I bought a used poly Tempest 170 and found the foot pedals are uncomfortably close, even when fully extended. Also my knees scrape on the cockpit rim when entering and exiting. I am less than 6' tall. I can solve both issues by moving the seat aft by 2". Will this spoil trim on a 17' boat? Any other downside? I know you should choose the boat to fit the paddler. Why not drill another hole, remount the seat and see what happens?

Whatever difference in trim will be trivial--if anything, it will help a tiny bit in downwind paddling. Move the seat.

Two inches is going to affect the trim. Whether it's a positive or negative can't be determined here.

One thing for sure - You don't want the stern to squat. After you move the seat have someone look at you in the boat on the water...both ends of the boat s/be linear and balanced.

You can always put it back where it was.

Other thoughts:

Would lowering the seat give your knees that extra bit of clearance?

Would going to a thinner-soled waterbootie help w. the footpegs?

Also, some people remove the pegs and rails entirely and go w. a foam bulkhead instead. You can set it at the distance desired and glue it in (Lexel 5200 is what Wildy uses) Just make sure the foam is good and thick - 3-4 inches - so you don't kick it out doing re-entries.

Thanks for the response. I considered moving the footpeg mounts 2" forward, but I also wanted a little more clearance entering. If I see the boat settling forward or showing too much "leeward helm" I can also add a little ballast forward. I'd rather not glue anything against the bulkheads. I just resealed them because they had leaks. My local kayak shop was against making any such change that would void any warrantee and jeopardize the boat's designed handling traits. However, when you load a boat for trekking, you have the same concerns-packing so as to maintain a neutral balance. Making two additional 1/4" holes R & L in the deck and moving the seat bolts 2" seems a pretty tame and reversable mod to the boat. I'll let you know how it plays. Thanks again.

Hope it helps. I see where you're going now. Two inches is a lot to move a seat - it'll change the design intent. Also, wouldn't that void the warranty as it pertains to the Phase 3 seat by relocating the fasteners... IDK just wondering.

I agree it's easier to reverse. But taking foam off a bulkhead ain't hard either. Most people make a template, cut it very precisely, and wedge it in there w. minimal glue.

you might want to to join the Yahoo group for Tempest owners.
Steve Scherrer who co-designed the Tempest, posts there a lot. You could ask him about moving the seat, and doing that and/or if foaming out the bulkhead would void the warranty. He'll know for sure.

Not to diss the kayak shop, but it would be good to hear from the designer's mouth, so to speak.

He posts as captain salty in the yahoo group and flatpick on paddling.net (tho he is not as frequently on paddling.net)

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I wouldn't worry about voiding warranties on a used poly boat. What is the warranty anyway? I'd move the seat, see how I like the results, then either keep it moved or move it back.

y'know, you are right in this case, Strange Magic. Wilderness Systems only warranties to the original buyer (but it is a lifetime warranty). Surprised the paddle shop missed that.

This boat is used.

So Paul, you may as well do whatever you like, w. the seat or the bulkheads or anything else.

p.s. I like lifetime warranties from reputable companies whenever I can get them. Kokatat is awesome that way, for example.