Back rest

A seat back. These are usually hinged at the bottom to the back of the seat and can be adjusted for slope.

Make sure you get a low backrest. A high seat back will interfere with the spray skirt, PFD and can make re-entries such as the paddle float self rescue more difficult. Many paddlers who use back rests tend to adopt a poor paddling posture, since it promotes a slouched position. A kayak is not a sofa; you should use the seat back to prevent sliding back off the seat, not as a place to rest while paddling. Proper position when paddling is with the shoulders slightly forward of the hips.

Compare with back band.