Help w/rigging Outback Seat

I am 6'5 and like fishing out my outback. Only problem is I am cramped with leg room and cannot get full extension when peddling. I am thinking about trying to move the seat backward. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas or is in the same situation and has tried a modification already. Thanks.

bump...anybody?

I haven't seen any modifications to move the Outback seat further back. You may have to switch kayaks to an Adventure or Pro Angler (they have more leg room)...
Here are the only things I can think of that may help:
- Make sure you have the MirageDrive shafts set all the way forward on #7
- Pedal barefoot if possible or use thin soled shoes (avoid boots/thick soled shoes)
- Use a life jacket or PFD that is a high back or inflatable to make sure there is no added foam caught between the seatback and your back
Hope this helps.

After making sure the pedal stroke adjustment is set to position 7....and you still have a problem.......You also might consider making a pair of "heel straps" for the pedals in lieu of the factory "over the foot" pedal straps.

I made my heel straps out of an old, heavy duty woven nylon dog leash that is 1" wide x 1/8" thick.
The heel straps allow your feet to be supported on the pedals and I believe you will find you will not have the tendency to try and use/need a full stroke/leg extension.
It's just more comfortable for me and I am 6' tall with 33" inseam.

If you do a search on heel straps, there are a few examples with photos.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Thanks for the replies. I do fish out of my PA mostly, I was just wanting to use my Outback more for shorter trips.

Still looking for options....

I am about 6'4" and I have the same problem. In the end I just live with the shortened stroke. I have to shorten up even a bit more since my pedals hit the side of the outback when set to 7. I think DrSteelheadCatcher has the right idea. I often peddle with my heels and it definitely adds some distance on the stroke. Still not close to full extension but better. In the end I just live with it.

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Fish tremble when they hear my name

A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are built for.
--John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic, 1928

started to wriete a thread about moving your seat back but realized that you are in an Outback, not a PA. Any chance you could trade up to PA???

I do have a PA also. Just like taking outback for short trips

First off like riding a bike you do not want to full extend your legs and lock your knees out, I took a lesson from fast lane kayaks in San Diego and they showed us that if you use a shorter quicker stroke you move faster and your legs are less tried at the end of the trip

Good Luck
Happy New Year
Mike

I am 6'4 myself and the outback has a design flaw where you can't pedal more than a 3/4 stroke when set to 7. I think I might try the heel straps. I wonder if Hobie tested this thing set on 7.

I bike about 4K miles a year. When I say I can not get full extension I mean extended fully to the amount I want (leg slightly bent at end of stroke). With a setting of 7, and the pedals hitting the sides it is like biking with my seat 5" too low.



I think my Outback is not quite that yours. I am considering removing the straps and filing off the nub on the side of the pedal. In the winter I can not use the straps anyway (they do not fit around my boots). MMiller looked into this for me when I first got my Outback in September and noted that there is little to no margin at a setting of 7 in an Outback. In the end I decided to just keep my yak and shorten my stroke. From time to time I get pissed about it, but in the end I live with it.

_________________
Fish tremble when they hear my name

A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are built for.
--John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic, 1928