Padded seat or padded pants ?

Has anyone tried any of the various styles of padded paddling shorts/pants and compared it to actually installing a seat pad in your surf ski.

Having just changed skis and finding that I will need some form of padding in this one just like the last, I wondered if anyone has ditched the seat pads for some shorts/pants with decent padding ?

What are the benefits of one over the other ?

Hi,
I used to have a problem with comfort/numbness etc and experimented with seat padding. I found it helped with circulation but impeeded the amount of pivot and leg drive i could get. My advise would be to use 2 or 3mm neoprene high back shorts instead and therefore you can still move around within the seat. I also found that my lower back would sometimes rub late in paddles when my posture fades, I sewed in a piece of foam in to my shorts for added padding.
Exel do a good short that is all lycra front and side panels and 3mm neo in the seat.

1 vote for sharkskin pants
love them although its been cold here not sure how they will go in summer

I am waiting for the shop to get in some Sharkskin hybrid pants to try. I have a Sharkskin top and love it. Great for winter paddling.

Do the Sharkskin pants have extra padding on the butt ? The salesperson wasn't too clear.

I have read about a few types of barefoot waterskiing pants that have up to 15mm of padding. Just trying to work out how much padding I need and which is best as they are all very hard to come by without actually ordering them online.

My sharkskin pants don't and personally I hate them, they are a terrible cut, mine are medium and they are almost like beach baggies, no way should I need small and they take ages to dry, I stopped wearing them a couple of years ago so they might have improved since then. I wear neoprene shorts but make my own seat pads for any decent length paddles in comfort.

I use Zhik Deckbeater padded shorts. (www.zhik.com) They're designed for sailors who are out on the trapeze, and have excellent padding on the backside, and a stretchy fabric on the front of the thighs. The fabric is slippery enough that you can still rotate, they have a high cut back which doesn't slip down while you're paddling, and they dry much faster than Sharkskin.

My Sharkskin shorts were continually slipping down under my butt while paddling, and the drawstring digging into my back if I really tightened them

I had custom wetsuit pants made by Keith at Custom Wetsuits in Brisbane. I first developed the template before I did Molokai in 2009 and have improved them since them. Keith makes them in 10-15 mm in the seat and light gauge in the front. Very comfortable, no restrictions and isthe only thing that stops my legs from going numb.

I'd be interested to know exactly how many paddlers used a seat pad and how many don't.
Also, if they do, is it for an ergonomic lift or for discomfort numbness?

Thanks everyone for the input. I have just purchased the Zhik padded shorts and I'll give them a run on the weekend.

Couldn't get the Xcel shorts as nobody seems to have stock or know when they will get some, and decided against the Sharkskin pants.

For me the padding is just for comfort. I have a boney butt and need some sort of padding or I can't go out more than a couple of days a week. I had a seat pad in my previous boat but found it a bit annoying. Obviously I didnt make a delux seat like some are able to do.

The new ski I have (SES) is a perfect fit for my butt so I just need a little padding. I find it more comfortable than the V10S I had before but still need a little padding for comfort. I did go to 2 seat pads (10mm + 15mm) in the V10S before I upgraded, but that was just trying to improve my balance.

I make my seats for both ergonomic reasons and comfort, if I'm comfortable I enjoy my paddling so much more, why put up with discomfort, rubbing, sore sit bones? My Epic I made a seat to tilt me more forward as I felt I was paddling uphill in that ski, my SES I made to lift me slightly and give my hips a little more room, my SEL I made the seat to shit my weight forward and up for more clearance on the higher and further forward hump in comparison to the SES and to help me get onto a wave easier and also because the bucket was a little to big for me.

Sharkskin shorts are useful for those with chicken legs and a fat gut. Dont find they fit well, although the tops are wonderful.
If anything, they tend to overheat and hold lots of water when one swims.

Just a quick bit of feedback. The Zhik padded shorts work very well for me. No need for seat padding any more. The SES bucket is a perfect fit for me and I am happy not to have to add padding.

Great, now it seems that to paddle I have to wear nappy pants, next somebody will tell me I gotta wear nappy pants to cycle as well.

Wait, damn, I already do.





This does sound like a good idea to me though.
Still allows for full rotation as well as some padding.

Hopefully I never need them.

Different strokes.... I have a pair of the Zhik Deckbeater shorts too. I think they are great for their intended purpose (sailing) but I don't care for them at all for paddling. They have VERY aggressive seams, including a full seam down down your backside. The fit and high back is great, but I would have to wear these over something else.

My favorite padded shorts are the PaddleMe neoprene, these don't have a center seam. Unfortunately the cooler Lycra and Poly PaddleMe shorts do have a center seam.

For non-padded shorts, the Mocke's are great.

Greg Stamer

You're all making this much more difficult than it has to be. Two large bowls of ice cream every night will solve the problem... those sore sits bones will be well padded in just a few weeks.

Not to mention an extra pint or two.....

Best paddle shorts I have had - and still have - are the ones my mother in law made me!
A pair of lycra shorts - not bike nicks because the padding is no good - with a 5mm neopreen backside sewn on.
You look like you are wearing a nappy but bloody comfortable. A bit cooler than a full neopreen short which is good for our climate.
Comfortable bums!
Skel