Tape Measure

[dsafety]

A recent thread made me wake up to the fact that I have not been carrying some required items on my yak when out fishing. Most notably missing have been a landing net and tape measure. I have a net and will start packing it but what is the best kind of measuring device to have on a kayak?

I have seen the vinyl stickers that look tacky and probably will not stay attached to a kayak hull. I have also seen adhesive-backed tapes that are made of sturdy materials but am concerned that these will not stick to the hull either.

An Internet search found some people mounting aluminum rulers to their boats, again, maybe not ideal for a kayak. Still others carved a scale into the plastic or marked a scale with tape or a sharpie.

For the time being, I will commandeer my wife's sewing tape and stick it in a pocket of my PFD but I suspect that there is a better way.

What kind of measuring device works best in our environment? Please weigh in.

Bob