Re: [Paddlewise] Sea Seat

I had no problem getting into the Sea Seat.  Like anything, practice makes perfect.
Don't try it for the first time when you really need it.  I think we need to remember
what this thing is for.  It is a personal life raft in case you lose your boat.  I
completely agree that it is not suited for rescue in a rock garden setting.  It also
may not be suited for a surf zone mishap.  I think it is designed to keep you from
getting hypothermic if you suddenly find yourself without your boat a long way from
shore.  If the seat is stable on the high seas (or high lakes) it serves as a platform
for you to deploy your other safety equipment such as smoke screens and flares.  I'm
sure you are also much more visible from the air sitting on the bright yellow seat as
opposed to bobbing in the water.

I agree I would like to see some way to hold on to the seat once I'm in it.  I may
experiment with attaching some grips.  The tether that attaches to your PFD keeps it
from blowing away across the water.  Can't really comment on using the swimming pool
toy as a substitute.   My guess is that the Sea Seat is considerably more stable.  If
you are really unhappy with your Sea Seat, I'm sure you can send it back and get a
refund.

I have no affiliation with the Sea Seat people (though I am assured they have no
relationship to the sponson guy).  I got mine as a birthday gift.

Keith Kaste

Julio MacWilliams wrote:

> Lucky you. In the test I did, if you do not tie the sea seat to your
> PFD, you would loose it as it slips up your chest and jump several yards
> away when you try to jump on it. Maybe you are very good at jumping out
> of the water.
>
> The sea seat does not have any means of emptying the air out of it quickly.
> It took me a lot longer to deflate it than to inflate it, more than five
> minutes.
>
> You might think that deflating the sea seat should not be an issue because
> you can tow it, right?.
> Wrong. The squarish sea seat shape makes it almost impossible to tow,
> even with no one sitting on it.
>
> If you use it to aid on a rescue you would be forced to abandon it
> if you need to clear the area quickly, like when getting away from rocks.
> It is a single use rescue aid device (it does not have what it is required
> to be in the safety devices group).
>
> If I was to design a rescue raft for sea kayaking, I would make it with
> the same shape that the inflatable kayaks have, only smaller, and with
> lots of rigging and loops to hold on to.
>
> There is an equivalent device like the sea seat that costs less than $20.
> It is an inflatable ring with which  kids play in the water. Any toy store
> should have it. Its round shape makes it better than the $67 sea seat.
>
> - Julio (also in the SF bay)



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