Folding Kayaks Forum

Throw it away!
The Narak uses an integrated seat base and backrest with a fabric hinge between them. Both the base and the backrest have a hard plastic sheet and a sheet of thin closed cell foam as thier core. The seat base is located fore and aft by 4 straps that wrap around the bulkheads just in front of and behind the cockpit, and 2 extra straps run forward to locate the foot plate fore and aft (one of which came unstitched last week, leading me to rethink things)
Their are 3 problems with this set up:
1. The seat is really hard and not contoured so it gets uncomfortable after only a few hours
2. The seat back, like the Fujita one I've also junked, is straight/not contoured so provides no lower back support IMHO,
3. Because the footplate essentially attaches to the bulkheads fore and aft via the seat straps, when you push ("peddle") hard on it, the bulkheads rotate about their verticle centre axis

After trying a range of ideas, what seems to work best instead for the seat base is a thermarest type self inflating bum pad sitting on strips of polyeurethane closed cell foam running between the stringers directly against the hull. In calm seas I let it self inflate considerably for (slightly wobbly) maximum comfort. In confused seas I let it inflate just enough to keep my pelvis off the keel. This puts the seat a bit lower than the original configuration, and the Narak is very maneagable in rough seas like this. As it's self-inflating, I can do this on the move if it's not too rough
For a backrest I fitted a Snap Dragon back band, which slides over its rigid plastic 'belt' (same as on the Cape Falcon F1). This is mounted very low, located vertically by a tape loop and attached directly to the footplate straps to locate it fore and aft, so taking the stresses off the bulkhead. As you push on the footplate, it pulls the back band against your lower back on the same side and I find this also helps my hip/torso rotation, as well as providing more support.
Just did my first ever 20 nautical mile paddle, out and around the island of Procida and back, much of it in seas churned up by powerboats, and was definitely more comfortable and less fatigued than usual

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Simon

Pakboats Quest 135, Nautiraid Narak 460, 416 & K1 (sold my 550), First light 420, Feathercraft Wisper, Fujita Alpina AL-1 400, Incept k40 (for sale)
Non-folders: Cape Falcon F1. Beth sailing canoe, 2014 Hobie Adventure Island

je suis d'accord, le siège est très inconfortable. Je vais bientot tester le siège NECKY. j'enlèverai celui de nautiraid. Je vous dirai si c'est bien.

http://www.nootica.fr/siege-necky-kayak ... 23175.html

Bon chance!
I've now replaced the thermarest with a full width thin sheet of polyurethane on top of the other 2 either side of the keel. This way I don't have to worry about remembering to deflate the seat base BEFORE the sea starts to get rough It works fine too. Essentially with a foam seat directly against the pvc you are sitting on a fully contoured water bed with the sea for water
I'd be a bit worried about the Necky seat lifting you up too much: I was really surprised at the difference lowering the seat even 1 cm makes - now that I'm sitting with my 'sitting bones' slightly lower than/either side of the keel, my Narak laughs at confused choppy seas It does mean you have to sit at the back of the cockpit to clear the keel tensioning lever, but that hasn't been an issue.

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Simon

Pakboats Quest 135, Nautiraid Narak 460, 416 & K1 (sold my 550), First light 420, Feathercraft Wisper, Fujita Alpina AL-1 400, Incept k40 (for sale)
Non-folders: Cape Falcon F1. Beth sailing canoe, 2014 Hobie Adventure Island

On my good old 416 I use a cheap inflatable cushion under the fabric seat. I can choose how much inflate it, and in case deflate it.
More air, more high you seat, less stable the boat.
Moreover I removed the plywood rom the back rest and put there one more piece of close cell foam.
It works...
Regards,
Michele

I used the inflatable seat solution to for a while. It's fine if the weather is predictable. Then one day with it inflated I rounded the island (Procida) to a side I hadn't paddled before onto a head wind and nasty breaking waves caused by the shallow bottom compounded by motor boat wakes and made the mistake of not deflating it immediately, after which I was too busy focussing on staying upright to stop paddling long enough to deflate it until I made it to the shelter of the fishing port. That's when I moved to a thin sheet of polyurethane instead Even though I wasn't that high with the inflatable seat, I felt too disconnected from the kayak...

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Simon

Pakboats Quest 135, Nautiraid Narak 460, 416 & K1 (sold my 550), First light 420, Feathercraft Wisper, Fujita Alpina AL-1 400, Incept k40 (for sale)
Non-folders: Cape Falcon F1. Beth sailing canoe, 2014 Hobie Adventure Island

Simon,
will you be so glad to post a photo of your solution (seat + backrest)?
Thanks in advance,
Michele

Can't promise this will be very soon, I'm afraid. My Narak is dismantled in my bedroom at the moment waiting for me to seal the airleaks in the deck/hull joints with sikaflex, and I'm flat out at work just now and using my F1 and occasionally the Fujita when I get time
I will try however!

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Simon

Pakboats Quest 135, Nautiraid Narak 460, 416 & K1 (sold my 550), First light 420, Feathercraft Wisper, Fujita Alpina AL-1 400, Incept k40 (for sale)
Non-folders: Cape Falcon F1. Beth sailing canoe, 2014 Hobie Adventure Island

Pics here of my Narak cockpit mods. Apologies for the delay
https://picasaweb.google.com/103530664582188195084/NarakMods?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCLb4sJG-nJvMLg&feat=directlink

_________________
Simon

Pakboats Quest 135, Nautiraid Narak 460, 416 & K1 (sold my 550), First light 420, Feathercraft Wisper, Fujita Alpina AL-1 400, Incept k40 (for sale)
Non-folders: Cape Falcon F1. Beth sailing canoe, 2014 Hobie Adventure Island

Simon,

Nice job! I'm reminded of something Ralph Diaz' said in his book...don't shy away from getting a kayak if the only thing you don't like is the seat. I haven't seen a Nautiraid in a while, but the ones I have seen in the past always impressed me with their skin to frame fit. Don't recall seeing a wrinkle or pucker anywhere.