We are happy to announce that three weeks after releasing our HPEAFS shock mitigating and fatigue reducing flooring system to the public, we will be delivering our first three kits this week to private customers.  Currently our High-Performance, Energy-Absorbing Flooring System is in use by divisions of the Navy, Department of Homeland Security, and Sheriff's Office.  

Here is one of them.  Looking forward to seeing pictures of this kit installed!

These are a couple of versions of a partial deck coverings that we have done for the Department of Homeland Security for their Midnight Interceptor boats with out HPEAFS.  These kits are designed basically like overgrown helm pads and fit on either side of the console, and provide a shock mitigating floor around the bolsters.  Which are all the areas the crew stands while underway.  

 A 1995 study by Gollwitzer and Peterson entitled "Repeated water entry shocks on high-speed planning boats" showed that during operation vertical acceleration forces of up to 10g had been recorded.

Take the weight of the average male in the US at 178 pounds and you get a force of 1,780 pounds impacting that individual through the deck of that boat at 10g's.  Lets give that some perspective...the world record for a bare squat as of the writing of this article is 1000 pounds and is held by Robert Wilkerson pictured below with 1000 pounds on the bar (link). 

Now lets analyze an impact that is just half that magnitude.  A 5g force on the same 178 pound individual will product a force of 890 pounds on that individual's feet, knees and back.  

The idea of even trying to hold that much weight on back when you are ready for it is a daunting enough thought.  But that is the kind of forces that can be imposed upon your body when traveling at relatively high speeds in rough water. 

Food for thought...

Below are some pictures of our HPEAFS (High-Performance, Energy-Absorbing Flooring System) on one of the Navy's Marine Mammal boats.

This shock mitigating flooring system makes for a comfortable yet stable surface for the crew to stand and work on during long days at sea.  And it helps protect the mammals while underway by reducing the amount of impact and vibration transferred to them.  

It is ultra light weight and can be quickly and easily removed and re-installed as needed.  Plus, it is completely waterproof.  These are really important factors on a boat that transports mammals that need to be kept wet and it makes it easy to clean up the mess that goes with them. 

We at Soft Deck would like to say thank you very much to the brave men and women who have served in our Armed Forces both at home and abroad on this Veterans Day!  And while no blog post could ever repay the debt owed for your service, we will promise to continually strive to safeguard those that work so hard to ensure our safety by providing affordable solutions to help reduce the risk of injury on the water.

Major product updates are coming to Soft Deck's general boating line.   Over the next several weeks, the material previously used only for our "commercial grade molded diamond" products will now be used across the entire boating line (with the exception of our Sabot kits.)  The benefits are that our customers will get a more durable longer lasting product.  The short term negatives are that we will have a more limited color selection for a while.  

Not to fear though, the cut diamond, straight cut, and square cut (in all 50+ color combinations) that many of you have come to know and love will still be available as a special order.  

Shock Mitigation is a term that has become a buzzword to describe methods of reducing the impact or shock that is transmitted to the crew and passengers of a craft when that craft's hull impacts a wave at a relatively high rate of speed. 

  

Most of us in the recreational boating wold stand at the helm while driving fast in a heavy sea state, and so we "mitigate" the shock that is felt from impacting waves by simply bending our knees and absorbing the impact.  The only other option besides standing to absorb the impact is with a full suspension seating system.   The one pictured below is from UllmanDynamics.com.  

And while full suspension seating is a great option, it is often times impractical for the general boating world, especially if we are talking about multiple crew members or guests.  

Jockey seats have become popular especially in the RHIB world.  They allow the driver to easily transition from sitting to standing when needed.  

And we have bolster seats which fold down to again allow operator and passengers to absorb the impact with their body's own suspensions system.

All of these options that require standing to absorb the impact generated from a hard hit have the same problem, they are requiring you to do all the work of absorbing that impact.  

That is why we at here at Soft Deck developed our High-Performance, Energy-Absorbing Flooring System or HPEAFS for short.  The HPEAFS provides 1.25" of shock mitigating padding that can be installed over the entire deck, (like most of our Navy boats require) as a partial deck covering, or simply as smaller helm pads.