floating the boat

[Chris J]

What have you guys used for safety floatation on your JET boats. Due to the depth of the lakes in my area I plan on installing something so we can skip that part of the debate. I already replaced my bow hook, so that should be good for another 30 years. Looking for advice from guy who have installed something. I check some of the old threads and these are the options I'm concidering. Not sure if I like the permanet feature of the everclear although it seems to be the logical choice. There is a carpeted bulk head to hide what ever I use so looks are not a concern.
1) Evercoat "Foam It" 105612. Anyone actaully work with this stuff? $28 makes 2.5 cubic feet.
2) Truck innertube. (I like this one the best, any down falls)
3) Bladder haven't been able to find anything on these.
4) Ping Pong balls, $31 for 144 40mm balls.
Thanks

[P-Money]

I the front of our hydro we have these inflatable balls (about the size of basketballs) that are made outta heavy duty plastic. Almost looks like small beach balls, but are much more durable. Not sure where you can get them, they came with the boat when we bought it. We filled the front with those so if anything ever happens at least the front would bobber (I think).

[460rogers]

I'm going with the truck tube.
My boat had bags of styrofoam pellets.the bags had deteriated and caused a snowstorm when i cut through the transom.
This was discussed on the real jetboats forum reciently.
I think the tube thing would be the easiest just put enough air in it so it won't move around but no real pressure.

[LVjetboy]

Maybe more like 6,000 ping pong balls :)
jer

[NAMarine]

Check this link out. Full of info, I hope.
http://www.realjetboats.com/cgi/yabb/YaBB.pl/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1077422911

[v-drive]

This goes back alot of years but here it is.I went to the river with friends in the early 60's(very early). Their boat was a home built wickens powered by a buick with the Dynaflow trans so how do you say extremely heavy. A relative that came with us jumped in the boat and took off, as he did my friend made the comment that he was going to blow the trans out the bottom because he took off in low and he did. Boaters from everywhere came to the aid and the first thing they did was was to deflate their innertubes then they dove down and stuffed them everywhere possible. all of these boaters had the connectors so they could hook an air line to a cyl. and blow up the tubes. this is slow but the boat came up and was towed to the ramp and put on the trailer. I will remember that forever.... :cool: v-drive

[MikeF]

Like 460rogers, this is Cyclones styrofoam. Pretty light but definatley got messy! :eek: :p
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/45deckholeandfoam-med.JPG
I have the truck inner tube. When you need to remove it it is just a matter of airing it down. :cool:
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/521/153IMG_0133-med.JPG

[Unchained]

In my old Cheyenne there was a small rectangular hole in the bulkhead about 2" x 5" and through it you could see what looked like a waterbed mattress in there for floatation. It was'nt very much inflated but looked like it could do the job.

[fourspeednup]

Originally posted by P-Money
I the front of our hydro we have these inflatable balls (about the size of basketballs) that are made outta heavy duty plastic. Almost looks like small beach balls, but are much more durable. Not sure where you can get them, they came with the boat when we bought it. We filled the front with those so if anything ever happens at least the front would bobber (I think).
I was wondering who stuffed those beachballs under my bow?;)

[mouzer]

A couple of truck tubes will float your boat thats what i use!

[kp216]

Here's what happens when someone pumps the underside of their floor with that expandable foam. :mad:
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/51511-med.JPG
It's completely waterlogged.

[screamdreambrad]

the tube thing is the way to go. i took the flotation out of mine, two little slabs of it(one in each sponson) 6 pounds each! thats alot of weight way up there. brad

[460rogers]

I was wondering who stuffed those beachballs under my bow?
My TX-19 has the beach balls also.
Way much easier to remove than the bags of snow.