Well, i am bummed. I bought a 20lb spitfire to take to the bwca this summer. I finally started paddling it to get ready for my trip in a couple months, and left the prism all lonely in the shed.

I can’t go over 3/4 mile without my legs going to sleep and losing feeling clear down to my feet. I try shifting around, but the seat in the spitfire does not really offer a lot of shifting positions. I put the feet braces at many different positions,,,no help.

Sigh,,i guess i will be carrying that big ole heavy prism on portages.

Do you wet foot? This happens to me also. ( just my feet) I am able to shake it out to portage. I wouldn't call a prism-heavy .

pswith5: "Do you wet foot? This happens to me also. ( just my feet) I am able to shake it out to portage. I wouldn't call a prism-heavy ."

Yes i wet foot.

It has to be the seat edges cutting off circulation. The tractor seat does it in the prism too if i sit crooked. I have the high seat in the spitfire, so no chance of changing seats to see if that helps.

That prism is 10 more pounds!

I bought a kneeling pad from Home Depot, put it on the seat and under my seat back chair, it worked pretty good.

maxxbhp: "I bought a kneeling pad from Home Depot, put it on the seat and under my seat back chair, it worked pretty good. "

+1
Except I use a Crazy Creek canoe seat. A web or cane seat cuts off circulation to my legs without the seat. I also have a padded tractor seat in my personal canoe, and I have not had a circulation problem with the pad installed.

Hey Wick, I think you are a perfect candidate to experiment with seat pads! In my experience when recovering from sciatic nerve problems my favorite canoe seat pad was an inflatable one made by Thermarest...the inflatable ones will help you avoid high pressure areas...you will probably end up inflating them about halfway. They make so many pads for kayak and tractor type seats! Maybe something like the one shown in the link?

Or you could just kneel in your Spitfire.

:)

https://www.moosejaw.com/product/exped-air-seat_10196821?hybridPLA=true&ad_id=GooglePlusBox&utm_source=GooglePlusBox&utm_medium=PLA&utm_campaign=Exped&scid=scplp1352051&sc_intid=1352051&adpos=1o3&cm_mmc=PLA-_-Google-_-SC_Shopping_NoPromo_Nonbrand_Desktop%7CSC_Shopping_NoPromo_Nonbrand_Desktop-_-google%7C652804451%7C30576947942%7C113834596963%7Cpla-298984336481%7Ct%7C9017364%7C1352051&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImKC_t6if3AIVBL7ACh3rowmlEAQYAyABEgIxVPD_BwE

Yes, don't get discouraged but try various pads. The solution may be simpler than one might think. No chance of changing seats entirely?

yes this has come up before here. good advice with the pad, i use one on my bench seat prism. i think i got it from dan cooke.
i had sciatica, no problems here now.

Backrest and foot brace are needed

PortageKeeper: "Backrest and foot brace are needed"

yes the foot brace, i forgot about that.

PortageKeeper: "Backrest and foot brace are needed"

All spitfires have backrest and footbraces from the factory. The seat is fastened to the floor, so it does not look good for kneeling, and i know my knees could not take that anyway. I can kneel with a regular seat hung from the gunwales, but not for long periods of time. I think my butt is just too big for the formed seat. Gonna call Placid Boatworks this week and see what they suggest.

Some of us aren't meant to sit that way - I know that I'm not. That being said, it looks like you need to change out the seat to something that fits you. Also might need to see the doc about circulation or lower back issues.

That's a different looking canoe.

When I decided to get the Superior Expedition canoe instead of a true Sea Kayak it was largely because I can't sit like that for long periods. A couple of hours is it.

Might have to install some seating. Even 6" off the floor might help.

There is still hope!

I called Placid Boatworks and found out the seat in my boat is a medium. The high seat will fit right over the top of it, be slightly angled forward a little more, and put less pressure on the underneath of my legs. No guarantees,,,but maybe!

I always thought i already had the high seat, but we measured it while on the phone. That will also make it easier to get in and out. I am hopeful again!

Wick: "There is still hope!


I called Placid Boatworks and found out the seat in my boat is a medium. The high seat will fit right over the top of it, be slightly angled forward a little more, and put less pressure on the underneath of my legs. No guarantees,,,but maybe!


I always thought i already had the high seat, but we measured it while on the phone. That will also make it easier to get in and out. I am hopeful again! "

sounds good, a happy ending.

How cool is that! Speaking of cool, where does the cooler full of ice cubes go in such a smallish vessel? ;-)

mastertangler: "How cool is that! Speaking of cool, where does the cooler full of ice cubes go in such a smallish vessel? ;-)"

Thanks for the laugh this morning!!!! I needed it!

mastertangler: "How cool is that! Speaking of cool, where does the cooler full of ice cubes go in such a smallish vessel? ;-)"

I'm still waiting on Wick's trip so he can tell us all about it! Coming up soon, no?

mastertangler: "How cool is that! Speaking of cool, where does the cooler full of ice cubes go in such a smallish vessel? ;-)"

Hopefully the wife will be paddling that! She needs ballast in the front of her canoe

Wick: "

mastertangler: "How cool is that! Speaking of cool, where does the cooler full of ice cubes go in such a smallish vessel? ;-)"

Hopefully the wife will be paddling that! She needs ballast in the front of her canoe"

Wow, what a woman! "Here honey, there is two handles, one for each hand, just take your time" ;-)

mastertangler: "

Wick: "

mastertangler: "How cool is that! Speaking of cool, where does the cooler full of ice cubes go in such a smallish vessel? ;-)"

Hopefully the wife will be paddling that! She needs ballast in the front of her canoe"

Wow, what a woman! "Here honey, there is two handles, one for each hand, just take your time" ;-) "

Its a backpack cooler