Seakeeper Ride System

Family of five cruising through shallow coastal waves in a blue and white center console boat

A first-of-its-kind Vessel Attitude Control System (VACS)

When people first hear about Seakeeper Ride, they often compare it to trim tabs, self-leveling systems or even the gyroscopic Seakeeper system found on larger boats. But Seakeeper Ride is something different. It installs where traditional trim tabs are typically located, yet its purpose and performance go far beyond basic boat leveling.

Traditional trim tabs and self-leveling systems can help adjust running attitude, but they are limited by how quickly they can react. They are not built to sense and respond to the constant motion a boat experiences in real time. Waves can come from any direction, vary in size and change in milliseconds. By the time a traditional system reacts, the motion has often already happened.

Seakeeper Ride uses proprietary hardware and software with rapid-deployment rotary blades that make up to 100 adjustments every second. That speed allows the system to actively counter pitch, roll and yaw while underway, helping deliver a smoother, more stable and more comfortable ride for everyone onboard.

Overhead view of boat's engine compartment showing black mechanical components and white storage areas

The Seakeeper Ride system is the first-of-its-kind Vessel Attitude Control System. It can eliminate up to 70% of pitch and roll while underway.

Seakeeper Ride controllers are mounted to your Sportsman's transom, below the waterline. Using custom proprietary sensors and software, the system constantly monitors the boat’s behavior across all three axes and computes a counteracting sequence to reduce pitch, roll and yaw. As the blades deploy, they intercept the flow of water off the transom and create lift, instantly correcting the vessel’s motion.

Interactive Demo

Visualize how the Seakeeper Ride System works. Click the Seakeeper Logo on the keypad to stabilize the boat.

In Action

Seeing is believing

Key Benefits

Close-up of Seakeeper gyroscopic stabilization unit with dual control knobs and ventilation slots on dark hull

Pitch & Roll Elimination

Seakeeper Ride eliminates up to 70% of pitch and roll motions while underway, reducing the uncomfortable pounding and slamming often caused by rough conditions. This contributes to greater safety and gives everyone on board more comfort, control and confidence.

Coordinated Turn

Seakeeper Ride automatically adjusts the boat’s heeling angle during turns for better comfort, improved safety and enhanced performance.

Auto Trim

Seakeeper Ride uses a customized Trim Command Curve to automatically adjust the boat to maintain the ideal running angle at any speed.

List/Level Control

Seakeeper Ride continuously counters list caused by onboard movement, wind, uneven loads or prop torque while underway.

Hole Shot Control

Seakeeper Ride improves acceleration to get the boat on plane faster, enhancing fuel efficiency during transition and helping the operator keep a clear view of the horizon for increased safety.

How It Works

Every Sportsman hull is designed to run at a specific angle. Maintaining that running attitude allows the hull to perform at its best, delivering optimal ride quality, performance and fuel efficiency.

On each side of the hull, two controllers do the heavy lifting. Their rotary design is extremely efficient, requiring minimal amp draw. The blades deploy just 1 inch to create the counterforce needed to stabilize the boat.

Seakeeper Ride can go from 0 to 100% deployment in just one-tenth of a second, allowing it to make rapid, precise adjustments. Using proprietary software, sensors and real-time telemetry, it detects vessel motion, calculates a counterforce and instantly responds to smooth out the ride.

Why It’s Better

One of the most exciting features of this product is how intuitive it is. It works completely autonomously, requiring no input at all. Everyone onboard will enjoy a smoother ride from the moment you launch to the second you return to the trailer. Whether you are a weekend warrior heading to the sandbar or a hardcore offshore fisherman, Seakeeper Ride is 100% effective in all conditions.

Another advantage is its ability to keep the boat level as weight shifts around. With traditional trim tabs, if a person moves from one side of the boat to the other, manual adjustment is needed. The Seakeeper Ride system eliminates this by auto-leveling on the fly. Thanks to its speed, it not only levels but actively stabilizes for a much smoother ride.

While being autonomous is a major advantage, some sea conditions may require slight adjustments. For that, the Seakeeper Ride app, built into the Garmin screen, allows you to make changes. In the Ride system, these are known as "bias" adjustments, letting you fine-tune the running attitude or intentionally create a list to match sea conditions.

You're in Control

The Seakeeper Ride system still lets you stay in control when needed. In certain sea conditions, you may want to adjust the boat's running angle. Using the Seakeeper Ride app built into the Garmin, you can add a bias to tweak the running attitude or create a list to suit conditions.

For example, if you need a slight angle to one side, simply open the OneHelm App and press the port or starboard bias button. The Seakeeper Ride will continue to stabilize the boat while holding that bias. When no longer needed, you can easily reset it back to zero.

Trim Command Curve display showing engine trim adjustment percentages across speed ranges on boat helm electronics

Advanced Trim Adjustments

Proper engine trim is crucial for achieving quick time-to-plane performance and Seakeeper Ride helps here too. The system reads the Trim Command Curve profile programmed into each boat. These profiles are tuned to deliver great all-around performance across a wide range of conditions. For advanced users who want even more control, the app offers an advanced settings section to fine-tune the system to match their boating style.

Tech Talk - Learn How it works

Explore our Tech Talk episodes that dive into details of the Seakeeper Ride system.

Overhead view of boat console showing steering wheel, throttle controls, and dual gauge clusters

Season 1 - Episode 18

Introduction To Seakeeper Ride

In this episode of Tech Talk, Sportsman Technical Sales Rep, Jim is Introducing the latest product from Seakeeper, the Ride System. Jim will break down the basics of what this system does and how it operates.

Season 1 - Episode 19

Seakeeper Ride Basic Settings

In this episode of Tech Talk, Sportsman Regional Sales Rep, Aaron is going over the basic settings for the latest product from Seakeeper, the Ride System. Aaron goes in depth on how to adjust the basic user settings to make sure you're operating the system like a pro!

Season 1 - Episode 20

Fuel Economy & Performance With Seakeeper Ride

In this episode of Tech Talk, Sportsman Technical Sales Rep, Jim, is comparing fuel economy and performance numbers with the Seakeeper Ride system on and off. This has been a common question since the launch of this product and Jim is here to show us real world numbers. He's using these comparisons to answer all of the questions and concerns that the Ride system will cause too much drag and decrease performance.

Controller components

Controller
One complete assembly of all parts listed below

Rotary Blade
Deploys in and out to build pressure on the seal plate and control vessel motions

Seal Plate
Supports the actuator and the lifting forces generated by the controllers

Rotary Actuator
Physically drives the rotary blade in and out of the water

Actuator Plate
The foundation that holds the actuator and seal plate to the transom plate

Wedge Pack
A combination of wedges that angle the seal plate relative to the hull bottom

Transom Plate
Adhered to the transom to support the lifting forces generated by the controllers

System components

Distribution Module

Provides power and communication between the controllers and the software module

Black Seakeeper marine stabilization control module with Ethernet and NMEA connectors

Software Module

The "brain" of the system, containing Seakeeper’s proprietary software and motion sensor

Additional Benefits

Rapid Actuation

Rotary blades deploy at speeds up to 300 mm per second, making 100 adjustments every second, powered by a dense rotary design that uses just 7-10 Amps.

Full Underway Control

Manages all motions (pitch, roll, yaw) with fast deployment speeds and proprietary control software and hardware.

Intuitive

Predicts motion and responds instantly to eliminate it before you feel it, with no buttons to push or settings to adjust, delivering an effortless boating experience.

Reliable

The drivetrain is fully sealed in a dry, greased environment with no mechanical parts exposed to saltwater.

Seakeeper Ride System

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Heritage

Masters