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I have the leaning post on my 1984 Outrage 20. When I first bought it, I thought about switching to swivel seats but I have heard a lot of negative things about swivel seats.
Now I'm thinking of switching to the reversible pilot seat because it seems like it would be great for fishing. With the leaning post, it seems hard to find a place to sit in the back of the boat.
Can you guys tell me the benifits and drawbacks of these optional seating arangements?

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I tell you the positives I can think of... Everything has a negative...

Probably the most versatile is the RPS.
1. You can store stuff under it.
2. You an flip the seat and sit backwards.
3. You can flip the seat and use it like a leaning post.
4. It has some storage in the back of the seat
5. It has 2 rod holders and 2 grab handles.

Leaning Post
1. Standing up in rough water your legs are the shock absorbers
2. 4 rod holders or rocket launchers
3. Can store stuff underneath like another cooler
4. Some came with grab rail and some did not
5. You have a better view when sitting on top of the leaning post as opposed to sitting down lower

Captains Chairs
1. Very comfortable seating compared to the others
2. One seat can face forward to pilot the boat, the other seat can face rearward for the passenger to fish or watch the other rods. Or, both seats can face rearward for other types of fishing...
3. Can be used as a leaning post kind of if you turn the seat rearwards and lean against the back. Not as comfortable of a post as the other however.

I'm sure there are more positives but can't think of them at this time.
Maybe other people will chime in here about the positives of each...

You will probably here:
Get rid of those Chairs, get rid of the RPS, get rid of that Leaning Post... Everyone has their own idea of what they prefer.....

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Thanks Joe. I was going to ask if the RPS can be used as a leaning post but you already thought of that.
Got any idea what a RPS costs new?

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about $1400.00 american dollars....................

One other thing I didn't mention, you can raise the RPS like you can the console.
I put 2" teak blocks under mine which is just about right for me.
You might like 4" or 6" rise for your height.........

[img]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/rps_risers/riser1.jpg[/img]

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Boy, all that versatility, more wood and a original option. That sure is tempting.

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I had the captains chairs and they are comfortable, I prefer the RPS for additional storage and I just like the look.

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I had an RPS on my classic Montauk and have one on my Outrage 17. At 6'2" it can be a bit low but raising it on blocks solves the height issue when sitting or using it as a leaning post.

In using it as a leaning post, I wrap a life vest over it and sit on the back part of the jacket. I plan to ask Lois at Halls to make me a matching cushion for the top one of these days.

The originals are hard to find on the used marketplace but do appear. Act fast because they are scooped up in minutes.

A new RPS (like on a new whaler) may be a consideration although they lack the storage in the back rest and the rod holders/handles.

Can you convert your leaning post bases to accept seats? This may be an option as well.

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Roger,

Here are my thoughts after using all of these set ups.

I will start off with the swivel seats. At first I thought they would be great but in the end I never used them. While driving I never sit down and I found that sitting in these seats while on plane I was never able to get a good view. I was always moving my head to try and not have the grab railing in my line of sight. Also while seated I found the bow would obstruct the horizon line and the problem was only worse when in rough conditions. I found that passengers loved the seats though. I pretty much found them to be my least favorite out of the 3.

As for the RPS. I really liked the RPS as it would let you sit when you wanted and then you could flip it forward and use it for a leaning post. Thought in the leaning post position it was not to comfortable to lean against because of the handles and rod holders. I have a design that I have come up with a will produce when I get my next whaler to help solve this issue. I liked this seat so much that an RPS is the probably the number one item that is a have to have on my next Whaler. I just like the RPS as far as a look more than function. However, it is a good bridge between a leaning post and low seating.

As for the leaning post. I really love piloting while standing up and the leaning post is the best option for this. However, while idling in no wake zones and in other areas and also while trolling I like to sit down. Most of the leaning posts today provide a nice area on top of the post to sit on while the OEM whaler post really does not provide that area. The other thing the OEM whaler post does not have that modern posts have is storage under the cushion. My fathers post has the storage under the cushion and I have to say it is a really handy feature. We added a back rest this year I we spend most of our time sitting on top of the post now. I really find this to be the most comfortable position out of all of them.

So I would say if I where you I would either try and find or piece together an RPS or look for a newer leaning post. A leaning post with storage and a large cushion to sit on top of the post. A backrest is a nice thing to have as well on a leaning post.

Here is an image of how we use my fathers leaning post most of the time.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Torch%20lake/Whalerevent07007.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Torch%20lake/DSCN4828.jpg[/img]

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My golden retriever liked to stand in between the swivel sets when we were underway on plane. He could not have done that with the other seats.

Con

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I actually like the leaning post because it has the extra rod holders and because it is comfortable when I'm under way. And it has the cooler under it. But, I don't like when people sit on the back of my leaning post because it doesn't seem strong enough for that. I really need a couple of seats in the back that are comfortable for fishing. Maybe I'll just bring a couple of foldable chairs along for now. And I'll keep looking for a RPS.

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I bring a couple of folding chairs, the kind that fold into about an 8" diameter bundle, less than 3' long. I never sit in them, but fishing guests use them some times.

Doug