The time has come and I need some advice....

[Carp_Punisher]

[#505000]Ok Tubedude talked me into float tubing last year (didn't have to talk very hard either [cool]) and I loved it. A member from the Utah Board was kinda enough to donate his old float tube to my cause. Shortly after hitting the water I upgraded my ride to the Fishcat 9 pontoon.... I love it even more....[/#505000]
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[#505000]I have to agree with Tubedude though that there is a time and a place for each craft. I have lugged pieces of my toon to hard to get to waters and hated every minute of it. I have decided I need a float tube for those waters I can't easily toon. I still have the freebie tube, but I have some issue with it I don't like and want a new tube. [/#505000]
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[#505000]The choices for me are obvious.... either the Super Fat Cat ($350) or the ODC 420 ($150). [/#505000]
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[#505000]Now here is where I start to have a dilemma.... Obviously $200 price difference is a big deal, but since I like toys and I'm bad with money, I am of the mind set thought that I would rather pay a little extra for more or better quality than to pay a little less and regret it down the road. [/#505000]
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[#505000]I know we have hashed this over several times on the board but I would certainly like some input, and opinions. One thing I know I don't like about the ODC is that awful baby blue color. Zonker's "sage" colored SFC looks really sharp. [/#505000]
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[#505000]Next piece of advice I would like some input on is what is a good brand/model of two way hand or electric pump for inflating craft. I have used a Coleman 2 way hand pump for my toon, but I'm getting far to old and fat to keep up that kind of exercise. The Coleman is also falling apart... [/#505000]
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[#505000]My pump requirements are that it be easy to use at the lake, and have the power to inflate the craft, and be some what reasonably priced....[/#505000]
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]You do not have to get the SUPER Fat Cat. The "plain" Fat Cat is a hundred dollars less because it has the foam seat and not the inflated seat. The ride is not much different and less muss and fuss with the foam.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]No doubt about it. The Fat Cat is a better craft, in terms of quality. Slightly larger too. Urethane air chambers instead of Vinyl (in the ODC).[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not fond of the pretty blue color myself. I have been okay with the dark green. They do have a bright yellow model, for those who want to be better targets for the power squadron.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you wanna try before you buy, I will be happy to do a meetup on the water and let you jockey one around.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I use a Stearns two way pump and find it does the job just fine. Sure, I would rather not have to mess with it, but it only takes about a minute on every trip. I have used the 12 volt pumps you attach to the lighter of the car, and they take longer to get set up and put away than it takes to air the tube with a two way.[/#0000ff]
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[zonker]

CP,

My own struggle with this issue is well documented in recent posts so I won't spend much time here. I do recommend that you take Tubedude up on his offer to let you try his SFC. Tubebabe also has a Fat Cat. I won't volunteer her tube but if the opportunity were to present itself that would also be a plus. If not that then certainly there is someone else around who could let you try one. It might also be nice to try the ODC 420 also.

My opinion is that if money is not a big issue, the Super Fat Cat is hard to beat. Unlike some here I like the air seat because I sit higher in it. (Maybe I'll change my mind if I have to start patching it.) So far I haven't had any trouble with spiny fish (I don't usually fish for them) so maybe that won't be a major issue for me. The Fat Cat would probably be my second choice, followed by the ODC 420. (I kinda like the baby blue myself but there is no accounting for taste.) The kicker is that you can buy two ODC's for less than what you can buy one SFC for. That is a compelling point. But if you're gonna pine for the best later, you're probably better off to bite the bullet now. Either that or have lots of grandkids like me so you have a plausible (though patently transparent) excuse for buying another tube.

I love the Super Fat Cat. I was fishing last week amid a bunch of tooners who could paddle circles around me. But once the wind came up they had to pack it in and I continued right along with my fishing, right through the wind. Though not fast, it is a very efficient fishing machine in all but the worse wind. In those cases everybody gets blown off the water.

BTW, this is the best Outcast tube review I have seen:

[url "http://www.riverwire.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=revFloatTube"]Tube Review [/url]

Any double action hand pump will do. Just be sure you have the connections to match the valve. It takes me just a few minutes to pump up my Super Fat Cat. I just have a cheapo pump. Less than $10 at Sportsman's Warehouse or Walmart. No need for a power pump unless you are somehow disabled.




zonker
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[cat_man]

I believe that is the exact pump that I have. It works great, is a 2 way and pumps up each side of my Fish Cat 4 in about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Inexpensive, but not cheap.
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[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Times New Roman"][#ff4040][size 3]Man wouldn't it just be alot easier if the sporting goods store was like a car dealership. They could just build a big tank that you can "test drive" tubes and toons in. Good luck on your purchase CP.[/size][/#ff4040][/font]
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[kevinkay]

Carp_Punisher,

I agree with you on the nasty baby blue color of the ODC, but it does get the job done. In response to your pump question, I have a Coleman battery operated electric pump similar to the one in the link. [url "http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=5999D300&categoryid=10060"]http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=5999D300&categoryid=10060[/url] I have had no problems with it, and it gets my ODC up and running in short order.
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[Carp_Punisher]

[#505000]Not disabled Zonker.... just lazy!!![] [/#505000]
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[#505000]Actually it's just the pump I have (12$ Coleman 2-way) is falling apart, and in my opinion garbage. I think I expend a lot more effort pumping up than I really need to. I think with a better pump I could get the job done, and not be a sweating panting wreck before I ever hit the water. I thought Coleman would be a quality pump, but I just have been underwhelmed by it. [cool][/#505000]
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[doggonefishin]

I will just second what TD said about the Fat Cat. It was about $70 less than the SFC when I was buying and I have really enjoyed mine. (except for the backrest) The foam seat is a plus IMO as I am a puncture magnet. I will be at Lindon harbor tomorrow afternoon fishing for (hopefully PCB free) panfish and will have the tube with me. You are welcome to take it for a test drive if you would like.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]I got a bit more carried away in my response to this question on the Utah board, and thought some of the info may be of use to tubers who do not check in on the Utah forum. So...cut and paste.[/#0000ff]
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[size 1][#0000ff]I have tried just about every new tube design that has come out over the past 30 years. Before that, it was strictly donuts. Today we have a whole buncha tubes, toons and hybrids. It is more difficult to make a decision, especially if you are a first timer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Unless you have fished from both a tube and toon, you cannot understand and appreciate the differences. As CP and I have both found out, both tubes and toons have their places. It is not a matter of one against the other. If you have the budget and the space to keep them, you can have both and use both.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you have budget or space limitations, then you have to look closely at your own personal fishing situations and ask yourself two questions: "What do I WANT?" and "What do I NOT WANT?" Simple. Just like life in general.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The first choice should be budgetary. How much can you squeeze out of the family finances without taking on the added expense of a divorce? The good news is that there are some very good beginners tubes for well under $100. Better tubes, like the Fish Cat 4 and the ODC 420 run about $150. The "Beemers" of tubeology are the Fat Cats ($279) and Super Fat Cats ($369). [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Your personal size and physical condition are next. If you are "substantial" in size, get the biggest rated weightload you can afford. If you are under 200 pounds, don't sweat the size rating. Virtually all tubes will easily float over 250#. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you plan to get a craft that will allow you to walk back in a ways from the end of the road, you need a light weight tube. Toons are designed for being able to drive right up to the water, or a launch ramp. You can add a wheel for longer transport, but basically they are too heavy for long distance trudging.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you are only going to fish small ponds and lakes...or just limited areas on bigger lakes...a tube will work fine. On the other hand, if your honey hole is quite a ways from your launch spot, you will appreciate having the oars or an electric motor on a pontoon. Ditto if you want to troll a bit. Try to troll from a fin-powered float tube and you get a hernia. Forget towing a water skier.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]On the other hand, if your style is quiet hands-free fishing, then tubes are best. You can use fins with a pontoon, once your oars or electric have gotten you to your fishing spot, but compared to tubes pontoons are heavier and require a lot more kicking to maintain position. And, if even a light breeze comes up, you can beat yourself to death trying to maneuver a pontoon without oars. But, having to keep grabbing the oars to control the pontoon drastically cuts into your fishing time.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are lots of plusses and minuses for both tubes and toons. It always comes down to personal preference and what are we willing to give up for what we expect in return.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are quite a few small and less expensive pontoons in today's market. Creek Company and Water Skeeter both make some budget models just over $200 that are great learners. Most who buy them immediately start lusting after bigger and better made toons. There are a lot of differences in frame design, materials, seating, pockets, motor mounts and other features. But, until you have a chance to try them, and figure out what is important to you, it is hard to decide.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My personal recommendation for anyone who can afford it is to not spend less than $300 for a pontoon, and a couple hundred more will buy a lot more quality and solid features. Having the hard seats (preferably swivel) and a good motor mount and cargo platform are quality extras not always found on the cheaper models, but well worth the extra. Also, having a lot of abrasion resistant PVC on the bottom and exterior will add years of wear, as will having good urethane bladders rather than vinyl.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Hey, CP, about that baby blue color on the ODC. Nobody is gonna suspect you of being "Brokeback" if you go that route. And, since the cover is chemically resistant nylon, there is no reason why you can't paint it any color you want. A lot of guys repaint their covers in their choice of colors. I have seen custom camo jobs and even saw a pic of one painted black with some wicked flames on it. Heck, no reason you can't do something with that new avatar of yours too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you find a craft that has all of the features you want, at a price you can live with, go ahead and buy it. Too bad some manufacturers don't offer more custom options but they gotta be budget minded too. The good news is that there is almost no alteration or tweak that is not possible with a bit of creativity and PVC. We gotta live with that until manufacturers listen to the masses and come out with models that are already perfect in design and tricked out the way we want 'em.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Have I used up my bandwidth allocation on this post?[/#0000ff] [/size]
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[zonker]

Wow! And he didnt' even take a breath!

Great summary.

z~
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[RiverRat77]

I just barely read this and that was going to be my question Dude.... could I repaint the tube cover? I might be using mine to float to some duck hunting spots this year if I get it in time so I was wanting to throw some greens, tans and browns on my baby blue tube. Its good to know I can just spray paint the cover and have that work ok. I really was worried about rotting off the tube cover or damaging the vinyl airbags.... [pirate] That would be just my luck.
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[Fishhound]

You are quite right - the tube and tune both have a time and place. I got my tube after I already had two pontoon boats. for the same reason you realized - the toon is a bear when it comes to portages to remote locations. The tube is just right for that.

I have the FC4 that has the inflatable seat. I am probably lighter than you, but it floats me pretty high in the water.

As far as a air pump goes, I use an electric one that I hook up to my fish finder battery(a small sealed 12 volt that only weighs a couple of pounds) and it only takes a few seconds to fill the bladders. Then I top them off with a hand pump - the electric does not fill them firm enough. I leave the electric pump in the vehicle(or stash it in the bushes) and bring the manual one with me just in case.

If you need or want, I can get you a link to the manufacurer of both pumps(sorry, I'm on slow boat to china version of the internet right this minute) - the manual one was pretty cheap as I recall and the electric was a bit more spendy but still not too bad. It is definately worth it when it comes to airing up my pontoon boat - with it, I can fill all four bladders in just a minute or two.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Some "cast and blast" fans just drape some camo material over the top surface of their craft on trips with a gun aboard. Easier to remove than paint.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, most craft stores have fabric paints that work. If you want the high tech stuff, go to auto parts stores for vinyl paint, used for interiors on vehicles. Still other sources for useable paints are canvas and awning places. I suspect that a place that makes or sells boat covers might have a good recommendation too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have been giving some thought to painting shark jaws on the front of my SFC. Kinda like some of the old fighter planes.[/#0000ff]
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[roadkillmac]

I have a Super Fat Cat. I use a 12 volt pump. I have a 2-way pump also I bought from Cabelas that is designed for float tubes but the fittings dont fit the valve on the tube. I am a beginner tuber and don't have much experience with these valves. Will air pressure alone push in the spring on the valve to let the air in or do you have to push the spring down first?
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[Fishhound]

[black][size 3]Yes, the air pressure will automatically press the valve down. If you push it down first, it will fill faster, but you will loose pressure when you detach the pump and reseat the valve. If you leave the valve up(at least on mine) you can fill the bladders. Pushing down the valve manually and opening it fully by turning it slightly, is the method you use to deflate the bladders. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]One thing you might want to get is an extender(made out of clear flexible Tygon) for your pump that will fit snuggley in your valve opening and snuggley over the end of your pump hose nozzle. That will make a better and more secure connection between the pump nozzle and valve opening. Sorry, I don't have a photo available right now.[/size][/black]
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