by Marc Martyn, October 27, 2008

What fits your needs?

Much like how the astronomers wanted to go to another planet and inventors wanted to fly like birds, fisherman have always wanted to be freed from the boundries of the shoreline to fish. From the dawn of time, man has been innovative in finding ways to get out on the water. From hollowing out logs to make a Dugout, to stretching animal hides over a wood frame, they have found ways to get out to where the fish are.

In the last couple of decades we have seen many new one person boats that are quite affordable, compact and safe. The models of personal watercraft today consist of the original round donut shape “belly boat”, the U-shaped “U-boat”, the hydrodynamic pontoon float tube and the traditional pontoon boat.

The History Of The Float Tube-

The pioneers of the float tubes and personal pontoon boats were fly-fishermen. Anglers mostly from Idaho and Colorado are responsible for the float tube design as we see it today.
It was in the 1940’s when The Tucker Duck & Rubber Company of Fort Smith, Arkansas developed the first float tube called the “Fish-N-Float”. The tube, from the begining, had many problems. It was very heavy when wet and the seams would fall apart fairly soon. Even so, the
“ Fish-N-Float ” was a success and was the first to offer attached waders to the canvas tube.

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Round Float Tubes (Belly Boats):

The original float tubes or “belly boats”, were single bladder inflatable tubes with a center canvas sling seat. The boats have changed greatly over the years. They now have as many as three PVC or Urethane air bladders and have much better bladder covers that offers superior protection against snags and abrasion. They also have multiple storage compartments, backrests and stripping aprons. In the early1970's, float tubes were showing up in fly-fishing magazines. By the mid 1970's float tubes were being seen on many lakes in the west. I bought my first float tube in 1979. After using it once, my rubber raft went up for sale immediately.

Advantages-

>These tubes are inexpensive and light weight.

>They can be easily carried into remote lakes, either inflated or deflated inside a backpack. Some boats even have back pack straps on them.

>The are also quite comfortable to sit in.

Disadvantages-

>While in a belly boat, 1/2 of your body is in the water. In the summertime, this will keep you cooler, but in the early spring and late fall, you can get cold much faster.

>You have to put on your fins before you get into a belly boat, so it is much more difficult to get in and out of the tube.

>They are also harder to maneuver and turn around in.

>Sitting low to the water, fly casting is somewhat more difficult.

>Since you are essentially sitting in a sling with a strap in between your legs, waders have a tendency to wear in the crotch area from friction caused by leg movement and leaks sometimes develop.

U-Boats:

The U-boat was the next generation of the belly boat. The open ended design made it easier to get into the boat with swim fins on. This idea caught on very rapidly. Anyone who had struggled and stumbled around the launch area with fins on in a belly boat liked this new concept immediately.

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Advantages-

>They are quite inexpensive, some starting under $70.00

>U-boats are very light weight and are easily packed into remote lakes.

>The dual air chambers offer added security.

>The back rests make them very comfortable to sit in.

Disadvantages-

>With the lower sling seat, more of your body is in the water.

>The high back can make it more difficult to kick into the wind.

>More of your body is in the water, therefore there is more drag.

>Although there are storage compartments, it is somewhat limited.

>These boats cannot be use on a river with fast water.

The Hydrodynamic Float Tubes:

These tubes are “the new kid on the block”, a hybrid of sort - float tube pontoons. They have higher and drier seating, extra storage in the bow, and an open front making it easier to get in and out of. They are very maneuverable and comfortable to sit in. Having a V-shape design, it permits the craft to cut through the water easier. The higher seating allows for improved sight fishing and staying warmer in cold water. This boat actually has a air chamber bottom in it and the fisherman sits in a chair of sorts above the bottom. This is different than the standard U-boat where you sit in a sling in the water. With only your lower legs in the water, there is much less drag.

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Advantages-

>They are very light weight, about 12lbs.

>These boats are easy to get in and out of, similar to the U-boat.

>There is open storage behind the seat.

>A rope anchor system is offered as an accessory.

>The boat can be packed into remote locations.

>They will fit easily in the back of a small SUV

Disadvantages-

>These boats cannot be used on a river with fast water.

>A small trolling motor cannot be mounted to the boat.


Pontoon Boats-

These have become the most popular inflatable boats used on the lakes and rivers in the west. Oddly enough, while visiting New Zealand a couple of years ago, I did not see one pontoon boat in any of the fly shops, only U-boats and Belly Boats. With all of the wonderful lakes and rivers in that region of the world, one would think that they would be using them. Like all things, pontoon boats have their positives and negatives. To be truthful though, I can’t find too many disadvantages.

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Advantages-

>The seat is attached to a frame and your body is out of the water. Only 1/2 of your lower leg is actually in the water. This is very nice when fishing very cold water. Notice in the above photo of me in my pontoon boat, there is a thin layer of ice on the water just behind me. The water temperature was a bone chilling 37 degrees. Even with electric socks on, my toes got cold after about 2 hours in the water.

>Most pontoon boats fit easily in the back of a pickup. When the pontoons are partially or completely deflated, they can fit in the back of a full sized SUV. Even if a person owns a car, the unit can be dismantled to fit in the back seat and trunk. This however requires assembly and disassembly time. If you own a compact vehicle like a VW, you can pull a small utility trailer with the fully assembled boat on it without any problem.

>Handling- Pontoon boats are very easy to maneuver. They turn with minimal effort either by oars or kick fins.

>Stealth. These boats are extremely quiet. I have actually come within a couple of feet of an unsuspecting beaver and startled it. When he slammed his tail on the water just behind me, the favor was returned!

>White Water Capable- Many, but not all, pontoon boats are rated for Class III rivers. The better known boats like Buck’s Bags and Outcast are rated class III. Check with the manufacturer to confirm white water worthiness and frame strength.

>Motor Mount- Most of the pontoon boats on the market today have the capability to mount a electric motor on the back. This can be very helpful if you want to go down to the other end of a lake or if the wind comes up on your return to the launch.

>Oars- The option of using oars on the boat is a very nice feature. While fishing, a person can kick along with his feet and maintain a reasonable troll speed. If a person has to get off the lake in a hurry because of an approaching thunderstorm or your bladder will not hold another drop, you can put your feet up and row to shore quickly. You can move a lot faster with the oars. They are also used to maneuver the boat through white water while floating a river.

>Storage- Most of the boats have a cargo rack and equipment bags. The cargo racks are good for holding a full sized deep cycle RV/boat battery. A plastic Rubbermaid bin can be easily mounted on the rack to store food, clothing and other gear.

>Metal Frame- A frame makes it easy to mount accessories like a fish finder, rod holder and anchor system on them. I have an older South Fork that has a long side rail where I have mounted a rod holder, fish finder, a small down rigger for an anchor system and have room to mount a GPS for river floating.

>Standing Decks- Some boats have casting/standing decks with a leaning bar. Personally, I don’t see a need for this feature unless it is a two man pontoon boat. First, it limits you to using only the oars since there is a deck below your feet. On a 9’ boat, standing up could be a challange to maintain your balance, especially in rougher water in the wind. Second, I have never felt the need while sitting in a pontoon boat to be higher up for casting. In a two man boat, there is a counter balance with the second person. This would make the boat much more stable.

>Wheels- Some of the boats have an accessory wheel that can be used to make moving the boat on land easier. Some are good and others aren’t. One manufacturer has a big heavy wheel that stows under the seat while on the water. This has a major drawback. It can, depending on the total weight in the boat, drag in the water. This makes moving the boat with fins or oars very difficult. A detachable wheel like what is on the Buck’s Bags boats are much easier to use.

>Foot rests- Most all pontoon boats have foot rests. This is great when you are rowing down the lake. It is also nice to take your feet out of the very cold water in the spring and let the sun warm them up. While floating a river and going through rapids, your feet are kept up safely out of the water while on the foot rests.

Disadvantages-

>Weight- The basic pontoon boat weighs about 45-100 lbs depending on the size and features.

>Seats- Some of the stock seats on the boats are hard plastic and not very comfortable for a full day on the water. One model doesn’t even have a back rest.

>Wind- Since the boat sits higher than a float tube, wind will catch the surfaces more and kicking into the wind will be somewhat more difficult.

>Portability- Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of a pontoon boat is you can’t carry them into remote lakes. Even if it is just a couple of hundred yards, it is quit a chore.

Choosing the right boat for you-

In purchasing a personal watercraft, you have to decide what kind of fishing you do the most of. What works well for one person, may not meet the needs of another. There really isn’t a “best boat” to buy. They all have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the kind of fishing you do. Like buying an automobile, choose the model that fits your needs. For me, it is the pontoon boat. After buying my pontoon, my belly boat went down into the basement. I think that it is in a box, somewhere on top of my old 8 track tapes.