@Wolf, I get it. Looking at my Tsunamis, I couldn’t visualize the connection. That seems an odd way to anchor the back band. I wonder if the strap anchor can be moved rearward or to the side. Without seeing the actual setup, i can only guess that they had a good reason to anchor there. One problem with the Tsunami seat straps is that the straps rely on slide buckles rather than hard friction locks. I reduced the slipage by using a stainless steel surgical clamp (hemostat, fishing forcep . . .) to prevent slippage. It works.
@E.T, I notice from the picture that the thigh braces don’t have the adjustability of the Tsunamis. That’s disappointing.
If I had a reason to go north, I’d buy the 140. They’re great starter boats for small frame paddler.
The screw that anchors the strap also holds the thigh pad in place. There are more holes in the plastic, hidden under the strap, that allow you to move the thigh pad further back (I like it all the way forward). The thigh pad has two threaded inserts side by side which allows two choice of the left/right position of the thigh pad as well.
Something not shown in this photo is that I added a quick release snap buckle in the strap on each side, just behind the anchor. That allows me to quickly release the back band altogether and make it easier to get my legs into the cockpit. The way they chose to anchor the back band makes it very convenient to add the quick release modification.
Thanks, I didn’t know if there were more holes, so it is similar to the Tsunami thigh pad adjustment. The Tsunami seat anchors on the side, but the backband might need a higher anchor for better support.
Yeah. They are at the most forward position right now. Feels OK, but maybe I should move them back a click or two. I’m not really sure exactly where they should be (like if my knees should be touching the padding, or not. I know on my Tsunami, if I move them too far rearward, they start to dig into my thigh.
Yeah, this is pretty much how mine look. So far, it’s really a non-issue. I feel them slightly, but there’s not pain or anything. I think in my Tsunami, they are higher up or just sit differently because it doesn’t have thigh pads.
I would prefer not to feel them on my leg, but not too big a deal. I can be anal sometimes, haha.
Just in case somebody finds this thread in a future search looking for info on the Tempest 170, here are a couple of photos showing the snap buckle that I added on each side to quickly release the back band. It can make getting the legs in and out of the cockpit a little easier. The pictures show the Kevlar Tempest but the same applies for the plastic version.
Hi all, I know it’s a long shot, but if anyone is interested in the P&H Virgo, I’m going to sell it (I’m in Cleveland, OH). It’s an awesome boat, but I just can’t get comfortable with it. I find the WS systems seat to be a much better fit for me. For the paddling that I do, the Tempest just works a lot better, and it’s faster once I get her up to speed. Figure most of you probably aren’t in my neck of the woods, but thought I’d mention it, just in case.
I’m local (Canton) but not in the market. Around here, I rarely see anything but 10 footers or fishing SOTs on the lakes but I did sell a 16 foot kayak last year to someone who drove over from Pittsburg. Post it here on the classifieds as well as Craig’s List and Facebook Marketplace to get maximum exposure. A good thing is that you’re just hitting the right time of year to be selling.
You might take quite a hit on the resale, so you might want to play around with seat modifications and see if you can make the Virgo a keeper.
I’d guess no, even if you could buy a WS seat. But there are other seats you could try. I’ve seen others here recommend Redfish seats very highly. And topkayaker.com is the place to go for a variety of parts, including oddball stuff like replacement seats.
You should be able to make a Tempest seat fit in the Virgo. I have a Valley Nordkapp LV that I replaced the factory seat, with a Tempest seat. Had to use a Dremel style tool to reshape some of the support plastic to fit the differences in the hull. But it was worth it. Have also put a Tempest seat in a NDK Explorer, as well.
My NDK Pilgrim Exp. came with a seat, that did not work with my butt. Replaced it with a seat made for a Stellar Intrepid LV. Also had to reshape some of the contours to fit the hull. But it greatly enhanced the comfort level.
Bought one Tempest seat from a local outfitter. The other ones came from Tom’s Top Kayaker. But that was years ago. WS Tempest seats are hard to find, these days. One pops up on Ebay on occasion.
The Stellar seat, came straight from the Stellar web page. It was $150-160 with shipping and taxes.
That would be nice! I paddled the Virgo yesterday, and suffered through it. At some points, I was actually comfortable, but then my foot would start hurting or going numb, and I’d have to stretch out that leg. Paddled the Tempest today, and the comfort factor was SO much better.
The Saranac 15 cockpit is only 33 in long, which I think is too small to comfortably paddle with a dog except, perhaps, a very small one. In the Swift line-up I’d look at the Kiwassa 14 instead. It has a 44" cockpit which would be a better bet for a medium sized dog. Their open pack boats (esp. the Cruiser series) might also be worth a look unless having the deck and dry hatches are a must.
