Valley backband
Is this what your’s looks like? I just got this one in April but the hull # said 08.
I don’t find the Valley seats or backbands bad at all. Not much difference to me from the old and new.
I also don’t use the back band except to lay back to lift my rear off the seat.
The factory backbands provide better support while edging.
Hope I didn’t step on anyone’s toes… I was just trying to point out that being tall can have some disadvantages.
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm242/islanders66/IMG_0603.jpg
that’s what my backband looks like NM
I did that in my Dancer
It works fine.
I spent tonight, motivated by your ideas
– Last Updated: May-29-09 12:26 AM EST –
playing Tetris with minicell blocks in my cockpit. Wow, so many variations. I sat in that boat over and over (midsection of sectional kayak on a sleeping bag in my livingroom). Still tweaking, but making progress. I can see that, for me, this will almost defiitely be an improvement over that atrocity that Valley calls a backband.
I agree with moparharn--you have to experience this stock band and the way it goes under and sticks once you do a layback roll, or even a layback stretch, for that matter. I have even cut the backband thinner (reducing its width) to no avail.
I will shape and sand andn then finnaly glue and post couple photos. I love the ideas, photos and links that you all have contributed above. Thanks a million. G'night and G'paddlin'.
Good internet radioing: my gift back to you.
www.pandora.com
http://pandora.com/
Way Coooool!! I am a Pat Metheny freak
and Pandora configured a station to appeal to my musical tastes. This site is very interesting, I am listening to now while I type. I am low tech so *hit like this blows me away. I took some pictures last night of two minicell back bands I am building. The Aquanuat lv rm will need 3.5 thicknesses of 2" mincell. I glued them before bed and will sculpt them soon I hope. I will post more pictures when I am done. A Metheny song I have not heard in years just came on, awesome! My wife just told me my daughter uses Pandora, guess I am not the cool kid on the block after all. Bill
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f4/Wolverinemw/backbands/
nsi backbands
Foam backbands tend to absord water and smell and cannot be adjusted. The nsi needs a small cable with holes thru the back of the cockpit rim to hold it up
mop! Gr8 pics.
Thanks for the great photos of your wonderful workshop and your sweet Valley Boats. I love what you have done with the 'cell. I think it’s cool. And perhaps minimalist is better–I like that you have the seat pan out in the Nordy and threw in the sheet of m’cell. I have same foam, so may try it. Hope to paddle wit you someday.
Many superb ideas and pics on this thread. Thanks. (P.S. I hope the minicell doesn;t stink over time)
The minicell I have been using neither
stinks nor collects water. True minicell is a high density closed cell structure. It should not collect water. If I forget to remove my cockpit cover when I get home, there is usually a stinky collection of water trapped inside the cockpit. As long as it gets air, I have not had it smell.
CD1- lets do it. South Bass would have been a good opportunity, maybe next year. Maybe you could bring that sweet Kapp I long for. Bill
ok, mph. SBI 2010. I have 3piece Kapp
One online idea
– Last Updated: May-31-09 1:06 AM EST –
http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/Wshophtm/Shop18.htm
I just got a 2005 Nordkapp sectional today that came with a Sisson Foam Seat--scroll down to see. Maybe this will be great and a shapeable design for minicelling my other boats. I'll let everyone know.
http://www.sissonkayaks.co.nz/GZsundry.htm
I'm not the only one with a Sisson seat now:
http://race.fit2paddle.com/C1159474119/E20070103175721/index.html
Mtnwayfarer likes them, too.
The Valley’s 03 onward don;t look like
…that photo.
My only concern with buying a seat is
size of my *ss. They build stuff for the masses. I rarely fit in anything that is built for one size fits all. I did paddle a Romany Surf composite yesterday. Nice boat. Really nice, and it fit me (with a slight pinch on the hips that a dremel might fix).
It’s hard to have such a small, muscular
…onion.
New Valley backband
Stop at The Kayak Center yesterday and saw the new Valley backband - and seat. I was not impressed. My 08 Nordlow has basically the same band that came installed in my 04 Aquanaut, so the new Valley backband as in the photo is very new.
Bill, it’s all
chiseled fat.
did you paddle that Romany Surf at RKC demo day?
Nice boat, R Smith is using one as his teaching boat this season.
You at RKC = addict going to Detroit’s east side.
I stayed away and paddled yesterday. I know better
'-)
Greg and I hit the demo day and
paddled the Romany Surf, Greenlander Pro, Aquanaut HV, Pintail, Epic 18, and Q boat. For a short boat, the Romany Surf paddles much bigger. Decent speed, good stability, good roller, and very responsive. I plan on buying one once I thin the herd a little. See you at SBIR right? We are sharing with Lee at site 108.
Well, its British isn’t it?
“over that atrocity that Valley calls a backband”
Reminds me of a quote I saw in Adventure Kayaking about Brit kayakers in which it was said they had “a fondness for discomfort and an affinity for disaster.” Since I’m seldom in contact with the backband in my AA, I can’t say I have any particular feeling about it other than it stays in place, is infinitely adjustable, and has no parts to rust. Hmmm. Not bad.
Valley Backband problems
I have a recent Nordkapp LV with the plastic seat and have been very uncomfortable with the existing backband. The problem is twofold. One as others have already pointed out the adjustment doesn’t allow the backband to come far enough forward to support the upright paddler. That can be fixed as others have pointed out by adding foam to the band bringing it forward by an inch. However for me and perhaps others the band catches me below my lumbar, approximately on the sacrum. This is possibly great for maximum torso rotation but does nothing to help those of us that need positive support in the L3-L5 region. Carving a separate backrest of minicell foam may be the best way to go however I find that by loosening the upper and lower straps and blowing up a chamber of my paddle float rolled up behind the backband it not only moves it tightly forward but raises it as well about an inch. I now get the lumbar support I need. It’s a little bit of a pain every time you need to empty the boat of accumulated water but that seems to be the only downside. Oh, and you can vary the tension by adding or subtracting some air in the chamber. I have no use for a paddle float anyway. I think that paddle float rescue is an extremely unreliable form of personal rescue in rough water. Much prefer re-enter and roll!
greatmeadows
Your assessment of the lousy Valley backband is right on the mark. Can you imagine, we buy an expensive composite Valley boat only to have a cheap Valley plastic molded seat–the same one used in the plastic boats, no less. I own six Valleys–I know. I tried the 1" minicell on 3 of my boats, and although initially acceptable, with time, proved unacceptable for precisely the reason your state… hits in sacrum,not lumbar. Funny, I just got a used Valley Argonaut 2002 with 'glass seat and 2002 backband, and bingo, feels like a charm.
I have put everything from PFDs to non-inflatable paddle float back there, and it helps. But not a good fix for the long run. I am now in the process of minicelling pieces to fit, just as stated in this thread subject line. I think it will work based on fooling with it on my livingroom floor–I am trying it first in my 2008 Valley Aquanuat LV
http://sectionalseakayak.blogspot.com/2009/06/3-piece-kayak-chop-shop-in-livingroom.html
Thanks for all the gr8 feedback. I am going to see what happens when I putz around with solutions. Any other tiops, please post. Ciao.
Keybox…
– Last Updated: Sep-03-16 6:01 PM EST –
.....I did get around to installing dry storage in my backband. Worked great. Photos are here:
https://goo.gl/photos/v6x2ibRyap9AZkT9A
The Picasa link is dead so this is an update.