Hobie PA Seat modification

Pretty slick I think. The only disadvantage I would see is that the center compartment would be lower and possibly make accessibility more difficult for the less limber people who may have a larger front compartment Otherwise, looks pretty sweet. This opinion is also speculation by a person who does not own a PA, or any kayak for that matter.

Yesterday I installed a 7" seat riser on my brand new PA too, before I discovered this thread tonight. In fact, I already had the riser plus a swivel and a bass boat seat from another boat, so I just changed out everything.

Today I tried out this 'new setup' for five hours on the lake. I liked it much better than the original seat and position, not only for the height of the seat, but also for a little more (for me) comfort, in other words, luxurious padding and no gap at the butt crack. And as a bonus, standing now is much easier (I'm 63 years old with a pair of bad football knees). And the value of having a seat swivel all the way around became apparent right away when I had to face the stern to retrieve a lure's treble hook tangled in the sail line (sheet, for you sailors) back near the pad eye. The bass boat seat is smaller than the Hobie original, but I found that to be an advantage in some ways: keeping my butt more centered on the boat with easier access to the tackle hatch and all the real estate formerly hidden under the original seat. I was quite surprised to find that I didn't even have to change my settings on the Mirage drive!

Winds were light and fluky today. So I did more pedaling than sailing. We'll see how it works out when the wind kicks up a little.

I purchased the 7 inch riser, but I am going to cut it in half and re-weld it. I think it is just a little to tall for stability. I also put the swivel on it, makes it much easier to access the live-well for bait. West Marine make replacement seats that match the same bolt pattern and are more cushion and narrower. Makes it easier to stay on the water longer for me.....

I finished my mod on my PA.
Here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMhXiV5Y8NQ

This is the mod I did to my PA seat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMhXiV5Y8NQ