Shock Mitigating Flooring? - Page 2

Ross Champion · 23 August 2012, 20:35

Just wanted to take a quick second and say thanks for all the great feedback here. Things are a little hectic in the office today, but I will get back to everyone this evening. You guys are great.

Ross Champion · 24 August 2012, 06:16

Martini,
Thanks for the reference on John, we have had a bit of contact lately and he seems like a really knowledgeable guy.

Peter C,
How big of an area are you covering?

M_chappellow,
I don't really know much about the Airex mats..does that get slick when it is wet? Anyone run that on a bigger boat?

NCP,
Where do you keep your boat? Would nice to meet you some time and show you what we are up to in person.

c2_Ribs,
Thanks for your input... and info.
Quick question, how standardized are the production RIBs that are sold as far as the deck layouts go, do most owners order different deck layouts on the same model boats? The reason I ask is because almost every military boat we have measured has slightly different deck layout.

In general it seems like that 5 year life expectancy comes up as an issue so this is something we will be taking a closer look at.

Ross Champion · 24 August 2012, 06:52

Again, I appreciate everyone's feedback and time.

Peter_C · 24 August 2012, 07:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross Champion

Peter C,
How big of an area are you covering?

I have a milk crate mounted in the bow that houses the anchor stuff, then my electronics tower, tool box, and fuel tank towards the stern. It would be nice to "soften" everything else. Typical 4.2m Zodiac.

C2 RIBS · 24 August 2012, 17:01

[QUOTE=

c2_Ribs,
Thanks for your input... and info.
Quick question, how standardized are the production RIBs that are sold as far as the deck layouts go, do most owners order different deck layouts on the same model boats? The reason I ask is because almost every military boat we have measured has slightly different deck layout.

In general it seems like that 5 year life expectancy comes up as an issue so this is something we will be taking a closer look at.[/QUOTE]

The majority of production RIBs are all set to the new owners requirments so my consul is further forward to put jockey seats in place. The layouts generally form jockey seats and some bench seats but all I would say will be slightly different for similar hulls. Yep warranty/ life needs to be good for commercial and leisure users

Paul Glatzel · 25 August 2012, 19:54

We used Seashocks for Round Britain 2010. Was very good - more info here http://www.rib.net/forum/f8/great-br...tml#post369413

MI3GTO · 26 August 2012, 08:43

Go to any equestrian supplier and take a look at the "rubber" flooring mats they use for the floor of stables. They work out at about £12 for a 6x4 £18 for a 8x4. There are several types. One is solid with no holes another is a open grid with drain holes running through the sheet. They are about 3/4" thick easy cut to shape and give a anti-slip floor with good shock absorption (they are designed to prevent shock to the horses limbs) They are black and seem to ware well, at that price it don't cost much to replace them. I can't say scientifically how much shock they absorb but they do seem to help in practice.

I can post pics if interested.

ncp · 27 August 2012, 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross Champion

NCP,
Where do you keep your boat? Would nice to meet you some time and show you what we are up to in person.

Solana Beach. Where are you guys located? Do you have have a demo rib somewhere to show off?

Steve_B · 27 August 2012, 20:33

Hi Ross
Shock Mitigation is a subject that will have a massive impact on the whole "small" boat industry and in particular the commercial operators. Some are adopting a head in the sand approach, whilst others (RibNet) members are pro-actively doing everything we can to reduce the risks. As the law stands, a commercial operator is legally obliged to protect the staff (but not the passengers). Of course, any action to protect the staff should have an impact on the protection of the passengers too. i.e how the boat/RIB is operated.
I have for some time tried to obtain flooring that can be retro-fitted to our RIB as an additional aid to reduce the risk. The Skydex is all but impossible to obtain, as they seem to have no interest in non-military applications.
I would be very interested in any product than can be fitted to protect both crew and passengers. Durability and weight would be more critical than cost, although there will be a point where it would become too expensive. A 5 year life on a commercial RIB would seem reasonable. There are many other components on a commercial RIB that would need replacing in this sort of period.
If it had a 5 year life I would be comfortable with that, BUT the ease of removal and replacement would be critical, as we need the boat on the water and not days/weeks being worked on. Please make sure that it is UV stable, as most RIBs will be in direct sun light for most of the year.
A one year warranty seems a little light, but by comparison most engines only have a one year commercial cover, as apposed to a 5 year leisure cover.
As a company we have been promoting the issue of shock mitigation on this, as well as other forums, along with C2Ribs and would be happy to provide any assistance we can give in developing or testing any flooring of this nature.
We carry over 2500 passengers a year and would like to be seen as proactive in protecting them to the highest standards. Unfortunately, the cost of 14 full suspention seats are not financially viable and are not the "golden bullet" to this issue anyway.
Regards
Steve

Crusher · 28 August 2012, 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by MI3GTO

I can post pics if interested.

Yes please

amityslave · 28 August 2012, 15:52

I think that retro fit is the biggest market you would have in Europe for the first couple of years until you persuaded RIB builders to use it as standard.
I know of several RIBbers who would love something to help with fun on the Bristol Channel.
Something that can be bought as a roll at different widths maybe? no bonding required? easy to lift and clean? variant colours? doesn't mind sections being cut into it to access deck hatches etc? and unlike the military that do it all by night, UV resistant? non marking, i.e. won't scuff the tubes etc when fitting? fuel resistant? oil resistant?

If you can do all this, I'm in!!! let me know when.

Ross Champion · 31 August 2012, 04:16

NCP,
We have an office in La Jolla and I live in Del Mar. Would love to meet with you to get your input when we release a consumer facing version of this product.

250KTS,
Thank you for that response and the information. I would love to talk with you more in the coming weeks.

Amityslave,
We should be able to hit all your requirements except it coming in a roll...

For everyone else, thank you very much. It will probably take us a couple of months, but we are going to release a consumer facing version of this product. Your input definitely helped us decide to move forward with it. I'll make sure I do my best to take care of all you guys that have helped out if you are interested when we release the product.

Thanks again!

Ross Champion · 11 November 2012, 17:26

Ok...so we have our HPEAFS (High-Performance, Energy-Absorbing Flooring System) up and running!

Some more info here. Soft-Deck.com/news/HPEAFS

Looking forward to hearing any more feedback you guys would like to give. Email through the website is the best way for a quick response, but I will check back here often as well.

Thanks again!

Chris · 11 November 2012, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross Champion

Ok...so we have our HPEAFS (High-Performance, Energy-Absorbing Flooring System) up and running!

Some more info here. Soft-Deck.com/news/HPEAFS

Looking forward to hearing any more feedback you guys would like to give. Email through the website is the best way for a quick response, but I will check back here often as well.

Thanks again!

Hi Whats the pricing for this please.

ncp · 11 November 2012, 18:30

I see $20/sq. ft. on the website for sheet goods.

Cookee · 12 November 2012, 07:17

Let me know when you've got something for seats please?

Ross Champion · 12 November 2012, 15:25

Hey NCP...thanks for jumping in there.

List price on sheet good are $20/SF and completed ready to install custom kits list at $50/SF.

That said, I appreciate the advice and help I've gotten from this forum, and the best advertising I can do for our HPEAFS is to get people to use it. So if anyone is interested, please email me with your specific needs and we will figure out something out.

ncp · 12 November 2012, 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross Champion

Hey NCP...thanks for jumping in there.

List price on sheet good are $20/SF and completed ready to install custom kits list at $50/SF.

That said, I appreciate the advice and help I've gotten from this forum, and the best advertising I can do for our HPEAFS is to get people to use it. So if anyone is interested, please email me with your specific needs and we will figure out something out.

Ross, since the difference between $20/ft and $50/ft isn't a small amount, how about a little bit on installation techniques, if you were to buy the sheets, how do you cut it, fasten, etc. I'm sure you guys aren't at the point of making youtube installation videos yet (because the Navy will pay full price and have you install for them!) but, as you can tell, this is a big DIY group.

On the custom kits, do you want people to send in paper outlines of the deck area needed? Can you do it just from a drawing? Do you get the specs from the rib manufacturers? (Though, I doubt that would work because there are so many custom layouts)

Thanks!

Ross Champion · 13 November 2012, 00:13

Good questions...

First the cost difference between the sheet goods and complete kits basically comes down to production and design cost on our end.

We are working on building a complete how-to installation guide for when someone purchases sheet goods. This is another few weeks away at least, but it is in the works. Just quickly though, the material cuts easily with wood working tools, a router does a very good job and leaves a clean edge. Various other saws and flooring knives can be used as well, but then the edges need to be cleaned up afterward and a belt sander does a good job of that. Anyone that has a rudimentary set of wood working tools can work with the material and build a good looking deck covering.

Our custom kits go through a three step design process to ensure you get a kit that fits perfectly. First we send out a templating kit with instructions and material. You send the completed template kit back to us, and we digitize it. We will then send you back a full scale paper printout to ensure we got all the measurements right or we can make any final adjustments at that time.

Then we CNC cut the pieces to ensure accuracy, and because our system of joining the pieces together requires very tight tolerances. All of our custom kits secure to the deck using dual lock fasteners from 3M that are recessed in to the material (and we recommend the same for those using sheet goods.) All of the panels used to create a full deck covering are removable and attach together via a mechanically locking lap joint to ensure even if you step right at the edge of one piece, both sides of the joint will compress equally.
Attached is a close up picture of one of our removable joints.

Installing the fasteners to the deck depends on the surface you are installing over, and we either use dual locks with a VHB adhesive backing when installing on a bare AL or fiberglass deck or a backing designed for use with epoxies if we are going over an existing non-skid.

Bushrider · 28 December 2012, 19:56

Hi Ross ,
The 2 helm pads have yesterday arrived in Germany - many thanks for your support !
BTW - never had such a fast delivery from the US - although x-mas - Fedex worked great !
Tomorrow I am going to France and next week I am intending to install and test the mitigation floor on my Searider .
All the best for 2013 !

Jürgen