Neoprene for boat seats?

Rob_F

Active member
The family runabout is due for an overhaul this summer.

The traditional back to back seats are neither functional or affordable for this vintage craft ... the seats would cost more than I can sell the boat for.

Looking at adding benches and considering a sponge rubber rather traditional lofty foam and vinyl cover.

Our kayaks have neoprene seat pads. I'd get something thicker, but they seem rather durable and comfy.

We don't really cruise, mostly​ fish and swim with some time for pulling tubes and knee boards. The benches would work better for cooler and gear storage.... But what about the booty?
 
Rob,
Many years ago I rehabbed a 1974 StarCraft runabout which had the original back to back fold down lounge seats. I simply took out the entire seat and replaced them with a seat base, post and swivel seat. If you wanted a storage box under the seats, one could build a storage box/bench and mount swivel seats on the lid.
I definitely think one would want an abundance of cushioning under the tush.
 
Thanks Dave.

It's '78 fiberglass Crestliner Nordic. Some very cool lines on these crafts. As a child of the '70s I'd call it "old school", but the audience here might find that humourous :)

Seats are coming out. They were the original and have out in about 40 years of solid work. One consideration might be salvaging the foam from the seats..... it's the wood frames that finally gave up the ghost. We use her a lot and she's toured most if Minnesota.

As the kids have gotten larger and added friends the cubic space requirements have increased along with surface area requirements. Somehow the bow seating section has seemed to Shrink!

When I look at Pedestals I see better seating for fishing, but "lounging" has been a demand on the increase. When I look at those fancy new rigs my kids like the seating has converted to an almost pontoon state.

I think you're​ correct about cush under the tush, but if it's too nice I'll never get them out.... sometimes a solo drive is just the remedy a man needs :)
 
Rob,

Not sure if neoprene is the material you want. Seems to me it might get clammy in that environment. I would think something like Ethafoam - a closed cell foam would work. Check out the military sleeping mats that many of us use on the floors of our boats. As far as I know they come in either olive or blue and are 3/8" thick and very durable.
 
Dang Craigslist. Found a matching replacement set of runabout lounge seats. Taller base, I pick up approximately 3 Cu ft per seat.

Going sight unseen as I had a friend complete the transaction in my absence. But got price @ 60% replacement cost of new seats.
 
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