Paul Tomblin wrote:

In a previous article, Brian Nystrom said:

Paul Tomblin wrote:

So maybe all I need to do is custom fit this one a bit better and I'll
love it.

It's very simple to add a bit of padding where necessary. If the boat
suits you otherwise, that's the best way to go.


What about the back of the seat? It seems very low to me. Is there a way
to replace that? It looks like it just straps in.

VCP backbands are pretty miserable contraptions, but they ARE the right
height. You don't want or need a taller backrest, just a better, more
comfortable one. The purpose of a backband is to support your hips, not
your back. A tall back will chafe as your torso rotates and it will
interfere with re-entering your boat. Immersion Research, Bomber Gear,
Voyageur and others make good backbands that can be adapted to the
Skerray. However, I'd recommend getting one with webbing straps and
staying away from ratchets. They're heavy, failure prone (especially in
salt water) and the straps are too stiff for use in a sea kayak, in my
experience. The adjustability is something that you're not likely to use
in a sea kayak, either. I.R. will custom make backbands without the
ratchets if you ask them to. I have a couple of their "Reggie" model
without ratchets and they work great. With this particular backband, you
can simply choose not use the ratchets on the stock version, since there
are webbing straps attached to it already.