Does anyone on here have this problem? I have several recreational kayaks, but cannot find one that is comfortable for this condition. I am currently using an Aylio “socket seat” cushion, and this helps a lot, but it is pretty thick. I need some suggestions for recreation kayaks that have very comfortable seats.
You can put a layer of foam on the seat with the holes cut out for both sit bones. I had this problem years ago and got a steroid injection into the bursa, which cured my issue.
I’ve read that physiotherapy can be helpful for your condition, so that might be worth exploring if you haven’t already.
I’ve no experience with rec kayaks, but will say none of the seats in my three touring kayaks are comfortable for more than an hour. To counter that, I bought a ThermaRest RidgeRest sleeping pad and cut a seat pad. It makes the seat more comfortable and doing daily piriformis stretches has been helpful as well.
The material is easy to work with and the ThermaRest is long enough to allow you to create a custom pad of several layers and cut-outs to fit your needs. Might be worth a shot; I paid $20 for mine and still have half the pad left.
Best wishes; it’s never fun to paddle when you’re in pain.
Thanks for the replies! I have been using the Aylio socket seat, and it helps a lot, but it is pretty thick. I have also been doing the piriformis stretches daily and it has helped some. I might look into getting a steroid shot. Not being able to sit for very long sure is a pain!
1 Like
It certainly is! And there’s not a thing wrong with paddling in close to shore so you can get out of your boat to take a standing snack break.
I suffer from sciatica and find the seat in my old Current Design Solstice to be very uncomfortable after an hour or so. At one time I thought I might have to give up kayaking. Many years ago I bought a Thermarest inflatable kayak seat cushion and it has made a world of difference, and it’s thickness/height is adjustable, which is great. I know Thermarest no long makes a seat cushion but I think there are similar products available on the market.
I don’t have the problem but the best rec boat seat I’ve found is the Phase 3 in Wilderness Systems boats.
One of my canoe paddling partners is a hospice worker. He had access to a 1" thick Gell foam bed pads that he cut up for 6 of us in a voyageur canoe to use for our seat cushion. they worked great, although a full sheet of the stuff is quite expensive. We used them for 18 hrs/day continuous padding on the Yukon 1000 mile race with great success and comfort. Note, they are rather heavy and do not float. Since then I have found on Amazon car seat silicon waffle gel blue cushions that work almost as very well for many of my canoe expeditions.
This is one of the major (not the primary or only ) reasons why I am a canoe paddler, not a kayaker.
I have never liked the body position of sitting in the bottom of a kayak. I built one but sold it. Canoes are much more comfortable and allow some moving around.