I will take your attempt at building your own Outriggers as the sincerest form of flattery. I thought I would help you through a couple of your rough spots. First of all, cut the pvc that is coming out of your floats so that it is even with the end of the bullet nose of your floats. Pick up some 1/2 inch PVC caps and cap off the ends. Water moving into the open ends will create drag. To get a correct feel for the length of the arms you want, put your kayak on the ground instead of on milk crates. Lower your arms so the floats are touching the ground. This will give you the same feel as when they are in the water. You want to use the top of the deck mount and not the side. The top gives you a lot more adjustments. Lastly, the longer the arms stretch out, the more you hinder your turning radius. I recommend you cut your arms to no more than 40 inches. The Outriggers that we sell, have 30 inch arms. That length was decided on after many people used them and I listened to their recommendations. If you have any questions, I am always glade to help. Email me at
bbragman@yak-gear.com