Seats are a personal item. What I like someone else will hate, so when I teach class I take a cheap approach. I explain this to the students and give them options that may want to try. I furnish them with Rapid Pulse Backband and a self inflating seat pad. I talk about this and give them some names of other seats they may want to look at. Many/most students are just casual paddlers and are happy with this. Some upgrade to better seats but not many.

What I recommend is one of the Redfish Seats bases, cut to fit the boat along with a 4" backband that I worked with Rapid Pulse to design and make for us. Redfish seats are not cheap! That is why I do not furnish them, but I highly recommend them. In my classes if someone wants one I help them order one from Joe. They have been the most comfortable seat I have found. I was having pain in my legs when paddling and eventually bought one of these and it cured it.

As for Rapid Pulse, they are going to stop making backbands unfortunately. I sell them in my store and never had a complaint. I am going to lay in a supply of the 4" for myself and future projects. I am trying to find a good alternative and I am not to impressed with what I see out there.