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A hot aluminum boat seat can ruin a good day fishing. Of course, no one likes sitting on a seat that is too hot to touch. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do when boat seats get hot. In this post, we’ll explore some of these solutions and discuss the best options for reducing seat heat and keeping you comfortable while you fish.
Keeping Cool
If you’ve ever been out on a aluminum boat, you know that the seats can get very hot in the summertime. This can make your boating experience uncomfortable and even dangerous. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to combat the heat from your aluminum boat seats.
One way to combat the heat is to sit on a cooling pad. Cooling pads are designed to keep your bottom cool while sitting on hot surfaces. These pads also provide back support and help with fatigue. Sitting on a bouncing aluminum boat can sap your energy and these will help.
You can also use a towel to cover the hot seat. But towels can blow around, soak up moisture, and aren’t the best option unless you’re in a pinch.
Additionally, making sure to provide shade for the seats in your aluminum boat can help keep them cool. A bimini top or a clamp on sport umbrella will do the trick.
Light colors
When you’re choosing seats and seat fabric materials always go with white or lighter colors. White reflects heat and is your best color for staying cool. Now it won’t necessarily cool a seat completely but it will definitely keep it cooler longer. Scotchgard outdoor water and fabric spray can also help protect your fabric from UV rays and moisture, a win for staying cool and dry!
Space between your butt and the seat
The key to not burn your buns on a hot aluminum boat seat is to put space between your butt and the seat. It’s the direct heat that will cause you to say ouch when you forget and sit bare-skin on an aluminum jon boat seat on a summer day. But it can be hard to find a way to keep your butt off the seat that is also suitable for getting wet, dirty, and enduring the other conditions you’ll encounter on an aluminum boat.
Dri dek interlocking tiles are perfect for an application like a aluminum boat seat. They are 9/16″ thick to keep your butt off the seat, are non slip to provide grip and stay where you put them, plus they are durable and easy to hose off.
The dri dek tiles can be cut to fit custom applications so whatever size and shape your aluminum boat seat is these tiles will fit. They come in 1 foot squares that interlock so installation is easy and doesn’t require any tools, just snap them together.
SeaDek and alternatives
EVA foam is very popular for boat seats and decks too. You get the space to protect against direct heat, cushioning, and traction. Plus you can get a lot of different designs and colors!
Hydro turf and SeaDek are among the most popular EVA closed cell foam decking brands and they both provide similar protection. However, the SeaDek has been shown to have superior durability and longevity but at 3x the price of the Hydro turf. Hydo turf has grooves in the material for water channeling and also provides a durable, no slip, heat resistant barrier to your aluminum boat seats.
Marine mat is another eva closed foam cell option that is a cross between Seadek and Dri dek tiles. Marine mat comes with a snap-on option but has the same properties of EVA closed cell foam. The snap-on option allows you to remove the mat for cleaning.
Kiwigrip and other textured roll-on coatings have heat-resistant properties as well. Other boaters who have used kiwigrip had no issues with the coating getting too hot, especially the white and light grey colors. This is another option for a roll on coating over an adhesive foam. Kiwigrip will not provide cushioning like eva foam but it can cover more area for less money and still keep the heat off a boat seat.
Conclusion:
When it comes to hot aluminum boat seats, there are a few solutions you can try. Investing in a boat seat cooling pad, SeaDek, or applying a roll on coating can help absorb some of the heat, just remember, white and other light colors are best. We hope these options will give you the relief you’ve been looking for and allow you to spend more time on the water. Thanks!