I want to share a modification I’ve been working on to my Eddyline Sandpiper 130 seat and am looking for your input.
My goal is to get my hips involved in paddling the boat. The 130 seat is wide and I’ve been trying to figure out how to get hip pads in place.
My initial thought was to use closed cell foam to build out from the inside of the hull toward my hips. The problem I saw with that was that I’d have to add about 6.5 inches of foam to each side. The foam would interfere with the straps for adjusting the seatback and probably make removing the seat impossible without damaging the foam.
The solution I’ve come up with is shown in the photos. I’m using 1/2” HDPE. It is secured to the front of the seat, with longer bolts, using the existing holes in the frame. (I had to turn the seat cushion 180º in order to get enough clearance for the front attachment.) The back of the HDPE is attached by using a webbing strap and buckle to pull the rear of the HDPE panels against the seatback’s frame.
The panels being held by the bolt in the front and strap in the back are pretty solid - minimal flex but I’m planning to add additional stiffness by gluing some closed cell foam to the outside of the HDPE panels. The foam will be placed where you see the orange pool noodle pieces in the photo - between the HDPE panels and the coaming. I then can use glue-on hip pads on the inside faces of the HDPE panels to make contact with my hips.
Pros:
I think this will work fine. So far the seat feels comfortable and snug, though I’ve only gone through the motions of paddling it in my basement.
The angle of the seatback is still adjustable.
No additional holes in the frame.
I can still remove the seat from the boat.
Cons:
I won’t be able to fold the seatback as low when I am transporting the boat. Not so big a problem since I can just remove the seat.
The panels narrow the width of the seat, though this will not be a problem for me.
The HDPE panels add 3 pounds to the boat. This is what bothers me most!
So what am I missing? I am happy with how this is coming out but I have a nagging feeling that there is a simpler way to do this.
Well, I cannot understand why the new owners of Eddyline aren’t using the standard Infinity seat in that boat, which would have the hip pads and usual good outfitting the EDY boats have been known for. That seat is fine for a SOT, but seems quite restrictive for a sit-in-kayak (SINK).
The added weight from the seat is crazy. The 12-foot Sandpiper with the Infinity seat weighs 11 pounds less without those additional 3 pounds you added! But it is what it is.
You don’t want to sit in a kayak that’s so snug your hips can’t rotate (like you’re sitting on a turntable). That’s going to force you into arm paddling and prevent you from using your core. Can you do that with those plastic wings installed?
What do you use the boat for and on what type of water?
Edited to also ask if you are trying that seat for fit while wearing a life jacket.
I’m glad you brought up the fact that I don’t want my hips too snug. I am a relative newbie to this. My kayaking experience has been on the Sandpiper 130 & Sky 10. Neither boat have hip pads so I have no experience knowing how snug my hips should be. What’s the rule of thumb? With the plastic wings in place, I have about an inch of space on either side between my hips and the plastic. (2 inches total.) I have plenty of space to rotate. My life jacket sits just above the panels so there is no interference from it.
As far as the use of the boat goes, I prefer to sail it.
My preferred kayaking locations are in protected bays and harbors on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Chop is generally <2’. Max wind speed I sail in is about 15mph, though I hope my seat modification will allow me to stretch that upward a bit.
That’s certainly impressive. You must be very proficient with stern rudders. And I laud your choice of boats with two sealed bulkheads.
An inch sounds fine. I have an Eddyline Fathom LV which is a very snug fit. Also have a 17-foot CD Prana LV (which weighs less than your boat) and the fit is a bit looser but I still have good contact with the boat. I prefer the looser fit, especially when wearing a drysuit, because it’s easier to rotate my hips.
Am guessing you have kayak sailed that Sandpiper. Is it a wet ride? Do you use a half skirt to keep water out of the cockpit?
Do you mean an inch total or an inch on each side?
The ride is not wet at all, even when I bury the bow. The domed deck directs the water toward the sides and whatever water reaches the cockpit is blocked by the coaming. I do not use a skirt.
The major downside to the Sandpiper is that a wet re-entry is very difficult. I’ve been considering going to a Caribbean 14 or a Hurricane Skimmer 140 but haven’t tried out either boat yet.
Each side. You want it snug, but loose enough fit to rotate your hips (and be comfortable). On the other hand, that seat back is so high it looks like it’s going to interfere with fully rotating.
Agree that a wet re-entry would be difficult with the Sandpiper 130. The cockpit is huge, fills with water in a capsize, and is pretty unstable once you’re in. I did a re-entry in a Skylark once. Slightly less beamy and smaller cockpit but still loads of water sloshing around. Was a PITA.
Do you need such a seat for physical reasons? The sailing kayaks I’ve seen are all sea kayaks.
You might want to try edging the boat while you’re working on the hip pad outfitting to find what works best.
I have no special need for this particular seat. It is the one that came with the kayak. I contacted Eddyline and asked whether they had any suggested modification to the existing seat so that I could get a snugger fit at my hips. They said they did not, other than building out with foam. Nor did they suggest using a different seat. So as far as I know, the seat I have is the only option available to me.
That said, I do not have trouble rotating. I have not gone to a class or paddle training session so my form probably isn’t as good as it should be, but I am happy with my paddling speed and have no aches and pains after a paddle that would suggest awful technique.
I’m sure a sea kayak would be a better boat for sailing but I chose the Sandpiper 130 for its ease in getting in and out of - a consideration for me due to a bad knee.
I want to thank you for all your advice. It has been really helpful.
A typical kayak seat is made for a 14" body part. Hence you could move them together. Those blue things look a little like they would push on some nerve in the cheeks and cause numbing in the legs on a long paddle, two to three hours should do it… I’ve had that problem and it is not good.
The seat still looks like a lawn chair they put in the newer fishing kayaks. However for a sail boat with a really big cockpit it probably couldn’t hold a skirt and need a real seat since rolling and edging would likely be limited.
Being comfortable and happy in your boat is what counts. If those wings don’t work out, however, you could get in contact with the folks at Chesapeake Light Craft. They make seats, among other things. https://www.clcboats.com/shop/boat-gear/kayak-seats-foam/
Enjoy your kayak sailing adventures and paddle safely!
For whatever it’s worth, I owned the Carribean 140 and it felt sluggish to me. However, I am 6’5" and 230 lb. My friends liked it.
I now own a Skimmer 140 and friends and family, who are average size, love it.
I prefer it to the Carribean, but I still paddle my Tarpon 160.
The seat design is what is held me back from purchasing the Sandpiper 130…I wish Eddyline had an option of a 130 with the regular seat of the original Sandpiper. Have you contacted Eddyline?
I contacted Eddyline by email but they never responded.
I finished my seat modifications and I’m very excited to try it out. Feels great and I expect it will give me much more control. Here is what it looks like:
