bad back
It’s not the paddling that will bother you, it’s the lifting the boat onto the car, then off again, go paddle, back on the car, back off again, clean up and then putting the boat away until next week.
Seat tilt
You don’t sit (or have to) at a 90 degree angle. I personally find that a seat with a forward tilt upward agrees with me a lot more than one with a flatter seat. Keep this in mind when shopping. With some deck height and and upward tilt to the seat and a backband to support you, most people adapt to kayaking very easily with all kinds of physical problems.
One more thing. Don’t be discouraged by your first kayak adventure. Just like any activity, it may take a few weeks and you will notice an enormous comfort as your body gets used to the subtities of the position and movement.
If you bicycle and run - you’ll be fine!
back hurts but can kayak
It took a couple of adjustments of the seat position of my Pungo to keep the low back pain from reminding me it is there. There is plenty of room in the Pungo for me to move my legs about if I need to.
My lower back hurts so much sometimes I can not wait in lines, say renewing license plate tags, or waiting in line at a store without a cart to lean on. It makes me want to scream or cry and sometimes I’ve just had to not even try to shop in stores without carts.
Paddling - once I got my seat adjusted to suit I found I could sit in my kayak for six or seven hours with no back pain. I’ve got the seat tilted forward a bit.
Also I have found that wearing a Camelbak full of water - sometimes enables me to walk with less pain for some reason. It must pull my back into better alignment?
Thanks!
I am also interested in the kanak/cayou article in today’s newsletter. Thanks for answering.
Thanks
Yes, I’ll definitely rent first. I’m also interested in the kayou/canak idea, or whatever it’s called, in today’s newsletter.
thanks
Didn’t know that. Thanks!
yoga
yoga was one of the best things i ever did, but my hamstrings are the tightest in the world still. it helped me emotionally, but it didn’t help my back. But that’s ok; it was great.
thanks
i’ll look into that.
thanks
yes, my hamstrings are never going to stretch much, after years of daily stretching with no perceptible change. i’m glad your back stopped spasming; mine did too, but only after daily exercises, ten times a day for years. now it just hurts, but never spasms.
thanks
yes - will try that, and am looking into the canak/kayou in the newsletter.
ok but
ok but my husband is going to be dashing around me in circles that way. i enjoyed the picture of you relaxing though.
moments
i don’t have those moments anymore, after years of 10x daily exercises, but i sure remember them. thanks
thanks to all writers
i tried to answer each writer, but the answers often went to the wrong places. thank you all for your ideas, many of which i know will be helpful. i’m not an e.e. cummings imitator, by the way; my left shift key seems to be broken.
soda
to Celia
thanks for taking the time to share some interesting ideas. i’m 5’10 and low bmi, so perhaps i could use a REALLY high cockpit. i don’t care so much about the cool moves; my husband will do those, as he’s 44 and in amazing shape. he’s also very patient. yoga did help me lots years ago, and i still do it at home, but the hamstrings never lengthened, and the back remained stiff. but that’s ok; at least it never seizes up on me anymore. i really appreciated what you said about strengthening the lower back through proper strokes, leaning forward. i think that will be important, and i can see how it would work.
soda
Back Pain - Legs Bent at Knees
– Last Updated: Apr-18-07 1:29 PM EST –
I want to second the recommendation made earlier about Sit on Top kayaks (SOTs). These kayaks have open cockpits so there is no deck to restrict the angle at which you bend your knees. Additionally, SOTs can be outfitted with a wide variety of adjustable seat backs and seat pads to help ease your pain.
More SOT specific information can be found at www.TopKayaker.net
Thanks soda
Given your height and goals, you should be able to find a decent number of boats out there to work with. Happy demoing!
Kayak comfort
Demo days are nice in that they let you try many kayaks but usually they are not set up for long trials. For safety and to allow more folks to get in the kayaks they restrict the space and time you have to try each kayak.
Use a demo day to narrow the field and then arrange to take a longer (time and distance) paddle in the “demo day winner” to see if it is still comfortable after being in it longer. It’s most important to have a long trial (hours) in the kayak that feels most comfortable- stop soon if it is uncomfortable. Some dealers will loan a demo boat, others rent them and friends share them.
There is considerable difference between the comfort of stock seats and each person will feel different in them. Seats, backbands and padding can be improved, but start with a kayak that comfortable to you.
What Celia said …
From personal experience I can second what Celia said about rotation helping to create comfort in the lower back; it just takes patience and persistence.
Re choice of kayak: My wife and I have WS Tempests, a 170 for me, and a 165 for my wife, and my wife says that the 165 is one of the most comfortable kayaks that she has paddled.
Also, I second the thought that you need to try many kayaks a little, whittle your choice down to a few, and try the few for a longer time each. A good dealer would be willing to accommodate you; I recommend The Jersey Paddler in Brick, NJ.
Give it all an extended try. Have fun.
Bad Back
I had back surgry back in 95 and found that I couldn’t sit in a small cockpitted boat for more than a couple of hours. Not good when you want to do week long trips. My solution was to get a rec boat with a big cockpit. Being able to put the seat back and the feet up on the deck is the only way I can paddle for long stretchs of time. For me it was a rec boat or not paddling!
Or a CANOE