Canoe Seats

Advice
#1

looking into canoe seats



i see foam ones, hard plastic ones etc etc



im looking for the most comfortable ones that you can sit on for a good couple hours



looking to spend about 50-75 max for both



ease of putting on and taking off as well as pockets for storage are a plus, cup holders etc



thank you

#2

$50 -$75 max for both?
Better look on CL. What kind of canoe? What kind of water? How do you plan to use it?

#3

canoe

  • fresh and saltwater use


  • both moderate to calm water, not going into rough seas with a canoe but it can get bumpy


  • canoe is 13 feet, 2 seater fiber glass, flat in the back for an engine


  • running a 3 hp
#4

Ed’s canoe parts
Ed’s canoe parts is where most of us find seats and the like. You may find something there that will work, but I fear the prices will exceed your stated budget.



www.edscanoe.com/‎



Peter

#5

I think the OP is looking for
support seats like the GSI Sitbacker. Not canoe seats.


#6

It depends
Different canoes have different kinds of seats and seat mounts. Many canoes built by a more “standard” method make it easy to hang “standard” seats from the gunwales. These kinds of seats, and their hangers, are available from Ed’s Canoe as has already been mentioned. Many non-traditional canoes, especially “off-brand” models, have very unique seats and attachment hardware. Depending on the nature of the gunwales (rails), it may be easy or difficult to hang standard seats in the usual way.



If you get standard seats and want maximum comfort, I highly recommend the kind that has a slight “sag” built into the wooden cross frames. Ed’s Canoe has this style in their collection. Also, you can get seats that have either narrow or wide “sitting portions”. No matter what, the seat frames will be too long, and you just trim them to fit your boat.

#7

Oh, I bet you are right
Silly me to think about comfort while paddling when I was writing below.

#8

Oh, I see.
Yeah, you’re probably right. GCI Sitbacker would serve that purpose for around thirty bucks apiece. Generally available at big box sporting goods stores. They just buckle around the canoe seat and are pretty comfy. I have one but never use it because I find my web seats plenty comfortable and I find the seat back restricts my movement, especially when fishing. I do install it in the bow when my wife joins me in the canoe, which is pretty rare.

#9

my seats
im basically looking for the best type of seats



bellow is a pic of what i have


#10

That helps
Well then, the seat I see at the back of the boat is just like a “standard” canoe seat except for the hard plastic center area and the fact that the frame is aluminum instead of wood. The seats from Ed’s Canoe will be more comfortable, and can sit on the same seat supports that are there right now. The kind of seat I recommended for extra comfort has seat frames which have a very slight downward bend in the center area. It’s not a big difference in appearance but a very big difference in comfort.



“Seat-backer” styles of seats can just fasten on to any bench-type seat that you have, so that’s still an option on this boat no matter what seat you actually choose.

#11

try Essex Industries
Given your budget you are not going to be able to get the best seats in the world.



Essex Industries sells a very serviceable ash-frame seat with mortice and tenon joinery (stronger than the common double dowel joint joinery because it resists twisting forces on the seat frame elements better):

http://www.essexindustries.org/ash-canoe-seat/



Check to make sure that the 34 inch wide seat frames will be long enough (they almost certainly will be). Essex sells these seats with either a cane or webbing seat. Most people find the cane more comfortable but the webbing is somewhat more durable.



Two of these seats will set you back $53.50 not counting shipping. You need to trim the seat frames to fit. You really ought to then treat the exposed, dry wood at the end of the trimmed frame with varnish or polyurethane, so if you don’t have that you will have to add the cost of a small can of finish (Helmsman Spar urethane will work fine) and a couple of disposable foam brushes.



You can probably hacksaw off the existing seat frames where they join the L brackets and use the existing brackets as seat hangers. If you do this, check to make sure that the width of the bracket is enough to accommodate the spacing of the long seat frame elements. You will then need to drill holes through the aluminum L brackets and the ends of the seat frames (get some varnish or polyurethane down into those holes you drill in the seat frames as well).



Finally, you will need to spend a few dollars on some stainless steel hardware to mount the seats to the brackets. I would make sure to use stainless because galvanized will rust. I would suggest using #10 stainless machine screws (either 24 or 32 tpi) and the corresponding #10 stainless lock nuts with nylon inserts. I would also use stainless finish washers under the screw heads on the wood seat frames, and a stainless flat washer under the aluminum bracket. The machine screws will need to be about 1 1/2 - 2" long to go through the seat frame and accommodate the washers and lock nuts. You will of course need eight each machine screws, nuts, flat washers and finish washers. Don’t be surprised if the hardware sets you back another $10 or so.



Maybe you already have some suitable finish and hardware lying around. Otherwise I would expect that you are going to pay a total of around $85-90 or so, counting shipping for the seats.