Starting this post to detail some of the little tips and tricks I use in my Eddyline Sitka LT to improve my comfort, experience and access to the gear I need while paddling. 

I’ll be adding more content to this post as I am out and about in my LT.

The first thing I like to do is to do a few things to address any potential noise that can come out of a new seat. I don’t fault Eddyline for this but instead know that shiny smooth plastic can make noise especially when you introduce water and sand. Poly kayaks don’t have this issue because their seats are resting on soft plastic. Eddyline uses their material on their seats because it is way lighter than some of the seats installed in Poly kayaks. The Wildnerness Systems Pungo seat was a game changer when it came out but I have also weighed some of these big comfy seats and they can get up toward 10 lbs! So, shiny, stiff plastic is lighter but shiny against shiny can make noise. Also, many manufacturers bolt their seats in whereas the Eddyline Sitka LT has a nice sliding seat which is great for trim adjustment, cleaning and unlikely repairs. I love that if my seat were to get damaged, I don’t have to get a drill, glue, rivets, etc to swap it out with a new one.

It costs nothing to address any noise in your kayak and a little effort can make all the difference. There are two course of action that I like to take:

1. The first is quite easy. Just add some paddling to the plastic on plastic contact areas! I use the neoprene foam that is used in cheap give-away koozies. This can also be done with PVC/Vinyl tape that is sold at Home Depot/Lowes. I use this same tape to pad my bars on my trailers. It won’t last forever but it gives the seat something to slide along and cuts down on any scratching that can happen if there is sand between the seat and the hull. If I were adjusting my seat a lot I would consider putting strips of this tape along the contact areas so sand stuck in there doesn’t scratch the inside after a few years.

2. The second little hint I do (which I believe Eddyline is now doing in-house) is that I rough up the seat back pillar holes as shown here:

The two above videos address the most common causes of noise that I have found. I’ve heard some paddlers talk about adding a screw behind the seat to secure it more because they don’t use the sliding feature. That can be done easily. Two decades ago, most composite kayak manufacturers offered very little paddling and adjustability to their seats. They were simple and elegant but not as comfy. With more moving parts and options, the seats can be more comfortable but they also may need some attention as I’ve shown here. Paddle, experiment, fiddle and dial in your ride! 

I also like to add foot pads, a couple securing loops behind my seat and extra padding under the rear and in the hips.