the challenge

Posted by LeeG on Jun 14, 2004

how to have adequate support at the back of the seat that doesn't interfere with a back band while leaning/twisting back. If the back band is a tall "deluxe" sea kayak back band but the position is low enough to not interfere with good posture the back band starts digging into the seat. Wilderness Systems has the same problem in their super duper adjustable kayak seat/backband combo where some back band positons can pinch your butt. If you look at British kayaks from a while back the back bands weren't wider than 3". They had low aft coamings. American manufactuers were making deep kayaks for a long time with tall hard seat backs for folks unfamiliar with upright sitting,,but that necessitated seats with little support at the back so their butts wouldn't get pinched,,,or the seat back was hinged, or set into a recess. So this is an area where attempting to make all designs fit all people for all uses start having conflicts. A few years of tall wide seat backs meets tall wide back bands,,,nicely curved seats replace slabs of minicell or thermarest pad and that corner of seat back and back band run out of room when a paddler leans back.

I don't think you were ripped off. You're finding out what most folks who outfit kayaks figure out after outfitting a few dozen kayaks. There's enough variety in how people use stuff, and how different seats/back bands fit in different boats that some combos don't work well. A lot of big kayak manufacturers go through letting customers discover this stuff because they add a "new and improved" thigh brace/seat combo on an existing design,,,which totally changes the outfitting to almost make the kayak unpaddleable. Bean counters send the design out without adequate testing. Perception has a decent quasi rec/touring kayak called the Monterrey 12,,they added some super duper agressive thigh braces that go in the standard Eclipse and ALL the kayaks irrespective of use. That ended up making the paddlers legs PRESSED way down and out. With is totally unnecessary for a super stable kayak,,let alone the paddlers comfort. But you could buy it for $1000.

In Response to: Re: Back problems/ seat f by J. Bell on Jun 14, 2004

Replies:

• Re: the challenge by Rob T on Jun 14, 2004
  • Re: the challenge by Mac on Jun 14, 2004
    • live with it? by LeeG on Jun 14, 2004
      • Live With THIS, Doc... by Kurt Maurer on Jun 14, 2004
        • The MC13 Seat by Kurt Maurer on Jun 14, 2004