Elevated Seat In A Kayak

[aceman387]

I was thinking of upgrading the seat on my wilderness ride 115 to an elevated one like air pro phase 3 elevated seat. The stock seat is fine but i thought sitting up a little higher would have some fishing benefits to it. The air pro seat is supposed to lift you 5-6 inches.I have never tried an elvated seat before so i was wondering how something like this would effect stability,especially in windier conditions. Anybody have experience kayak fishing in an elevated seat?

[Hanover_Yakker]

Elevated seating positions absolutely affect your primary stability, more so in people that are taller.  A side effect is also increased wind resistance and affects by the wind.  You should probably try one first to see if it is a viable option before dropping the coin on it and finding out you don't like it.  Check with a local online kayak forum or a national one and see if anyone is in your area that could let you try one for a bit.

 

Brands really don't matter in this discussion, because the physics apply regardless - Native, Wilderness, Jackson, Old Town, NuCanoe, Hobie, etc.

 

They all will behave differently with elevated seating.  I had a Revolution 13 that was not affected by wind as much due to the lower seating position.  When I switched to a Pro Angler, the wind effect was magnified with the same amount of gear.  The seat is but one contributing factor - your physical stature, how your kayak is trimmed/balanced relative to the gear you are carrying, the physical profile of your gear relative to its footprint above water (think an Engel or Coleman cooler versus a simple tackle bag or small crate), etc.

[flyfisher]

As always Chuck is right on the money. 

 

Wind is a big factor with an elevated position as has already been mentioned.  Stability is also a concern but from what i know of the ride 115 it is super stable and has no issues with it being too top heavy but it does depend on your comfort level.

 

I have a jackson coosa for the rivers and i have never even put the seat in the lower position.  The high position has to be a good 8-9" off the deck of the boat and after i became accustomed to the secondary stability, i have had no issues.