: You have started using a single strap around your back band. Do you
: find this works better than the upper/lower straps? What is the
: height of the band? I'm guessing 4"?

A single strap connection for the backrest on each side works fine as long as you get the alignment of the backrest support bungies to the rear bulkhead at the right height. The back rest has to fit your back height (I like it just above the top of butt crack) and low enough so not to interfere with the sparyskirt. I make the support bungies out of one long loop of small bungie cord that crisscrosses through two fairleads to all four attachment points on the backrest. This gives the support bungies a lot of forward/aft stretch so the backrest can be adjusted fore/aft without retying the support bungies. I use the Standard RapidPulse backrest from Colorado CHAPS Co. http://www.coloradochaps.com/kayak_accessories.html

I use a 3-inch foam seat carved to 1/4-inch thick at the low point. It secures my butt well enough so I do not have to install cheek plates. So I just attach the backrest straps with wood screws though the underside of the deck into the plywood coaming shim stack. I Velcro the seat down so it can be adjusted easily fore and aft to trim the kayak's weight CG location. The only disadvantage of no cheek plates is there is no place to stow my bilge pump, but according to USK it should be on the deck always (isn’t that right Wayne).