By: Mark Romanack
The staff of Fishing 411 TV spends an enormous amount of time on big water chasing lots of different fish species. The Smooth Moves suspension seats in their boats are not a luxury, but rather an essential piece of equipment.
Recently I had an opportunity to fish with my oldest friend and life long fishing buddy. He reminded me that in my youth, I was prone to run a fishing boat pretty hard. Truth be told, I might have even exceeded the highway speed limit a time or two.
Of all the technology advancements that have hit the fishing world in my lifetime, the one invention that has had the most impact on my fishing is the suspension boat seat. If it weren’t for suspension seats like the Smooth Moves Ultra and Air, I might not even be actively fishing anymore.
For those who have not experienced a suspension style boat seat, I can tell you they eliminate the crushing blows associated with running in rough water. Instead the suspension system absorbs the shock, sparing your back and neck in the process.
Having fished the Great Lakes my whole life, it’s no exaggeration when I say investing in Smooth Moves suspension seats has been a game changer for me.
Everyone who has taken a test ride with a Smooth Moves suspension seat comes away sold. In this image Mark is taking a couple marine dealers for a ride in his STX 2050 at the Starcraft/SmokerCraft Dealer Meeting.
SMOOTH MOVES ULTRA
The original Smooth Moves suspension seat the Ultra, has been on the market for many years and continues to be popular. The Ultra is a manually adjusted hydraulic pedestal that incorporates the OEM seat provided with your boat. One simple lever is used to increase or decrease the tension for passengers weighing from 100 to 300 pounds.
Amazingly durable, functional and affordable, the Ultra can be installed in almost any fishing boat in just minutes with basic hand tools.
SMOOTH MOVES AIR
Anglers who frequently experience very rough water will want to consider the Smooth Moves Air. Unlike most air ride seats on the market, the Smooth Moves Air does not require a hand air pump. Instead an electric pump is built into the mechanism and can be operated with the touch of just one button to instantly add air pressure or reduce air pressure as desired.
The beauty of this system is the amount of air suspension can be adjusted quickly and while on the fly. Because air can not be completely compressed, the Smooth Moves Air suspension seat won’t bottom out in rough water, insuring a safe and smooth ride no matter the wave conditions.
The Air can be adjusted for passengers up to 350 pounds, making it ideal for kids, women, men and even those double XL sized guys. The Smooth Moves Air can be wired directly to the boats electrical system or you can use the 12 volt wiring plug that comes standard with the suspension pedestal.
INSTALLATION
Anyone can install a Smooth Moves suspension seat in few minutes using only common hand tools. A Phillips screw driver and a 7/16 inch box end wrench or socket set is all it takes to install these products. The process starts by removing the OEM seat base in your boat. Next install the Smooth Moves seat base using the same hardware.
Place the swivel portion of the Smooth Moves suspension on the seat base post and adjust the tension so the seat can be rotated with a little effort.
The seat mounting plate will next be mounted to your OEM boat seat being sure to keep the mounting bushings pointed up and away from the seat. Use the screws from the OEM seat to attach the mounting plate using the slotted holes to line up with the studs on the boat seat.
The final step is mounting the seat and seat mounting plate to the Smooth Moves suspension. This involves lining up the studs on the mounting plate with the pre-drilled holes on the suspension slides. The provided 7/16” bolts, washers and lock washers are required for this step.
All of the boats used by Fishing 411 TV are equipped with Smooth Moves suspension seats. Smooth your ride, you’ll be glad you did.
Hand tighten the 7/16” bolts and then work the seat slide forward and back a few times to square up the seat to the slides. Now tighten down the 7/16” bolts using a socket set and the job is complete.
Both the Ultra and Air models of the Smooth Moves suspension seats require very little maintenance. When not using the suspension for extended periods of time, back off the spring tension on the manually operated Ultra and release air pressure from the Air model.
At the back of the suspension you will find a small hole. Once a year a couple squirts of a spray lubricant will keep the Smooth Moves ready for action. That’s it.
Smooth Moves suspension seats work great, they are easy to install and maintenance is a breeze. On top of this Smooth Moves stands behind all their products with the best customer support in the business. Smooth Moves suspensions are sold at fine Marine dealers everywhere or you can order direct from smoothmovesseats.com.