Kayak-stability system

Abstract

A kayak stability system that stabilizes a kayak and supports a kayaker in water such that he or she can more conveniently enter or re-enter the kayak from the water. The device includes at least one sponson attached to the kayak and retractably moveable from a stored position along an exterior surface of a hull of the kayak to a deployed position over the water to provide added buoyancy to the kayak for stabilizing the kayak and a stability arm for supporting the kayaker in the water. At least one stabilizing arm is also pivotally attached to the kayak and retractably moveable from a stored position along a surface of the hull to a deployed position over the water in spaced relation to a corresponding sponson. A combination of the deployed sponson and stabilizing arm provides support to a kayaker to allow the kayaker to more conveniently enter or re-enter the kayak from the water.

1 . A kayak for use in water comprising:
 a hull;   a cockpit defining a volume within the hull for substantially receiving a user therein;   at least one sponson pivotally attached to the kayak and retractably moveable from a stored position along a surface of the hull to a deployed position over the water to provide added buoyancy and stability to the kayak; and   at least one stabilizing arm pivotally attached to the kayak and retractably moveable from a stored position along a surface of the hull to a deployed position over the water in spaced relation to the at least one sponson.   whereby a user in the water can utilize a combination of the at least one sponson and the at least one stabilizing arm to enter the kayak from the water.   
   
   
       2 . The kayak of  claim 1 , further comprising a first sponson and a second sponson. 
   
   
       3 . The kayak of  claim 2 , further comprising a first stabilizing arm and a second stabilizing arm. 
   
   
       4 . The kayak of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sponson is stored along an exterior surface of the hull. 
   
   
       5 . The kayak of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabilizing arm is stored along an exterior surface of the hull. 
   
   
       6 . The kayak of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one stabilizing arm is stored within the hull of the kayak. 
   
   
       7 . The kayak of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sponson is stored within a recess in the exterior surface of the kayak hull. 
   
   
       8 . The kayak of  claim 2 , wherein the first sponson and the second sponson are mechanically linked together. 
   
   
       9 . The kayak of  claim 8 , wherein the stabilizing mechanism comprises at least one linkage member, the linkage member having a first end coupled to the first sponson and a second end coupled to the second sponson. 
   
   
       10 . The kayak of  claim 9 , wherein the stabilizing mechanism further comprises a first sponson support and a second sponson support, the first sponson support pivotally coupled to the first sponson and the second sponson support pivotally coupled to the second sponson. 
   
   
       11 . The kayak of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sponson comprises a support arm and at least one float, the support arm having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally coupled to the hull and the second end coupled to the float. 
   
   
       12 . A retrofit kit for a kayak comprising:
 at least one sponson adapted to be pivotally coupled to the kayak, the sponson including least one support arm having a float at the distal end thereof; and   at least one stabilizing arm adapted to be pivotally coupled to the kayak.   
   
   
       13 . The retrofit kit of  claim 12 , further comprising a first sponson and a second sponson. 
   
   
       14 . The retrofit kit of  claim 13 , further comprising a first stabilizing arm and a second stabilizing arm. 
   
   
       15 . The retrofit kit of  claim 14 , further comprising a stabilizing mechanism including at least one linkage member and at least one sponson support. 
   
   
       16 . A kayak stability system for improving the stability of a kayak in a body of water and to assist a kayak user in entering the kayak from the water, the kayak stability system comprising:
 first and second sponsons pivotally attached to the kayak and retractably moveable from a stored position along a first surface of a hull portion of the kayak to a deployed position over the water; and   first and second stabilizing arms pivotally attached to the kayak and retractably moveable from a stored position along a second surface of the hull portion of the kayak to a deployed position over the water, the first stabilizing arm being disposed substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first sponson when the first stabilizing arm and the first sponson are deployed.   
   
   
       17 . The kayak stability system of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second stabilizing arms are stored within the hull portion of the kayak. 
   
   
       18 . The kayak stability system of  claim 16 , wherein a spaced distance between the first stabilizing arm and the first sponson is between about 1 foot and about 3 feet, when the first stabilizing arm and first sponson are deployed. 
   
   
       19 . The kayak stability system of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second sponsons each include at least one support arm and at least one float. 
   
   
       20 . The kayak stability system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one support arm is about half of the length of the kayak.