Howdy,
I’m looking at getting a float tube for the first time and want to know what you can scrap up for information on which one or ones are the best for the buck.
I’ve been looking at the TU models, they seem to look the best but what about performance and durability.
Thanks,
Rob
Do a search here, you will find several threads on this topic and then some.
P.S. Welcome to one of the most addictive sights going!
Wyo-blizzard
[This message has been edited by Byron Zuehlsdorff (edited 07 June 2005).]
Maximus;
I posted the same question about 3 weeks ago and had my tube (from Ohiotuber) on the 1st of June!! It’s been a little too windy for me to give it a try.
Mine is a Wood River Stealthrider SE. Unfortunatly they are out of Business!! But a member posted another company producing almost the same thing.
Some things to look for.
The entire cover is heavy duty not just the bottom.
It has an adjustable seat, you don’t want to feel like you’re sliding out of it.
Get a good PFD.
Cactus
[This message has been edited by Jack Hise (edited 07 June 2005).]
Maximus:
You get what you pay for with float tubes.
If money is no object then I could refer you to a guy in the UK that makes what is probably the best tube out there. It is almost identical to the late great Wood River V-boat, 100% - 1000 denier Codura with 4 super tough air bladders for safety, adjustable seat and built one at a time by the maker.
It will set you back twice or more the price of other float tubes out there so if you aren’t prepared to spend $$$ you should check out the more common choices. I have a Wood River Gliderider and I wouldn’t trade it for any float tube out there but the TU boats don’t seem too bad to me.
I’ve got a TU Pontoon Boat and love it. Handles me, a trolling motor, a battery and all my gear with no problems.
It’s just a little big when transporting it, but I’ll accept that tradeoff.
The super fat cat by Outcast runs about $370. It is a great tube. I have had a few tubes and this one is the fastest. (If there is such a thing as fast for a float tube). The pockets are great and big. Not crazy about the apron though. It needs to be a little more far foward.
The $370 is a high price and it is a great float tube.
Bob
Maximus:
Hello: I have two Woodriver V-boats and they were the best. I have had one for 6 years and it is still going strong. My next tube will be the Outcast super fat cat. I just bought one for my nephew for his birthday and is the best one on the market now. It appears to be very well made (even if it is made in China) and is very easy to move through the water. A very nice tube to fish from. It has a great design and has alot of storage space.
Lanny
Something I posted a while back…
“Just one quick word of advice…Always wear a life jacket…Had a friend that almost drown when his (older style) belly boat blew out 200 yards from shore with no life jacket and wearing a pair of waders…Not a fun swim. Just some safety advice. Have fun with it. It will add a whole new dimension to your fishing.”
John G.
Albuquerque, NM
[This message has been edited by Fishnfool (edited 08 June 2005).]
Apachetrout,
The Outcast Super Fat Cat looks really nice.
Thanks for the info.
I probably wind up with one soon.
What about rod carring straps for extra gear?
Rob
Maximus: I have an outcast fish cat 4, the cheaper version of the super fat cat. Its a great float tube, and for the price, I can buy 3 of the more expensive, heavier tubes that others have talked about here. I like to park and hike the tube, so light weight is important to me. It is quite durable, floats me at about 225 pounds very well, is comfortable. I can’t see any need to spend more for a float tube.
CEA,
Thanks, I’ll check it out!
Probably beating this to death but a few more thoughts…
I was out earlier this week …with a friend…he in a Caddis and me in a Wood’s Gliderider [which I really like]…both of us were positionally comfortable but since it was cold we noticed that our butts felt cold and damp[actually weren’t wet] but it was from sitting low in the water.
My impression is that the Fat Cats keep you out of the water and if I anticipate more cold days I may spring for a Fat Cat.
As to cost…cea makes a point …to me however the fact that the Super’s seat inflates might be valuable to me for transporting and they claim it’s more comfortable.
Oh, by the way, my friend had a Outcast several years ago…the cheapest model then and the seam down the middle of the “floor” split …dumped his anchor and started to dump him right out the bottom.
Anyway just more food for thought…
Check out “Things For Sale”!! There’s one listed.
Cactus
Ducksterman –
I know outcast made a fish-cat tube that cost something like 20 bucks more than the regular fish-cat 4 and had the inflatable seat. Not sure if they still make it or not. I like the foam seat, and packing the tube in the trunk of my Honda Civic has not been a problem. It is comfortable, and even if both bladders were to go flat for some reason, I still have a big chunk of foam that will float me, or assist in floating me to shore, though I can’t imagine that happening. Don’t get me wrong, the Super Fat Cat is a better, more durable tube, but if money is an issue at all, the Fish Cat 4 is 1/3 the price and works great for me.
I actually bought it for my wife, but she lets me borrow it as I like it much more than my own tube that sits me much lower in the water.
I have always used a throwable square, seat cushion type PFD on top of the regular seat on my Wood River Gliderider. It fits perfectly, (Pete Ross designed it that way). It has a few advantages over the regular seating arrangement:
First of all it gives you an additional PFD besides the one you SHOULD be wearing.
Second, it gives you an extra 2? of height. I personally think that sitting too high in a float tube negates all of the advantages of the low profile the boat affords. If you want to sit high, get a pontoon boat. I also find the sitting lower make the fins work more efficiently.
Third, your butt stays warmer.
You can find those seat cushion PFD?s at Wal*Mart or any marine supply. The bad news is that sliding on the PFD seat when kicking can be a problem like the regular seat on a float tube. Wood River solved that problem by making the sweetest PFD cover. It has a rubberized ballistic nylon cover that keeps your butt in place. Unfortunately like stated before; the company went out of business so finding one of those covers won?t be easy.
well, there are so many good products out there that I won’t begin to essay to tell you which one to buy. But do look at weight capacity closely. if a person weighs in a 230 lb. and gets a boat with 250 lb. capacity then they will be a bit more bogged down than with one that has a 350 lb. capacity.
thats my 2?
RRhyne56
[url=http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com:bbaf4]http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com[/url:bbaf4]
IM = robinrhyne@hotmail.com
I wouldn’t spend top dollar looking for the “Best” on a float tube if were me. There is always more to learn after you actually get in one and experience it. Anywhooooo…I have one that is the same design style as the Fish Cat 4. Mine has backpack straps, the storage pockets, a velcro strap on boaf toons in the front to strap down a rod while you work on leader/fly, soft and comfortable air bladder seat and back, the stripping apron with a pipe in it for connecting the front together, AND a canvas enclosed pipe behind the back rest at the top. Can adjust the front of the seat up and down with a strap between your crotch. Can adjust the back support forward and back with the straps and the pipe support. The box is out in my locked up container but it’s name was Griggs. I think my seat is probably more comfortable than those I see Cabelas fly fishing catalog pages 110 and 111. The only small difference I see and I might prefer mine here too…my two pontoons are in separate canvas covers and so there are two separate bladders. The zippered covers meet at the point of the boat and so there is just a little slack there…because the two canvas toons meet there…as opposed to the pics in the catalog which look like all in one and are totally inflated at the point of the boat. Doesn’t matter to me so far. I think I would like my boat better than all those I see in that catalog, or at least as good as…but mine was $89 last fall at Sportsmans Warehouse in Phoenix. Go to sportsmanswarehouse.com and locat stores and see if one in your state. I already have a 7.7’ Water Skeeter I got second hand out of the newspaper. My point is my boat is same design as those in catalog but $89. I don’t see a reason not to get the $89 one from what I see in the catalog and I might even like mine better. BTW…there are about 30 boats for sale on EBAY! You can get a very good pontoon boat for $250…that looked like the one I saw at Orvis…and I bet they wanted $700 at Orvis…I forgot to look at price tag. Sorry for length of msg but hope it helps you find what you are after.
Jim
Hey Maximus! Check out Jack Hise advice! Go to the for sale bb and scroll down a ways to get the the boat for sale post by CWWB? He selling a float tube, flippers, air pump, and PFD ALL for $80. For our first boat you should jump on that like a dog on a pork chop.
Jim
I know. You ask for a cup of water and I give you a fire hose! Noticed on my boat the storage pockets zip open from the back to the front. Not too pleased with that but ok. On my skeeter they have two zippers connected with a strap and I can just grap the strap and pull toward the rear and open up a flap for access instead of a single zipper. Also my pockets are sewn to the pontoon. I again prefer my skeeter. They are velcroed on. I will cut mine off my float tube and get some matching skeeters and velcro them on. Then set them aside. Will keep flies and gear in storage pockets on skeeter and when wanna use float tube just take them off and put them on the float tube. The pockets on the float also set a little further toward the read than I would like, but as I said, I am going to change that anyway. Threre are velcro straps on top of each pontoon to hold your rod while you are changing leaders or flies. There are straps on the outside of each pontoon I suppose to carry a net or a spare rod…or boaf. As to quality and endurance I can’t speak to that. But for low profile out of the wind but still in a seat above water…I am liking it. OH it also has a web strap ring on the underside of the point of the boat. I suppose this is for hanging it up or to tie it to a dock or sumpin. But on the $80…I haven’t looked but think you can see Creek boats on Cabelas website if you want to see one. Then, if you go spend big bucks on a brand name boat…you still have to buy a pump ($20), flippers about $30 at Wal-Mart and after you use them you will be researching Force Fins, and a PFD which I don’t even have yet. Just FYI…tring to help out.
Jim
never ten words or less
More beating to death…but relative to Jim’s post…
I have stuck [literally with Marine Goop] Velcro in several places on my tube and on my pontoon…to hold pockets…to hold extra pockets…to hold rods… to hold a seat cushion…there must be other things…seems to be holding just fine.
Been using a double action pump form Wal-Mart for $10 that seems to be just fine.
Relatively inexpensive Shaving kits with Velcro on the bottom can be used as extra storage pockets.
One thing that hasn’t come up is the type of valves for the bladders. So far I haven’t found the perfect one…seems like each type has it’s own inconveience…e.g. on my Wood’s to deflate the main bladder you have to keep holding it down to get all the air out.