Hey I know theres alot of people with this problem and wondering is there a solution?? I typically paddlle twice a week in the summer and twice a month in the winter and what ive been finding is that after just 5 minutes of being in my kayak i have numb legs and feet and its really uncomfortable.

Is this just a fact of playboating i should learn to live with?

I've tried stretching well, before kayaking, trying various seating arrangements in my kayak, having my happy feet lose and tight , and a few other things.

I've heard its because of the way the jackson seats are that they dig into a nerve somewhere causing you numbness and pins and needles but its only ever in my left leg.

Advice appreciated.

Sarah

well its not just the jackson seats cuz i've got a wavesport zg and find exactly the same thing after a few mins my feet and legs go numb does any1 have a slotuion

well good to know its not just my baot because i love jacksons and wouldnt want to give it up because of this problem.

Have you looked at _Danger_'s post on how he outfitted the Project 52? if not, here is a link: playak.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&I...w&id=22753&catid=107

I had the same problem in my jackson 4 fun.. a gigantic boat, definitely not tight by any means..

Your right, it's the formation of the seat and it does cause you to pinch your nerves. Basically your legs are too straight in the kayak, you have a ton of unwanted pressure now on your ischium (the bottom of your hip bones in your butt) so your legs are extend too straight and your pinching nerves under your butt, and the front of the seat comes up and adds pressure to a small spot under your legs, instead of evenly distributing your weight comfortably = numb feet.

you need to elevate your knees, bending your legs. In the Jackson's sweet cheeks, inflate the pad a little, and push all little beads inside to the front of the seat, giving your legs that desired angled of a seat, Low in the rear, and high in the front. if that doesn't help, go to your gear store and purchase a foam seat pad and cut the back half of that off, then place it under your sweet cheeks. OR, Do what I did to my project 52's seat in my outfitting post.

GOOD LUCK!

I always have my legs quite bent so much so that my heels and ankles get sore!
So basically i need to raise my legs of my seat a little bit?

I dont actually have sweet cheeks in my fun ive only got the happy feet foot bags but im thinking of getting a star or a new fun soon so maybe il invest then.

The foam seems like an option though i will try it out when i get the chance.

Thanks

You may want to get the JK Happy Feet/Thruster. This way, you can fix your legs AND get an overthruster at the same time. jacksonkayak.com/store/product.cfm?produ...-seat-thruster-combo

P.S. They are designed to be used as a combo, and the Thruster will keep the Happy Feet from moving around.

any 2007+ JK boat should have the happy feet and sweet cheeks already as part of the outfitting, so if it isn't with the boat your buying than your getting jacked..

well, your stretching the nerves in your hamstring that runs up to your back and then it ends up also being pinched by the front of the seat.. so you need to create an angle in the seat cushioning so that when your in it, it will completely support your legs as it lifts them up. Also: this problem is more of an issue with these boats as WaveSports and Jacksons are very similar in the fact that they are narrow boats, making our legs stretch even more.

The ever thruster happy seat combo is a good suggestion. it would support your legs and push your knees up.

Dangers description is right on the money, that is why

Ill give another vote for the happy seat, seat/thruster combo... Not only will it relieve the numb feet issue, it will make your boat handling better too as you can push down and raise a knee at the same time.. you are better engaged in your boat for sure

It's definitely not a problem limited to Jacksons--in fact, I used a LL CR125 for several sessions/trips and it made my legs fall asleep WAY worse than my Fun. In fact, I haven't really had problems with my Fun--there was one time that my right leg went numb, but I got out, stretched my piriformis and hamstrings, adjusted the happy feet and all was golden after that. Sometimes, when you are in calm water and not really doing much, the legs will fall asleep. Wiggling them around in that situation helps some. When you are active, like while running rapids or playing, the legs,hips, etc. are active and blood flow is high. Are you legs falling asleep in all situations? That would suck if you don't have the Sweet Cheeks in your boat:dry: Try adjusting the happy feet and look into the Happy seat/over thruster combo:woohoo: the Happy seat will support your knees from below and let them relax, and like Laddie said, you'll gain some more control over your boat. Fiddle around with the outfitting in your boat--Jacksons are definitely the most comfortable I've been in, for the play-size boats. also, check out www.jacksonkayak.com/kayaks/HowToOutfitYourJacksonKayak.pdf for more info on adjusting the boat to make it work for you. Good luck! :daisy: I know it can be aggravating! :frustrated:

Well I do most of my paddling on rivers that are mostly flat with a few drops in them and am on flat water for maybe 20 mins at a time with no movement.

My Jackson fun i'd say is an 06 model because it only has the happy footbags, my club probably got them cheap because we only got them last year.

I am getting a new kayak around christmas, probably a jackson... (finally getting my own boat )

I think id like the fun because its more stable but is it any good for playboating?

I only use the fun for river running mostly but its really nice and apart from the numbness wouldnt mind owning my own. After all these years im finally getting my kit together.

Il look into getting the happy seat thruster combo.

Sarah

You might want to also look at the Fluid Spice S or M. the small fits people up to 130 lbs, and the medium is 130-220. Also, I have looked at a WS Diesel 65 and a JK Punk Rocker and did not think that my legs were stretched nearly as much as the Fun. Therefore, if your legs are small, get a smaller boat. When you get a new kayak, there is no reason to get a boat that is uncomfortable. You could even look at a Necky Mission for a good playboat-oriented all rounder. www.neckykayaks.com/kayaks/whitewater/mission.shtml . Have you looked at Pyranhas? I had a Sub 7 that was too big for me, but my legs were never numb except after roll clinics.

You can play in the fun.. but expect to have difficulty double pumping, cartwheeling, and bowstalling. Although It is very possible for these boats to be playful, It's just harder, they are meant to be river-runner's with some play ability. They surf great and what not, but you will definitely have a hard time in flatwater learning to playboat, after attempting to playboat in the fun for 4 months I was getting nowhere, got a true playboat and 1 month later I could cartwheel.

It will be difficult anyways learning the first playboat moves, after all, you have no idea what your doing, plus it's hard, plus it's exhausting. The Fun is for river-running and is playful enough to surf and potentially do other things. If you are trying to compare the fun to the star, it's like comparing apples and oranges, or like comparing a sport sedan to a Formula 1 race car. One will get you in and out of some tough places and has enough guts to be fun along the way, the other is going to do exactly what it's built for and will do it very very well.

FYI - you can tell if the jackson is an 06 or older by it's design features on the top of the boat, if it is edgy it's an 06, if its smooth looking, it's 07 and up, a quick google of an 06 jackson and an 07 jackson will straighten that up for ya.

Well i really want to stick with jacksons.

Im just not sue about which one i need a kayak or river running and playboating because eat the moment i'm just running small grade two drops but am planning to progress to playing in the white water at the end of the weirs soon. So that is what a really want the kayak for and then maybe in a year or two to play in grade three white water, Freestyle etc.

Is the jackson star quite edgy compared to the fun because i like a stable boat due to capsizing issues.

Based on where you are, id say go with the fun... It is exactly designed for the paddling you are describing...

It handles class uo to 4-5 river running and will still play, it will loop, cartwheel, splitwheel and so on. Also, learning to throw down in flatwater in a fun will only make you a better playboater once you move into a full on playboat...

The fun would be a full on playboat a few years ago, just things have sharpened up a little bit more as time progressed.

They are great boats and JK is the kind of company you can stand behind, I had the pleasure of meeting EJ, Clay Steven etc this last weekend and they were super down to earth people... Great company run by great people... I have never met a JK employee who was not friendly (I cant say that about other companies)

ok thanks