Advice on frameless pontoon: Outcast Stealth Pro versus Scadden

[Woodman]

My attitude changed when I realized it was a nice, big float tube rather than a small, lousy pontoon boat.

My customer service dealings with Scadden have been very good. I have been very pleased with both Scadden boats and his customer service.

Good perspective. Having oarlocks mounted to a flexible PVC pontoon is just never going to be like a rigid frame...but it's a helluva lot easier to transport.

Good to hear your view on service. My perception of Dave was always that he was well intentioned, just not very organized and a better boat designer/builder than businessman. One difference between Scadden and Outcast is innovation and change. Outcast develops a good product and then sells it forever. Scadden develops a new boat every 15 minutes. I'm especially impressed by Dave's incorporation of drop stitch technology to improve rigidity of floors and seats. You also get a lot of opportunity to get exactly the size boat you need. I wish he'd add some Scotty mounting pads.

Uh oh. I think I just talked myself into buying a new Scadden boat.

[JayDubP]

I'd look at used inflatables designed & equipped for stillwater fishing (basically an inflatable version of a pram or rowboat) & try before you buy. For $2,000 you should get a great boat already set up including a fishfinder and electric trolling motor. Buy used so you can make all the changes you will want once you start fishing... plus you can sell it and move on after your needs/wishes change.

Most experienced fishermen I see with an inflatable on stillwater-- inflate and fully set it up the boat in the parking lot and then roll the loaded boat in one trip to the water. So the total weight is not so important but remember that you can easily add 50- 60lbs of equipment. A 2 stage battery powered pump is critical- saves time, effort and allows you to be doing other things while the boat is inflating. Some of the new inflatables have 5 separate chambers so what it takes to inflate them is a big consideration.

1) If you are going to backpack, then buy new-- the lightest float tube and fins.- to me Outcast has the best quality and dealer network.

2) If you are going to fish water where you have to cover distance to/from fishing spots or to cover al lot of water in a day- oars might work covering distance, but using fins to maneuver anything larger than a float tube will make you work all day-- and trying to control a U boat in the wind with oars or fins will ruin your day. You need to spend your time fishing. And trying to keep an inflatable in place on a moving river is near impossible without a motor to keep you in the slot or move you back up river to drift again.

Plus if you are going to be in the boat all-day, make it comfortable and that it has enough space.


On N CA lakes what I see the good fishermen in is an inflatable "boat" with hard back seats on a riser (saves your back & allows you to srtetch out during the day plus better view of water and easier to land fish), inflatable drop stich hard floor, (you can kneel or stand up) and room to move around-- plus room to hold extra rod holders, anchor, fish finder and battery, cooler, tackle box, maybe a trolling motor and battery.

I have owned Watermaster, Outcast,& Scadden for rivers and for stillwater SeaEagle Pro. Seaeagle has lots and lots of inflatables, some of which are play boats, but their Pro Series are serious inflatable boats with welded seams.

The motor mounts on Scadden and Watermaster are almost an afterthought while the Outcast motor mount is a copy of Seaeagle. None of the open bottom Scadden or Outcast are really built for stillwater.

I had a Seaeagle 1 person U Boat- the 285pf with trolling motor and loved it during a 2 year affair with N CA lakes plus lower Yuba.

Seaeagle has 437ps Paddleski model, looks like a square ended 2 person canoe that takes up to 7HP gas engine. - it can be set up for a serious fishing boat. There is a used 2023 one on Sacramento Craigslist for $900. Nothing to do with me.

[Woodman]

I'd look at used inflatables designed & equipped for stillwater fishing (basically an inflatable version of a pram or rowboat) & try before you buy. For $2,000 you should get a great boat already set up including a fishfinder and electric trolling motor. Buy used so you can make all the changes you will want once you start fishing... plus you can sell it and move on after your needs/wishes change..

Great insights in this post. I would be wary of used Watermasters depedndng on age and care. Watermaster boats have glued seams, which will fail eventually, unlike welded PVC, which actually makes the seam stronger than the surrounding material. I bought two Watermasters used and both failed. Not from overinflation, lack of care or anything else but age of glue. One would have been catastrophic had I been out on the water at the time an entire foot of the seam gave way. That said, I think Watermasters are great and I have a Grizzly currently...just bought it new.

[JayDubP]

Great insights in this post. I would be wary of used Watermasters depedndng on age and care. Watermaster boats have glued seams, which will fail eventually, unlike welded PVC, which actually makes the seam stronger than the surrounding material. I bought two Watermasters used and both failed. Not from overinflation, lack of care or anything else but age of glue. One would have been catastrophic had I been out on the water at the time an entire foot of the seam gave way. That said, I think Watermasters are great and I have a Grizzly currently...just bought it new.

Woodman- I was told that Watermaster changed to all welded seams a couple of years ago. My Kodiak is 5 years old and seams still seam to be in good shape (pun ?). I have never looked at the seams closely- can you visibly tell the difference between welded and glued?

Following is from Watermaster's website:

"Welded Construction - All Water Master Rafts are made in Missoula, Montana, USA. We use 30 oz., 1000 Denier PVC fabric for durability, and long life. All boat seams are thermo-welded and reinforced, and all components are radio frequency welded to individual boat panels before assembly."

[Woodman]

Woodman- I was told that Watermaster changed to all welded seams a couple of years ago. My Kodiak is 5 years old and seams still seam to be in good shape (pun ?). I have never looked at the seams closely- can you visibly tell the difference between welded and glued?

Following is from Watermaster's website:

"Welded Construction - All Water Master Rafts are made in Missoula, Montana, USA. We use 30 oz., 1000 Denier PVC fabric for durability, and long life. All boat seams are thermo-welded and reinforced, and all components are radio frequency welded to individual boat panels before assembly."

My information may be outdated. I can't say the seam on my new boat looks any different than the two older ones, but it wouldn't necessarily be obvious.