Skwoosh Fishing Chair Seat Pad

Hard seat? Then add some skwoosh for your tush...

Skwoosh is a US company specializing in seat pads. They cover every conceivable option from wheelchairs to motorcycles. So they know a thing or two about providing some skwoosh for your tush. Learn more about them and their plethora of products here: http://www.skwoosh.com.

I spend a lot of time in my kayaks. Twenty to thirty mile paddles are the norm. While anything to make that more comfortable is welcomed, increasing my center of gravity is not. I've tried various pads over the years and found them all to be either so thin as to be basically useless or so thick that my center of gravity was raised enough to adversely affect my performance. 

Enter the Skwoosh, a gel filled, pressure relieving pad that's thin enough to be barely noticeable to your center of gravity yet offers enough relief to be very noticeable to your buttocks. While I still prefer to paddle without, there eventually comes that point at which the pain in my butt begins to detract from the fun. That's when I reach into my storage compartment and pull out my Skwoosh Fishing Chair Seat Pad. The relief is both immediate and complete. 

It's made out of nylon and cross linked foam and appears to be built to last forever. It requires no maintenance and rinses off if you spill or get dirt on it. If it goes overboard it floats. It folds in half to make storage easier and only weighs 13 oz. It dries quickly and Skwoosh says it won't mold; I know mine certainly hasn't. My favorite kayak, pictured above, is pretty narrow. As you can see the Skwoosh pad fits in there just fine, and it stays put when it's in use.

Skwoosh says that their pad utilizes pressure relieving, fluidized gel that cradles the "sitz" bones and I'd definitely agree with that. It relieves pressure on your tailbone and allows you to sit in your kayak longer without pain; and if you're like me and you've paddled without until your bum feels like it's bruised, placing a Skwoosh under your tush will give you instant relief and many more miles of pain free fun. While a bit more expensive than most other offerings, it's built to outlast them all and provides substantial comfort without compromising your center of gravity.

Background

I don't care for anything between me and my seat. That said, there's only so many hours my butt can take. Using the Skwoosh gives me more pain-free hours and is therefore totally justifiable. I've owned it for about two years now and when needed, I love it. It's small and light enough to always take with me, just in case. After a couple years of use it still looks and performs like the day I got it. While pricey the build quality and performance easily justify the cost.