I’ve been somewhat reluctant to install permanent hip/knee braces in my WD12 and have been experimenting with several makeshift braces and thought I’d share what’s been best so far – swimmer pull buoys.  These figure-8 shaped pieces of foam work just about perfectly.  I can wedge them on the side of the boat and use them as hip braces, knee braces, underneath my thighs or remove them completely when I want to sit cross-legged.  I have found that I like to vary the positioning of my braces throughout the course of my paddle and they seem to work really well.  A winner for me!