I’m just wondering what you guys think of the inflatable seats? Mine is shaped like the top of a toilet seat, and it seems that my ass tries to fall into the “hole” of the seat… which means that all of my weight is sitting on a tiny part of the outside of my legs, right where the femoral artery is located… which is painful & makes my legs fall asleep within 10 minutes of sitting.
How many other people are experiencing this? I bought this pack raft for long floats, and without modification to the seat, I won’t be going on anything long at all because of the discomfort. Wondering what you guys did to your seat? It seems just a normal inflatable pillow seat could be used w/o the toilet top cut-out shape. Your thoughts…
I agree that my rear end does tend to fall down into the hole as well. I have had lots of problems with either 1 or both of my legs falling asleep due to this and thought it was something that I was doing wrong, heck still may be but at least I feel better knowing I am not the only one having this problem.
I think instead of seat they provide now they should look into 1 solid piece you can sit on, on the bottom, laced between the two tubes still.
My butt goes numb too, if the seat is hard – so I let a little air out (with my red boat the air is alwasy leaking out so I have the opposite problem but have had good seats in the past). You can also take Cascade Designs Z-rest pad and slide it under the partially inflated seat, either lengthwise or crosswise to suit your butt. I find that taking a pad and rolling it then cinching closed with a lightweight strap is not as good as the z-rest which folds. Round is what you’re trying to avoid.
Like infrastructure, I would like to get a foam all in one seat+backrest that is strapped in and adjustable and conforming to my butt – not for raftpacking but for fly-in and day trips where I am there to boat, especially steep creeks. Hoping next summer to explore this further…
Dave, I tried that… but for me over the last 10 years the fat just goes to my torso and avoids my butt… my youthful butt fat is sorely missed.
For flatwater paddling where I’m not moving much, I do find the seat becomes uncomfortable after an hour or so. A little air out and some small shifting helps. After a couple hours this isn’t enough, so I often go to a more dramatically different position… one cheek in the center of the seat, torso twisted a bit while paddling. I switch sides and back to symmetric occasionally and that works out for long paddles.
For a warm and cushy seat, I sometimes put a thermarest on top of the inflatable seat, which is quite nice. Only problem is that with no hole in the center water that comes over the side pools under your butt.
I am not a fan of the horseshoe shaped seats either. There is indeed a tendency to slide forward in the hole. I far prefer the flat, rippled seat used as elevation for the Fjord Explorer. Far more secure and comfortable to sit on.
There no weight diffrence either, so why not go for this one?
The thigh straps I put in pull me forward and center me in the boat, a place I prefer for whitewater; however, they also pull me “off” the seat or at least off into the no support realm between the the “arms” of the seat.
Esben, were you the one who posted about cutting the seat free, then punching holes in its flaps and moving it forward?
Do you have any pics of this? I think I will want to do that too…
Alaskacreeker, for what it’s worth, your legs go numb because you’re sitting on your sciatic nerve, not your femoral artery. The sciatic nerve runs through your bum muscle, and down behind your hips and down the middle back of your thigh. Your femoral artery is on the front of your leg in your groin.
Beyond this small anatomical point, I also have trouble with the seat, but not my legs going numb - I tend to slide forwards off it, and whilst Roman is keen to adopt this forward position, I personally like to sit a little higher, so I can see over my rucksack at what I’m about to get into!
I’d like the tail of the boat a little thicker, and the seat flatter with some central padding and angled to keep me in the back of the boat.
Freeing the seat free is no deal, just cut the seams step by step. Putting in little holes in the plates neither.
However, as for reattaching I actually tie through the plates of the boat and only through the gap of the backrest/seat.
Making it quick (I like the seat as pillow) and easy adjustable. This gives just enough strengh to hold them in place (between my body weight) and prevents floating away after flips.
Anyway, what I really recommend is the flat Dory/Explorer seat mentioned earlier. Preferable with the bigger backrest. Truely an adjustable backspacer.