getting a FIRM fit on both sides of your SKINNY knees. My strategy: curve the rectangle slightly..to dodge the kneecap but grip both sides tighter. I actually FOLD the bottom bulge bow-ward on some boats so I can really push on it, but still have the inner bulge angled perfectly for the inside of my knee.

Challenge 2:

I like these in a spot where they over-hang into the cockpit area… but then it looks funny. My Strategy: Keep trying different angles until you find one that works without overhanging much – or it might peel away off the velcro when you get in and cause you to re-set. I’ve only met a few folks who can’t find a good fit that doesn’t interfere with getting in, but it does happen. If that’s you, and you just want to paddle now… then paddle! You might have to re-set them when you get into the boat sometimes. There are times when it’s just worth it to set it before paddling – it’s so quick to get ”good’ but harder to get ‘perfect’. I ran my Antix all wonky for a week on Gauley – hanging out into the cockpit area – because it worked great and it’s just once a day. When I decided to fix it, I was lucky and got it just as good without the overhang in minutes. If the corner sticking out becomes a bother down the road – like you’re scouting a lot or it flops inward when you get in… try the tip in this video plus some experimentation. If you just can’t figure it out.. – you can always cut off the corner off. Yup – these are just foam wrapped in material so the won’t pop or leak and they will stick anywhere there’s velcro.

Challenge 3:

I’m really struggling to get in and out of the boat with these in, they slow me down. Strategy – rip em out! The need for a more aggressive thigh grip is not universal, some people’s geometry fits so well without them they aren’t going to improve much. Some people may want to cut them in half and just use one side… that works too. If they aren’t helping you – you don’t have to use them.. the thigh pad is still in there and the velcro is soft-side outwards for good reason.

In Summary:

the Bee’s Knees is our biggest outfitting advance in decades, but does take some experimentation to get ‘just right’ and it’s not necessary for all paddlers. I urge anyone with a new JK boat to give it a real shot – at home, or in the parking lot, not right at the put-in when everyone is paddling away. Spend 3-5 un-rushed minutes getting it right, because once it’s set… you just forget about it, and your JK boat paddles better than ever – forever.. It’s OK to rush it to get on the water, it’s ok to pull it out and try again later, but I’m pretty confident most paddlers can get real performance enhancement with minimal effort. Hit me up if you are having challenges, I’ll do my best to share what I’ve learned. Use the ”Ask a Pro” feature on the JK website or message me, my first name @jacksonkayak.com

Clay Wright