Re: [Paddlewise] Was: spill a kayak. Now: tingly legs

Dave Kruger wrote:

> Catherine Veraghen wrote:
> >
> (snip) I have a Sealion, which is supposed to fit larger
> > paddlers well. I have also paddled several versions of the Looksha line, and
> > found that they have a higher cockpit, and fit better. I guess I'll just have
> > to start shopping for another boat, and reserve the Sealion for "guests".
> > Damn;)!!
>
> The problem of insufficient depth in the cockpit ... an issue for those of us
> guys who are big folks in the cockpit area (not bragging) -- is best resolved
> by yarding out the existing seat and replacing it with custom-carved minicell
> foam (not as bad as it sounds).  Most commercial seats do not put your butt
> directly on the inside of the hull -- in some cases there is up to an inch of
> space.  Believe me, an extra inch of depth can really make a tight thigh
> situation disappear fast!  (So will laying off pizza -- but that's a personal
> choice!)
>
> So far, I have replaced two commercial seats and am about to do a third one.
> There was an article in Sea Kayaker a year or so ago by a guy from WAKE
> (Hagen's neck of the woods) which detailed the process.  My addendum is to use
> a high-speed right-angle grinder with 80 grit on it -- makes sculpting
> tush/thigh recesses easy as pie!
>

Does this work for adapting a kayak specifically for leg length? I don't have a
problem with width, being rather slim (she said humbly), but I find that my legs
are too long to allow them to bend enough to clear the seat front comfortably. It
sounds like eliminating the seat entirely could be a good solution. However, I am
new to kayaking, and am not real confident "remodeling" a boat at this point, so I
could use a step-by-step guide. I'll do an internet search for the article you
mention, and post a link if I find it. Thanks for the tip!!

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