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Old 30 August 2018, 02:35   #1
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Country: USA
Town: Santa Rosa, CA
Boat name: Confidence
Length: 5m +
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Shark Suspension Seats in my Naiad 4.8

I got a used Naiad 4.8 earlier this year and have been working to outfit it as the ultimate Northern California diving and fishing RIB. I wanted the most capable, most comfortable boat possible that still had the ability to be launched anywhere and towed by just about anything. I think I did it!

Seats were definitely something I wanted, and I knew I wanted suspension. We all know these small RIBs get pretty bumpy, especially one like this that is less than 16' but goes about 45mph...

I did lots of research, checked out a few RIBs in my area that had different seats, and decided to stick with the New Zealand theme and get a couple Shark Jockeys. They weren't cheap, but compared to big names like Shockwave or Ullman, they were reasonable.

The seats themselves have proven incredibly comfortable and capable. There's lots of cushion, lots of travel, and they are very light (which is partly why I picked them). I can do things in this RIB that I couldn't when I had a simple leaning post. I've launched the boat off a wave only to slam down on the crest of another, and the seats take almost all of the impact. I don't have any leg fatigue, back pain or anything from running hard for long periods. My only complaint is that they are a little high for many riders, and they have no height adjustment. I had a set of mounts fabricated from aluminum that are a little shorter that work well, but very short riders still can't reach the ground. Foot pegs installed on the mounts have solved this problem.

Overall I'm extremely impressed with these seats and very happy with my purchase! Also, Dan with Shark Seating was pleasant to deal with and very responsive.

Check it out!
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Old 30 August 2018, 10:21   #2
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Country: UK - England
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Make: Excel 435
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RIBase
nice work horse you have there brian shock seats are a pain if the height is wrong i had special bases made for my coastal pro seats which are a quite different seat, i suggest you have some closed cell foam on the floor to assist in the height adjustment you can always lift it out of the way whilst kiting up to dive.
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Old 30 August 2018, 11:01   #3
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Is the height not adjustable on the seats themselves?

Scotseats have seat adjust back/forth and up/down which makes it a little easier, I assumed they would all have that?
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Old 30 August 2018, 22:55   #4
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Nope! Seat height isn't adjustable, which is honestly my only complaint. Other than that they are pretty awesome.
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Old 31 August 2018, 08:26   #5
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Ill second that. I have 4 of them. Great seats!
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Old 31 August 2018, 20:04   #6
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Yeah, pretty comfy! What did you put them in? Pics?
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Old 31 August 2018, 20:41   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diver Brian View Post
What did you put them in?
A boat
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Old 31 August 2018, 21:48   #8
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Country: UK - Scotland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xk59D View Post
A boat
like a boat that gets taken out on the water you mean, the inside of those sheds at greenock can be quite bumpy
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Old 01 September 2018, 07:50   #9
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yeah, pretty comfy! What did you put them in? Pics?
Osprey Vipermax 7 m

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Old 05 September 2018, 03:11   #10
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Nice Cloudy! That looks badass!
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Old 23 February 2019, 02:39   #11
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Country: New Zealand
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Shark seat adjustments

Hi guys. Thanks for the feedback. I design Shark seats. Thanks for posting your boat pics Brian, we love to see these. Talk to us about height adjustment - we have a few options depending upon whether you want to do it once (bolt-adjustable plinth height) or at the seat all the time without bending over in an instant (our mult-adjuster does that and swivels as well) or just make it more comfortable for shorter occupants without messing about with expensive adjustments .. in which case we have affordable footrests. By the way we also have swivel and lock, sliding rails, laptop holders etc .. ever since we supplied all those America'sCup chase boats last time including the one for the royal family, there's not much we can't do. Happy boating! PaulZ
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