When buying a new boat, most anglers look at performance, colors and features but I can count on one hand how many have ever said anything to me about the seats. As boaters we spend 50 percent of our time casting and fishing while the other 50 percent is spent sitting in the driver or passenger seat.
Some may take a “test†sit but most of those are done in a showroom or at a boat show. Knowing what they feel like in rough water takes—you guessed it—rough water unless you know about SRS, Soft Ride Seating, in a Ranger.
The old impacts the new
Through the years, Ranger seating has changed drastically. They’ve had two-piece fold-down seats, plastic seats with covers and now, state-of-the-art SRS seats that make you feel like you’re sitting in a sports car.
Tournament anglers put boats through even more than they were designed for, but we all have a comfort level regarding their construction to have confidence that they will get us to our fishing locations and back again. For most, however, comfort and ergonomics never enter the equation. If you fish long enough you will get a bad back from bumpy boat rides.
Listening to buyers and pros
A few years ago Ranger heard anglers loud and clear and developed new seating that takes a blow due to an internal framework with springs and support under their famous dense padding and color-matched skins. The end result is a much more comfortable ride even in the harshest environments.
New technology improvements
Not only did they upgrade the ride with the SRS suspension, but they also added padding in the lower-back area and at the shoulders. Combined with passenger ride handles and foot rests, the passenger now enjoys a cockpit feel just like the driver.
The driver gets the same seat and foot rests but has the steering wheel to hold onto. The high-density foam seats are on a slight incline to push the passenger to the back pad of the seat and positions the rider and driver back into a wraparound seat feel.
The internal components of the seats are a construction of cross-linked polythylened shells for strength and durability. Each seat is individually crafted and then covered with a high-quality marine vinyl in colors that each buyer hand picks to match their boat. Boat seats are integral to the ride of the boat no matter how they are built.
Seats do mean something when buying a boat
When you get ready to purchase your next boat, be sure to ask the dealer how the seats are made. I bet you’re surprised by the answer.
