When it comes to boating, the most important part of your body may be your butt. It gets bounced, banged, bumped and bruised, especially if you go on long cruises with substandard seats.

Anglers are particularly subject to posterior pain, since they tend to shoot off over choppy bays at highway speeds, regardless of the conditions. And on many boats – particularly center consoles – other than the helm and a single passenger's seat, every spot you find to rest your rump is tough on the gluteus maximus.

LENNY RUDOWAdding coolers and cushions is the quickest, easiest, least-expensive way to boost your seating capacity.

While bay and flats boats do tend to incorporate a pair of jump seats or a stern benchseat into the mix, these positions are rarely well-padded and provide little back support. Even on larger center consoles, aft seats tend to be uncomfortable with little or no back support.

Many expresses or sedans rely on L-shaped lounges, which are fine for the folks facing forward, but not so fine for those who have to ride sideways. When the bow goes up on a wave or down into a trough, that beam-facing seat makes you feel like an egg sliding around on a Teflon griddle. Small aluminums and jon boats are the worst, with benchseats that get padded by an extra PFD or a balled-up jacket – if you're lucky.

Who cares, you ask? You're out to fish, cruise, water ski, or whatever, and sitting down is not high on your list of priorities? Well, a comfy seat should rank right up there with a reliable powerplant and a hull that doesn't leak. Bottom line (pun intended): Bang around on a boat with poor seating for a few years, and it will take a long-term toll on your body. I speak from experience, unfortunately. I exist in a state of perpetual back and neck pain, thanks to a pinched nerve and compressed spine, courtesy of decades of my "seas be dammed, I'm going fishing in my little center console anyway" attitude. And I'm not the only one.

MARPAC GARELICKAhhh, now doesn't that look comfy?

Ask around in the marine world, and you'll find guys who walk with a lurch, have hunchbacks and sport ugly scars from back surgery. Know what else you'll discover? These guys now own boats with cushy seats and leaning posts. Have you ever come home from a day of fishing feeling battered and bruised? Then now is the time to improve the seating in your boat. Here are some options.

COOLER SEATING

Cooler seats are the easiest way to add seating to your boat, bar none. You already haul an Igloo onboard, right? So, you might as well get a snap-on cooler cushion for your portable fishbox. Expect to pay about $30 for a cushion that fits 48- to 60-quart coolers and up to $55 for a jumbo, king-mackerel-sized, 162-quart cooler. That's about as little as you can hope to spend and get the job done. Henceforth, your butt will be happy.

Unfortunately, your back will not. Cooler seating doesn't provide any kind of backrest, and leaned up against the transom or a gunwale, you'll have a fiberglass edge digging into your vertebrae. Plus, these coolers can slide on the deck, forcing you to brace your feet if you want to stay in one place. Mounting screw-down corner-keepers or a metal cooler rack will stop the slide, but they add tripping points and force you to pierce your deck with screw holes – ouch. A better bet is to get a rubber, non-slip mat to go underneath the cooler.

Unfortunately, there's one more problem: The screw-on snaps that come with the cushions don't hold well in the relatively soft plastic of the cooler, so plan on replacing one or two after a single season of use. If a big guy sits on the cushion in rough seas, the screws probably won't survive the single voyage. Plug the holes and reseat the screws with 3M 5200 adhesive/sealant, and you can get another month or so out of them, but don't count on these cushions lasting for the long term.

MARPAC COLEMANFolding deck chairs, like this one from Coleman, are another option.

The bottom line: Cooler seats are the least-expensive, easiest way to add seating to your boat, but they aren't terribly comfortable, and they usually don't last long. Butt Rating: 2 buns.

CANVAS FOLDING DECK CHAIR

These are only slightly more expensive than the cooler seats, running about $70 at major marine-supply stores. They fold for easy stowage, and they have a lifespan you can measure in years, not trips. Those with rubber "crutch tips" on the ends of the legs are surprisingly stable. Best of all, they are downright comfy, with good back support and a butt-pleasing, hammock-like feel.

But there's one big drawback to these chairs: finger pinches when setting them up and breaking them down. Wait a sec, there's a second issue with them: You need a fairly large bulk-stowage area to put them in. Even when folded, a pair of these chairs will take up most of a V-berth to stow. On open boats like center consoles, there may simply be nowhere to put them.

Oops – these problems are overshadowed by an even larger problem. When the seas kick up and the boat starts rocking and rolling, there's a fair chance you'll have to abandon the seat or risk tipping over – just when you need it the most!

The bottom line: Canvass folding deck chairs are a comfortable and inexpensive option for those who stick to relatively calm seas. Just be careful when folding and opening them. Rating: 6 buns.

HARD-MOUNTED UTILITY SEAT

This style of seat is, essentially, an add-on jump seat. It's commonly mounted in a corner of the stern (right where jump seats are usually found) and folds flat against the gunwale when not in use. Extra benefit: It's out of the way when it's time to fish.