Alternative seat pad

[J.A. Veil]

I have some spinal and back issues that make sitting with my legs out in front of me for extended times difficult. My time in even a comfortable seat (the Native Manta Ray seats are the most comfortable I have ever used) is limited to about 3 hours before cramping, sore hip joints, and butt fatigue set in. I have been using a Skwoosh gel pad for several years. It helps, but the relatively large gel packs sewn into the seat can shift leaving some areas inadequately cushioned or supported.

I also tried a YakPads seat cushion. This is firmer and more rigid. It did not help much. I even went so far as to place a patio chair seat cushion on top of my seat. It helped somewhat but did not fit well.

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Last week I was in Sams Club and saw a different type of gel cushion called a Wondergel Support Cushion. It is a 2" thick grid of gel polymer and is intended for use on an office chair. The shape fits well on the seats of both of my Native kayaks (14" x 18"). The product does not show up on the Wondergel website, so I think it is a discontinued model. Originally priced at $79, I bought it for $29. It comes with a black polyester cover that is washable. For what it is worth, the product is made in the USA.

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I tested it out on my Native Manta Ray 11 paddle kayak during the last two days. I found it to provide better cushioning than any of the other seat cushions I have tried. I have not tried it yet on my Native Slayer Propel 10 -- if it provides a similar degree of incremental comfort on the raised seat, I will be very happy.

If you are having seating comfort issues, this could be an inexpensive solution for you.

[AintMisBehavin]

Nice find John. I've been using a floating seat cushion on my PA12 which often comes off the seat and ends up somewhere in the yak until i've beached. Did Sams have more of those gel pads? How did it feel in the cold weather? Might be time for a change.

GDM

[LivinTheDream]

Wow, now I'm not the only one! My fishing buddies have made fun of my butt pad for years. I bought this Wondergel pad several years ago and paid the $79 for it. It is probably the single most worthwhile investment for paddling that I have made. I often spend entire days on the water. In the South end of Kissimmee in Florida, there was no place to beach without marsh and gators, so I would paddle out and stay out in the boat from dawn until dusk. No way I could have done that without that pad. I'll bet if my friends can find one at our local Sam's that cheap they will go for it. I might buy a spare.

I thought that the primary market for them is likely people that are wheelchair bound. I figure if it would be good for that application, why not for someone who sits in a boat all day?

[J.A. Veil]

Nice find John. I've been using a floating seat cushion on my PA12 which often comes off the seat and ends up somewhere in the yak until i've beached. Did Sams have more of those gel pads? How did it feel in the cold weather? Might be time for a change.

GDM

I don't know if the Annapolis Sams Club still has any in stock. They had a stack of them last week when I bought mine, but who knows how well they have sold since then. The product is also available on the Sam's Club website at http://www.samsclub.com/sams/wonderg...rod20353220.ip.

Unlike the Skwoosh and YakPads cushions, which are somewhat rigid, the Wondergel is heavy and floppy when you pick it up. But when you sit on it, it seems to support the weight better than the other two. Regarding cold weather, I did not notice anything different, although it is likely that all the pockets in the honeycomb matrix would hold air that would be warmed by your body heat.

[rwh]

Thanks for the tip. I picked one up for my daughter to use on her Pescador Sport. That thing gives a serious case of monkey butt within a couple hours. This should do the trick. The Sams in Newport News has a bunch.

[LivinTheDream]

I checked these out at our local Sam's. It really isn't as substantial as my $80 Wondergel Extreme pad given it's contour from close to 2" down to something closer to maybe an inch in the middle and front. Could be the contour is a good thing, but mine is slightly bigger and 2" thick throughout. This is more of an office chair pad and mine is more like something for a wheelchair. I suspect that the Sam's model will be good enough, but if I ever lost mine, I'd still spend the money for one like mine to be safe. It seems like a lot to spend, but not to me for it's value to in comfort or certainly compared to all else that I spend kayak fishing.

[FishMoken]

We got this product a couple of years back at my place of work (bed bath and beyond). I really was considering it's kayak applications...but passed it up. I checked the company's web page and carry a "roll and go" one inch gel pad that is 34.99 and if you use a 20% coupon it makes it cheaper ten the Costco one. Also the stores carry the standard one inch and the deluxe two inch models...just bring your 20% coupons. Hope it works out for you guys.


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[mchottie]

I use a foam type, similar to the one you posted John, except its a seat, and ~ 8" seatback w/ velcro, perfect for my sit on top.

looks like the 2" heavy duty is ~63.50 after coupon from BB&B

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...ion/1040099859