This work experimentally compares the water wave slamming of a rigid cylindrical object and a deformable cylindrical composite shell. Wave impact is hereby achieved as a vertical drop on an initially calm water surface. The impact of both objects is haracterized in terms of impact pressures, forces and deformations. The experiments show a reduction in impact forces and pressures for the deformable cylinder compared to the rigid one, indicating a transformation of impact energy into deformation energy
