Sportsman Boats partners with Dometic on digital switching

Dometic Marine, formerly known as SeaStar Solutions, has announced that its advanced Digital Switching technology is now offered as standard equipment on all Sportsman Boat models 25 feet in length and up.

Sportsman Boats, based in Summerville, S.C., prides itself on offering a full line of family-friendly center console boats manufactured with the latest designs, procedures and materials in its state-of-the-art-factory. Its line includes a variety of offshore center consoles and inshore bay boats up to 35 feet, designed to combine world-class ride and fishing features with creature comforts, amenities and technology that appeal to today’s family boaters.

“Digital switching is definitely the wave of the future,” said Sportsman Boats president Tommy Hancock. “We have always worked to stay innovative and on the cutting edge when it comes to the way we build our boats. Collaborating with innovative partners such as Dometic Marine helps us stay on the forefront of marine technology — and both our company and our customers reap the benefits. Dealer adoption for this digital switching has been great so far, which tells us we’re on the right track.”

According to Hancock, Sportsman began including electronics standard on all boats about four years ago, which was a natural first step towards integrating digital switching. From the boater’s perspective, Dometic Digital Switching allows control of marine lights, pumps, climate control, batteries, trim tabs, bow thrusters and more through a single digital display, rather than an array of individual switches. This gives the boater a cleaner, high-tech helm control station while enhancing reliability. It also reduces the need for cumbersome wiring bundles at the helm and throughout the boat. A branded Sportsman remote control lets boaters turn their boat’s systems on/off from up to 200 feet away.

Built-in diagnostics and the built-in redundancy of a “get home” mode provide the boater with peace of mind. Dometic Digital Switching also interfaces with the Optimus EPS Steering, which is also standard on Sportsman boat models 25 feet and up.

This technology also provides the boat builder with a range of advantages. For example, Dometic Digital Switching speeds production by reducing time for wiring as well as wiring complexity. The result is reduced labor costs for the manufacturer and improved reliability for the owner.

“Eliminating moving parts from the boat means less time and labor costs, as well as less chance for wiring errors or switch malfunctions that could cause issues for the customer. At Sportsman, we’re focused on delivering the best boating experience possible, and Dometic Digital Switching is helping us meet that goal,” added Hancock.