Slammer Marine
We put fenders where they belong — on the dock.
Slammer Marine builds boat and dock protection the way it should have been built all along — into the dock itself. The integrated dock fender system is permanently mounted, always in position, and engineered to protect boats, docks, and the people who use them. No ropes. No deflation. No maintenance. Just reliable, full-time protection that makes docking smoother and safer for everyone aboard.
It started on a dock, in the wake of a hurricane.
In November 2008, Jonathan Hough had just lost his banking job at the height of the financial crisis. Within 48 hours, a close friend asked him to look at a piece of land on Galveston Bay, Texas. Walking the property, Jonathan detoured into the adjacent marina — and what he saw stopped him. Just weeks earlier, Hurricane Ike, then the second-most-destructive hurricane in U.S. history, had torn through the area. Boat after boat sat damaged at the dock. The hanging fenders meant to protect them had simply failed.
Trained as an architect before his finance career, Jonathan saw a design problem with an obvious flaw: traditional fenders only work when they happen to be in the right place. Wind moves them. They hang too high or too low. The angle of approach renders them useless. The fix was to take the fender off the boat and build it into the dock, so protection is always in position.
“The idea was born that day. I drew the design on a coaster at lunch.” — Jonathan Hough, Founder and Managing Partner, Slammer Marine
He called it StormFender, and received his first United States patent in 2014, with additional patents granted in Japan and pending in Canada and Europe. From a sketch on a coaster, a new category of dock protection was born.
Recognition came fast. In February 2015, the dock-mounted fender system won a coveted Innovation Award in the Docking and Fendering Equipment category at the Miami International Boat Show, judged annually by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Boating Writers International (BWI), and considered one of the marine industry’s highest design honors. Out of 97 products entered, it was the only one designed to serve both individual boat owners and professionally run marinas, fuel docks, restaurants, boatyards, and yacht clubs.
“This is a solution to the perpetual problem of safe docking; the StormFender provides extra cushioning for a graceful landing.” — Alan Wendt, President, Boating Writers International (2015 judging committee)
That same year, the product was featured in Marina Dock Age magazine under the headline “Born out of Crisis, StormFender Basks in Light of Miami Innovation Award.”
In 2016, the company engaged Scales Advertising of Minneapolis to undertake a full brand review and rebuild. The result was Slammer Marine — a name that captures exactly what the product prevents. The registered trademark and refreshed identity carried the same mission forward: eliminate the damage, expense, and stress that happen when ordinary, part-time fenders fail and boats slam into docks.
Jonathan Hough leverages his degrees in architecture and finance — and a 30-year career spanning construction and investment banking — combined with a lifelong passion for boating. In the wake of a hurricane, Hough founded Slammer Marine and its proprietary fender system to prevent the bad things that happen when boats slam into docks. Beyond delivering superior dock and hull protection, Slammer Marine products improve the recreational marine experience for everyone aboard.
Patrick Gavin-Brynes, COO, brings over two decades of on-the-water experience to Slammer Marine, with a background spanning competitive offshore sailing, performance and mechanical engineering, and hands-on R&D with an industry-leading marine company. When he first encountered the Slammer fender system, the answer was straightforward: a well-engineered product backed by a founder with genuine conviction. Patrick joined to help turn that vision into a growing business, bringing a steady hand to operations and a critical eye shaped by years of experience on the water and off.
Every Slammer fender is designed and manufactured in Houston, Texas. The closed-cell XLPE foam core is cut and shaped domestically. The UV- and abrasion-resistant PVC-coated marine fabric cover is sourced and finished for the marine environment, not for the lowest possible price. Slammer does not offshore its manufacturing or compromise on materials, because a fender that fails in year two is not a fender worth buying.
Slammer is not a prototype. It is a product with more than a decade of real-world performance at some of the most demanding marinas in the country, protecting vessels from 20 to 200 feet on busy commercial fuel docks and private slips alike.
“The Newport Yachting Center has used Slammer Marine padding on our fuel dock for more than 10 years. We run the busiest fuel dock in Newport, fueling boats from 20′ to 200′, and Slammer fenders perform exceptionally well no matter the size of the vessel.” — Carter Fisher, Marina Manager, Newport Yachting Center, Newport, RI
“As we enter our sixth season with Slammer Integrated Dock Fenders at Brown and Howard Marina, their performance has been nothing short of exceptional. Choosing Slammer was one of the best decisions we’ve made for the marina.” — Charles Moore, Marina Manager, Brown and Howard Marina, Newport, RI
“Slammer Marine fendering has literally saved us thousands of dollars a year in fiberglass repair.” — Sail Newport, Newport, RI
Permanent, not temporary. The fender is integrated into the dock structure. It never shifts, never deflates, and is always in position.
Built to last. A resilient, low-absorption closed-cell foam core and a UV- and abrasion-resistant PVC-coated marine fabric cover, made in the USA for the marine environment.
Simple to install. A modular track-and-slide design installs in minutes with basic tools and no exposed fasteners. Fenders can be cut to length for any dock configuration.
Proven. A patent-issued system and registered trademark, with field history measured in years rather than seasons.
It pays for itself. Properly protecting a dock stops the small, repeated impacts that add up to thousands of dollars in fiberglass and gelcoat repairs.
Slammer is available in standard and custom lengths, with corner, low-profile, and vertical piling options, in Marine Blue, Shark Grey, Ocean White, and Orca Black, plus fleece and custom-branding options.
Slammer Marine’s vision is a fender on every dock, protecting vessels, captains, and crew on waterways everywhere. The company will get there responsibly: building products designed to last that also enhance safety and marina resilience, reclaiming them at end of life where possible, investing in youth programs that inspire the next generation onto the water, and acting as good stewards of marine environments so all who follow can enjoy them as those before us did.
Slammer Marine. Smarter docking protection, built in the USA.
Phone: (800) 295-3464Email: info@slammermarine.comWeb: www.slammermarine.comMailing: 1707 1/2 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 119, Houston, TX 77056
