'Pro AI' Skipper seating mod for Hobie AI/TI

Author: josh

Category: Equipment, rigging & preparation

Created on Sunday, 10 July 2011 17:58

Written by Josh

Earlier in the week I revealed plans for my Adventure Island (AI) Skipper seat experiment and for good reason I was somewhat cautious about how I did so because it's a fairly drastic modification and I hadn't yet put it to the test. I got the opportunity to do that over the weekend though and I am extremely pleased to report that it did in-fact work out very well. So much so that it changed the way the Adventure Island feels and gave me quite a different experience, pretty much all of it positive. While I was expecting certain positive results that turned out as expected, I was also wondering about some potential cons. Some of these I turned out to be right about, but in part at least, less so than imagined. What I hadn't anticipated was a few other side benefits as well, due mainly to the elevated seating position.

While I wouldn't yet claim to have perfected a mounting procedure, nor am I yet convinced this is the best possible seat system one could use, I will say that as is, it's a lot more comfortable and most certainly a whole lot drier than what I am use to. Before going any further, however, I am yet to try it out in mono-hull kayak mode and expect that Hobie's standard kayak seat will offer much better stability for that purpose. And although my mounting system worked almost as well as I'd hoped, it allowed for some rocking under heavy pedalling, which was easily overcome by putting a bit more weight onto the front of the seat. This would be better overcome with a more secure mounting system (something not unlike what Hobie's Pro Angler uses... hold that thought). Now with the disclaimers out of the road, lets get to the exciting stuff.

At first it took just a little getting use to. Hopping onto this seat and placing my feet onto pedals felt a lot like jumping into a Pro Angler for the first time and after spending 6 hours sitting in it, have started appreciating the design paradigms of the Pro Angler so much more. This punctuated this experience so much that I've gone from calling it the Skipper Seat mod to the Pro AI seating mod. Most noticeable among the many changes this new seat system meant was an alternative pedalling angle, somewhat reminiscant of what it feels like to operate a PA. Instead of pedalling upwards, all of the sudden I was pedalling downwards. This did mean a slight readjustment in pedal position, though I also found that it was easier to find a comfortable pedalling position despite the pedals length setting, largely because of the shape and supportive structure of the seat. That is to say it's easy to get comfortable sitting in various positions, such as leaning forward, back or sitting straight up. 

The two main design goals were achieved with a major tick in each box: more comfortable ride (plush seems a good adjective here), and much drier ride. Because the upholstery uses low density 2" foam for back and seat rest, there's plenty of padding. This provides a level of comfort a standard kayak seat can't compete with. It's also much drier, most noticeable right now in the thick of winter. Much less water finds it way onto the seat and if it does, it's got somewhere to go (draining out the back) and thus ones backside remains drier at best, and not ever sitting in a puddle at worst. 

What I wasn't expecting were other advantages by having an elevated seating position - and these are huge. The seated height is about 1cm below that of the gunwale and some 3 - 4 inches clear of the base of the seat well (room enough to store back up water, or anchor and line, drogue, shark lasso, etc). Sitting a few inches higher seems to provide better leverage when fishing - casting and especially retrieving. It's easier to tweak and twitch the rod, and less strain on the shoulders to reel in a line. I also have slightly better visibility over the water. Another advantage provided by an elevated seated position is a better angle on the furling lines, providing more leverage in operation. It also puts me at a better height relative to my rod holders, allowing me easier access and a perfectly positioned arm rest (that lets me feel bites through my elbows while trolling along). On top of all this, I found it easier to move around on deck to access GPS or cameras, largely because I didn't have to haul myself out of a lowered bucket seated position. Almost everything just seemed easier to do. 

Put simply, the overall experience was better than I'm use to from a typical kayak seat - even Hobie's i-comfort system, which is the best I've found otherwise. That's not to say that it couldn't be made better and an example of what would make it better would be something more like Hobie's Pro Angler seat. Those mesh panels make a lot of sense for a seat like this and as comfortable as soft foam is, mesh would certainly be drier. A mounting system that locked the seat into place a little more solidly would be a worthy enhancement to, though my initial prototype worked out pretty well.

I use webbing & quick-release buckles to secure the front of the seat (webbing attached to base of seat and screw-in mount positions on kayak deck) and stainless snap clips secured to the back of the seat that attach to stainless turnbuckles that can be used for fine adjustments in tension from the rear. There's not much room for error here - it 'just' fits so that one has access to steering, 8" hatch and drink bottle position at rear... just. It can be installed or removed in much the same time a Hobie kayak seat can be installed and once removed at the end of a big day, has the added advantage of making a terrific camping seat as well (meaning I no longer need to carry a seat of any kind for kayak camping trips).

The higher seated position does put my head closer to the bottom of the sail and in the worst cases rubbing up against it, though when it gets like that it's often better to furl the sail in anyway. So far I have only put in a few hours test and the signs are all positive. Time will tell if any more unexpected cons surface, though for now I think all I need to do is mount it even more securely somehow. But even if I can't find a better way, for sure this will become my seat of choice while using my Adventure Island as a trimaran or outrigger.