I have a creature comfort in my old Cape Charles. I was pretty happy with it, with simple hip pads glued to the hull holding it in place. Then I picked up a $15.00 thermarest pad and slipped it into the nylon cover, over the foam insert. HUGE difference! Very comfortable, and inflatably adjustable to boot. I'm seriously considering pitching the custom carved seat in my Spring Run in favor of this setup. No back band, I just rest the back of the seat on the coaming.

: I've got one of those cheap, plastic tandem recreational kayaks. (Don't laugh
: - it was a hand-me-down). I love playing around in it, but it is really
: heavy for cartopping by myself. Since I only ever take it out by myself
: with my dog (I've got a 17' tandem stripper canoe for the multi-paddler
: adventures), I wanted to convert it to a "solo". I also
: discovered the molded seats weigh 11# each, so my removing them, I really
: lighten up this boat. I am now looking for suggestions for installing a
: solo seat and foot braces. I also think I'll have to add a thwart because
: the factory seats help maintain some of the kayak's shape, but I can
: figure that out on my own. Any suggestions for a seat? Are there
: ready-made, lightweight seats I could install, or should I custom make one
: from minicell foam? Thanks!