Bolster seat versus captain chair?

mhb100 · 14 October 2009, 20:45

Has any body used a boat with a bolster seat?

The reason i ask is that my zodiac rib is really uncomfortable in a chop, mainly due to a the fact the seats are the standard captians chair.

From 2007 zodiac replaced their seats with a bolster seat. It looks like i can buy this as an accessory, for easy bolt down fixing.

I'm assuming that zodiac did this as it better, but has anyone tried these bolster seats?

Thanks Mark

spartacus · 14 October 2009, 21:01

Read this. http://www.ribevents.com/site/boatte...med-pro550.pdf

Definately the bolster seat option. I think Zodiac recognised that unless you were navigating in the Med on a flat calm day, then any other sea state was going to be uncomfortable on anything other than short journeys.

There's no allowance in the captain's chairs. All the vibration and shock transmitted through the hull is transferred up your spine. If you stand at planing speeds - your knees act like shock absorbers, effectively cancelling out the worst of the vibration. Unless you can afford a shock-mitigation seat system - then the bolster seat is by far the preferred option.

mhb100 · 15 October 2009, 22:04

Thanks Spartacus....very useful info.

I'll have to start saving some penies as it going to be the best part of £400 for the bolster seat. I'll have to shop around, but ideally I'd like to try it out first, so need to see if i can find someone with a bolster seat. really I'm trying to turn the boat into something its not.

Really i'd like to swap the 'leisure' rib for a more robust one - i had a great trip on a osprey viper, but I cant justify the extra cost given the limited times it gets used.

Cheers
Mark