4 Tips For Buying Your First—Or New—Duck Boat
Will Poston for SPLIT REED
We recently had the opportunity to chat with Zack Randall of Edge Duck Boats about some important tips to consider when buying your first duck boat or if you are looking to upgrade. Edge Duck Boats has been in the aluminum boat building game since 1960, and now fabricates boats for both the technical duck hunter and anyone who wants a versatile, rock-solid boat. Edge relies on its longitudinal bracing structure, to create a long-lasting and tough boat, and is one of the lightest hulls on the market. There are tons of great duck boats out there, but after chatting with Zack several times, the expertise and helpfulness he exuded put Edge atop that list for me. Follow along for Zack’s top four tips to consider when buying a new duck boat!
1. APPLICATION/LOCATION.
This one is obvious but deserves the most attention because it will influence every decision in buying and/or building a duck boat. You must fully understand the location you plan to use your boat and how you want to use, before picking out a new boat. For example, a guy who hunts Arkansas flooded timber 80 percent of the time doesn’t need a 20’ boat with a 70 hp outboard, and the guy that hunts big water for divers doesn’t need a nimble 15’ boat with a 25 hp surface drive. So, when thinking about what hull and boat to buy, think about what you want your boat to do. If you do mostly shallow water hunting, look into shallow drafting boats with a flat bottom. But if your hunting style involves many different types of environments, look into a versatile, mod-v hull. Edge’s top-selling hull is their 553 model, which is a 15.5-foot boat with a 53-inch beam. This hull handles a 40 hp outboard exceptionally well, letting owners run deep into the timber and safely explore bigger water. Any decent dealer will be able to point you in the right direction, but you need to know what you want your boat to do first.
2. MOTOR SELECTION.
Next to your hull and fully understanding your application, motor selection is probably your most important decision, and again is fully dependent on your desired application. Here are some things to consider when choosing a motor. The three main motor types are outboards, surface drives, and jet motors. Understanding which motor best suits your needs will help you and your dealer find the best model for your boat.
Outboard motors will be your most versatile and popular option, as they excel in mid-deep water and when pushing heavier loads. Additionally, they can effectively be used in shallower water with some experience. Outboards are tried and true; if you are looking for a boat to handle a wide range of water types, you can’t go wrong with an outboard.
Surface drive motors are a specialty motor meant to push boats through mud and vegetation—those places ducks love to be. The surface drive motors of today have come a long way in terms of pushing loads and are the favorite options for technical shallow-water hunters. However, surface drives are louder and not nearly as fast as their equivalent hp outboard cousin. If you plan on using your boat mostly for shallow water hunting with vegetation, a surface drive is for you.
Jet motors are the most specifically used of the three. They are employed by those who hunt shallow rivers with sand or gravel bottoms, making this motor a favorite of Western hunters. While jets excel in shallow, gravel layered rivers, they will fail if vegetation enters the intake pumps. If you hunt in a niche environment like shallow, hard-bottomed rivers, look at jet motors.
3. UNDERSTANDING YOUR NORMAL HUNTING REQUIREMENTS.
Do you normally hunt solo with your dog and a couple of dozen decoys? Or do you regularly hunt with four guys and 10 dozen decoys? When buying a boat, think about what your normal payload will be. If you normally run a large decoy spread, think about getting a boat with an open deck for storing dekes. Also, make sure your boat will be able to safely transport your hunting group and all your gear in all conditions. Another factor to consider is whether you want your boat to double as a blind or just use it to get you from point A to point B. If you plan on using the boat as a blind, look at bigger, wider hulls, as that will provide a stable and safer hunting platform. This brings up the tried and true old saying, “buy the biggest boat you can afford.” More often than not you’ll wish you had the extra space for both gear and safety.
4. CONSIDER CUSTOMIZATIONS.
Last but not least, think about how you want to customize your boat because many customizations are better done by the dealer. For example, anything affecting the boat’s structure—seating, deck options, gun boxes, etc.—is best done by the dealer. Also, think about what your electrical power requirements will be. If you want bow lights, a trolling motor receptacle, a GPS, electric start for your motor, or foresee any other electrical needs let your dealer know—they’ll be able to wire everything up for you, saving you a headache! Aluminum is a difficult material to work with and the last thing you want to happen is screw your brand new boat up or jeopardize its structure just to save a couple of bucks. If you do decide to do some non-structural customizations, prep is key. The cleaner the surface is the better the final product will be. Additionally, the quality of components you use is very important. If you plan on running your boat in brackish or saltwater, make sure all boat components and hardware or stainless steel.
I hope some of these tips help you narrow down what type of boat to get. I know chatting with Zack left me some with some ideas I hadn’t thought of. While everyone would love to have multiple boats to handle a wide range of scenarios and environments, that’s not financially possible for the vast majority of us. So, to get the most bang for our buck, make sure you fully understand what you need and want your boat to do and put value in versatility and quality construction. Additionally, be transparent and communicate with your boat dealer; this is not their first rodeo, so take advantage of their experience.
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