Comfortable fishing or a pleasant walk through a body of water is impossible without a comfortable seating position. Many PVC swimmers face the dilemma of using regular inflatable cans or investing in a full-fledged chair. If you plan to spend a few hours on the water, the question of where and how to buy a inflatable boat seat becomes paramount. Wrong choice can lead to rapid fatigue of the back, and in the worst case, to a violation of the balance of the vessel.
The market of accessories for water-motor technology offers a wide range of solutions, from simple plywood boards to complex transformable systems with backrest adjustment. ergonomics It's as important to understand that there's no one-size-fits-all solution: some models will work for inflatable canoes, and some models will work for serious hard-transcent PVC boats.
In this article, we will take a look at all aspects of the choice so you can make an informed decision. We will look at the design features of the different types of seats, analyze the advantages of materials and give practical tips for installation. Properly selected equipment will turn your boat into a real comfortable boat, allowing you to enjoy the process, not to endure inconvenience.
Choice Criteria: What to Consider Before Buying
The first and most important parameter is loading capacity And the dimensions of your boat, and if you're sitting too heavy, you can shift the center of gravity, which is critical for small boats, and you also have to consider the width of the boat at the mounting site, because the seat doesn't have to be too short, or it doesn't have to be too short, so it doesn't have to be stable.
The second aspect is the framework material. Aluminum alloys, such as D16TSteel structures are stronger, but require the perfect protective coating so that rust does not appear after the first season. The weight of the structure also matters, especially if you often carry a boat assembled or disassembled for long distances.
⚠️ Warning: Never buy a ferrous-metal frame seat without powder painting or galvanizing. In conditions of constant humidity and salt water, such metal rusts in one season, soiling clothes and crumbling.
The third criterion is the type of attachment. lyctrose (special profile with a groove), on the cut-in glasses or just lean on the sides, which depends on the versatility of use and the ability to move the element around the cabin, if you like to fish together, the ability to quickly move the seat to the other side will be a huge plus.
Types of seats: comparison of structures and materials
All inflatable boat seats can be divided into three main categories by design type. bankThey are rigid platforms, often with a soft pad, and they are simple, cheap and reliable, but they don't have a backrest, making them unsuitable for long periods of rest.
The second category is backrested seats, and the choice is even wider, from simple folding backs to full armrested seats, which are often equipped with a tilt-adjusting mechanism that allows you to change your position during parking or drift. Transportation The versions of these seats can be folded into a compact tube.
- 🪑 Folding chairs: lightweight structures on legs, which are put on the bottom of the boat or on a special platform.
- 🛶 Suspended seats: fasten to the sides on brackets, freeing up space at the bottom for tackle or catch.
- 🛋️ Inflatable seats: modern models with a mesh structure that provide excellent cushioning, but are afraid of punctures.
The third type is a combination of options, like the hand-held seats, which allow you to combine the seating space with a sealed or simply closed storage compartment, which is a great way to optimize the space in a small boat by removing excess bags from under your feet.
Secrets of comfort of inflatable seats
Modern inflatable seats (e.g., I-beam models) can withstand up to 150 kg. Their main advantage is absolute unsinkability and the ability to blow away for compact packaging. However, they require the use of a remix at each exit in case of an unforeseen puncture.
Overview of popular models and brands in the market
When choosing a manufacturer, you should pay attention to companies specializing in marine accessories. Market leaders are often brands that also produce boats themselves, such as the ones that produce them. Flagship, hunter or Mneve and KTheir products are guaranteed to be of standard size and have a proven design over the years.
We also have to mention the universal fishing chairs that can be adapted for boats, for example, popular models from the sea. Norfin or Salmo They are often used on large hard bottom PVC boats, and they are highly comfortable, but require careful attachment, as they are originally designed for shore fishing.
| Model | Frame material | Weight (kg) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship Comfort-2 | Aluminum D16T | 3.5 | Back adjustment, removable pillow |
| Hunter Lux. | Powder steel | 5.2 | Reinforced construction, armrests |
| Universal-M | Stainless steel | 4.8 | The turning mechanism, fixation in lyctros |
| light-sith | aluminum | 2.1 | Folding structure, minimum weight |
When buying imported models, such as Sevylor or Intex Western standards are often different from Russian realities, and it may be necessary to customize the mounting units for reliable fixation on domestic boats.
Self-manufacture and tuning of seats
For those who like to work with their hands, buying a finished product is not always mandatory. Many water-engineers prefer to make seats themselves using moisture-resistant equipment. plywood This allows you to create a product that perfectly repeats the geometry of a particular boat and takes into account the individual anthropometric data of the owner.
The process begins with the creation of a mould and sawing of the blanks, it is important to treat the ends with epoxy resin or special impregnations to prevent the material from stratification, to increase comfort, the plywood base is sheathed with foam and dermatine, or ready-made cases with syntepon are used.
☑️ Checklist for homemade seat
Customized seats are also popular, and often owners change their regular wooden linings to softer ones, add PVC tube armrests, or install rotational mechanisms from car seats. floatability The boat is not too heavy, but the boat is too heavy.
⚠️ Attention: When self-made, avoid using nails. Vibration and tear load quickly shake the nail joints. Use only screws with nuts or furniture screws with a wide pitch of thread.
Installation and installation: technical nuances
Seat installation is a critical step that safety depends on. If you use a lyctross mounting system, make sure that sliders or locks have locking screws. Otherwise, if the boat is braking sharply or on the wave, the seat can jump out of the groove, causing the passenger to fall overboard.
To be installed on sockets, you need to precisely mark the places where the cylinders or transoms are drilled. The holes in the PVC must be reinforced with linings (spider) and properly glued. The metal pins of the seats must enter the glasses tightly, but without excessive effort, so as not to damage the thread or the glass itself.
If the seat is mounted on a hard solder bottom, use anti-slip pads on the legs. This will prevent scratching the floor and displacement of the seat during movement. For inflatable floor boats (BBB), this method is not suitable — only options with attachment to the sides or the use of light inflatable analogues are possible.
Use Teflon lubricant or silicone to treat metal pins before placing them in glasses, which will prevent metal from boiling and make it easy to remove the seat even after prolonged contact with water.
Care and maintenance in the offseason
Even the best materials require maintenance. Aluminum and steel that come into contact with water, especially if it is salty, are susceptible to corrosion. After each fishing, it is recommended to rinse the metal parts with fresh water and dry with cloth. This is a simple procedure that will prolong the life of the product for years.
Fabric elements and soft linings must be dried before packaging. Wet foam is the perfect medium for mold development and unpleasant odor, which is very difficult to get rid of later. If the seat has removable covers, it is better to wash them separately according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Store the seats in a straightened form or in a special case to avoid cavities of the frame. It is not recommended to put heavy objects on the seats in the garage or storage room, as this can lead to deformation of the load-bearing elements and loss of geometric correctness.
Proper care of the seat includes not only cleaning, but also regular checks of fasteners. Weakened bolts can cause the frame to break at the most inappropriate time on the water.
Can I use a car seat in a boat?
Theoretically, it's possible, but it's not recommended. Car seats are heavy, they don't have a frame that's designed to be in constant contact with moisture and they rust quickly, and they don't have regular boat cup mounts, which requires complex and often unsafe alterations.
How much weight can a standard PVC boat seat withstand?
Most quality models from proven manufacturers are designed for a load of 120 to 150 kg. However, when choosing, you should take a margin of safety of about 20-30%, especially if you plan active fishing with sudden movements or fishing in stormy weather.
What is the difference between a boat seat with NDND from a boat with floorboards?
The main difference is the way the boats are attached: inflatable floor boats (BBBBs) can't use floor stops because it will damage the cylinders. Only suspension systems or lyctross attachments on the boards are applicable. In boats with hard bottoms (floorboards), you can install racks that rest against the floor.