Home made kayak seat

does anyone know how many layers of fiberglass mat is needed for a seat has to be as strong as a original epic 18x seat i do use a lot off leg drive most probably too much
i just fiber glassed my seat mold with two layers of matt wondering if i should do more

By “mat” do you mean chopped strand mat? CSM has much less strength than the equivalent weight of woven fabric. And fabric comes in a lot of weights and configurations.

Unfortunately I can’t really give you any concrete suggestions beyond that but just wanted to clarify what kind of fiberglass you were using as that may alter any advice that you do get.

Woven is less likely to leave fg splinters in your back side.

Fiberglass mat also comes in various weights. The weight means how thick it is and it is impossible to tell with such limited information.

If you are using mat you will want 2-3 coats of epoxy over it so it will not splinter, but how many coats of it does need more information.

thanks for the info i did not know the mats came in different weights i will get more woven mat and put one more layer how do i get the black color into the epoxy do i just add a few drops of black paint to the mixture ? and do i add epoxy to the top to get a smooth mixture or do i use urethane /varnish

You don’t want to run the risk of compromising the integrity of the epoxy.

It would be best if you let it cure throughout for 3-4 day, sand it to give it some tooth, and paint it.



Almost done with this seat. One more layer of epoxy they I have spray can of urathane for outside. This is my last go with this boat. If this don’t work it’s for sale. Tried all known seat covers and 4 different seats including redfish kayak seat

Hope it works out for you. To my opinion the 18x is one of the best boats on the market, unless you are looking for a rock garden play boat.

I still have an 18X seat, replaced it with a foam Redfish. I see you got rid of that nasty center ridge in back that rubbed the base of my spine raw.

You got that right. I would have to alternate between my dagger 14 foot so my skin could heal , but unfortunately the redfish seat was wearing me out worst than the epic seat. And leg numbness. So I copied the seat in my v7 and installing it tomorrow. I can stay in my v7 for hrs 20 km no problem

just tried out my seat and paddled 15km in a 1hr 28 min with no problems i used exterior varathane in a spray can as top coat and its not as slippery as i would like it i believe the varathane was not fully cured as it looked whiteish as if i had just sprayed it after my paddle but cam back to its clear color within minuets any idea as what i can use to get the seat as slippery as possible i did wax it before i went out