Seating arrangements?

[61_express]

I need to re-do my seating arrangement. I was thinking about going with a captains chair and then an L-shape on the port side from the cabin bulkhead and around the transom. or going with a captain chair a bench on the transom and back to back on the Port side. Any ideas or good pictures of renovations?

[Helmar]

Mine is about the same as yours, pretty much the stock ones.
Lots of options...

[Bflaherty]

If you look at the new production runabout boats on the market, people seem to be migrating toward the wrap-around "L-shape" seating configurations. These seem offer more capacity and better social interactions while floating on the lake. However, if you are more into the journey type boating where you launch somewhere and spend your day cruising around these "L-shape" seating configurations are a little less desirable as the passangers are sitting sideways to the direction of travel and in rough water this can lead to whiplash and neck strain from trying to look forward while your body is turned sideways; thus the seating options that utilize the back-2-back seat on the port side which allows all passangers to be seated in the direction of travel and most everyone can be looking forward (anticipating the next wave) reducing the potential for neck strain or injury.

Personally, I really like the newer "L-shape" seating configurations in ski boats since most of the time your only out in nice calm water and you typically only cruise around while towing a skier so everyone is looking backward (except the captain I hope). But I own a boat with dual bench seats facing forward (starboard side of front bench is cutout to allow a spotter to ride backwards) and for our boating style this was much more practical because we tend to do more "destination" boating where we will cruise the entire length of the lake before settle on a picnic site to unload and play. (the first pic below shows our boat {second from the bottom-RED} and you can see our "utility" style seating) When we are just floating around lake relaxing most of our friends will sit on the engine box rather than the front seat so we can socialize with the folks in the back seat easier (see pictures 2 & 3 which show how our group tends to gather while "trolling" about)

Like Joe stated above, there are a lot of options and you really have to think about how you are going to using your boat in the long term. I would suggest taking a trip to your local boat dealership and try sitting in some of the different seating configurations that are being built now. You may find you really like something or you may find out what you really don't like...