Squirt Boating Message Board

So, I'd been in the market for my first boat after borrowing from friends for quite some time, and I just bought a new wave bigfoot recently. It's in pretty good condition and the price seemed right. I plan on using it primarily at fascination alley as the temps warm this spring, and might do some downriver cruising as well. I was hoping to get a little feedback on the chop and the layup of the boat, which has me a little concerned.

I have a 33" inseam (measured to ankle bone), size 10 feet, and weigh 165 lbs. I fit comfortably in the boat, and I had an opportunity to float it in a lake this afternoon and play around a bit. The boat is labeled as a 5/8" cut, and has supposedly been chopped down at least once since then. The seams alongside the cockpit sit about an inch below the surface, and there is a good bit of water pooling on both bow and stern, especially when cruising along. When I put the boat on end the cockpit is almost entirely submerged. I know that you can only gather but so much without seeing me in the boat, but from this description do you think that it might be cut low enough to be a good sinker for me?

The boat seems to be a very light layup (4/5), which has me a little worried. It is labeled as GPGP deck, and GPGKK hull. It has noticeably more flex to it than other boats that I have paddled. When I stall it on the bow, I can feel it compress and squeeze my legs and feet. I can only imagine how much it might compress if I go deep in it. I know I'll need to fashion a minicell wall to shove between my knees at the very least, but even then I can't imagine that it'll be as sturdy as I might like it to be. I'd like to think that it wouldn't have been built with this layup if it weren't strong enough, but I also figure that there is a reason that the standard seems to be 6/7 these days. I wish I'd paid more attention to the layup before buying it, and I'm beginning to second guess the purchase. Is this cause for concern, or is this thing good to go?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time. -Garrett

Sounds a little big. If you shape adjust your walls enough you can probably minimize how it compresses on your feet- but it's scary and will always be at the back of your mind that if you pin the boat will turn to toilet paper fast. So- Rule 1- don't pin. A good rule of thumb for a decent sinker is that you HAVE to have water over the deck between your toes and knees. Is it a New Wave?

Hey Jim, thanks for getting back to me. There is a little bit of water sitting between the knees and feet when sitting still, and when paddling along most of the bow and stern decks are covered. I guess I was hoping that this would at least be passable, but I know that it is by no means a low cut. My proportions have made my search for a boat a little difficult, so I settled for this. It is a New Wave, and the serial # ends with 3/91, which I take to mean March 1991? I hear you on the 'don't pin' rule, but isn't that always the case? Or, are you saying that I should be significantly more worried about the boat folding up on me with this layup than with the more common heavier layups? Any insight into why this boat might have been built with a 4/5 layup? Is it up to the task of serious boating if I'm not abusive, or did I just make an expensive mistake?

I had a Bigfoot with the same layup, just sold it but I don't think you were the buyer. But I'll tell you what, I loved that boat. I liked the lighter layup and wish my other boats had the same. I think it helped with mysteries. As far as downriver, of course you want to be cautious, but I don't know if a lighter layup is more of a concern than the standard. I guess it could wrap or break apart. A pin is a pin is a pin. Either way, a pinned squirtboat sucks. I paddled mine downriver, and the Bigfoot was a great downriver boat. But I played safe and did my best not to pin. Mostly though, I just took the boat to the mystery seams and loved it. If it's too big, maybe consider getting it chopped and use it strictly as a mystery boat. Or leave it big and use it for both.

Cartwheeling on flatwater in a boat with no center wall or suicide block is nerve wracking in a light boat. I have a 4/5 NW Jet that I still paddle sometimes, really flexy feel. Full length center wall really firmed up the feel from the empty shell I purchased. The light layup I think is a holdover from making it easier to throw around, and its use on DEEP rivers like the NRG Cheat and Gauley. If you're going to cruise downriver on the Cheat Canyon over 2.5 feet or the UG over 2500cfs I wouldn't sweat the layup too much... Memorize your deep water lines in advance in plastic and stick to them in glass.

With regards to mysteries, you have several options. Cut sounds about right to me. The big question is: from a standstill in flatwater can you lean forward into a bow stall without a stroke? That is the hallmark of an expert low cut. To get it lower, you can do a couple things. Chop it lower is the hardest way. Another option is to drop some lead shot in the bow with an epoxy endpour, great mysteries but harder to boss around and sacrifices downstream ability. The first thing I'd try is to put some lead weights into a suicide block. Improves bow strength and probably balances out trim and float. You could even have a second suicide block with no weights for downriver. I had my Jet and tried to park and sink for over a year before I jumped straight into a new Ninja. Time spent in a boat that's not perfect will just make you a better sinker. I sank the Jet at Sweet Cheeks below Pillow Rock last year, really high float but it still gets down. You can also try putting rocks in your lap as shameless ballast for better Alley time.

Hey Guys- thanks so much for the thoughtful replies. It's always really interesting to hear the perspectives of those with more experience. As for the boat, I'll put some time into outfitting it well this winter, particularly to stiffen up the bow, and see where it'll take me this Spring. I don't think that it is cut as low as I might want in the long run, but I'm sure it's going to be a blast nonetheless, and I'll probably experiment with some of your ballast suggestions if it comes to that. Thanks!

^what Josh said. btw- the solution to pinning a squirt boat (which I've done quite a few times)- is to go vertical into a splat- then it will loosen up and move around the rock. So- the weak suit is pinning in shallows where a splat isn't available.

Someday you'll know for sure your boat is holding you back from roaming- and then it's time to consider a re-chop. That could take a year or two though and you'll learn perfectly well even without a supersinker. Even better imho. Ballasting is really a viable option and there's no shame to it anymore. A lot of my friends ballast.

You should be able to get in pretty good- so roaming will be your challenge- stay flat and spinspinspin!