08-23-2006, 12:15 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Welcome aboard, matey. Hope we can help in your decision-making progress. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Zonker has done a fine job (as usual) of laying out the basic differences and adding his own insight and experience. All on target. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We have a picture board for the Float Tubing board [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=203004;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]LINK TO FLOAT TUBE SHOPPING[/url] . If you look down through the pics on the shopping guide, you will see that most of them have sizes, weights and capacities listed. The ODC is rated for 300#. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished from a Super Fat Cat for about 3 years now. While it has some "issues", it still provides the best real "fishing platform" of all the tubes I have riden and/or reviewed. As much as I dislike the inflated seat, wimpy apron and low seat backs, I love the size, shape, high ride, big pockets and overall quality of materials and construction.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You can get a foam seat model of the Fat Cat for about $100 more than the ODC 420, and to some it would be money well spent. However, if your yearly use will be minimal, it remains your decision as to whether you want to spend more than for the ODC 420. From all that I have heard, from those who have fished from both, they are close enough in size, capacity and ride to make either an acceptable choice.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On the FC4 issue, I will say that the rating of 250 pounds is merely a guideline, not an absolute. You will not explode the air chamber nor sink to the bottom if you put 251 pounds aboard. I would be willing to be that there are more than a few FC4 tubers who exceed the suggested limit. You will ride lower in the water but will be perfectly safe.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Slipping out of the seat? That is a common question posed by tubers who are used to sitting down inside a donut. I had the same concern when I "graduated" to an open ended craft with no crotch strap or seat belt. But, in the ten years or so that I have been jockeying V boats, U boats, mini-pontoons, kick-boats, etc., I have never felt myself "slip-sliding away". [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is one craft that definitely presents that potential, however. It is the WaterSkeeter "DayTripper".[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=10310;]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=10310;)
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[#0000ff]As you can see in the pic, it is a poorly designed craft with the center of gravity too high and the short rounded pontoons allowing too little stability. There have been reports of anglers tilting forward and sliding out of their tubes when netting fish, etc.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of the other open-ended craft on the market are reasonably well designed and the seats are usually comfortable and safe. Of course, you may have to reposition yourself a few times during the day, if you lean back a lot while kicking. That can slide your posterior forward on the seat, but most seats are plenty big enough to compensate for some of that.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Zonker has done a fine job (as usual) of laying out the basic differences and adding his own insight and experience. All on target. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We have a picture board for the Float Tubing board [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=203004;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread"]LINK TO FLOAT TUBE SHOPPING[/url] . If you look down through the pics on the shopping guide, you will see that most of them have sizes, weights and capacities listed. The ODC is rated for 300#. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have fished from a Super Fat Cat for about 3 years now. While it has some "issues", it still provides the best real "fishing platform" of all the tubes I have riden and/or reviewed. As much as I dislike the inflated seat, wimpy apron and low seat backs, I love the size, shape, high ride, big pockets and overall quality of materials and construction.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]You can get a foam seat model of the Fat Cat for about $100 more than the ODC 420, and to some it would be money well spent. However, if your yearly use will be minimal, it remains your decision as to whether you want to spend more than for the ODC 420. From all that I have heard, from those who have fished from both, they are close enough in size, capacity and ride to make either an acceptable choice.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]On the FC4 issue, I will say that the rating of 250 pounds is merely a guideline, not an absolute. You will not explode the air chamber nor sink to the bottom if you put 251 pounds aboard. I would be willing to be that there are more than a few FC4 tubers who exceed the suggested limit. You will ride lower in the water but will be perfectly safe.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Slipping out of the seat? That is a common question posed by tubers who are used to sitting down inside a donut. I had the same concern when I "graduated" to an open ended craft with no crotch strap or seat belt. But, in the ten years or so that I have been jockeying V boats, U boats, mini-pontoons, kick-boats, etc., I have never felt myself "slip-sliding away". [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There is one craft that definitely presents that potential, however. It is the WaterSkeeter "DayTripper".[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As you can see in the pic, it is a poorly designed craft with the center of gravity too high and the short rounded pontoons allowing too little stability. There have been reports of anglers tilting forward and sliding out of their tubes when netting fish, etc.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Most of the other open-ended craft on the market are reasonably well designed and the seats are usually comfortable and safe. Of course, you may have to reposition yourself a few times during the day, if you lean back a lot while kicking. That can slide your posterior forward on the seat, but most seats are plenty big enough to compensate for some of that.[/#0000ff]
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