Should You Add Foam Decking To Your Fishing Boat?

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The foam decking saves wear and tear on your body, and can even lead to a bigger catch.

No doubt you’ve noticed that more and more new fishing boats have foam padding on the deck. This stuff is also available in sticky-back sheets that can be cut with a razor knife and self-installed. Some people think it looks great, while others see it as a downside. But throw looks right out of the window for a second—this stuff can actually help you catch more fish.

foam decking

The foam decking saves wear and tear on your body, and can even lead to a bigger catch.

I’ve had foam decking on my boat for six seasons now, currently in its second generation. Which is an important downside to point out: its lifespan is five to seven years if your boat isn’t kept under cover (if it is, all bets are off). Still, I know for a fact I’ll never own another boat without this stuff.

First and foremost, it reduces physical wear and tear on the human body. I don’t have analytical numbers to back it up, but I currently have ShipsDek from bow to stern and my gut tells me my back hurts 15 to 20 percent less after a full day of fishing. That means I can stay out longer and fish harder. Added bonus: while kneeling on molded-in nonskid is downright painful, with this stuff it doesn’t hurt one bit.

Secondly, items that drop to the deck don’t fall on hard fiberglass. So that dropped sinker which makes a loud fish-spooking “crack!” when dropped from waist height is instead silent. Same goes for a sliding tacklebox or cooler, although generally speaking they won’t slide anymore anyway because the foam has a much better nonslip property than any fiberglass deck. And the same goes for aluminum. And about that nonslip property, it’s true whether dry or wet or even when slimed up by the catch of the day.

Many people worry that the foam will get stained, but that hasn’t been my experience. While fish blood does need to be scrubbed away before drying to prevent a stain, if you fail to do so the stains tend to bleach out in the sun, just like in fiberglass.

So: it is worth getting foam decking? Heck yes. The downsides are minimal and the advantages are significant. Like I said, I’ll never own a boat without it again.

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