I picked up a previously owned Bell Magic a couple of months ago. While I’ve been generally happy w/it, it always felt twitchier than I thought it should. I finally got around to measuring the seat drops. Turns out they had been cut down to 3.5 inches. Apparently one of the previous owners was a kneeler.
I installed a new set of 4.5 inch drops and it’s a whole new boat. Feels much better overall. And I think it paddles better too. Maybe that part is just me being more relaxed in the boat. I was always a bit on edge and maybe a little stiff as a result.
It’s amazing what a difference an inch in seat height makes in the feel of a boat. I also feel more like I’m sitting in the boat rather than on top of it. I know this has been discussed numerous times here before, but I felt it was worth bringing up again to reiterate the point.
A little of both?
When I got my Magic it too seemed a bit twitchy, especially when I placed a seat pad on the stock seat. I switched the stock model for an Ed’s contoured one, gaining about an inch extra drop.
It made a big difference to me (non-kneeler). I think contoured seats add to the feeling of control as well.
But simply having seat time accounts for some improvement too.
Jim
Yes
– Last Updated: Jun-10-10 9:56 AM EST –
I installed a contoured seat at the same time, and it looks to add about an inch as you said. And seat time may be a factor but it was a noticeable change from the week prior.