Foam flooring is becoming more common these days, both on fresh fishing ships and in the form of retrofitting older boats. There are many businesses that make it, and you can either purchase the materials in sheets and use it yourself or have it professionally installed. However, a lot of fish are wary of this thing. Is the price of putting it on your ship truly worth it? What benefits and drawbacks are there?
Are there any drawbacks to a foam board, despite how great it looks?
Over the past ten years, I’ve tested out three different brands on three various boats( SeaDek, reFlex ), and I strongly support the use of foam decking on fishing boats. Here is the reason:
- Your legs, back, and chest won’t be as worn out as they are because it cushions your system. Compared to rock-hard fiberglass, it is mainly comfortable to kneel on.
- When something is dropped to the balcony, the effect is cushioned and the loud noise is reduced. A glass deck’s one-ounce lead weight may spook any fish within casting distance, but a foam deck makes it almost motionless.
- When done by a professional, you can add special touches( like the redfish engraved into the reaction in the image below ) to this thing because it looks fantastic.
- It is more stable than fibreglass on your feet. There is no chance of someone slipping if you rinse the deck off your boat after it has slimed.
- Similar to glass, when fish body or leaf stains appear, they bleach out in the sun over time. It cleans up on as quickly as an extreme non-skid.
What about the drawbacks, then?
- It does have a short duration, though. If it isn’t used effectively, it may start to appear in a few years and, when used correctly, can be anticipated to last five to seven years before needing to be replaced.
- Over time, weeping and pulls can and do look.
- Fuels and oils you taint the material.
- Sometimes the boat is reflect and magnify the sun, causing” sunburn” and distorting a spot in the substance if it is stored so that sunlight shines perfectly on bare metal or gel-coated surfaces.
Overall, whether this material is appropriate for you or no is a decision that only you can make. I am aware that I will never again own a boat without it.
