I have been looking for a pad to make the bucket seats in my canoes a little more comfortable. I tried several types offered by canoe dealers but none worked real well.<br />
Recently in my garage I saw some carpet remnants left from when we recarpeted our home. This carpet was quite thick so I cut some remnants to fit my seats and have found them to work perfectly. If you don't want to recarpet you house to get canoe seat pads, most carpet stores will sell a small piece of remnant cheaply or give them to you.
Those rug pads will probably hold water, whether from paddle splash or precipitation pretty well.
We've been happy with NSI's peel and stick dual density kayak Padz, but the endurance crowd, with long hours in the boat on minimal sitting body parts, often use that waffled foam for seat pads.
situp pads For years we have been using closed cell foam sit-up pads cut to fit a bit big to cover the lip. They are chap and work well. the ones glued on the echo have been there over 15 years.
Wenona Canoe Co. sells a peel and stick bucket seat pad made out of minicell foam. Use 'em in my canoes and kayaks, just enough foam to pad my boney butt and not so much as to interfere with boat feel. The glue seems to last also, have had 'em in my tandem for 10+ years
I use… …soft foam pads made for hunters to sit on in the woods. Most sporting goods stores will have them for $5-6 and they don’t absorb water. Kind of a rubbery non slip feel to them and they are comfy. About a 1/2" thick.