does anybody own a dave scadden pontoon boat? (skykomish sunrise or other model) and is it worth the money? is it durable? any input would be great. thanks, TROY
I have one. It's a good boat. I have the 9 foot, DLR or DLX or something like that. Seems very durable. I've had no issues with it. Many of the same accessories you find on an Outcast. Wayne
I have had a Dave Scadden 8 ft boat for 6 or 7 years. It is an older design but there been no problems with materials, workmanship, etc. Excellent quality.
http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/board/showthread.php?t=29422 Take a look at the thread linked above.
At the risk of repeating what's in the other thread, a Skookum Products boat can't be beat. Fish on... Todd
I'm with ral on this one, have had a Scadden for 6 years or so, well made, no problems, got a great deal at the outdoors show.
just got one a 07 Skykomish H2. Will be in the water soon. It appears they dealt with a lot of the issues mentioned before. Couple things I noticed-changed. -Anchor cleat was cheap. Put in a hawken with a fairing. - There are two grades of back platform. #8 and 12#. The 12# is on order so I am waiting. Also they provide a bracing kit. I plan on using a 6 hp 4 strok long shaft for lopez sound and a 2.5 hp short shaft for smaller salt water. -Pockets are kinda strand but will need to work the bugs out. I don't see how there is a rod holder built in to them. So I mouted a scotty. -Also mounted a RayMarin ds400x depth finder and a RAM mount for a Garmin GPS map 76 with the Bluecharts for Puget sound. I will also use a drift anchor probably. I am hoping this craft will be low profile. Lower than my whaler and allow me to get closer to the fish. Also I expect the casting will be stable given the pontoon design. Hope this helps, dean
I have an X3... Love the boat, but had quite an issue getting the order to me in one piece. Had several calls into Dave due to missing pieces, multiple colored frame, but in the end he made it right. He has earned my future business. I did make a frame mod because the front and rear of the frame simply slide into place. If you have people in the boat in both the front and rear positions, their weight locks the two pieces together; however if I am by myself I constantly kicked the frame out. Tapping some holes and inserting a "D" clip quickly remedied the issue. I'm also planning on removing the rear standing platform and bolting a piece of plywood to improvise a floor in the rear compartment. I just think it would make navigating to the rear of the boat much simpler. I do like the standing platform in the front seat and I usually steal the rear platform for the rowers section (remove the lean brace) in case I want to stand up. Now I just need to figure out how to brace the cargo deck to retro fit it to work with a small outboard so I can use it in the bigger stillwaters... i.e. Rufus Woods
I have the older Caridac Canyon (11 1/2' long and 12" diameter toons) Lower profile than other pontoons and the wind does not effect me as much. I have done several mods to it. If you want to see some of the changes (just ignore the other stuff) here is some pictures of mine and my old man's. http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/FlyGoddess/Boat and Motor/?start=20 I also have the Freestyle H3 for the mountain hike ins. I think Northfork (Scaddens) boats are worth every penny.
I have an older Dave Scadden "DLS" Expedition and it is a great boat for larger lakes and rivers the size of the Yak. EXCELLENT quality, decent price at the Seattle Boat Show. No problems whatsoever. Having a good two-wheel carrier allows you to take the inflated boat about anywhere you'd like; Lenice for example. A single wheel carrier isn't worth a hoot in soft sand. My two-wheeled 20" bicycle wheel carrier works GREAT! SuperDave
