To all,

I am thinking about upgrading my kickboat situation. I have been using the ODC 816 kickboat for about a year now and I like it but could always use an upgrade. I was thinking of upgrading it to a Water Skeeter Lake Placid II. Any of you us it? My sis has one and I like the pontoons(A lot more durable and less likely to have it punctured due to hooks) on it as it is easy to pump up and it has a pressure release valve built into itfor those hot days. The only downside is that the pontoons can't be moved(either forward or backward) for equal weight distribution. Anyone have any experience with 'em especially in adverse conditions? Any feedback would be helpful. Anyone got a good used one. $500 is quite a lot to drop as opposed to the $200 I spent for the ODC.

Thanks,
T

Why don't you ask your sister you goon. Plus your ODC was $275.00. Less forum more work. You must be bored!

Terry, I don't know about the Lake Placid but I’ve had my water skeeter for over 4 years. I use it and abuse it almost weekly. It is a good quality boat. You can’t move the pontoons but you can move the seat. I even drilled my frame to move the seat as far forward as possible to allow more room for my live well. Mine has a steel frame and is heavy though.

I find that extra money for aluminum frame is well worth it as it doesn't rust even when the paint rubs off

Terry, have you gave Bucksbag any thought? I'll call you tonight and give you some information.

Rich

T - Slap a pair of VV pontoons on your frame and you will be good to go. Three-hundred bucks to upgrade is cheaper than a new boat. Check Out Door Engineering for the pontoons. }(

water skeeters are great and very sturdy in the chop but those dang things are so HEAVY!!!!. it weighs more than my kayak and unless your a big guy like myself you WILL have a hard time loading it on a cartop or in my case an SUV. i used to take the thing apart for loading but it was way too much of a hassle to put the thing together when trying to get ready to fish. also keeping the bladders aligned in that heavy material can be challenging but this is all IMO

I'm with Basscat :) My 2nd boat is a ventuer outdoors and I got the pontoons from O.E> and just straped them up.What a difference.:o My main boat is a outdoor eng and I love it!:7 :7

Swampy

Hey Pimpin,
Not sure if this reply is too late, but I am new to the sport, and I was able to talk (beg and plead, and more begging) my wife into letting me have (borrow) enough money to buy my Dave Scadden McKenzie Drifter X2, and I have to say it is the cats meyow. (I know I spelled that wrong, but you know what they say about cats, So many of them and too few recipes)
My model is 13' long and can handle two anglers and 1000 lbs. worth of gear, and still run class 4 rapids. I've read the rest of the answers, and money is an issue with me too, but I am not getting anything for the next two years for birthday and Christmas and tax time. I saw his boats through his free DVD, and fell in love with them, not to mention I can take one of my kids out with me. This frame is all aluminum, with a powder coat on it (but it chips too easily) and it weighs next to nothing. It's also made in the USA, and has a lifetime warranty, you can't beat that. I was also able to get a BMX front fork and tire to slip into the spot under the frame with a clevis pin so I can put it together quickly by my truck and walk it to the lake. It also features a roll out deck for flipping and pitching with a lean bar. Dave is a huge fly fisherman, and that is what he designed these boats for, but he said the bass guys at the trade shows are buying them up fast for that front deck.
I have to say these kickboats are designed well, and I am in the rigging stage now. It is also totally adjustable, so I can go solo or bring a friend or kid. The seat is adjustable, so all you tall guys can really slide all the way back and stretch out.

If any of you have not seen or heard of Dave Scadden, don't buy another kick boat until you have seen his single seater SKYKOMISH SUNRISE. If you want to see his stuff, go to NORTH FORK OUTDOORS.COM and check them out, NOW. You will be blown away! Just remember, the explosion comes at a price. Dave usually has boats on sale, and if you ask him about the demo boats(you may have to wait a month or two, but you can save in the mentime) that he brings around to trade shows, they are a great discount, that's how I was able to get mine.


If you call him, he'll send you a pretty cool video. I have not seen this years, but last years was awesome, and he said this years is even better. I have to call him this week for that.
It also has a diamond plate rear deck for gear that is able to support 350 lbs alone. This thing came fully rigged with an in the tube anchor pulley system and stainless steel footrest. This thing is not going to rust. Hope this helps. When I am finished, I'll put up pics. Good luck. -Bassniper