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My DIY Kayak Seat, rev. 1


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This post shows 2 similar, but different DIY Kayak Seats.  The design is one that I cooked up using standard big box store pvc fittings.  In this case, I re-purposed some fittings I already had on hand.  The seat to the left was previously pictured in SOL post Http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/topic/654043-my-diy-kayak-seat/#entry11341773.  The seat to the right incorporates a design change that narrows the original base unit width by 1 inch and allow for use of the seat in my narrower Emotion Spitfire 8 kayak.  Also, the Emotion Spitfire seatback is now physically separate from the seat base.  Still, the frame width of the 2 seatbacks remains unchanged.  Both seats fold about 90% in the closed or flat position.

 

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The wider seat, above, to the left, has some padding in the rear to stop a point contact between the pvc fitting and the kayak shell.  Overkill, but it is tapped on, so I leave it alone.  It is also extended on the front, but it didn't feel necessary to add to the narrower unit on the right. 

 

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The seats are transposed, in the photo above.  The revision 1 design, on the left,  uncouples the seatback from the seat base.  It uses a simple cord wrap to hinge the two pieces.  The seat to the right, above has the seat back couple with the pvc pipe directly.

 

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Closeup view, above, of the cord hinge.  Very special.

 

I explored some other high cost options.  There was also a guy who posted a youtube video where he added 2x4 lumber and a folding plastic boat seat, for his Pelican Boost. I tinkered and came up with this solution.  There was no cost outlay for me, except for the dollar store foam kneeling pads required for a seat cushion.

 

The narrower of the 2 seats also fits into my wider Pelican Boost.  I spent 2 hours in the Emotion Spitfire yesterday and my back did not complain. There is enough surface area across the milk crate matrix that no discomfort from the surface is realized.

 

Bill M

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Cool. A bit heavy?

Any society that charges it's own children for knowledge, is doomed to fail.

Whilst intelligence is not affected by geography, it is influenced by education, opportunity and drive.   

Now is the time to change our attitude towards blues, next year may well be too late (Somebody listened :th: )
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What's the width of the seating area of the Boost?

At the very bottom it is 16".  The top gunnel area is 19" wide.  About 2" off the bottom the width opens up to 18".  If you raise your center of gravity too far , you can sense the boat is slightly tippy.

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Cool. A bit heavy?

I weighed the seat, with foam pad, and it comes in at 5.5 pounds.  My wife totes a stadium seat in her car trunk that might also fit the kayak, but it weighs 8 pounds.  

 

It is a cool seat. For my $250 and $190 kayaks, the cost and functionality of the seats is great.  I am not a cheapskate.  I made several serious inquiries and bids on Outback this year.  I missed one by the skin of my teeth.  The guy said he had a bid from another person.  I should have offered him more and drove to his house right away.  If that Outback was missing a seat, I would have spent the required amount on a form fitting seat dedicated for the Outback. My low cost kayaks and the DIY seats compliment each other.  LOL.

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  • 4 years later...
11 hours ago, cheech said:

Snowy day project, repurposed this worn out back brace into a kayak back band.

Is that instead of a seat for your latest boat?  Had you looked at the commercial ones for whitewater? They have some elastic cords from the center top to the cockpit coaming to keep it from rolling upside down on you.

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 I just got a $13 ‘returned’ Shoreline Marine seat off the auction site for that yak.

  The five vertical stiffeners in that old back brace may actually stand it up in place nicely. I may have to add a rear strap if it keeps dropping down.

  Never tried a kayak with just a back band, now I can try it out on the cheap, and get a good one if it works out.

Tis better to remain silent and thought the fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.

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