Castaway Customs now is carrying anodized aluminum push pole holders made by Renzetti. They add a very nice look to your skiff and do a great job of holding your push pole. Whether you are using a Stiffy push pole, LoopTackle push pole, Biscayne push pole, Moonlighter push pole, or any other brand, they will work. They are simple to install and light weight. One of the pieces has a hole machined to put a bungee to make sure you push pole stays attached while running or driving down the highway. They sell for the $170.00 and shipping is free. Call 321-537-2039 today to order a set push pole holders for your boat.
Having a flats boat or skiff without a push pole is like being up the creek without a paddle. A good push pole is a must in order to quietly sneak up and stalk schools of fish. Whether you are stalking bonefish and redfish on the flats, or staking out on the edge of channels for tarpon or permit a good push pole is a necessity. There are a few different options as far as push poles are concerned. Stiffy push poles, from my experience, are probably the most widely used and accepted brand throughout the state of Florida and I’m assuming that statement would be true across the board no matter where you are located. Moonlighter and and Biscayne also produces both fiberglass and carbon fiber push poles. Which push pole to buy depends upon your personal preference, price range, and location. Some people like a very stiff push pole while others like a push pole with slightly more flex to it. The only real way to decide which works best for you is to try them out for yourself. Another thing to consider with purchasing a push pole is where the pole is located. Due to the size of the push poles, shipping can be very expensive and add to the cost, so that is something to keep in mind.
New to the push pole game is Loop Tackle. Loop has been around for a while in the fly fishing world and made a name for themselves making fly fishing rods and reels. They are now producing a multi-piece carbon fiber push pole. In general I think most people always been a little leery of multi-piece push poles. Depending upon who assembles them, and how they are assembled they have been known to leak and allow water to intrude into the pole which adds weight and is annoying. Push poles also take a lot stress and abuse, most people only put a ferrule into a pole to repair it and are afraid of breaking a multi-piece poles which have multiple ferrules. Once again this comes down to the person assembling. Depending upon which epoxy they use, how long they let it cure, and several other factors, this can literally make or break a pole, no pun intended. Luckily for everyone, most every Loop Tackle push pole that is around or assembled is put together by Joe Welbourn from Carbon Marine. Joe specializes in carbon fiber products for the marine industry and specializes in working with epoxies and composites.
I recently picked up one of these poles to try out for myself. I choose to use a 21′ push pole which is constructed of 4 separate pieces made out of carbon fiber. I have poled with a Temple Fork Outfitters multi-piece pole, and in my opinion the pole had to much flex and felt to “whippy”. The TFO pole is quite a bit cheaper though, so for people on a budget or those who don’t pole all the time, it may be a great option. As soon as I picked up the Loop Tackle push pole, I knew it felt better. They come with two different grips, one is ribbed similar to a Stiffy Hybrid push pole, but the ribs aren’t quite a large. The other finish is smoother. Both the smooth and ribbed finish have shark skin texture to them. This shark skin texture is smooth when sliding the pole through your hands and gives you good grip when pushing. It took me a little while to get use to it, but it helps if the pole is wet. I tested out the pole poling around the Hellsbay Skate. The pole worked great and I poled several miles into and with the wind. Overall the performance of the pole was great. For the Hellsbay Skate which is just under 13′ the 21′ push pole worked great, but the nice thing is the poles can be made up to 25′ . I’m sure the the longer you extend the pole the flex characteristics may slightly change, but the flex in the 21′ pole seemed perfect.
I liked the poles so much that I decided to add it to the product lines carried by Castaway Customs. If you are looking for a push pole feel free to call me at 321-537-2039 or email me at tyler@castawaycustoms.com and I can get you exact pricing or answer any of your questions.
Had the opportunity to meet and work with the owner of Deltran Battery Tender. He owns a Triton 24 LTS Pro bay boat and also a 53 Viking sport fishing boat. He decide that he wanted to do work on both of his boat. On the Triton bay boat, he already had a SeaDek helm pad, and decided he wanted to cover the entire front deck. On his larger boat, after taking a look at it we realized that there were many different applications for custom SeaDek. He has a 250 QT Yeti Tundra cooler that he uses as a fish box, and also a seat in the cockpit of the boat. we decided to go with a 13mm pad to add extra cushioning for comfort and also put the name of his boat into the pad for that custom touch. Another great application in the cockpit of the boat that we decided to cover were the step box and also the steps going into the cabin of the boat. Once we climbed up the ladder into the upper station of the boat we realized that the upper helm as well as the forward seating area floor would be a nice addition. Check out the pics and if you are interested in any custom SeaDek work feel free to contact me.
Check out the new redfish die cut pads by Castaway Customs. A simple yet versatile product that can used in many applications. They work great as a fly holder, or to stick any lures or jigs in. We have them in any of the colors of SeaDek. They have the same peel and stick adhesive so you can use them anywhere. They work great as a reel pad on the undergunnel of any boat or skiff. They also look great so you can stick them anywhere as decoration. It has the same great traction of SeaDek so you can use them as a trailer step pad or on any step for traction. We will coming out with many other species shortly, so let us know what you would like and we will get started working on it. To order a pair please contact me at tyler@castawaycustoms or feel free to give me a call at 321-537-2039.
Castaway Customs is happy to have teamed up with the HT Series for the redfish and bass tournaments for 2010. The HT Series has been around for a while now and got started in bass tournaments. The formats over the the past few years have changed and with the ESPN Redfish Cup folding in 2010, HT Series has stepped up for next year. On the redfishing side of things there will be a 2 day pro events called the HT Cup as well as 1 day amateur events called the HT Series. Both the pro and amateur events will be run from Florida to Texas and as far North as South Carolina. The HT Cup and HT Series events will conclude towards the end of October out in Venice Louisiana for the championships. Castaway Customs will be attending a few of the events throughout the year so keep and eye out. Castaway Customs recently decked out the weigh in stage in SeaDek. Check out some of the pictures of the stage and a little one day event put together up in Titusville, FL near Mosquito Lagoon. Despite the bad weather there was a decent turnout of anglers and first place was taken home by tournament veterans Mark Sepe and Scott Guthrie. Check out http://www.htseries.com/ for more information and keep checking back for updates.
The HT Series stage before the SeaDek install
The HT Series stage after the SeaDek install
The HT Series stage being setup and leveled
The trailer rig with the foldout stage and weighin table setup
The Titusville event winners Mark Sepe and Scott Guthrie
If you have ever been digging for grouper or fished off of any offshore boat without coaming bolsters you will know it by the end of the day when your thighs are covered in bruises. Bare fiberglass isn’t a very comfortable surface and that is why many people cover the area you lean against while fighting a fish in the cockpit of their boats. Traditional coaming bolsters are made of foam and vinyl, much like a seat cushion. The problem with vinyl is it requires some up keep and also tends to mold and mildew after a while. Traditional coaming bolsters are very expensive and also require drilling many holes in the boat to attach the pad. SeaDek coaming bolsters take care of all the problems associated with traditional bolsters. Since SeaDek bolsters are made of a UV protected EVA foam formulated for the marine environment, you don’t have to worry about them fading, cracking, or mildewing like a vinyl bolster would. The EVA foam is also a closed cell foam so if you were to accidentally stick a gaff into it, you not have to worry about the pads absorbing or holding water. The application, like all SeaDek products, is an easy peel and stick application so it takes no time to make your boat more comfortable. Check out the video below to see how easy the installation is. We can manufacture the coaming bolsters in any of the stock SeaDek colors so we can make something that will look great on your boat. Castaway Customs carries stock sizes bolsters and specializes in custom applications. Feel free to contact us with dimensions of your boat for a quote. You can reach me at tyler@castawaycustoms.com.
This is a question I get asked almost daily. For those who aren’t familiar with the product or have ever had it on a boat they want to know why they should put it on their boat. Like the applications for SeaDek, the list of benefits also very vast. I will cover a few of them, but the more the product is being used for different applications the more benefits we are discovering.
The main reason SeaDek was originally created was to provide a nonskid replacement for boats. We put an embossed pattern we call micro dots into the pads which create a textured pattern. The combination of this pattern with the foam provides an excellent nonskid surface. You don’t have to worry about slipping and falling in your boat with SeaDek. This will increase the safety or you and the guests on your boat making everyone’s boating experience more enjoyable.
Comfort, we are all looking comfort in everything we do in life. From driving to sleeping, comfort is always a priority and we are seldom happy in an uncomfortable situation. Why would a boat be any different? With SeaDek is doesn’t have to be. We provide a varitey of products in different thicknesses to suit the necessary comfort level for your boating experience. If you are trolling offshore all day we can provide you a 15mm helm pad to stand on; if you are are crawling up onto the swim platform of your wakeboardboat we can provide you an 8mm swim platform pad to sit and kneel on; if you are poling around a flats boat all day we make poling platform pads. No matter what type of boating you do SeaDek can make your boating experience more enjoyable.
For most people owning a boat is a luxury item. Like all luxury items we like them to look good. One thing I have learned about a boat is that if you take care of it, it will do the same for you. SeaDek also makes your boat aesthetically pleasing. The wide variety of colors and capabilities to provide logos really allows you to set your boat apart from the rest. We all have a desire to be a little different and SeaDek is a great product to help you do that.
These are just a few of the advantages of adding the SeaDek product to your boat. For more information browse around my website to see pictures of different applications. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at tyler@castawaycustoms.com or call me at 321-537-2039.
Castaway Customs specializes in making custom products that help set your boat apart from the rest. If you already have artwork provided or have a concept you can email to us. We have many semi custom logos to choose from and have the abilities to create any custom logo whether it be for strictly for your SeaDek pad or if you want new boat lettering. Castaway Customs works in close relation with BoldWater who has been a staple for design work in the marine industry for over 10 years. Check out a few of the recent logos we have done recently. If you would like to purchase a pad with a stock or custom logo, please contact us at tyler@castawaycustoms.com.
Flats Boats, Inshore Boats, Push Pole Holders, Push Poles, skiff | admin | 
December 27, 2009 9:27 pm | 
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