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Hello from a Newbie

D

Damn Yankee

Member
Been lurking around here for a couple of weeks, and am intriged by airboats for a couple of reasons. One being, I'll be moving to central Fl after the first of the year, and actually have a use for an airboat for my dads place waaayyy up north. I am sure I'll be asking many questions seemly silly, and I have read through most of the 60+ pages. So..... first, being new, I know I should look for a hull with a forgiving depth, but am unsure about glass vs. AL. I need to run dry, and over realitively ruff stuff. Advise Please.

Thanks in advance....... I enjoy this place very much
 
Welcome.....lots of opinions here....I like aluminum with polymer.

Take your time and look at all the styles, then you can make an informed decision!
 
Welcome yankee,

You came to the right place, the best place for advice. I'm guessing most are going to advise you on an aluminum hull for any rough riding conditions. as far as a deep hull if your going to be in central florida, you wont need a deep hull unless you plan taking it north. If you like airboating then you will love central florida. ya better hurry and get here before more come down and shut us down :D lol Good luck on your decision.
John
 
Thanks John & Grant....... hence the silly questions. Is the poly for reducing friction, or perserving the hull? Do you put poly on glass? Reading about the analogies about those who have sunk and those who will, I'm a biker and I understand completely. I think to start I'll need something forgiving. I don't even want to think about power yet, cause I'm a firm believer on there is no substitute for CU.
 
poly on aluminum or glass does both....reduces friction and gives the hull some protection.
The drawbacks are added weight and will cut some speed.
I personally will have poly on every boat I own....unless I wanted to race!
 
How can you be a Damn Yankee from North Carolina? I run a sandy bottom river with a few rocks and I hate poly on any boat because of the weight. It does give you a good feeling when you hit a hard spot. If you need it, use it. It will save your boat in rough waters. I had two boats that had it on and I hated it until I hit a rock and then I liked it. The poly was nice on the snow also but you probably don't have to worry about that.
 
First off welcome aboard :!:

there is no such thing as a silly question unless it is one you don't ask. There is a great bunch of people on here and you will get several methods normally to resolve what ever obstacle you came across .


Both aluminum and fiberglass can be good hulls you just need to decide exactly what you want it to do . I would suggest you do start thinking about the power plant because there is a big difference in hulls for a little 4 cyl aircraft motor and a 454 car motor with a reduction unit

If you can hold off until you get moved down here I sure you could find rides with a number of different people to get a better idea what hull and engine you really want IMHO
 
I am pretty sure that uhmw pe is neutral bouyant, or even slightly positive bouyant.
That being the case, other than the weight of the fastners is should add no felt weight to a boat in the water!
It is extra weight to carry on the dry, however.
 
I was just trying to point out the difference in engine weight not really the polymer that's one of those things you either are or are not going to have
 
welcome aboard. Try doing some searches. You'll learn quickly in airboating some hulls are great for somethings and not so great for others. Good luck and welcome to a serious addiction!

And remember to sort the facts from the opinions cause airboaters have alot of opinions. Like fact #1 aircraft motors are better then car motors :D
 
goldhunter_2":38aedi96 said:
If you can hold off until you get moved down here I sure you could find rides with a number of different people to get a better idea what hull and engine you really want IMHO
Click to expand...

btw excellent advice. And ask questions tell your blue in the face, get punched in the face or they walk away. :lol: no seriously don't be afraid to ask. Airboats have come a long way and there is a lot of science being put into airboating these days. People who have put so much time or money or both generally will be glad to point out to you the working components of their boat and why they are that way.
 
Des Moines Boater":1vwcaq8z said:
How can you be a Damn Yankee from North Carolina?
Thats an easy one, I originally hail from upstate NY

The poly was nice on the snow also but you probably don't have to worry about that.
Click to expand...
And because thats where the old mans place is, and lots of snow, looks like poly is the way to go.

What got me started on this kick is the fact we have like 50+ acres that is land locked, and the only way to access is across a hard wood swamp. A very cold winter allows access because it freezes. The swamp itself is really rough in spots, hence the need to run dry. There are other places with deep water as well.

As far as power, I am leaner towards the V8 side, and quite frankly, like the idea of the low in hull design I've seen
 
Goldhunter said it best. Wait until you move to Florida before you decide on anything. For me an aircraft engine is the way to go because they are easy to work on. I like the deep sided fiberglass hulls for the river running I do. My first boat was an aluminum deck over with poly that would have been perfect for the running you want to do up north. Just my opinion. I just look at ads on airboat trader and on this site and take a run to Florida to make my purchase. 4 of the five boats I've owned came from Florida and they were all different.

That riding in the snow is fun but it does get cold. It will loosen rivets too when you bounce around at 30 mph over the snow bumps. Whatever you buy you will enjoy and then want something else. More power, more push, more speed, stronger hull, lighter hull, different cage and seat setup. It never ends. Love them all.
 
Another Damn Yankee coming to Fla. Just what we need.
Naw, just pullin yer leg, come on down,just don't go tring
to make everthang just like up north we caint stand no
more of that. Crackers might get ornry once in a while
but fer the most part we's perty hospitable folks.
welcome to the site, it's a wealth of info.
 
first of all welcome and its nice to see one of yall yanks taking to our way of life so easy. but if i was you when you get down here i would go to Camp Mack which is on Lake Kissimee on a busy weekend and talk to people about there setups see whats good and what doesnt work. theres alot of experimenting that goes on out in the airboat world and it goes either way.
 
Damn Yankee":16zoyzhq said:
As far as power, I am leaner towards the V8 side, and quite frankly, like the idea of the low in hull design I've seen
Click to expand...

Oh well there goes another one to the dark side :lol:

with the weight of the V-8 and you'll want a gear box you need to be thinking no smaller the 14' an really at least 16' deep sided hull
 
Hello and welcome to the lifestyle of fl air boating ... first off you'll need to determine your needs will you be river riding , trail making, frogging just yourself or others and how many ? Ive ran both glass and aluminum and have love and hates for both but always seem to end up with a glass hull due to many factors .. but its completely what your needs are ... not picking on car motor boats but i prefer ground power units aircraft is of course the best but can be pricey .. but overall a boat that fits your needs is one you feel completely comfortable on , as you may have two identical boats and they have there own personalities .and as for polymer i would go any where without protection ...feel free to give me a call if i can help ..
 
Nothing wrong with it, I guess... I'm just curious why you dug up a nearly 2 year old post about a newbie. not criticizing, just wondering what made this old thread worthy of reviving after almost 2 years.
 
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