On 06/07/98 12:57:17 you wrote: Keith, The previous post on the Sea Seat complained about the lack of any gripping surfaces or handle on the seat seat sides. If you can get up on top of it, is there anything at all on the sides to help you maintain your position if it gets rough? Phil Baumgaertner Bremerton, WA > >Also, I got a chance to try out the Sea Seat for myself on the SF Bay. >I think it works great. Getting into it after blowing it up means >springing out of the water on it until your pelvis is centered over the >center indentation. Then simply twist your body around so that you are >sitting in the middle. This is less difficult than a paddle float >rescue. It feels stable once you are sitting in it. I will want to >take it to the "soup zone" at Ocean Beach to really test its stability. >I tried paddling it with a paddle and with my hands. Both succeed in >making forward progress. The Sea Seat folds up small enough to fit into >a bail out pack or some PFD pockets. I am glad to have this in the >safety arsenal. As with all safety equipment I must practice with it in >the kinds of conditions that I might have to use it in. > >Keith Kaste > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ >*************************************************************************** > > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
There is nothing on the sides to grip with. It has a tether that you can attach to your PFD. That way, at least, it can't sail away from you. I felt pretty solid sitting in it. Again, I need to try it in rough water conditions. Keith Kaste pbaum_at_ix.netcom.com wrote: > On 06/07/98 12:57:17 you wrote: > Keith, > The previous post on the Sea Seat complained about the lack of any gripping > surfaces or handle on the seat seat sides. If you can get up on top of it, > is there anything at all on the sides to help you maintain your position if > it gets rough? > > Phil Baumgaertner > Bremerton, WA > > > > >Also, I got a chance to try out the Sea Seat for myself on the SF Bay. > >I think it works great. Getting into it after blowing it up means > >springing out of the water on it until your pelvis is centered over the > >center indentation. Then simply twist your body around so that you are > >sitting in the middle. This is less difficult than a paddle float > >rescue. It feels stable once you are sitting in it. I will want to > >take it to the "soup zone" at Ocean Beach to really test its stability. > >I tried paddling it with a paddle and with my hands. Both succeed in > >making forward progress. The Sea Seat folds up small enough to fit into > >a bail out pack or some PFD pockets. I am glad to have this in the > >safety arsenal. As with all safety equipment I must practice with it in > >the kinds of conditions that I might have to use it in. > > > >Keith Kaste > > > >*************************************************************************** > >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > >*************************************************************************** > > > > > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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) > > There is nothing on the sides to grip with. It has a tether that you can attach > to your PFD. That way, at least, it can't sail away from you. I felt pretty > solid sitting in it. Again, I need to try it in rough water conditions. > > Keith Kaste > > pbaum_at_ix.netcom.com wrote: > > > On 06/07/98 12:57:17 you wrote: > > Keith, > > The previous post on the Sea Seat complained about the lack of any gripping > > surfaces or handle on the seat seat sides. If you can get up on top of it, > > is there anything at all on the sides to help you maintain your position if > > it gets rough? > > > > Phil Baumgaertner > > Bremerton, WA > > > > > > > >Also, I got a chance to try out the Sea Seat for myself on the SF Bay. > > >I think it works great. Getting into it after blowing it up means > > >springing out of the water on it until your pelvis is centered over the > > >center indentation. Then simply twist your body around so that you are > > >sitting in the middle. This is less difficult than a paddle float > > >rescue. It feels stable once you are sitting in it. I will want to > > >take it to the "soup zone" at Ocean Beach to really test its stability. > > >I tried paddling it with a paddle and with my hands. Both succeed in > > >making forward progress. The Sea Seat folds up small enough to fit into > > >a bail out pack or some PFD pockets. I am glad to have this in the > > >safety arsenal. As with all safety equipment I must practice with it in > > >the kinds of conditions that I might have to use it in. > > > > > >Keith Kaste > > > > > >*************************************************************************** > > >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > > >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > > >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > > >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > > >*************************************************************************** > > > > > > > > > > *************************************************************************** > > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > > *************************************************************************** > > > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** > > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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