Sit inside kayak reccomendations for a bad back?

Hi all. I'm posting this for someone else who is looking for a boat. He's about 5'11" and 200 pounds with average paddling skills.

Wants:
A fishing boat
Willing to give up some speed for stability.
Lower back support (one of the main reasons he wants a sit inside).
Something suited for larger waters and mild ocean conditions.

RE: lower back stuff... anyone else successfully dealing with this? He claims a SOT tears him up.

He claims a SOT tears him up.

Does he use a decent seat?

My first year of kayak fishing I used a simple OK back brace and it was torture on my back.  After that I upgraded to a real SOT kayak seat and everything has been fine.

I don't remember SIK being any nicer on the back.  In fact, being able to stretch out, sit sideways, etc.. on a SOT is actually a lot more comfortable to me.

Brian

Like your friend,  Im 5'11  180 and of average paddling skill.
I had a back/disc repair done (post monster stack/ singletrack at sly park) and it takes alot of work to get back in the yak after this kind of hurt.
Brian is rock solid on the seat inquiry and advice. SOT strap on seats have come a long way in recent years and if he finds one that really fits, and builds some core strength, he should be golden. If not he may need some more rehab before picking up the paddle and making any twisting sweeps
The SOT allows for so many more positions of comfort than the confining SIK and sitting for extended periods of time isnt a great idea with back issues.
The SOT allows for the required stretching that now HAS to happen and the easy access into and out of the water promotes more swimming (great excercise for the back).
I know Im always shakin the WS pom poms but they really do make a very supportive seat system.
If he is set on going SIK he should check out a Pungo140. Ive paddled this and the P120 and they fit like a lounge.
Id still try to influence him to go SOT though. The "mild ocean conditions" can be a hollow request and why make things more difficult in "the event".
everybody swims

"Does he use a decent seat?"

I don't think he's seen anything other than standard seats, and wants to know if anyone markets a high backed kayak seat for either type of boat.

The seat makes all the difference in the world.  I had the kidney belt type seat on my Scrambler XT.  After about 20 minutes, I felt crippled.

That seat is now on my Frenzy, with a new high backed seat for the Scrambler. I'll see how it feels surfing.

My wilderness systems (WS) yak is comfortable for hours.

The SOT kayaks will let him stretch, drop his legs off the side, or even sit with his legs crossed.  I find the sit-inside yaks to be much more confining, with no way to get the blood moving once your feet go numb.

Just my .02
Greg

The seat makes all the difference in the world.  I had the kidney belt type seat on my Scrambler XT.  After about 20 minutes, I felt crippled.

Those seats make great kneeling pads for working in the garage or in the yard. They SUCK as seats.

He claims a SOT tears him up.

I don't remember SIK being any nicer on the back.  In fact, being able to stretch out, sit sideways, etc.. on a SOT is actually a lot more comfortable to me.
Brian

WORD!

I have great preference for the Crazy Creek high back seats. I have them for all 4 of my kayaks. I have lower back probs in so much as I have adapted things around my house so I have to bend or lean over less. A good seat is the answer, not a different kind of kayak.

Decked Kayaks (Sit Inside Boats) are no REMEDY for a sore back.

Most decked kayakers complain about back discomfort & pain.

After 5-6 hours on the water, when I get out of my boat I can only stand upright....with a grunt.    And I consider myself to have a 'lucky back.'

I would recommend SOT kayaks for anyone suffering back pain.
They make a variety of back-support seats for SOTs.

With the SOT design configuration, there are almost no limits on what a back support can look like.

Back Support is largely NOT available in a Decked Boat.    All decked boat kayakers paddling anything but flatwater, have to seal the cockpit with a sprayskirt.     

The skirt is neoprene, very tight and has to come down and lock under the entire cockpit rim.    Thus a Decked Boat "back support" that rises more than 5-inches......will interfere with that all-important sprayskirt.....and won't work.

Judd

I agree. He is also more likely to hurt his back while entering and exiting a SIK, what to speak of not being able to move around as much while paddling it.

Some of those SOT seats are like couches.

I have a bad back. I have an Old Town Predator Sit Inside. It is an excellent boat. I flyfish the Sierra lakes out of it from ice out to ice over. I spend alot of hours in it. I also duck hunt out of it. It has the most comfortable seat you will ever find in any kayak. Trust me....I have been fishing out of a kayak decades before others even thought about it due to a back injury spinal cord injury long ago. It is essentially an Old Town Loon but is set up for fishing. It has the best anchor system, the pivot point for where the anchor line comes to the boat can be shifted from the back of the boat to the side of the boat so you can angle yourself in the wind. This is not an issue in the ocean but is very important for flyfishing lakes for trout in weed beds and position during bug hatches. I have a seat cushion under my butt. I have less back pain while sitting in my kayak all day long than when I am out of it. That's how comfortable this boat and seat is. If you are going to be fishing Sierra Lakes in the winter a Sit in is the way to go. If you are going to be launching in the surf/ocean and there is a possibility of getting hit in the chest by a wave then go with a sit on top. You can build your own seat back and mount it to any sit on top.

Sounds like your friend needs to try a good seat, as many have already mentioned.  Maybe he should swing by the Aquan Paddle Fest this weekend...it'd be a good opportunity for him to try out a few kayaks and seats that might change his mind.

http://www.aquansports.com/Home_files/AquanFest%20Flyer.pdf 

I agree, I think an sit in kayak would be worse on a the back.
A good seat is a good investment.

If he is worried about back pain as in lifting or carrying, I see OK came out with a prowler ultralight, pretty pricy, but 14 lbs. lighter..

my .02

stoggie

  A while back, I introduced my old fishing buddy to kayak fishing. He's probably 6'3" and 240 or so, and has had multiple back surgeries over the years. I took along both a pair of Surf to Summit Tall Back Outfitter seats and a pair of Crack of Dawn Apex 1's. We took a quick test paddle to check the seats for comfort and adjustment, snugged them up a lot more, and spent much of the next day in them. For a couple of old fat guys who'd never been in Mini-X's, it turned out that the Tall Back Outfitter was comfortable enough and supportive enough for both of us that we never got around to trying out the Apex 1's (but they came back home with me to use on the X-factors). I'd bet that any good, tall back seat with a reasonable amount of padding would do the trick, especially if it's as adjustable as S-to-S and COD's. The seat's probably the last place you want to compromise to save a few bucks, but those Tall Back Outfitters Scwafish sold me are both inexpensive and comfortable.