Hi! The seats in my boat are really uncomfortable so I thought I would buy a seat grip because I saw that some people had them. However someone told me that you only need a seat grip if you are really tall and not if your seat is uncomfortable. Is this true? If so, what would you recommend to do so that I can concentrate on my rowing and not my seat.

I’ve heard that as well, that you shouldn’t use seat pads unless you need to get your torso up a little higher. I’ve also known people that have really bony butts that simply can’t row without using one. I say if you need it, use it. If you’re not someone that needs it for technique purposes then you can just adjust the height of your oarlock to compensate for the extra 1/4 inch in height you’ll get from using one.

Another thing that I’ve heard people do is wear padded spandex, like the ones cyclists wear. I don’t know how much it helps or how comfortable it is but it could be worth trying. JL makes a gel seat pad though that you might look into or if you wanna go the DIY route, just get an old yoga mat and cut it into the shape of the seat. Do this a few times, tape them together, and voila – you’ve got a seat pad.