Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 10:17:50 -0400 (EDT)
From: Kirk Olsen <kolsen@imagelan.com>
To: baidarka <baidarka@lists.intelenet.net>
Subject: Re: baidarka Seating
In-Reply-To: <3.0.3.32.19990405182158.006cdf30@cstone.net>
On Mon, 5 Apr 1999, Ken Winter wrote:
> I know this topic has probably been discussed before, but does anyone have
> any recommendations on seating/back bands for baidarkas?
>
> I would like to find a pre-fab mini cell foam (or other soft type) seat
> with well made butt cheek scoops. I know I can make one from scratch but
> I'd rather spend my free time paddling!
The creature comfort seat from chesepeake light craft usually gets good
comments. There is also a closed cell foam seat from Southwind Kayaks (in
southern california) that I've heard good things about. Finally I paddled
a baidarka with the foam seat from one of the plastic VCP boats and that
was quite comfy.
> And how about back bands? Has anyone out there ever installed one in a
> baidarka? Any recommendations?
I've got a simple 3" web strap strung between a rib at the back of my cockpit
that works reasonably well. My current favorite backrest is in Alec Leon's
baidarkas. He just has floorboards in his boat, no footbrace, and for
a backrest he has a circular disk mounted on a dowel. Running along each
side of the cockpit is a series of angled slots that the dowel fits into.
This results in a backrest that functions as a sliding seat, so the paddler
can adjust the trim of the boat (something I'm a big fan of).
kirk