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| Bolstering Marine Safety |
 Victims of boating accidents are often catapulted from their vessel after hitting powerful waves. Many times, the alleged cause of injury is the lack of a passive or active restraint system.
Edward Dick, with a past in military, offshore racing and fuel efficient boat design, is working to prevent boaters from being thrown both inside and outside of their boat. "Seating is the interface between the boater and the boat," he explains on his website, www.bolsters.com. Some important safety concerns involved with marine seating include the prevention of passengers being thrown within or from the vessel, lack of steering control because the helmsman's body is being thrown around by the motion of the boat and the impact of waves transmitted through the body.
With his company, Security Structures, a hydro dynamic engineering firm, Dick has worked on the development of a marine bolster seat for ten years. Recently, the US Navy has made Dick's bolster seating one of their top priorities after many officers suffered permanent injuries or exhaustion on board small crafts.
The seats, ranging from $975.00 (standard height, one man seat) to $9480.00 (shock mitigated series with standing platform), offer adjustable positions that will prevent boaters from being thrown from their boats, but also from knee, hip, back and neck injuries caused by powerful waves. The ideal application of the seats would be on powerboats ranging from 15 to 25 feet in length. These smaller, lighter boats are those that often experience the roughest rides.
According to the company's site, Security Structures provides three positions with their bolster seating - "a comfortable sitting position, a relaxed leaning position, and a wrap protection while standing." Positions are changed manually and both one and two person seat options are available for purchase.
For more information about Security Structures products, visit www.bolsters.com."
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