RE: [Paddlewise] Leg Circulation

On 26 Jul 2005 at 11:23, Ian Dewey wrote:

> The solution; Firstly your seat must be higher than your feet - yes
> this does make things less stable but tough) a minimum of 5 cm is
> absolutely essential, 10 is much better.

This is pretty far from what any kayak I've ever seen has for a seat 
height.  If I raised the seat in my kayak by 10cm, I'd no longer have 
my hips inside and my kayak would be like an extremely tippy sit-on-
top.  It sounds to like this would produce more problems than it 
solves.

I've paddled many kayaks and found my current kayak is by far the 
most comfortable.  It has a "bucket" seat - the seat is highly curved 
in every direction - pretty much the shape of my backside.  There is 
a large bump forward and between my legs to help keep me from sliding 
forward.  It fits me side-to-side without any padding.

In addition, I have an ocean cockpit.  This allows me to brace 
without having knee or thigh hooks.  As such, my legs can be in any 
position and I'm not stuck with my legs locked in a splayed "birthing 
position" all day.  As a result, I've become more comfortable over 
time with a looser fit and have moved the footpegs further forward 
than in any other kayak.  My legs are able to move around easily.

In my WW kayak, I can last about 45 minutes maximum before my legs 
and/or feet are tingling.  In my Solstice (since sold) I could go no 
more that about two hours.  With my current BD Ellesmere, there is no 
limit on how much time I can spend in the cockpit.  The only time I 
had any kind of problem with the Ellesmere was a few weeks ago, when 
I paddled while holding my camera lodged between my legs - after 
about a half hour, my foot went to sleep.  I put the camera on a pad 
in the bottom of the kayak and my problem went away immediately.

I am convinced that the real solution is good support and a looser 
fit.  If you are on a flattish seat there will be too much pressure 
in a small area of your backside.  With thigh or knee hooks, and 
especially with tight footpegs, you are locked into a single 
position; you have to be able to move around and paddle relaxed.

Almost everyone I run across who complains of back problems tends to 
slouch.  High seat backs contribute to problems as well.  Removing 
the seat back, replacing it with a low backband and learning to sit 
with the shoulders slightly forward of the hips solves back problems 
for most folks.

BTW - I sit in an Obus Forme office chair to minimize back problems.  
My kayak is more comfortable to sit in.

Mike
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