Seat modifications

It can either be called cross drilling or shotgunning.

By drilling holes in your seat with a hole cutting bit on a drill you can remove a small amount of weight from your seat and other outfitting components like thigh hooks. If you decide to undertake this procedure you should do so with some clear understandings. First of all the weight reduction will be minimal. Perhaps in the neighborhood of one pound.

Most importantly you must understand that these modifications will reduce the structural integrity of your boat. This may very well increase the likelihood of your boat folding in a pin. If you decide to use the information below you are doing so of your own accord and we accept no responsibility for your actions.

This modification should only be attempted on a rotationally molded seat and not on a thermal formed seat. A rotationally molded seat is made in a closed mold using the same process as you would to make a plastic boat. The resulting seat has a top and bottom. Its is the strongest and most rigid but is much heavier than a thermal formed seat. A thermal formed seat is made by pulling a hot sheet of plastic over a mold. The resulting seat only has one layer. Its advantages are its weight but its disadvantages are its strength and stiffness are not as good as a rotationally molded seat.

The seat in the foreground in these pictures is rotationally molded (Dagger). The seat in the background is thermal formed (Riot)

Click image to see it larger

Click image to see it larger

With most boats the order for removal is to unbolt the seat, kick the seat back, knock the front wall out of the tab and remove, kick the seat foreward, and then twist before working out one tower first and then the rest of the seat.

You must use your own judgement as to how much material to remove from the seat and from what area.

While it is not recommended to drill out a thermal formed seat, if you should need to take the seat out of the boat for another reason (like moving it foreward or back) you should foam it out. Many but not all of these seats come stock with some minicell under them. All of them could use more. If you take the time to get a nice even layer of foam under the seat you can dissipate impacts over a larger area and stiffen up the area under the seat.