AR vs SX front passenger seat

[dalcini]

I notice that the front passenger seat in the SX190 is a captains chair vs a bench in the AR version, and am curious if that is so due to the necessity of a ski spotter or something. Are the captains chairs in the SX unable to swivel to view rearward? (They look like they would be more expensive than the bench, but the SX is obviously less.)

Any opinions on the pros/cons of each? I like the look of the passenger captains chair on the SXs, but am leaning toward an AR model for possible water sports. Does the AR bench cushion fold to a forward facing seat like those on some of the larger limited models?

Thanks much!

 

[d_coyne1984]

I really like having the bench. It makes the boat feel much larger, has storage under the seat which is great for beach bags or coolers, and it's more comfortable to sit more people .

 

[RiverRat]

I agree with @d_coyne1984 , I feel the bench makes better use of the smaller cockpit space of a 19. It does not fold at all, but is removable after removing two nuts that are kind of accessible if you wanted.

 

[BakedZiti]

I would have to disagree, I've sat in both, I feel the bench is very uncomfortable to sit on. I'm also not loading my boat down with 8 people very often so not worried about that. To answer your question yes the captains chair swivels and you have the bolster. Unfortunately you don't have much of a choice if you want the wake tower you get the bench seat.

 

[robert843]

Its all a personal preference any boat can be outfitted with either I believe I know my SX240 can be switched if I got the seat. I like the captains chair I have but do agree the boat would feel more spacious in the cockpit with the bench seat as I have been in a few with it as well.

 

[dalcini]

All good points. Thanks for the replies everyone. I looked but had not found this question anywhere on the site previously.

 

[Ronnie]

As I recall on the 240 series boats and the possibly the latest 230s @BakedZiti is correct. That is if you got an sx or limited (non towered boats) you got two captains seats instead of one plus a convertible lounger. Any towered boat (ar or limited s) comes with the latter. my guests love the bench seating when we are at anchor but love it just as much when the copilot seat is facing forward while underway. Unfortunately, I found the gap created when the seat is converted to a bench to be very uncomfortable to sleep on. At the same time, I don't spend much time In that seat so I don't put much thought into it either.

 

[robert843]

I know there is a thread on here where someone switched the seats out but I can't find it.

 

[Ronnie]

I remember someone pricing the conversion out but not actually going through with it. If you are converting to another captains chair I estimate it would cost around $1,000 for the chair, pedestal and new fixed cushion that sits behind the chair (the leading edge of the bench seat cushion is tapered and straight on the dual captains chair boats its flat and curved to match the shape of the chair). One problem with converting would be installing the pedestal, in the 240s there is a price of reinforced steel built into the fiber glass in that area (I found this out when I was considering installing a sub woofer there.).

 

[RiverRat]

Looks like a swap is doable, one member got it done for about 900.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/ar-bench-seat.833/

 

[robert843]

Here we go here is the actual thread where a guy did the swap of seats on his boat.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/co-captain-chair-swap-out.8260/#post-142954

 

[danclemo]

I really like the bench on the AR, it's one of the main reasons I bought it instead of SX. The entire boat has more room, not to mention you can put cooler or other items under bench. It adds floor space and storage, so I love it.

 

[Ronnie]

I realize now that the metal plate embedded in that area is probably the anchor plate for the co captains chair. Converting from a captains chair to a bench seat seems to be easier than converting from a bench to a captains seat because of the drilling required to do the latter. The main seat is held in place by bolts whose nuts are embedded into the deck. I'm guessing that installing second captains chair would require that the nuts be on the underside of the plate instead of embedded in it.

If you already have a second captains seat but want it to face backward isn't the simple solution to spin it 180 degrees?
On the 240s the bench is convertable, not sure about the other models but would like to have the option to face forward or rearward, losing either function if I started with both wouldn't be an upgrade, at least not too me.

 

[Bill D]

For what it's worth, my 242 has the seat that either folds up to be a seat, or lays down to be a bench. My wife and our friends prefer to have it as a bench. It is only ever in the upright position while it is on the trailer.

I originally wanted a boat with dual captains chairs, but knowing what I know now, it seems that the J-seating with the bench is preferable.

 

[dalcini]

Hmmm... I'm seeing some compelling logic for the bench seat - which puts my mind at ease. Some very good points about under seat cooler storage, and Bill D's wife's preference for the bench config even on a 24! This is really good info for me, because one of my concerns is that my wife wouldn't like sitting sideways - but it sounds like it's pretty well liked that way. And on a 19' boat - the extra space probably makes a big difference. Thanks again everyone. Great info.

 

[Brent Gaidosh]

Hmmm... I'm seeing some compelling logic for the bench seat - which puts my mind at ease. Some very good points about under seat cooler storage, and Bill D's wife's preference for the bench config even on a 24! This is really good info for me, because one of my concerns is that my wife wouldn't like sitting sideways - but it sounds like it's pretty well liked that way. And on a 19' boat - the extra space probably makes a big difference. Thanks again everyone. Great info.

For what it's worth. We have an SX190 with two captains seats. The passenger seat is almost always turned 90* towards the driver. my wife prefers it that way.

 

[Lake50120]

Has anyone swapped the SX passenger seat with a bench? if so what is the cost and difficulty level? Where do you find the parts? thanks.

 

[robert843]

Has anyone swapped the SX passenger seat with a bench? if so what is the cost and difficulty level? Where do you find the parts? thanks.

It should not be difficult you would probably need parts 16-21 on this list.

http://www.yamahapartshouse.com/oemparts/a/yam/57e19e7c87a8660eb0701bef/seat-cushion

 

[haknslash]

oops I thought he was asking how to swap from bench to seat lol. I removed my post to prevent confusion. Swapping to a bench should be pretty simple. Basically there is a support pole and some mounts for it you would need to install and then the bench gets bolted down.

 

[Lake50120]

Thank you both! This site is super helpful