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Thread: Need boat seat base advice.

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    Default Need boat seat base advice.


    Recently I purchased a 14' 6" Xtreme Classic boat. It is an aluminium boat with stick steer. I love the boat...right size for my garage...handles great.....with the 40 four stroke sips gas. But when running at speed in a chop with about a 10 MPH wind the ride beats you to death up front. I mean you could hurt your back real easy with the pounding. Running at speed in the boat with those conditions is not unsafe....the boat handles it well. I can't stay off the lake just because of a 10 MPH wind. I am going to have to install a suspension seat base. I am looking at a Smooth Moves base......I understand it is very good but expensive. I am in the 290 pound range. My question is do any of you know of a suspension base solution that will handle my weight but is less expensive? Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.


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    What experience I have had with front stick-steer boats, you are experiencing the reason most folks don't take a second look at them. All I have seen will beat your teeth out in anything more than a slight chop, regardless of what kinds of seat bases are used.
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrdux View Post
    What experience I have had with front stick-steer boats, you are experiencing the reason most folks don't take a second look at them. All I have seen will beat your teeth out in anything more than a slight chop, regardless of what kinds of seat bases are used.
    Well I knew the ride was going to be an issue in chop when I bought the boat.....maybe I didn't realize to what extent. But I just bought the boat.....I'm not about to sell it when there is a fix out there for it. I'm just asking does anyone know of a cheaper fix than what I am looking at. Have a friend who has a jet boat with the Smooth Moves seat base and difference is night and day with the ride.


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    Alpha Hawk, I feel your pain. I also have a stick boat. From what I looked at the original smooth moves seat mount looks like a suspension mount for a tractor, or close. You can look on ebay and there is just the suspension mount. It looks like it would be a simple adaption to the boat seat and base. Cost is less than $100. Just a thought. Im going to have to get something also. Most likely going to have to have back surgery soon.

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    What ever you do make sure you have a seat set-up rated for under power. There are ratings for Captains chairs and passengers. Plus there are ratings for under 5 mph. The higher cost typically has to deal with the under power rating. IF you end up with a seat not rated for under power, you could end up on the deck when it snaps like a twig.

    What brand of seat bases are currently installed in your boat?
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    there is a possibility that the fact that the boat is a stick steer has zero to do with roughness of the ride. If you had said wettest ride then maybe. I have been in some bone cracking 16 ft console bass boats. Odds are a 14 ft boat is gonna ride rough headed into 10 mph wind when it is close to or over max capacity. Hanr3 comment is spot on about seat rating and using a seat that is rated for the driver. imo weight distribution speed and trim percent is key to a smooth ride.

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    One of my fishing buddies from work has an older panfish 16 and I'm glad he's driving when we take it cause I watch him get the snot beat out of him. I always thought if it were mine I would just go back to tiller and jerk that stuff out. I once thought I wanted one,I thought ...cool you never have to change seats.But after thinking it through I determined man this won't work like I want in rough water. I think I would just redneck (over) engineer my own spring seat. Heck... I get stiff seating in one seat and need to move to the back occasionally to drive the boat.

    And yes mid seat bass boats and such can beat you in heavy waves.BUT...I have crossed Kentucky lake in waves so high in my Ranger it looked like that seen from the movie perfect storm were they were powering straight up the wave and coasting down the backside HA HA. Had some fat boys white knuckled ,pale faced,and screaming for their momma's LOL.
    Likes don3778 LIKED above post

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    let Ranger make a stick steer and I bet it is a soft ride. When I first built my stick steer I made the mistake of putting both tm batteries the live well and me in the front of the boat the next week I had a great day of jug catfishing almost 200lbs of fish in Wilson lake at Wheeler Dam and when I was headed to safety 9 across the tailtrace at times the front was almost under and the engine alarm was screaming at me for low water. Learned may lesson from that day and I balanced the weight better shifted some things and I can plane off at 14 mph.

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    trim the bow up high and slow down just a bit and it will improve the ride

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    That's the reason I sold my stick boat and went to a bass boat. I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it all the time. It was the most fishable boat I have ever owned. The quick reaction of passing wake and wave action also gave my lower back a fit. I still find myself looking at tin boats for their versatility. Will probably own another one day but doubt it will be a stick.
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