Boat Seats and Chairs

Boat seats are significantly different than the production of seats in nearly any other manufacturing. Marine seating must be able to stand up to the possible end use in; harsh salt environments, sunshine, weather and rough seas. Additionally, the boat seat and mounting system are subject to the constant stresses that are placed on the seat through boat movement while the seat is occupied.

Marine seating fits many uses aboard a vessel, from the full weather exposure of a bridge deck to the exposed position of a fishing chair. Inside the vessel, a seat can be at the helm station, as a captain or navigator position. A marine seat, mounted atop a pedestal system may receive more than 3 g’s of force in rough seas, placing near a thousand pounds of force on the structural components of the seat.

Common Questions About Boat Seats

• What type of fabrics are available?
• Can I get a seat customized?
• Do you have seats that fit older-style boats?
• Do you have seats for Commerical Vessels or Military Boats?

Made-to-Order vs Production Boat Seats

Boat seats may be manufactured with little to no options or they may be entirely custom built. Both H.O. Bostrom and Bentley’s offer seats that are custom built that offer many features, fabrics and mounting options that will accommodate most boaters and their vessels. Garelick and Todd offer a wide variety of seats, “ready-to-go” production seats, with designs that fit many boaters’ applications.

H.O. Bostrom offers both low back and high back marine boat seats. To provide the longest service life, seat frames are marinized with a 5 step marine finish system. With a custom HO Bostrom seat, you may combine components to meet your special needs; i.e., the pedestal and swivel assembly on the high-back helm seat can also be used on the floor slide rail. Other variables include choices of the seat back height on many chair models, from either low or high back. Helm seats from H.O Bostrom have options such as footrests, reclining, tilt, different heights of suspension and lumbar seat adjustment.

Bentley’s manufactures boat seats for the helm position, in high or low back and for nearly any boat seat generally found in runabouts and open powerboats. Bentley’s has a seat for nearly any position, including a back to back seats, jump seats, and bucket or bench seats for your boat refit or update. Not only can you choose from nineteen colors of genuine Naugahyde for your Bentley seat, you can combine / mix colors of the panels and armrests for a truly custom look.

Garelick and Todd marine boat seats are affordable and durable. Many rotational (Roto) molded seats as well as traditional vinyl covered boat seats are available in several styles and models. Beyond the seat itself, Garelick offers adjustable bases, slides, swivels and foot rests. Garelick and Todd seats are standard in many small boats, as a second boat seat or fish fighting seat.

Boat Seat Fabrics:

Boat Seats come in a wide range of fabric types and colors. H.O. Bostrom offers Durawear and Duracoat Fabrics. Durawear, a high strength-wear resistant fabric, is unique compared to other high strength fabrics due to it's waterproof nature. A PVC coating on the backside creates this waterproofing, which makes Durawear ideal for outdoor applications or in wet environments such as boating. Durawear is superior to other FMVSS certified fabrics in terms of thread density, weight, strength and surface abrasion. Duracoat vinyl has a cleanable surface protection which offers improved stain and abrasion resistance. Improved wear resistance makes Duracoat vinyl ideal for any application where vinyl is the choice material.

Bentley's Marine Seating offers sixteen rich colors that you can mix and match to your boat's theme that coordinate beautifully with today's updated marine gel-coats and carpeting. Bentley's uses only genuine Naugahyde.

Todd seats are covered with heavy duty marine grade tufted upholstery that is double-stitched for years of reliable service.

Seats for Older Boats:

Commerical Seats:

Boat Seat Mounting and Accessories:

The diverse use of boats seats in a vessel has contributed to a wide range of mounting options, suspensions and other features. Questions that the consumer needs to ask themselves:

• Do I need a suspension system?
• What does a swivel do, what are the options?
• Are there seat sliders available?
• How else can I mount a seat?

Suspension:

The single biggest accessory that will aid in the comfort of a seat is a suspension system. Marine seats are subject to high loads when a vessel plunges over a wave and into the trough. Rough water and seas, whether small or large can be jarring to the operators body. A well designed marine suspension will do much to add comfort to the helm and other positions.

There are a couple considerations when choosing a suspension system. You will need to take an honest look at how much load the seat will have in it and if the boat is subject to large seas. Suspension systems use a spring (vertical or torsion) and some sort of dampener (shock or liquid). In a few situations, suspensions may be pneumatic.

H.O. Bostrom’s Torsion 380 suspension is a rugged suspension system that allows for maximum comfort. A hand wheel on the front of the suspension allows riders of different weights to use the seat effectively. The torsion bar suspension provides 4 inches of shock absorbing ride for operators from 110 to 275 lbs.	Bentley’s manufactures the affordable yet durable Mariner Chassis. This “knee action” mechanical spring suspension offers 3” of travel. The Standard Duty Mariner suspension with a single shock will accommodate users up to 250 pounds. In situations of persons over 250 pounds, or in a boat that would create side-to-side strain, the Heavy duty dual shock Mariner suspension is offered.	The Seaspension Shock Mitigating Pedestal features an internal progressively-rated stainless steel spring that self-adjusts to occupant weight and sea conditions. These suspension pedestals offer two different mounting styles to fit to nearly any marine seat manufacturer.
H.O. Bostrom Shock Absorbing Suspension	Bentley's Mariner Chassis	Shock Absorbing Suspension
Swivel Swivels are available to allow a seat to turn around to face a different station or to help a rider enter or exit a seat. The major consideration here is whether the swivel is non-locking or locking. Swivels that lock in place are useful for positions where the person spends most of the time facing one direction or another. Non-locking swivels are used for seats that need to swing around; like a stern fishing chair or a bow chair on a bass boat. There are also swivel slider combinations that add both features to one unit. Boat Seat Swivel	Slider The primary role of the slider is to accommodate users of different heights. Sliders will add varying amounts of height to a mounted seat as well as the distance of fore and aft travel. Tandem seat sliders are available for mounting a bench seat so that it can adjust. Some sliders are able to mount to many different seats from other manufactures. Boat Seat Slider	Pedestals Mounting – A seat mounted to a fixed seat box or cabinet can offer some storage beneath the seat. Seat risers also allow some variance in the height of the seat and come in both fixed and adjustable height models. Boat Seat Pedestal Pedestals – Seats may be mounted to adjustable or non adjustable pedestals to suit user height. Pedestal bases can be simple flat plates, cones, spider mounts or even a portable seat mount that allows a seat to be moved around in a boat. Pedestals can feature the seat mount included and suspension systems. Foot Rests – Pedestal mounts may have a foot rest fitted to accommodate tall mounting heights or to allow for users to vary their foot placement.

Contact Go2marine to help you setup a marine seat to fit any position or use on your vessel. Commercial pricing available.