i am looking for a backwater boat. really like airboats for their ability to set up for bowfishing in the flats… but apparently not legal in SC. i looked at the SC regs, and could not find anything about surface drives. i don’t see anyone using them, but i suppose they are legal???
here’s an example:
http://www.godevil.com/go-devil_engines.html
From what I understand, aka what I’ve been told: Because of the enormous tides we have here the bottom is constantly in a state of change. That has a lot to do, I’m sure, with the color of our water. Anyway, because it’s changing constantly the parts-per-million sand content of our water is extremely high. That, supposedly, makes these little engines susceptible to excessive wear. To me, it sounds like a load of Bs because I would think that if a prop is churning that close to the bottom it wouldn’t matter what water it was in… The water would be full of sand. I can see it affecting something like a Jet drive but I can’t find the logic or physics behind how that would affect these particular styles of motors. As far as legality is concerned, I can’t imagine an issue. Then again…
218 Sailfish
Yamaha F225
Hilton Head/Beaufort
Surface drives may be legal…but I question the ethics of using them in our fragile salt water marshes. Have you seen the path left by a Go-Devil? Not pretty…
Just sayin’
I have to agree with Jim on this one. There are plenty of other ways to get skinny.
2007 Scout 221 150 Yamaha 4 stroke
1st I’ve seen some airboats in sc before. And 2nd why not get a long tail mud motor the don’t kill the mud BC the stay on the surface and u can control how deep on the water they are other then surface drives which tear up everything in there path
Scout
PALMERS SEAFOOD
I used to run airboats in Fla. - I believe they are banned by the state anywhere east of I-95. I was told the reason was mainly due to excessive noise where there are shorebirds and development.
186 Bone Flats Boat
140 Suzuki fourstroke
From the DNR website
“Airboats are prohibited on public waters of this state from the freshwater-saltwater dividing line seaward, and on that portion of Lake Marion and Santee Swamp west of the I-95 bridge upstream to the confluence of the Congaree and Wateree rivers during the season for hunting waterfowl.”
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/boating.html
Another thing to consider. Surface drives and/or mud motors aren’t very stealthy. What’s the sense in getting into the flats if you’ve chased everything out?
War Eagle 754 Ducks Unlimited - Yamaha 75
The surface drive motors are very efficient at getting you into shallow/no water areas…
Aside from how loud they are and the path they leave behind, my issue is how heavy they are. We had one for a very short time, I got it stuck once and realized it wasn’t worth having.
A light Jon boat with a smaller outboard will get you 95% of the shallow places you want to get.
Just my .02
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all valid points… i wasnt planning on blazing new trails through the marshes, just have the ability to run out of bayous when the tides running out and theres about a 4-5’ swath of water left. just tossing out an idea, since flats boats seem to be wildly overpriced in the low country.
I have an Alumacraft jon boat 1860 with tunnel and a 60hp merc and I can run in about 3 inches of water. Great do all boat, inshore, gigging, bowfishing. Not an expensive setup either!
Rippin Lips and Jerking Jaws!
18’ Alumacraft Tunnel w/60 Merc
16’ Camo Tracker w/25 Merc
quote:
Originally posted by SKINNY RUNNERI have an Alumacraft jon boat 1860 with tunnel and a 60hp merc and I can run in about 3 inches of water. Great do all boat, inshore, gigging, bowfishing. Not an expensive setup either!
Rippin Lips and Jerking Jaws!
18’ Alumacraft Tunnel w/60 Merc
16’ Camo Tracker w/25 Merc
Hey man - you back from overseas??
186 Bone Flats Boat
140 Suzuki fourstroke