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Newbe (Things you wished you knew before your first airboat)

E

Eshoberg

Member
He guys, I've been reading posts for a while now and am getting serious about buying an airbot. I'm looking mainly for a ride boat with to or 3 passengers would like to be able to move around on dry land and probably of the gm family. I'm leaning toward the caddy motor cause i've been working on gm's because i've been working on them for years and it won't need a gear reduction. I've got a couple of questions I could use some help on and any other advice you wished you knew before your first airboat. How bad is the gas milage on a big block, what noise restrictions will I face in Pinellas and Pasco counties and any tips on hull type and or brands for about $8000 or less?
 
Airboat trader on line Cads are good in my book ,but a cheap 220 gpu on a light hull . is best on gas !For your first boat!sort to see if you want!
 
As of now there is no noise restrictions, only on certain lakes in Pasco County. Hernando has a 1,000 foot from a home or road. I don't know what Pinellas has. Where in Pasco are you looking to run?

I've got a caddy in my airboat and by the best I can figure from a GPS reading I'm looking at little better than 2 miles per gal.

If your going to run the Gulf you better go with aluminum hull unless your going to stay in the channel makers.

I would stick to something that you know about, a GM

You'll have to look hard to get a nice boat for 8 grand, but there out there. Buddy of mine just pick up a 15' River Master with a 472 caddy for $9,000.00

I'm sure if you fine one , you could post what your looking at and you would get some input .
 
I fish the backwaters north of the Cotee river alot and would like to explore some more back in that area. I've also been spending alot of time on the whithlacoochee river just south of the wysong dam lately. Will I do any better on gas with a small block with a gear reduction and how good is the gas milage on the 4 cylinder air cooled engines?
 
Eshoberg,
I have a 500 caddie on a 15' Rivermaster with a 3 blade Sensenich prop. I can run dry ground with 4 people. I fish in the same area you do. I average 5.7 gallons per engine hour on the fuel. If I remember correctly, I averaged about 3 miles to the gallon on the gps mileage, mainly in deep water. You mileage will vary depending on the environment you operate in. The average is over 100 hours of operation in different environments. I hope this helps.
 
I had a 4 cylinder (0360cu 180hp) Lycoming on an 11'9" fiberglass hull. It was great on gas, and would run dry, BUT..... not good in (deep) rough or choppy water, and wouldn't tote more than 3 passengers, including driver. As far as getting around and handling, it was great. Perfect starter boat and it was reasonably priced too $3500.
 
Eshoberg,

Welcome to the site. Hope you visit often and get involved.

Big Boom is a local expert you can learn a lot from. he is right there with you and is El Presidente of the West Coast Airboat Club - ooops, blew his cover.

A direct drive Cadilac powered 14' boat with polymer will be a great first boat and it will go plenty of places - more than enough to get you in trouble. Airboattrader.com has some for less than 10K
 
Eshoburg, my boat is setup almost the same as big boom described his,
15ft rivermaster caddy dd but with 74" powershift 2 blade. run the ground
no prob fuel economy around the same.he's right in saying the environment youre in. i do not know him, but i imagine he is in the same
boat(no pun) as me with lots o money in his directdrive to make it perform
like it does on a barge airboat. if you are going big boat on small budget
do a small block with a gearbox but dont have too high expectations of what you expect out of your boat money makes it do everything you want it too.but i am not trying to discurage you cause i wounldn't trade my caddy for almost nothing. i run around bayport rarely most of my time
withalacoochee,flying eagle,and lake pan.
 
I'm an old school gearhead I've been hotrodding cars since high school (1986). I'm thinking if I can find something with a caddy engine on it and running I can make improvements as I go. I just finished a heads and cam swap on an Ls1 wouldn't hesitate to rebuild and hop up a caddy. The money issue is the biggest thing. I sold my 22' boat because i've been fishing the backwaters the last couple years in my Gheenoe and wasn't using it. I've got enough cash to pick up and airboat and a 17' flats boat but i'm starting to think I might not really use a flats boat after I get an airboat. Kinda like my 22' once I started fishing out of my gheenoe. I'm still sorting it out. Thanks for all the advice and helping sort this new airboat type out !
 
eshoberg, i think you are on the right track there are plenty of older boats
with running cady's out and about. alittle faded and scratched but in fair shape. at a cost of 3000 or less my advice on these boats make shure
the rigging is not to rusted and if it has polymer on the bottom make
sure it does not leak and last that the stringers are not rotten.fiberglass can be patched.and with the caddy i did the same first a fresh rebuild than
i upgraded as i went not because i did not want to do it at first but because
my money went to ideal image for my wife to spend.one big thing about
a caddy is finding a machine shop to cut in oversize valves that single handedly will be your best upgrade with an engine build. good luck.
if you need caddy help there are plenty of us caddy guys here.and some
with great upgrade money saving advice,like fatboy0054 and his roller rocker setup.
 
Just checked Airboattrader.com (5 - 10K) and there are several Cadi boats available. One with a 0 time fresh built engine. Airboats is like used horses - look close and careful before you put your saddle on it. There is also a 13' Big O with poly and Lycoming 180 - great rig.
 
I had an outboard boat with soft spots in the hull and i've bought lots of used race cars and parts and am pretty comfortable buying either of those two. However, i've spent very little time around airboats and am trying to learn so I don't get screwed when I buy one.
 
I don’t know if it’s the character or the mentality but you don’t see that many air boaters ripping people off. Usually the biggest problem is people buying boats who don’t know what they really want in a boat. I always preach this and hope you understand my point. The best way to be happy with your airboat purchase is to learn what you like in an airboat. Ride with friends and drive some boats. NEVER LISTEN TO ANYBODY THAT SAY’S THIS IS THE BEST BOAT. You want the best boat for your needs and budget. Some people like 4 banger aircrafts their light reliable and cheap, some like 6cylinder aircrafts more power and simple, some like direct drive car motor boats their very cheap and easy to maintain, some like ton’s of power in a little boat with a gearbox (myself included) and some people like large very safe family or guide boats. So find out where and what you want to run what you enjoy and how many passengers you will be hauling before you even start looking at airboats.
 
i have to agree with waterthunder on his post because if i would have done alot more riding instead wanting i would have made different decisions on my boat.
 
I learned the hard way! A 125 Lycoming on a Gore hull, 220GPU on a Gilleo, another 220GPU on a Gore, a Direct drive 400 on a Star, a gear reducted 406 on a Lewis, a gear reducted 406 on a Hammant, a gear reducted 406 on a Hawk and finally the first ride boat I’m very happy with a LS-1 on a riveted Diamondback. Owned three or four race boats inbetween also. The truth of the matter is if I drove the LS1 boat first I would have built one but you don’t know till ya run em or test drive em. It took a while but now I'm happy
 
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BRILANT! MOODFOOD You couldn’t possibly have recommended a more logical way of getting seat time on various combinations! Gosh I wish I could get some of the engineers I work with to think that logically or solve a problem with such simplicity.
 
great advice guys i to wish i had rode , looked and seen more also,the most interesting thing about airboats to me is how each boat reflects the personality of it's owner and how he or she uses it .your right thunder there is no best boat. only the happiness of it's users is what counts the most. and mood i'm trying to save up for eye glasses so that i may be able to distinguish directions from hello,s ,so look out for me in the mean time .lol
 
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