shockwaveseats.com
Shockwave is a Canadian company located in the rough Pacific Northwest and manufactures suspension seating for recreational, commercial and military grade use. Their products are popular in both the NASCAR circuit, as well as with the US Coast Guard, with over 4,500 seats installed on Coastie vessels patrolling US and International waters. Shockwave has recently developed their S5 system for the recreational market and I have been seeing more of these seats being installed either as standard or optional equipment on many top-of-line, name-brand boats.
How Does it Work?
Take your boat out for a few hours on a rough, choppy day and ask yourself these questions: does my body ache? Am I unusually tired? Are pains from a past neck or back injury impacting my time out on the water? The point is, if your boat seat isn’t designed to take the abuse that the ocean can dish out on a regular basis, your body might. Wave shock impact can be unforgiving and over a long enough time period, can cause cumulative back and neck pain or injuries. The Shockwave S5 suspension base is a solution for this problem and due to its universal design, can be fitted to almost any boat and any seat. All three of Shockwave’s new S5 seat platform bases offer an air spring shock absorber with an adjustable rebound. The suspension travel features 4-inch vertical and 1.5-inch forward movement, mitigating deceleration associated with wave impact.
A Trio of Choices
S5-LW Suspension Base
The Shockwave S5-LW lightweight marine suspension base is their entry-level recreational suspension option. It’s designed to mitigate the shock of wave impact in light seas on fresh water lakes or cabin boats on the ocean. Max recommended passenger weight is 250 pounds. This seat suspension system features an X-Fusion O2 air spring shock with adjustable rebound, manufactured from anodized A360 cast aluminum, with 304 grade SS hardware, powder coated, with 3-link forward action, weighing 20.5 pounds with a 1-year limited warranty.
S5-AL Suspension Base
The Shockwave S5-AL aluminum suspension base offers a smoother, safer and more comfortable ride, protecting occupants from the shock of wave impact. It is designed for additional stability compared to the S5-LW in moderate to heavy sea conditions by utilizing a 4-point forward action suspension design. Max recommended passenger weight is 300 pounds. This seat suspension system features a FOX Rhythm air spring shock with adjustable rebound, anodized cast aluminum frame with 316 grade SS hardware, powder coated, 4-link forward action, weighing 27.5 pounds with a 2-year limited warranty.
Seat Suspension System
As you might have guessed, the trio of suspension bases described above are only the tip of the iceberg. Sure, with the appropriate Shockwave base adapter, they will work with a variety of existing OEM and aftermarket boat seats. Shockwave also offers their own lineup of propriety seating, different height base risers, cup holders, footrests, swivels, sliding mechanisms and more to totally customize their suspension systems into the ultimate marine seating arrangements.
