Re: [Paddlewise] Ergonomic Seats

Natalie Wiest wrote:
> 
> I'm paddling an Eddyline Falcon 16, one of the earlier production models, I
> think, and find the seat particularly uncomfortable.  [snip]

> My very first kayaks, some decades back, I did hand layup of my own seats (and
> the boats too, for that matter), so I may yet go that route if I can't do
> better otherwise.  Another custom "need" here is a dip in the seat where the
> tip of my spine would otherwise come into contact with the it.  I use a
> "horseshoe" shaped cushion in my car, and am otherwise uncomforable there too.

Much easier than the hand layup to match your tush is to acquire some 3 inch
thick minicell and carve it to fit.  Use a right-angle grinder with 80 grit
sandpaper on the pad and sculpt away!  

First I made rough cardboard templates to conform to the inside of the hull
cross section fore and aft, tack-glued those to the front and rear of the
minicell, and employed a long breadknife to saw to the templates.  Save the
templates if you like.  Then sit on the minicell (while it is in the yak) and
draw a line around where your bottom meets its top, carve a little, sit and
draw again, repeat until satisfied.  Oh, yeah, on one seat, I was not getting
enough support under my thighs, so I contact-cemented another (taller) chunk of
minicell to the front and carved it to conform to what was already there. 
Simple, simple.

I have done this with two of my boats (one is an Eddyline Wind Dancer which
came with the old style Eddyline seat) and velcroed the seats to the hull. 
Comfy, comfy, comfy.  And, if you decide to loan (or sell) the boat to someone
with a significantly different tush profile, they can pop out the seat, carve
one to fit, and velcro it into place.

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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