Brian,
I posted this question on the Bear Mountain Boat Shop's "Peer Talk"
and between the two resources, I have come to the realization that the physics (Mechanics) that I was thinking about hasn't been invented yet . I was thinking the paddler might be a stablizing force on the boat, like the gondola of a hot air balloon stablizes the craft, but paddling a canoe, or kayak is more like having the gondola ride on top of the balloon and trying to ballance as it floated around. It wouldn't help if the gondoloa was secured to the internal structure of the balloon or sitting on top of it, the ride would be as whacky as my scheme. If you want to read what they said, go to the sight, look up "Seat Suspension, a question for Newton or Eienstien". Be well.
Bill

: No need to be so formal, Bill. Brian will do just fine.

: The issue is that in order to be able to shift your CG in the direction you
: want to, you need to be centered in the boat. While it can be useful to
: sit slightly off-center at times - say for paddling an extended distance
: with the boat edged - for the most part, you don't want to be slopping
: around from side to side. Picture this: You're sitting in a sling seat
: without any hip pads and the sling is not anchored at the sides, allowing
: it to swing. A wave hits you from the port side. In order to counteract
: the lean of the boat, you want to shift your CG to port, right? However, a
: free hanging seat will shift to starboard when the boat leans, shifting
: your CG that way, too. This is exactly the opposite of what you want and
: will push you closer to capsizing to starboard.

: Now, if you have hip pads and/or the seat in anchored laterally, your weight
: won't shift in the direction of the lean, but when you try to correct the
: lean, the fact that the seat bottom changes shape when you push against it
: can work against you. While we're taught to pull up with the inboard knee
: to change the boat's lean, I find that in practice, I tend to push down
: with the opposite hip/cheek as well. I find that minor corrections are
: easier to do by pushing one cheek down than by pulling with the opposite
: leg. With a seat that changes shape, pushing down is much less effective
: and produces a delayed response in the boat, which can lead to
: over-correcting. I've experienced this effect when using an inflatable
: seat cushion.

: I'm also not fond of the idea of forcing the fit by wedging oneself in the
: cockpit with pressure between the foot pegs and back rest. While this may
: be necessary for some maneuvers (rolls, in particular), paddling that way
: on a continuous basis is tiring and leads to sore feet and a sore back. I
: prefer a relaxed position in the boat with almost no pressure on the back
: rest and only enough on my feet to counteract the force of the paddle
: stroke. I find this to be very efficient and comfortable. The seats and
: padding in my boats are pretty minimal, but they're enough to keep me
: centered and in control. You can see some of this at the Webshots link
: below.

: I haven't made a swinging seat for the reasons cited above, but I have had
: one that allowed me to slide from side to side when the boat leaned.
: Frankly, it was just plain scary! I felt like I had very little control of
: the boat, despite the fact that that it fit close otherwise.

: I've considered sling seats in my skin boats, but the design I have in mind
: would be anchored at the sides and at the center. That would allow it to
: conform to my shape (each cheek individually), without sacrificing
: control. Perhaps that's something you may want to experiment with?