Wow- I like the looks of it, Sure would
be a time saver if you have the cash. My worry is fastening it down. Velcro always comes loose and requires gorilla glue or some adhesive to remain more permanent. This adhesive may damage an expensive piece of foam. Bill
plz add pics, mop
.
The seat shape is wrong: it slopes too gently on the back and the back band makes contact with your back too far back.
I agree! Well-said. And what a nice mod! Thnaks, gnarls.
A prophet: mop!
– Last Updated: Mar-17-10 11:42 PM EST –
I own a Valley Nordkapp which came, when I bought it, with the Bumfortable seat. Same as in the pics. It is precisely as you say, mop: I can;t get that bad boy pegged down even if I slather the underside with enough DAP Weldwood to close 1000 elephant's anus's. The underside is corrugated floam (not smooth) and that does not help. It seems "down", then I paddle once, and Bumfortable simply pulls off. Funny that you'd see that from the pics. Smart. The integrated back is the issue when puching forward on footpegs. Now, if I put foam behind it--like between it and the bulkhead--it might solve the issue. Because issue #2 with the Bumfortable is the back has little firmness, so it's rather useless. I se from the link that others have that issue, as they sell a strap of some type to keep the back upright. So a mod of the Bumfortable might help one of my five Valleys. No, make that six Valleys. But one, the Argonaut, alreayd has the ideal old hanging glass seat. I really wish I had lobbied for a hanging glass seat in the custom sectiona, I bought in 2008-2009... forced them to put it on or no deal (deal or no deal?). The plastic crap is horrendous on the carb Kev boat--it's a joke really. These are many great ideas on here--I look forward to the photos.
CD1 glad you posted your experiences
– Last Updated: Mar-18-10 12:01 AM EST –
with trying to glue down the Bumfortable seat with DAP Weldwood, because that is exactly what I would have tried in my Valley boats. So I guess the Bumfortable is out, but possibly a Redfish foam seat would work?
Happy bottom pad
Just put this in my 1989 Skerray last week. I saw a guy carrying one around at QWS, and asked about it. He bought his in Canada, but I found them at CLC. Great service from CLC. http://www.clcboats.com/shop/products/boat-gear/kayak-seats-foam/happy-bottom-pad-kayak-seat.html
Thanks, that seat pad looks very
similar to the foam seat that Valley used in some of its boats prior to 2006.
My ass is too big for that seat, it
pinches my hips and is not long enough to support my thighs properly. If they made one with a deeper pan and thinner hip pads it might work for me. Gorilla glue wroks pretty good for my minicell to hull applications and can usually be punched off with a scraper if you need to remove it. I will take some pics of the Norkapp set up tonight and post them. Minicell bulk head with foot pads that has been cut out in the center to accomodate the foot pump. Heel padding either side of the pick up tube, and minicell seat pan and back rest with the pick up shoved into the seat pan. The back rest will look huge but I only contact the bottom three inches unless I am stretching or rolling. Bill
Happy bottom pad
i have one in my Cd Solstice GTS i had to cut off the hip pads to make it fit. The foam skin is fragile and gets cuts from normal waer. For 42.50 plus shipping you might be better off the something with a neoprene skin. I might glue a fabric skin to mine to help protect it.
I also agree that it is not as deep as I would like for thigh support and am thinking of adding addtional thigh support some how. I’d welcome ideas on how to do this.
Hot Seat
Has anyone tried this seat from Surf to Summit?
Here are my pictures.
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f4/Wolverinemw/Nordkapp%20Seat/
The seat back while taking away storage room also reduces the amount of water the cockpit can hold. I need protection for my spine on laybacks and stretches because of the surgery I have had and will have. It is angled so that only the very bottom provides the stop. I measure the dimensions for the pan and cut it on an angle with a pizza saw. I don’t know how much weight I have added, but the hose is the most heavy item. My boat with foot pump(short pick up), keel strip, and hatch covers weighs 46.5 pounds and that was with the original seat so I expect to still be near that number. I also remove the foot braces and use mincell on all of my bulkheads. The holes for the foot brace screws and seat mount screws are filled with automotive push plugs with silicone. My only othe mods are a tube loop for my storm paddle on the front bungees and a closed cell pad in the day hatch so I don’t have to listen to my crap rattle around when I roll. Bill
+1 Happy bottom pad
I put one in my 2007 Anas Acuta after I took the Dremel tool to that medieval torture device Valley calls a seat.
I cut the hip pads off, though, and left just the seat pad, and glued it in. VERY happy with it. It feels lower than the stock glass seat, and much more comfortable – I can even walk after paddling for 5 hours with it.
steveey - Hot Seat
I have the blue hot seat. It is less than an inch thick so it was even harder on my thighs and caused numbness in my feet. I put 1.5 inches of minicell foam under it and now it is almost as comfortable as the Happy bottom seat. I’d say the hot seat is most often used as a pad in a boat that has an existing seat and for that it is fine.
Your results may vary.
Next time I may just carve my own foam seat. Or make a fiberglass one to fit me.
sticking Bumfortable seat
I stuck down the Bumfortable seat using a double-sided adhesive film I had. (from a photo store) Didn’t use any back-strap, but did put a piece of foam between the back of the seat and bulkhead. As CD1 said, this might have helped in keeping it stuck. It stayed in place fine for 2 days of use, but since it was the last time my wife used her boat last fall, I can’t say how it will work long term. Still seems to be stuck well after a winter in the garage in Massachusetts.
These are great ideas.
– Last Updated: Mar-20-10 10:12 AM EST –
Thanks to all for posting. I think foam is it--for the one Bumfortable that I already owm (I would not buy--came with a boat I bought, and the price to purchase is nose-bleed city!), I will put it in my rec kayak and foam it against the back cokpit wall and see if I can get it to stay put. Aggressive foot pushes and rolls thwarted the Bumfortable in the past...but maybe it's worth tryiong again. That back intergrated with seat idea is only good I think for lawn chairs and rec yaks.
The foam will be cut and placed. Mop's pics are helpful. The stock seats, like the $42 one on the link above, might be cool.
Two of the Valley's with the offensive seats are sectionals, so I have to get to the bolts behind the seat, so a "fixed" or glued foam back won't work for those, even if it's a narrow sliver--I have to turn a wrnech back there. But something will work out based on the dsigns given here. Thanks to all!
P.S. Wayne-smith: " medieval torture device Valley calls a seat." That is not only funny, but so very true. Anyone who likes the Valley's atrocious factory plastic seats must have a prehensile, monkey tail.
CD1- My seat back comes in and out with
tug. I punch it in place and it stays there, then I grab one side and pull hard to get it out. Accesing your bolts would be no problem. The foam tucks under the coaming lip and into the sides of the boat. Bill
Thx, moparharn, for tips and pixs
Nice that u took the time to photo…it’ll stay here oin] Advice section for posterity.
Foam seat
Hi Steve!
I have replaced many of my stock Valley/NDK/custom boat seats in the past. I typically take a dremel or taped hack saw blade to the FG seat as Brian Nystrom’s webshot gallery shows with great results. However, I caution against using a dremel unless you have experience with it as it can “get away from you”.
I have found the NDK foam seats to be hands down the best solution for me. They are just like the Valley and “Happy Bottom” seats in shape, but NDK covers them with a nice black cloth to keep them from getting gouged/cut/worn - and they last a long time!
With all this talk of Valley seats I am a bit nervous about the Nordkapp Classic I have inbound though - although they tell me it is a “hung” seat so maybe it will work.
If you decide the seat options or modifications don’t work for you - just send give me a call and I will give you a hand with it. (to put on my car rack!)
Scott
Scott, many claiming to be “hung” have
not lived up to their billing. If you are not a lard ass like me, you may find the glass seat to be really nice. Wait and see. I use a tile saw from sears that has counter rotating 5 inch carbide blades. One blade spins clockwaise the other counter. The two offset each other and creat little or no “tear out”. Very clean cut with no “bucking” from the saw. Awesome tool that I got from a garage sale and had no idea even what it was. Bill
Besides
the sectionals have the bolts in the day hatch…so …you pop the day hatch cover to get to the bolts…they are not behind the seat.
sectionals come apart between the day hatch compartment and the rear hatch compartment :>)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2680/4148312633_88540d5a78_m.jpg
Best Wishes
Roy
