Ok, who has a gel seat and which one?

[john from md]

Since I have a fund raiser on Sunday and the weather is supposed to be stormy on Saturday, I won't be able to get out to test my seat this weekend. curses, foiled again.

[Tall_Timbers_Kayaker]

John,

I suffered sciatic pain a number of years ago as the result of a disk problem. I think all of us have them with age. Besides getting a better seat you might want to work on core strengthening exercises to make your back and stomach a little stronger. Pedaling my pro-angler appears to be great for my back but I've only been out for about 4 hours at the top. (I live on a creek, it is too easy to go home for lunch.) Please look at info on how you want to be positioned so your spine doesn't get stressed, i.e. the relationship of knee height to hips. My guess is it is not the softness or type of pad but how the pad helps you position you butt in relation to your knees.

Later,
TTYaker

[tufnik]

For you guys with PAs and yaks with the aluminum frame seats:

Do you still get butt pain on those comfortable looking seats? To put it another way, if you had butt pain prior to using those yaks with aluminum frame seats, do you still have pain now?

Am wondering if it's worth it to trade in the old yak for a yak with an alum frame seat.

I'm usually on the water 6-10 hrs with no breaks. Maybe there's no such thing as a "painless seat" for long yak trips.

[Redfish12]

Tuf, at least you can stand up in the PA and stretch. I'm always jealous of that.

[Yak Fish]

John,

I suffered sciatic pain a number of years ago as the result of a disk problem. I think all of us have them with age. Besides getting a better seat you might want to work on core strengthening exercises to make your back and stomach a little stronger. Pedaling my pro-angler appears to be great for my back but I've only been out for about 4 hours at the top. (I live on a creek, it is too easy to go home for lunch.) Please look at info on how you want to be positioned so your spine doesn't get stressed, i.e. the relationship of knee height to hips. My guess is it is not the softness or type of pad but how the pad helps you position you butt in relation to your knees.

Later,
TTYaker

I put in 10 hours on Saturday, and 12 hours the previous weekend (trolling almost the entire time, over 30 miles). My back is still killing me to the point that I'm limping all over the place this week. I'm getting some spasms and sciatic pain. I believe it is from the stress that all the pedaling puts on the back as it braces against the back of the seat. When I came in saturday, my wife said my lower back was swollen and was marked up (from rubbing on the seat). I could feel the area that was swollen, which was the area that I had pain. I used to do a lot of mountain biking, prior to my fishing addiction and never had this issue so it must be from pushing against the seat back. I am also looking for a solution and I don't think I can do much more exercising than I already do

[john from md]

Gents,

I have osteo arthritis coupled with some past injuries. That said, core exercises and physical therapy, ibuprofen and a few trips to the chiropractor, worked to keep down the dull pain and I never had sciatic pain until this year. I was able to ride my bicycle, surf fish, push my boat over forty in three foot seas etc. All I had to do was take some Ibuprophen before and after and use an ice pack for a while and I was ok.

This year, sciatic pain started as it appears that my disks are in a more advanced stage of degeneration. This is a little harder to deal with as it doesn't respond to treatment as fast as the dull lower aches. Without the gel pad, I only stayed out in the yak for 1 hr and 45 min. as I started to feel my left leg getting tight. Since I anticipated this and quit early, I did not get the sciatic pain. I'm hoping that the gel pad will make a difference. I do not intend to stay out on the water for 6-8 hours but 4 hours would be nice.

My goal is to keep doing whatever I can as long as I can without surgery. I have had to cut back on things like rough water fishing, surf fishing, IDPA and NRA High Power shooting but I haven't stopped. I believe staying active and exercising are the best things for people with arthritis as long as you manage your activity properly.

As for the yaks with nice seats, the only reason I didn't get one of those is that they weigh as much as a boat and I already have one.

BTW, when I take my boat out now, I put a type IV PFD under my feet and one under my butt and the ride is much better.

Now, pray for no rain on Saturday so we can get out and catch some fish.

Regards,

[medicyaker]

I just won the Skwoosh Pro Angler seat complete with tackle boxes and rod holders, and the lower lumbar cushion when I was at the Susquahanna Jamboree. I've been using the Expedition XTS seat with a nice padding all the way around but I don't think its a gel cushion. I still have alot of ass pain after using it and can only stay out on that seat for about 2 hours tops. I just added a skwoosh jell cushion to the expedition and it helps a little. I am looking forward to the Skwoosh seat that I won last week. I'm hoping that it helps. I think the key to any seat is to add an extra butt cushion to any seat. I'm gonna try the new skwoosh seat out next weekend on the bay. Thinking about either Sandy Point or Mattapeake... Any takers??