hopefloats Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 It's been determined that I sit very high in my boat and that it's possible I'll be more comfortable manueuvering (and minimize lower back pain too) if I change the seat. I've heard that Tom Berg will customize a seat for you... I've also heard that you can build your own out of foam, and I also believe you can buy replacement seats altogether... I'm thinking that because I'm a newbie, and I know very little about customizing a boat's fit, that maybe I should suck up the cost of having someone more experienced customize it for me... Any thoughts or recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pintail Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Heidi, The Valley pre-formed foam seats are really comfy and a sinch to install. I believe Joel has them in stock at NESC. You <can> easily make your own; but this is one fast, satisfactory answer to your problem. Your backside will be about an inch off the hull. I have one in the Skerray and like it a lot. (Have been meaning to return your call -- you may call me at work now if you like: (978)282.1550) CG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 It's been determined that I sit very high in my boat and that it's possible I'll be more comfortable manueuvering (and minimize lower back pain too) if I change the seat. I've heard that Tom Berg will customize a seat for you... I've also heard that you can build your own out of foam, and I also believe you can buy replacement seats altogether... I'm thinking that because I'm a newbie, and I know very little about customizing a boat's fit, that maybe I should suck up the cost of having someone more experienced customize it for me... Any thoughts or recommendations? Tom rarely does seats for people and not for boats other than NDK. Easy to make your own - Brian Nystrom has directions that are simple and easy to follow. I did it my first year kayaking so know you can. BUT you can buy an NDK seat for about $90 - not sure who is stocking them currently but you may want to call Tom and see if you can buy one. Suz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick stoehrer Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 It's been determined that I sit very high in my boat and that it's possible I'll be more comfortable manueuvering (and minimize lower back pain too) if I change the seat. I've heard that Tom Berg will customize a seat for you... I've also heard that you can build your own out of foam, and I also believe you can buy replacement seats altogether... I'm thinking that because I'm a newbie, and I know very little about customizing a boat's fit, that maybe I should suck up the cost of having someone more experienced customize it for me... Any thoughts or recommendations? heidi - if you are near amesbury head down to lake gardner and you can take a look at the foam outfitting i have in my boat. it was fairly simple to make and is quite comfy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Heidi, Don't be intimidated by the prospect of installing a seat. its very easy. If I could do it, anybody can. A dry surface is the most important thing.Getting your current seat out is the first step; Depending on how your seat is installed it can be as easy as dislodhging with a yank two, or as hard as cutting it out (hung seat, integral to cockpit coaming) with a saw or dremel tool. From there, installing a foam seat is incredibly easy. NDK seats are an option. Necky has a foam seat (@ 44$) that's a bit different but might work well ; You can get one at CRCK. Stores like NESC & the Trading Post usually have one or two kinds of foam seats, and NRS has some online. Best to try out first :put it on the floor , or better yet, in your boat and sit in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob budd Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I haven't read Brian's instructions on making a seat out of foam. I have been the beneficiary of two such seats and they cured my problems with sciatica and are otherwise the greatest. I would note that on your seat's maiden voyage you want to take along a shaver or similar tool to make final adjustments. You will want to be prepared for paddling more than a few strokes and be prepared to make a few stops for adjustments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob budd Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Another thing to consider when replacing the seat is that if the backband is integral to the seat you have just removed you no longer have a backband. An easy short term fix is a paddle float, nice to finally actually use one and nice to know if someone's backband fails mid-paddle, though repeated use at full inflation will result in a leaky float. There are many solutions to backbands. In one case we glassed in "eyes" on the bulkhead and set up a strap system to a nice pad (the barkalounger of kayak seats) with a waterproof box behind it (to take up the space between bulkhead and back). In another case we moved the bulkhead forward (creating the day hatch that ate Toledo) and put a piece of foam where the back meets the bulkhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerPollock Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 I haven't posted since the site changed . . . I'm a bit nerve-wracked looking at all this stuff . . . am I this much of a technophobe? Gulp . . . Heidi, I had the same problem, but didn't make a "seat". Just slapped down some 1/2" minicell and glued in hip pads on the sides. Easy, didn't involve anywhere near as much shaping, didn't have to be a craftsman to do it. Works good. Thing I bet, too, if you you were to buy a seat, it'd still be too high and you'd end up cutting it down; they look pretty thick. Second Mr. Bud. Carry a shaper/knife for a while. It will take a little screwing around before you get it right . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Heidi, I had the same problem, but didn't make a "seat". Just slapped down some 1/2" minicell and glued in hip pads on the sides. Does this seat arrangement result in keeping a more leg flat position as opposed to the knees bent and closer to the thigh braces? Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob budd Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Bending of legs/leg position is also a function of peg position, or if you have gotten sick of foot pegs, where you stop foaming out your bulkhead. The foamed out bulkhead allows you more freedom of foot position where you can vary said position to relax, stretch, etc. Many move the bulkhead to within an inch or two of their feet filling in the remainder with foam to allow for footwear variations. Don't forget to build some sort of removal mechanism into your bulkhead foam block(s). That said, when you lower your seat you may find your legs need to "reach more" to contact the thigh braces. You can pad these out to make up for the difference. There are "shark skin" materials for this that improve purchase of leg/wetsuit/drysuit to the thigh brace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KayakDan Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 I bought a foam seat from Redfish Kayaks. Took 2 hours to rip out the old NDK bucket and install this one. I then trimmed a foam block for a back support. Works great!Redfish Kayaks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathyfoley Posted September 6, 2007 Share Posted September 6, 2007 It's been determined that I sit very high in my boat and that it's possible I'll be more comfortable manueuvering (and minimize lower back pain too) if I change the seat. I've heard that Tom Berg will customize a seat for you... I've also heard that you can build your own out of foam, and I also believe you can buy replacement seats altogether... I'm thinking that because I'm a newbie, and I know very little about customizing a boat's fit, that maybe I should suck up the cost of having someone more experienced customize it for me... Any thoughts or recommendations? It's really easy to make a nice seat from 3 inch minicell. New England Small Craft carries it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chetpk Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 If you have a chance to try a high end Necky composite or Chatham poly hull and like the feel of their seats you can buy directly from Necky the foam seats that they put in their high end boats like the Chatham series for $57 plus shipping. Those seats are just velcroed to the metal cradles in their boats, but they told me that they could be velcroed to the bottom of any hull. Their metal cradles that are designed to be bolted to the cheek plates coming off of the cockpit comings are another $75 if they fit the dimensions of a specific hull, but the person at Necky felt if one were going to use one of their foam seat pads in a retrofit, they might be better off just attatching it to the floor of the hull or making their own cradle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subaruguru Posted September 7, 2007 Share Posted September 7, 2007 [quote name='chetpI grabbed that $40 Necky seat from CRCK and am pretty happy with it. Note that the Velcro attachments use very strong glue, resulting in pulling off some resin when repositioning the seat. It's also MUCH strurdier than the fragile Valley seat. I retained an IR back band, and so far have just added some hip foam, which I'm still adjusting.The Necky seat (called the Chatham Seat) is VERY durable, being molded of very high density foam, but is reasonably light, too.It's quite thin at the bottom, so center of gravity is extremely good, but since it resulted in a bit of "sit bone" pressure I found that adding 3/16" of high density foam on the top to be just right. Certainly quicker than building a mountain of minicell shavings in my backyard...at least for now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subaruguru Posted September 8, 2007 Share Posted September 8, 2007 I stopped in at CRCK yesterday. Bryce is ordering another couple of Necky Chatham seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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