Bad seating arrangement in 22ZX

[ltl_mac2000]

I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience modifying the front seats in a 22ZX. Does anyone else that run this boat have a problem with the seating setup for the driver. When driving this boat I feel like I have very limited visibility when I am sitting but can't get comfortable when I am standing. The boat itself perfroms awesome, I just wish I could get some bolsters or drop downs to make me feel a little more secure when running at the higher speeds.

I tried contacting Donzi but I didn't get a lot of feedback. I also found some older posts in this forum (looks like Shangheid Again added bolster's in 2002) but most of the web sites that were mentioned didn't seem to be active anymore.

If anyone has any comments or suggestions I would really appreciate the feedback. BTW- Does anyone else agree w/ me on this? I added a raised, glass windshield as a factory option when I bought the boat in 2000. Not sure if that is making the problem worse.

Thanks,
Danny

22ZX - 502 Mag
Somers Point, NJ

[DJ13]

A raised glass windshield?? I'd like to see a photo of that setup. That could be the problem. I've had no issues with visibility, stock seats. I hardly ever drive standing up, no need...but I have the small, smoked plexi windshield. If you are getting up on plane there are only a couple seconds you can't see in front of you. Seems to me that bolster seats would need to be way to high to be effective...just my 2 cents...

[jeddski]

Danny,

We used to own the 22zx that Shangheid Again modified and the bolsters that he added were perfect. You felt stable at speed, with a great seating position. Typhoon Performance would be a great place to contact regarding this type of work.

How often do you get out in the 22? We're out of OC and are always on the look out for fellow Donzi's to run with.

[Cuda]

That was the one thing I didn't like about my 242 Formula either. It didn't have stand ups, and I often felt I couldn't see when sitting down, but when I stood up, the seat would hit me right about knee high in the backs of my legs. :(

[RickSE]

Here, I've had this picture forever, Frank's bolster seats in his 22ZX.

[ltl_mac2000]

DJ13, the widshield is really nice, adds some height to body of the boat, but doesn't provide for good visibility when sitting down in the captains seat. Maybe it is just me, but I don't feel comfortable sitting down at 65+. And when I stand, I end up trying to put one knee on the seat because of how close the current chairs are to the steering wheel.

Jeddski, thanks for the info. I will try Typhoon. We dock at Waterfront Marine and head out about once every 2 weeks. Where do you keep your boat? I am a Yellow/Purple 22ZX. Usually go out on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Usually to Duvelle or Trump Marina. Do you know who has that boat now, I would love to get a look at the seats before making the investment. Do you have any pictures of the bolsters? Where do you usually take the boat to?

Thanks for the picture. They actually look pretty sharp!

Anyone know if there was any problem w/ the deck that you mount them to? The new seats wouldn't have the same mounting location that the bolsters would. Not sure what type of reinforcements are in the place where the new mounts would go.

[ltl_mac2000]

That was the one thing I didn't like about my 242 Formula either. It didn't have stand ups, and I often felt I couldn't see when sitting down, but when I stood up, the seat would hit me right about knee high in the backs of my legs. :(

Yeah, I am in the exact same situation. I love everything about this boat, but was almost getting ready to sell because of this. I am a little disappointed in Donzi for this layout.

[jeddski]

Unfortunatly I do not have any photos of the seats. I believe the boat is currently at Typhoon awaiting a new engine...

We typically go out either early in the mornings or late evenings on the weekends (work can really get in the way of having fun on the weekends), and at just about every chance I get during the week. Most of the runs are local, through the ocean to sea isle or towards AC with a lot of runs up the Tuckahoe. We're over on the OC side near the coast guard. I'll have to keep an eye out for you next time. We're in the white/blue 27ZR.

[Schnook]

I have the same problem. I hope to add drop downs eventually, but for now I put a small plastic toolbox on the seat. I can see over the windshield, it's more comfortable than trying to stand, and my little booster seat is just darling! I can still stand up if I really need a good view, too.

[ltl_mac2000]

I never really ventured too far up the Tuckahoe. Anything good to do up there? Bars/Restaurants to stop at? How about wake zones and shallow spots?


Unfortunatly I do not have any photos of the seats. I believe the boat is currently at Typhoon awaiting a new engine...
We typically go out either early in the mornings or late evenings on the weekends (work can really get in the way of having fun on the weekends), and at just about every chance I get during the week. Most of the runs are local, through the ocean to sea isle or towards AC with a lot of runs up the Tuckahoe. We're over on the OC side near the coast guard. I'll have to keep an eye out for you next time. We're in the white/blue 27ZR.

[knots2u]

Try Twin Marine (http://twinmarine.com) for bolsters.

[jeddski]

The Tuckahoe has only one wake zone and it's pretty far up (where we usually turn around). There is a fuel dock and I've heard that there is a restaurant farther up but have never made it that far. The one time we tried it was low tide and it started to get a little shallow.

If you stay in the channel all the way up to the wake zone there is plenty of water. Not much to do up there but it’s a decent ride if you have people on the boat that don’t want to go bouncing through the ocean.

[DJ13]

Well I guess that makes me the odd ball! One of the reasons I love my boat is the fact that both seats turn completely around for kicking your feet up and enjoying the sun when you're just floating or anchored. I did an offshore fun run "race," WOT and the swivels were a bit squirrely (it would be cool if you could lock them forward when you wanted). I didn't want the permanent "facing forward" thing that lot's of go fast boats have. Seems to limit their functionality a bit. You do have a big motor in your boat, I've only got a 454MPI so 65 is about all I can get on a good day. Even in chop I've never felt the urge to stand up though. I must not "get it." Those bolsters in the pic look cool but they also look like they take up more room. Just my opinion, not being argumentative, it's interesting to see people's impressions of the advantages, limitations and trade-offs in the 22ZX. I'd love a bigger boat but then again, I think about trailering, storage, GAS, etc. Glad to see there are a few 22ZX owners on the board!:yes:

[Schnook]

Look underneath your seats for a handle you can tighten to lock the seats in whatever position you want. Should be on the right.

[ltl_mac2000]

I know what you mean about the seats. They do seem to loosen up after being in the chop a little. I have never been in another 22ZX, but I do seem to wonder if the higher windshield is magnifying my discomfort. For those of you w/ the stock windshield, can you see over the windshield when you are sitting? That may be my problem.

[synack]

When I'm in motion, the driver's seat always seems to want to twist left and the passenger seat wants to twist right. It would be nice to have bolstered seats, but it would be a tight squeeze and quite a high cost. I usually wind up sitting on my throwable cushion.... itlifts you up about three inches which actually helps a lot.

[Donzi LG]

I'm about 6'1" and don't have any problems seeing over the top of the windsheild. I have to replace the spring on my drivers bucket that allows the seat to lock in position on the adjustment slider, keeps sliding back on me. I wonder if I'll be able to find the correct spring.

John

[DJ13]

I'm 6'2' and have no issues seeing over my windshield. If it were bigger, that might be an issue, that's why I thought the modification was the source. If I stand up, I'm way above the windshield. I can see fine sitting down, wind in my face and all...

[ltl_mac2000]

yeah..i am 5'8"...and i am forced to look through glass and get absolutely no wind in my face. that would be the case even if i was a few inches taller. you can't see crap when looking through the glass so i end up standing about 90% of the time. i don't mind standing, just not in front of those darn seats.

I appreciate all of the tips with the booster seats, but i think that i am in a unique situation with the optional windshield that I added. I really like the look of the bolsters. I am waiting for a call back from Typhoon. I am scared I am going to get sticker shock though.

[22zxla]

As far as the windshield goes my 98 only has a fiberglass fairing similar to the 98 for sale in the other section. I like it better than looking thru glass , just prefer the wind in my face. The seat issue , well the seats are not that bad, but i would rather have the opion to stand also. My main problem with the seat are that they remind me that im in the minor leagues of powerboating! If your not standing up than your just sitting around!

[jeepfan99]

DJ13 I tend to agree with you. The versitility factor of being able to turn the seats around is what I like most. I considered swapping in bolsters but decided it would lose what I like the most. Being only 22' has it's limitations and it surely cannot compete in the same chop as some 28-30' boats, therefore there is no real need to try and keep up. When going 30-40mph I tend to stand and use the seat and wheel as a brace. Once over 40mph I can easily sit and see fine (5' 8" tall) through the 4" smoked lexan but I prefer to actually just look over it. We have had a ton of rain and there is a tremendous amount of debris in the water.

[DJ13]

ltl_mac,

Can you post a pic or two of your windshield config??? I'd really like to see it...

[ltl_mac2000]

I can't find any pictures to post. If I take the boat out this weekend, I will post some on Monday. Where is the proper place to post in this forum? Do you just put them right in the thread, or should I attach to my profile?

ltl_mac,
Can you post a pic or two of your windshield config??? I'd really like to see it...

[DJ13]

You can do both (avatar) and/or upload them to this post. There is also a photo gallery but I've never uploaded a picture to it. I think there are instructions you can search here on the site as well...

[ltl_mac2000]

Hey DJ, here are the pictures you asked for. I only took them from the inside. Ocean was beautiful on Sunday!! Let me know what you think of the windshield.

[DJ13]

That looks pretty cool! You actually have more visibility than I do, because the plexi on mine is about half the height, and the rest is just fiberglass cowling. It reminds my of my friend's 27ZX. You can duck down and see straight over the bow...that's something I can't really get away with..

[Uncle Fester]

I saw a ZX like that last summer up on Chelan.

[blackhawk]

I agree the pedastals are nice for "hanging out" but that's about it. I didn't care for the pedastal seats in my Blackhawk. That's alot of stress on those when running hard in the slop. The original "slider" assemblies were broken in several places. I replaced them with higher quality units and it made them more stable. But after running in bolsters I can tell you there is no comparison when running hard. A high-performance boat should at the least have a set of high-performance sit-down buckets that are bolted to the floor in all four corners and maybe even to the side of the boat IMO.

[jeddski]

Danny,

Thought I saw you running out of the inlet over the weekend. Would have stayed out but needed to fill up on gas. You guys looked like you were cruising along through the rough part of the inlet. Maybe next time we'll meet you out there.

[Last Tango]

Well, I guess I'm the odd man out here. I have no need what-so-ever to stand when the boat in underway. Maybe because I came from a C18 in which that need was never there. I can see absolutely fine through the windshield (3-4" smoked plexi lip above the fairing). When I come out of the hole, I use full trim tabs down, and outdrive fully trimmed in. I set the tach at 4200 rpm and as soon as the bow starts to settle, I bring the tabs full up and set the drive trim at neutral. Works every time, especially when carrying any backseaters. I have no visibility problems while sitting down. I'm 5'10" tall.
My only "discomfort" is that for me the seat does not get close enough to the steering wheel when I'm running. Again, this may very well be me needing to adjust to having so much more room to work with than the C18.
I LOVE the swivel feature for when we are drifting along and enjoying the quiet out on the water. I can stretch my legs out onto the rear cushion and just relax. 22ZX is SOOOO much nicer than the C18 when it comes to comfort and room and storage.
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=44360

[DJ13]

I'm with ya Mark, finally, someone who agrees with the functionality of the seats! It's not a raceboat, that's for sure and I don't see why you need to stand up driving either, unless you are looking for debris or something. To each his own though!

[ltl_mac2000]

I was out on my boat on Saturday. We actually headed up the Tuckahoe a little, then stopped at Beesley's (dad is thinking about getting another SeadDoo jet-boat) then crossed the Inlet and headed to Margate to get some drinks. The weather didn't get nice until we were heading home. I was looking for you out there. Are you doing Nights in Venice? Next time you see us try to catch up!! LOL BTW-What do you have in the 27?


Danny,
Thought I saw you running out of the inlet over the weekend. Would have stayed out but needed to fill up on gas. You guys looked like you were cruising along through the rough part of the inlet. Maybe next time we'll meet you out there.

[ltl_mac2000]

Its pretty cool listening to all your feedback. I don't really park this boat and just hang out too much. I am usualy cruising to get to where I want to go, so the swivel action is the least of my concerns. I def agree w/ Blackhawk on this one about the stability of the center mount. There is alot of play in the seat and that doesn't make you feel very secure when you are going fast and in the chop.

The glass widshield is really cool and it actually makes the boat feel a little bigger when you are in the inside. I think the problem is that when going 60 - 70 in a 22' boat, you really have to keep your eye out for even 2 - 3 foot swells. I don't mind looking through the windshield when I am just cruising, but at the higher speeds I couldn't imagine it any other way.

[Last Tango]

I hope that most of the 22ZX owners on this thread within reasonable towing distance of Sarasota will be at the Hometown Gathering at the end of September. I am looking forward to meeting you folks. As a freshly annointed owner, I am interested in seeing your boats and chatting the engine mods and prop stuff and looking at all the beautiful paint and interior combinations. I'm already IN for that event. Hope you are, too.

[Last Tango]

P.S. If you want a real warm fuzzy about your 22ZX, look at BOATING (or any high performance boat magazine). My Donzi is rated for 6 passengers. It is bolstered for 5 passengers. Now look at all those really big money boats. They can't fit any more people in the cockpit than you can. Some even less. Speed for those boats? Well, your 22ZX powered with just ONE motor from their multi-engine set-ups, will blow away almost all of them. Below decks? How much time do you spend there, anyway? How much time do THEY spend there? And you thought you needed a 35 footer. HA!

[blackhawk]

Its pretty cool listening to all your feedback. I don't really park this boat and just hang out too much. I am usualy cruising to get to where I want to go, so the swivel action is the least of my concerns. I def agree w/ Blackhawk on this one about the stability of the center mount. There is alot of play in the seat and that doesn't make you feel very secure when you are going fast and in the chop.

Exactly! I like my seat secure and wrapped around me when running hard. Problem is bolsters are expensive. I think they're about $1000-$1500 each through twin marine and that is average quality stuff(from what I was told although it looks like good stuff!). You can always keep an eye out on ebay too.

Or I wonder if you could make a "frame" for your existing seats that could bolt down in all four corners and raise the seat height so you were comfortable sitting all the time? Just a thought.

[blackhawk]

Here's a pic a some seat frame like I was thinking. Something like this built taller than the current pedestals might work and be cheaper.

[ltl_mac2000]

The bolsters are def quite expensive but I think would the would end up being worth the money in the long run. I like the idea of raising the seat and adding a frame rather than a center mount, but not sure what the side effect would be sitting up another 5-8 inches. I still really like the idea of standing and having a something holding me in. I am curious to see if you are going to experiment w/ the setup and how you make out? Where did you see that frame? Is it available for purchase or did you just find a picture of it?

Blackhawk, i like your PS in an earlier thread. My buddy has a 29' Baja w/ twin 496HOs. There is a little bit more room to walk around and he can def handle rougher water than me, but there is about a 50K diff in the purchase and probable about a 2x to 3x diff in gas and maintenance. I can go just as fast in most situations, plus I get out of the hole alot quicker than he does, so I can smoke him in the bay when you have to keep slowing down for the NoWake zones. DOn't get me wrong, if money wasn't an object I would love to go bigger, but since it is, I am really happy w/ what I have.

[blackhawk]

The bolsters are def quite expensive but I think would the would end up being worth the money in the long run. I like the idea of raising the seat and adding a frame rather than a center mount, but not sure what the side effect would be sitting up another 5-8 inches. I still really like the idea of standing and having a something holding me in. I am curious to see if you are going to experiment w/ the setup and how you make out? Where did you see that frame? Is it available for purchase or did you just find a picture of it?
Blackhawk, i like your PS in an earlier thread. My buddy has a 29' Baja w/ twin 496HOs. There is a little bit more room to walk around and he can def handle rougher water than me, but there is about a 50K diff in the purchase and probable about a 2x to 3x diff in gas and maintenance. I can go just as fast in most situations, plus I get out of the hole alot quicker than he does, so I can smoke him in the bay when you have to keep slowing down for the NoWake zones. DOn't get me wrong, if money wasn't an object I would love to go bigger, but since it is, I am really happy w/ what I have.

I found those in the Pantera section of OSO. Bstubb converted his 28 Pantera to a sit down boat using PPG buckets and had those frames made. As far as standing up it's personal preference. I NEVER stand unless I am just cruising. When it's rough I always sit. In fact, I lowered the bottoms of my bolsters so I could sit lower and more comfortably and have the seats wrap me up more. The only reason I like my bolsters are how tight they hold you in, I don't use them for standing. The "high-perfomance" sit down buckets are the ticket IMO.

[jeddski]

Danny,

LOL next time I'll do my best to catch up :wink:
The 27 has the 496HO. We're waiting on the correct prop and a set of CMI's. Then possibly a whipple towards the end of the season or (most likely) over the winter.

We'll probably be out before Nights in Venice starts but will head back to the dock long before the parade. The bay tends to get a little crazy with boats. I'll keep an eye out this weekend.

[Shanghied Again]

Found the seats; http://www.bolsterseating.com/

[Donzi LG]

I was actually thinking of this thread when I was out for a ride the other day. Wouldn't bolsters put the driver relatively high in relation to the wheel and helm controls when seated? It seems the bolster seat frames are considerably taller than the bucket pedistals.

John

[Shanghied Again]

John: When you have them made they will lower the bracket down to fit I had them cut the overall height from 36" down. Later I will get pictures my old boat is here getting a new engine.

[ltl_mac2000]

Hey guys, it took me a little while to get this project finished and I thought I would share it with you. These seats were the best move I could have made for this boat.

Ross from "Designer Marine" (www.bolsterseating.com -- I hope plugs are OK on this site) worked with me to customize just about every aspect of this seat. We worked out a design, he sent me a template that I customized along with color swatches.

Anyway, for those of you that had doubts, these seats ended up being the best money I have spent on this boat. The ride and comfort is superior. Gives the driver and passengers on the boat a bigger, more stable type ride and feeling.

Check out the pics!!

Thanks for the suggestions and comments.

Anyone know a good contact to get a new snap-in rug made. I am in the Margate/Atlantic City area.

BTW- My original captains chairs and rug are for available if anyone is interested. Seats are white w/ yellow/purple accents and are in great condition. Rug is deep purple.

[srlbrodkin]

I also have trouble seeing over. Mine is the all fibergalss windshield.
I saw a telescoping seat pedestal at West Marine. It might help.
I'm waiting for the motor to go back in, so for now I have bigger issues.

22zx
Bruce

[ltl_mac2000]

Yeah...the height thing wasn't my only reason for doing this. It was also about sturdiness and being more comfortable when standing. As a result of the design there is more play in a center mount than with the bolsters. And there is not a whole lot of room to stand when the chair is in a good driving position.

These seats change all that for the better.