Epic Back Pads!
Our new, ergonomic Back Pads for surfskis are made of closed cell foam and attach to the back of the seat with a self adhesive Velcro strip. The contoured shape is designed to provide lower back support for paddlers desiring additional comfort while still allowing freedom of movement.
Some surfski paddlers tend to ‘slouch’ in the seat, and the Epic Back Pad acts as an anti-slouch device! It can help paddlers sit up straighter and paddle in a more optimum position. The pad is approximately 1” thick at the top and tapers down. A secondary benefit of this is that it can also allow our shorter paddlers to better reach the pedals.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Many years of R&D at Epic Kayaks has produced a very comfortable cockpit across our range of surfskis. It is essential to be able to rotate the torso to generate a good forward stroke. For those new to surfskis, the lack of a backrest can be challenging until sufficient core strength is developed; using the Epic Back Pad can greatly aid in that transition. Paddlers can become fatigued over time from the effort of holding an upright posture; pushing with the legs on the footboard helps to sit up, and the Back Pad provides extra lower back support that will help keep you more relaxed, reduce fatigue over long distances, and keep you in the race! The pad also serves as a simple cushion, as well as an aide to better posture.
INSTALLATION Align top edge of the Back Pad with the highest point of the rear of the cockpit where it is still vertical - just as the seat shape breaks backwards for the comfortable ‘lean back’ cutaway. We recommend placing a strip of protective tape (pvc/pipe wrap tape) along the cockpit in the area you will attach the back pad. This will help reduce adhesive residue if you ever decide to remove the very strong self adhesive Velcro piece.
The Velcro is wide enough that you should have a bit of play, vertically, on placement once Velcro is attached. Since every paddler and every boat are a bit different, it is important to get it in the optimum position for each paddler’s individual setup.
Note - please remove the pad when traveling at high speeds to avoid potentially losing it.
