Boat Seats

Seat Types and Mounting

Boat seats come in a few broad styles, and it helps to think of the seat and the mount as two parts of one decision. A folding bench-style seat, such as our Seamanship pairs with swivel bases, sits on a seat box, bench or raised platform and can be removed or folded away when you need the space, which suits small boats where floor room is tight. A captain-style seat, including the reclining models, is a larger, more supportive seat built for longer days, and it is usually fitted to a swivel or pedestal base. A pedestal is the post that raises the seat off the deck, and ours come with a 360 degree swivel and a gas lift for height adjustment, in two ranges, 34 to 46cm and 55 to 75cm. Many seats are designed around a standard bolt pattern, so check the pattern listed on the seat against the swivel or pedestal you plan to use before you buy.

Weight Ratings and Strength

It is worth checking weight capacity properly rather than assuming any seat will do. Our pedestals are rated to 181kg, while the Seamanship reclining captain seat, with its iron frame is rated to 136kg. These figures apply to the product itself, so the surface you bolt it to matters just as much. A taller pedestal puts more leverage through the base, so the floor or deck needs to be solid, not a thin skin of aluminium. Where the boat’s floor is thin, a backing plate under the base spreads the load and reduces the chance of cracking the deck.

Padding, Upholstery and Durability

Padding is where comfort lives. Our seats range from slim 4cm foam on simple folding seats up to 19cm of high-density foam on the reclining captain seat, and the thicker the foam, the more comfortable a long day at anchor tends to be. Upholstery in the range is marine-grade PVC or vinyl, chosen to resist water, sun and salt. Even so, no seat is immune to Australian sun, and dark vinyl in particular can get hot in summer. A cover for the ramp car park or the mooring helps protect the foam and the surface between trips, and we stock waterproof boat covers alongside seat covers designed for pedestal and captain-style seats. Rinsing off salt and wiping down with a marine-friendly product from our boat cleaning and protection range will keep vinyl supple for longer.

Reclining, Swivelling and Folding Seats

A reclining backrest is worth considering for anyone doing long days at anchor, drifting or trolling, because it takes pressure off the lower back compared with a fixed upright seat. The Seamanship reclining captain seat adjusts from 90 to 155 degrees, so you can sit upright to drive and lean back when you are waiting for a bite. For shorter trips or boats used mainly for quick runs out and back, a fixed backrest is usually enough and keeps things simpler and lighter. A swivel base is a useful feature on almost any seat, because it lets you turn to cast, check the lines or talk to the person beside you without twisting your back. Folding seats are the most flexible, since they can be moved or stowed to free up deck space when you want to stand and fish.

Matching a Seat to Your Boat

Whether you are kitting out a small tinny, a centre console or a portable inflatable, it helps to start with where the seat will sit and what it will be bolted to. On a small boat with a bench or seat box, a folding pair is usually the simplest choice. On a boat with a clear floor and enough room, a pedestal and captain seat gives a raised, swivelling position that is comfortable for driving and for casting. If you are replacing floor covering at the same time, our marine flooring and the wider boat accessories range cover the other parts of a good fit-out.

The Most Common Mistake

The mistake we see most often is adding a tall swivel pedestal to a small boat without checking the floor first. Casting and standing put a twisting load through the base, and a floor that is too thin or unsupported can flex and eventually crack the deck or the mount long before the seat itself gives out. The fix is simple: check the floor’s thickness and strength, add a backing plate under the mount and use through bolts rather than screws, or choose a folding seat fitted to a bench or seat box if the floor cannot take a tall post. A close second is ignoring the weight rating, particularly when the seat will be used by a heavier angler.