I’m thinking of adding a seat pad although I have not been uncomfortable yet. My old kayak has the custom foam seat and I can’t find anybody easily here.
I don’t want to be too high but maybe I can slice it with a bread knife or a saw.
I needed that pad in the 9 hour coach flight we just did.
I haven’t used it yet, but Amazon offered me this kayak seat cushion to review. It might be worth a try. The cushion compresses down quite far at the highest pressure points, so it doesn’t raise you up very high. And the silicone waffle material shouldn’t soak up water. My wife has used the cushion on a hard wooden chair while working on her jigsaw puzzles and she likes it for that (I may have lost my cushion!). Amazon has lots of cushions like this.
I have a Skwoosh gel pad that I use occasionally. It isn’t too thick and adds some give to the foam seat in my Mirage (which I don’t find super comfortable).
I adjusted my Redfish with some product packing and 3M Super 77. That and wearing pants with no belt and no thick waist seam make it more comfortable but I’m looking for something better. Let us know what you go with.
Little different usage but I have an approved throw boat seat PFD that I use in my canoe under my butt when fishing to boost the height. Sometimes a little change is all it takes to make you comfortable again. Plus it is handy if I need to toss it to someone in trouble in the water. If forced to knell it works for that and I take it out of the boat to sit on for lunch on the rocks.
Hmmm so “it’s a thing!”
Yep, added a 3/4" adhesive backed pad from TopKayaker on the hard plastic seat pan of my Sealion.
I tried a 1.5" thick foam “stadium” seat pad in my Greenland style skin on frame and it raised my center of balance just enough that I capsized it just by pivoting my head and shoulders quickly when one of the folks I was paddled with shouted behind me. Won’t try that again.
What I now use in that skin on frame (which has no installed seat, just a snapdragon backband) is half of a 3/4" thick Ensolite closed cell foam sleeping bag pad (Army surplus stores usually sell them or you could use a yoga mat). I stuff it in the cockpit so the back and sides extend up about 8" on all three sides and fold under the excess in the front, where it serves to pad and slightly elevate my thighs for comfort. Not elegant but it also comes in handy on shore breaks during day paddles to pull out and use for a sitting pad – or a kneeling pad if I have to fish gear out of the hatches or adjust the foot pegs.
Another material that works for this is those thick (and usually decorative) closed cell rubber mats they sell to stand on in your kitchen. You can cut them to any shape and they are just the right density. Often found in for under $10 in Aldi grocery stores (in what we call the middle “aisle of shame” full of housewares, clothing and decorative geegaw items that you never thought you needed until you spotted them while waiting in line.)
Wish my first ski had one of those.
I have quite a collection of seat pads but these two go along with me in all my solos. The Therma-a-Rest Ridgerest closed cell foam has been recommended by Wenonah for decades and I don’t think you can beat it for something quite thin. The fancy camo pad is a hunter’s butt pad made to keep you warm and comfy and in my experience they work very well (and they are ideal for breaks on shore). You should buy a Ridgerest camping pad from Amazon and cut it up; it’s fun. You can even glue pieces together to make custom pads.
I also think Bud’s comment is spot-on; often ANY change will improve your comfort and that’s why I usually bring several pads. Some Mercedes seats change their position a little bit while you drive to improve long term comfort.
I got one of these from Amazon and it was way too thick, so I sent it back:
Then I got this from Amazon, and it works very well:
It feels good to sit on, it resists water, it doesn’t slip at all, and the thickness is very rarely noticeable (the original seat pad was quite thin). My tailbone still hurts sometimes during long cruises, but less often than it did on the original seat.
