Very happy with mine. Here it is in my WD12 (click for a larger image). Very comfortable for many hours at a time (record is 8 hours of paddling in 1 day).

Laszlo

Hi Laszlo

 Thanks for your thought on the seat. Should receive my one enxt week and will let you  konow how i get on

Alex 

I was looking at this seat as well---any foam wedge under the sead to fill in the "V" ? On the duck the "V" is minimal or does this take away from the "comfort" part of the seat?-CZ

I tried the creature comfort seat but found little difference from the stock seat pad. The mesh did nothing in the way of forming to my bottom and simply flattened against the foam. After a couple hours my butt was sore. Now I carve a custom fitted seat from a block of foam, insuring that every square inch of my upper legs, bottom, hips, etc. are supported equally. I have spent up to 30 hours without leaving the kayak and and my butt and legs were fine.

So how does one carve a seat from foam?  The seat is one of my biggest concerns.  I have loer back issues a few times a year and a bad seat would definitely aggrevate it.

CZ,

I have the Creature Comfort and plan to cut two wedge-shaped foam pieces (from a 4" x 2ft block) to fill in under the seat in the void created by the V in the hull.  That should give me a flat surface on which the seat will rest.  That's the advice I got here; should work fine.

Good luck,

Larry

Thank-you Larry: I am in a similar "boat" as Jeff [pardon the pun] with some back issues in relationship with the big nasty nerve that runs from the small of my back and down the full length of my right leg. I cannot ever remember how to spell it [some thing like scyatic] but it does make me want to splurg on the seating and get it right. I like Akulsp in-put in the thigh and leg support--[how long is this thing?] Thank-you for all the input----CZ

I also have intermittent lower back issues. I have installed the 'happy bottom' seat in my Shearwater. This seat has it's own thigh supports so I left out the plywood thigh braces that came with the kit. I did not level under it, but that seems like a good idea. So far the jury is still out as I have not had that much seat time in the boat, but, after an hour or so I am finding I need to get out and stretch my legs. This could also be the adjustment of the foot pegs. I'm still tweaking it. I finally glued in the knee braces this weekend but didn't get on the water as the wind was fierce. Hopefully that will help. 

Dan 

FWIW, I did not install any wedges under the CC seat in my WD12.

akulsp, 30 hours is an impressive record, indeed. I would have thought that Nature's calls would have forced you out of the seat long before that, or does your hand-sculpted seat have a few unorthodox features? :-)

Laszlo

Dan; CZ,

I can relate to back issues.  At 45 yrs old, I was diagnosed with "severe oesteoporosis (SP?)," an off-shoot of an auto-immune disorder.  I discovered my condition after two back-to-back bouts with bronchitis, during which I fractured 10 or 11 of the 12 or so vertibre in my Thoracic region.  Ouch (can you spell "water bed?" the only platform I could sleep on for 6 months!).  Not such an issue now but definitely acts up periodically, and I'm hoping the CC will give me ample support. 

I should know within about 3 weeks; once the varnish is dry, I'm hittin' the river!!!

 Larry

Larry keep us up-dated it sounds like we have a pretty good representaion of various back issues here on the Forum and we all need to know. If you mispelled or created your condition you could have fooled me - the big impreeisve labels make you thankful you don't have that. Whatever you label you call it, it can spell pain like you have never imagined. Any way young man [the double nickel here]keep us posted---CZ

CLC's page for minicell foam has some examples of custom carved seats. I use a wire wheel on the end of a power drill. After tracing my bottom, I then start carving out the outline, stopping to check the fit often. The idea is to support the curve of the hips and back equally with one's butt. I hollow out the underside approximately an inch so the foam under my seat bones are suspended with a hammock effect. Thigh support can be handled by two separate blocks of foam glued in front of the seat, carved to fit of course.

Lazlo, nature's calls are served by a bottle. Females I paddle with have an additional attachment.