Pontoon boats

Does anyone on FAOL have any experience with Dave Scadden’s brand of pontoon boats. After falling out of my pram - and the pram sinking - last spring, I am thinking about another option , i.e. something that doesn’t sink and something I can climb back onto or into.

I will be checking them out at the fly fishing show in 3 weeks.

Good quality

Innovative

Expensive

A little expensive is ok – beats drowning on East Lake

I have floated/fished from a NFO boat for about 2 years, maybe a little longer. I have the Skykomish Sunrise and I like it. Very well made boat. The frame is top-shelf. I do however, overall, like my Outcast boat better.

Orthoman,

It probably isn’t what you have in mind but I use the NFO Navigator II and it is perfect for my needs…float tubing with a motor.

FlyGoddess uses their stuff including the Nav II and if she sees this thread I’m sure she will have something to contribute.

Late edit: I don’t see the Nav II in their catalog anymore…

NFO??? What is NFO? I have an outcast fat cat float tube but wanted something bigger.

That’s what they call themselves …North Fork Outdoors…

Here’s the website…lots of info…

Incidently , when you see them at shows they have show special prices…

http://www.northforkoutdoors.com/homepagedirectory.html

Thanks – I wasn’t getting the NFO at all. Thanks for the response.

undoubtedly Dave Scadden’s boats are about the best, and highest dollar on the market. After a year of searching and bidding on ebay, being outbid and starting over I “settled” for a Creek Company ODC Sport in a nine foot. I love it. It’s easy to handle, easy to transport and a blast to fish from. I started out with a belly boat, then a u boat then a fat cat and now the 'toon. I can use it with just hippers instead of chest waders. It’s east to get in and out of and has plenty of room for an ice chest or anything else I might need. Don’t forget your PFD when you are in any type of inflatable. Jim

A fellow guide here used a McKenzie drifter all last year (the H2 X2 which seats 2 including 1 rower) and I tried it out. It convinced me and I ordered a H2 X3 14’9" for this season. (seats 3 including 1 rower)
I like this series over the ST for the bladderless “zodiac” quality pontoons.(instead of bladdered ones)

The pontoons seem to be on back order so Dave is probably going to lay out the boat with the newer Outlaw Outfitter floats with the McKenzie package!

Mine is to replace a canoe I lost a while back. I’m too old and creaky to use a canoe. At 100 lbs, the boat can be easily moved from the pull out to the beach and we have a couple places here where I can back right down to the water.

Stable!!!

If you’ve ever rowed (oared??) a drift boat you can easily adapt to a pontoon boat.

Good luck !!

I own the Water Skeeter River Tammer, my buddy has a Dave Scaddon Skykomish Sunrise. I saved about $400 bucks going with the Water Skeeter.

I love my boat but I have to admit I like his boat a little better. It has a well designed casting platform that folds out of the way and has a lower wind profile. The Scaddon tubes are made of better quality material and are much lighter. His boat holds more gear, mine gets a little back heavy when over loaded.

Over the years I probaly spent the $400 difference on force fins, anchor systems, rod holders, storage duffels, repair kits and other stuff that came with his Scaddon. Plus I have had to replace a valve and repair one pontoon (barbed wire incident) If I had it to do over I would give the Scaddon a longer look.

Update: The tubes on my friends Scaddon are made from white water grade hypolon, very similar to my NSR cataraft tubes, really beefy. Certianly that is where some of the extra cost is…

My Water Skeeter uses a unique 2 chamber urethane bladder w/ thermo welded PVC tube, each tube contains a 2 chamber bladder thus 4 air chambers total. If you develop a leak you can add air to the remaining chamber and fill the whole tube, I liked the redundancy of that design. Note: some class III and class IV waters require at least 3 air chambers to be legal.

Not all Outcast boats are made of the same quality as the PAC 1200 series, I originaly purchased an Outcast ‘fishcat 9’ and had to return it when the frame broke during intial assembly (crooked frame with at least two bad welds.) It was a real cheap ‘made in china’ piece of junk, sure glad those welds broke before I hit any white water. Other defects, the bladders were undersized and couldn’t fill the tubes when fully inflated, the right side oarloack was mounted a full inch ahead of the left side.

There are tube manufacturers out there that specialize in whitewater grade tubes that are not in the same league. Sotar, Jack’s Plastic Welding, Aire, to name a few. Heavy-duty, whitewater grade stuff that is tough as nails. And very expensive too.
NFO’s newer offerings with the rounded, connected rear tubes are a big minus to their boats to me. I know they really talk em up but it’s the worst of both worlds to me, not totally surrounded with a self-bailing floor like a raft and not open on the rear to allow easy ferrying, straddling rocks in low water, etc like a conventional pontoon boat.
I do like NFO’s “conventional” designs pontoon boats. I sent an e-mail awhile back asking about a Northwest Express and was told they dropped it from the line, favoring the new tube designs, but now I see it’s still in the 09 catalog. ?.
I’ve had excellent service from several Outcast (Aire, parent company) boats I’ve owned and currently own. If I was buying another new boat, it would definitely be an Outcast/Aire. Of course this is like the Ford/Chevy debate too. Just buy what you like and be happy!

I was leaning towards the Avenger

I have a drift boat and love it – the only problems is that I want to be able to travel and not have to drag a trailer. Just want a little more portability

Darrin, I read this and maybe I am miss reading, but the idea of the OUTLAW is by connecting the toons they are more stable…that is a fact!
The do not side drift on stillwater in the wind, that is a fact.
The Outlaw curves up in the back (or the front whichever direction you are going) so the foot print is that of two pontoons. Cuts through the water just like two pontoons.
There is a couple of different models with the least expensive being the OUTLAW which has an inflatable floor that you can stand on. It is that big and balanced. Then there is the X5 which has an open bottom and a frame that can be put on in one direction that allows you to have an open front. Turn the frame around and you now has a Zodiac. The Standing platform feature works in either direction.
Now the price. NFO is STILL USA made and is Urethane or bladderless. Outcast and Bucks have all gone to Vinyl and overseas except on the BIG boats and trust me, their prices are much higher than Daves.

Urethane versus Vinyl…Urethane is lighter, does not stretch, will last longer. You fold vinyl up or get a crease in it it can form a leak, Urethane is a much stronger material.

And FYI all Outcast boats under the PAC 1200 are asian or vinyl.

Cabela’s use to offer the 1000 IR and the Skykomish for the same price. The Sky has a longer warranty, Urethane bladders, conciderably(s/p) lighter
wider for more stability and a larger standing platform plus thicker denier…SAME PRICE!

The due pontoon on an outcast is an appealing feature, but if one goes flat, how do you keep the other on the frame?

The Aluminum frames are a big plus in my book along with smaller diameter toons.
And a PADDED seat is a must LOL

To me, my boat is like a parachute… and I wouldn’t trust a cheap made or a used chute…know what I mean:D:cool:

“FlyGoddess uses their stuff including the Nav II and if she sees this thread I’m sure she will have something to contribute.”

I rest my case;);).

All PAC model boats have urethane bladders/welded seams. Not just those from the PAC1200 and up. FYI.

For fishing, it’s Ford/Chevy. Float what you like and be happy!

Not according to the letter I got from Outcast maybe you might want to try writing them. I asked them specifically and they answered with what I posted.

But I agree with your last statement, but more like Ford/Chevy or Chery,Geely, Nanjing, GWM (Chinese made cars) :smiley:

NFO use to use AIRE bladders also, but don’t quote me on this, but I seem to recall someone saying AIRE was outsourcing now.

http://www.outcastboats.com/outcast/products/default.aspx?series=5

" AireCell Material: Urethane "

Guess the site could contain old info.

Best, Dave

I noticed that also along with a $1299. for an 8’ pontoon. Guess maybe they changed their minds for their reputation, but good point here, Scaddens boats don’t seem so high priced anymore…they all are.
I paid $1299. for a Cardiac Canyon ( an 11 1/2’ Aluminum frame Scadden)

FYI, Scadden also uses the Ferrari material.

I am just reporting what Outcast sent to me. Something anyone can do, they have to tell you the truth.

Ya’ I wasn’t trying to contradict the idea that they’d gone in another direction. But when I glanced through the responses here and saw that they may have changed materials it caused me to double clutch. I sold both Buck’s & Outcast and having been indoctrinated into the " quality of the brand " mind set for many years, I was surprised to read that. Well, maybe not so surprised in the case of Buck’s, since they seem to have resigned themselves to a lesser profile than they once held, at least around here.

As for pontoons, I was happy with most of the models I’ve owned over the years. Sure there were some glaring exceptions, but the manufacturers of those early contraptions have all faded from the scene. What we seem to be left with today ( at least in my view ) are extremes. Either you have excellent quality boats that tend to rival each other for the top spot and carry loftier price tags or you have those found at Costco and Sportsmart.
One thing most of them have in common, unless there’s a manufacturing flaw, they all float initially. I guess like most things, you really won’t know the true cost of ownership until you’ve owned and used it for several years. That’s when the initially floats thing, comes into play.

Hey but what do I know? I don’t even own one anymore, I’ve gone back to a fleet of tubes and a pram.

I know this is going to sound boring and preachy, not nearly as sexy as trolling motors and graphs. I wish that folks would set aside a realistic portion of their pontoon or tube budget for what should be their first - and most important piece of equipment they’ll ever buy - their properly fitted P.F.D.

Best, Dave

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