Outcast PAC 9 NEW IN BOX- 9 ft 45lbs

[JayDubP]

Pac 9 is sold

[steveg137]

Jim can I ask what type frameless you're thinking about?
I'm looking do the same

Thanks

[JayDubP]

Steve, hope my ramblings help you- guys over 6ft (or over 200lbs) need to sit in a frameless boat to make sure they fit.

The PAC 9 I am selling is 45lbs is perfect except I cannot make it 2 person boat. PAC series are best quality single user framed pontoons on the market.

I am still refining my search with help from a couple of long time pontoon users. At this point, my preferences are all Scadden products plus Scadden has some new models I want to see in person and sit in ( I am 6'2"). Scadden is discounting heavily and should offer even bigger savings at the shows. I want a rugged craft that I do not have to worry about minor damage causing a leak.

I thought the Outcast frameless was too heavy and too expensive. I just sold a 2014 Sea Eagle 285 pro.. 9ft x 48" it has a solid floor, raised swivel seat, rod holders, and motor mount.. it is designed more for stillwater.. but has best materials and workmanship, plus at 48" wide it fits flat in most pickup beds. Loved it but not a 2 person boat.


HERE ARE THE LEADERS AT THIS TIME: (all Scadden products. Prices are current prices from Scadden's website):

NAVIGATOR: (see posts here by Idahon and DennisV) -$599 now.. 9ft x 48" at 19lbs and easy to carry inflated plus fits flat in pickup bed. More of an inflatable kayak design with open floor. I used one on a 9 mile trip on class II -IV water and liked it, but the open bottom/closed front seems to really force whitewater back onto the paddler- my face and arms got really wet. Good thing I was wearing glasses, but cold water splashed in the face is shocking even in August. I have not seen it deflated and space to store 2 boats will be big factor. BUT for the price don't think you could go wrong.

RENEGADE: $799 now 28lbs 9' x 56"- best bang for the buck. U shaped. I have used it in whitewater and was impressed.

PREDATOR CARBON: (basically lightweight version of the Renegade) $1,199 now full size 9ft x 52" and weighs 13lbs-- I want to see the tube thickness and storage size. This is my favorite, but tube thickness on a bladderless tube is big concern- as is price.

The following 2 may be 1 boat I can use as either a 1 person lightweight or a 2 person boat (with or without motor)-- I have not seen the "Scadden's Travel Frame". I am waiting for a call back from DSP on the price, specs and availability.----but was told it breaks down into several small pieces. I worry it may be vaporware (nonexistent) at this point.

ASSAULT XX $1,399 a 10ft open floor solid rockered front at 32lbs. Can use as a single with integrated oars or add Scadden's "travel frame" and use as 2 person boat with longer oars or motor. I like the open floor for fishing. But price & availability of the "travel frame" is big question. Plus it probably will end up being more expensive than buying 2 separate pontoons.

DRAGONFLY XT1- $1,199 a solid floor raft at 40lbs with 1 person setup, but you can another soft seat & storage for $278 and have a 2 person raft or add Scadden's "travel frame" and have a real 2 person raft that can use either oars or a motor. Probably not because of the solid floor. Scadden has several models of the XT- seem to be same boat with different options & cheaper to buy the base boat and options separately. Same issue that when fully loaded it maybe more expensive than 2 separate pontoons.

[steveg137]

Jim that's super helpful much appreciated. Love this forum!

I have a scadden outlaw x single person framed. I use on smaller Stillwater and rivers ( Yuba L sac) primarily.

Dealing with a bad knee that doesn't seem to want to get better so can't hike and hard wade. Also I can't really use fins so use the oars.

I love the boat but hate having to assemble each day. I camping I can't keep part of frame and pontoons attached but still pain. So I'm thinking about frameless and like you possibly 2 person down the road.

Saw the new scadden ads and checked out his site, pretty much in line with what you described above.

Scadden has been attacked on some other forums but I have no complaints and feel he makes good products at decent prices.

Thanks again for info, love to know where you end up. I may look at frameless for he new season, assume he'll be at Pleasanton with some decent deals.

Cheers steve

[steveg137]

Jim the renegade and renegade carbon interest me most. Carbon is definetely super light, wonder how wind would effect it. I've been using a drogue (wind anchor) in some situations to help control a drift, works really well she don't want to anchor up.

[JayDubP]

Steve,
Scadden/ Northforkoutdoors will be at the ISE Show in Sacramento in 2 weeks. Per one of their phone sales people, both those boats will be on display at ISE plus they will have "a lot more" boats than they will at the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show in March.

[steveg137]

Great thanks

[TaylerW]

The watermaster is the best around for what your looking for...

[JayDubP]

The watermaster is the best around for what your looking for...

Problems with Watermaster, Scadden & other closed front/open bottom "mini rafts" and open bottom "kayaks":
1) the tubes are smaller diameter than the U shaped frameless, plus you sit down inside & as a result you are very low to the water--
a) which combined with the open bottom, means your face and upper body get very wet in any kind of waves or whitewater.
b) shallow water is a problem because you can bump your butt big time & could easily hurt yourself. (smart thing is to carry or float it thru, but sometimes we all are stupid).

2) Hard to row, because you sit in the boat, you row with a flat stroke- I am 6'2" and it is not comfortable for me.

3) Scadden boats are more maneuverable & easier to row than WM because they are rockered.

3) You have to step over the tube to get into the boat which is cumbersome, especially in water over your knees. (important to us old guys)- if you under 6ft, this might be a big issue. U shape is so much easier to exit & enter on the water.

4) PRICE: Watermaster rafts are even more expensive than Scadden products-- and a lot more than the U shaped frameless.

These are why I am leaning towards the U shaped frameless design, especially the Scadden Carbon Predator-- NFO says they now have a frame that fits on it and the Renegade-- for those days when you want to go on bigger water or use a motor.

But the more I look, the more I wonder if I should just keep the PAC 9, which at 42lbs is an easy carry & I have all the benefits of real framed pontoon. ISE will be very good to help me make my final decision(s).

Best advice I got in this research was from long time pontoon user flymaster (Phil Ryan) who said "go bigger than you think you need" and "buy the best (most expensive) that you an afford".

[njbeast]

I've had an outlaw rampage for two years...great boat! Used it on the Klamath and Moke...easy to inflate and not bad to carry fully loaded, although I am thinking about building a small cart to access some of the areas I fish in the Klamath. Taken it down the Klamath in pretty heavy water and floated like a champ. Three friends also have one and it gets you to areas where others can't go.

[retirednavy]

The day my Challenger XX walked out of my life into the hands of a decent person at a solid LOW price…..

was the happiest day of my life. It was a bad marriage from the start.

I cannot fault the customer service folks. They were playing catch up on a clearly over promise and under deliver proposition. With all due respect, the distribution of first time quality for Scadden products has gotta' look like a pancake with a nearly infinite variance Some strike it rich, and some, well…..I think that was me on this one.

So, I went and bought a Klamath Jac 10 foot pram that I throw into the bed of my pickup, AND an outlaw predator pro.

Both solid products that do what they say. Not a single problem since. Though, the pram is flat out the way to go if what you want is max fishing time and comfort, and no worries.