Trick out your Maverick HPX-T or Maverick HPX-V

Maverick Boats have been a staple in the shallow water boating market since the beginning.  There is a lot of history behind the skiff company and if boats could talk there are some Maverick boats with stories that could keep us entertained all night.  I have fished with Capt  Benny Blanco down in Flamingo on his Maverick HPX-T and have a few great stories of my own.  The HPX-T is a tunnel hull boat that can cross extremely shallow water and jump up on plane very quickly.  The boat is a fairly flat bottomed skiff so crossing open or rough waters in not ideal in this skiff.  That is where the HPX-V comes into play.  The Maverick HPX-V is a proven hull designed used and abused by guides and charter captains throughout the world.  While it isn’t made for extremely skinny water, it will get you home safely when the wind and seas kick up.  I deal with a lot of customers who have Maverick Boats and they ask me what are some of the more popular options as far as SeaDek and boating accessories are concerned.  On any poling skiff, my first recommendation is to SeaDek their poling platforms and their casting platform, if they have one.  Castaway Customs provides custom aluminum work as well as SeaDek so if you need a casting platform made, feel free to contact us.

A nice example of a custom casting platform on the bow of a Maverick HPX-T

For those who don’t have a casting platform and looking to kill two birds with one stone, a Yeti Cooler is a great option.  The coolers are stable enough to stand on and fish while doing a great job of keeping things cold.  A 35 QT Yeti Tundra cooler fits nicely in front of the console on either Maverick and easily can hold a trips worth of food and drinks.  If you are looking a little larger cooler the 45 QT Yeti Tundra can be turned to run length wise in the cockpit and it still fits nicely in front of the console.

Yeti Tundra Coolers work great as a casting platform

Maverick Boats have used carpet for a long time on the under gunnel areas on their boats.  One of the most common jobs I do on Mavericks is replacing that old carpet with SeaDek.  Unfortunately from boat to boat placement of the rod holders seem to vary slightly so there isn’t a one size fits all kit.  If you would like to order a set for your boat, just contact me and I can work through the details with you.  We can do almost any logos you would like on the under gunnel areas and this really dresses the boat up nicely.

The owner of Maverick Boats, Scott Deal's personal boat

Maverick Boats are known for being very stealthy and quite, but one thing that ruin it is a client or friend stomping around in the boat.  We all have been on a boat with someone who isn’t exactly light footed.  A cockpit kit for the floor of the boat dampens sound and makes it more stealthy when trying to sneek up on a school of skittish fish.  Most layouts for our floor kits cover the helm area of the boat creating a helm pad and making it more comfortable when driving the boat also.

17 HPX-V floor kit

Depending upon where you are fishing in your Maverick sometimes staking out with your push pole isn’t a good option.  For instance, many places in Mosquito Lagoon have a harder sand bottom and trying to stake off with the push pole wont work.  If you are fishing down in the Everglades over a soft or muddy bottom, a push pole may work out just fine.  Either way, we always find ourselves in situations where having the capability to stake out is nice.  A great shallow water anchor system I recommend to my clients is the Wang Anchor.  There are different mounting systems depending upon you need.  They make a transom mount system and also a quick release deck mount system.  Both systems have their place in certain instances.  Even just purchasing the pole works great and you can just tie off to the pole with a rope.  The 3/4″ solid fiberglass pole penetrates hard bottom easily allowing you to stakeout and it can easily be stored in the under gunnel rod tubes of your Maverick.

This is the transom mount system on a HPX-V

Every technical poling skiff needs one thing and that is a push pole.  Castaway Customs has you covered there also as we carry many different push poles.  The pole that I’m currently using and for the price can’t be beat is a Loop push pole.  The Loop push pole is made from carbon fiber and is extremely stiff and lightweight.  It can also be made up to 25′ 9″ allowing you to pole more efficiently.

The Loop push poles work great

When it comes to tricking out your skiff, these are only a few of the most popular options and products my customers ask for.  The possibilities are endless and many time the only limits are created by the size of your pockets.  No matter what type of skiff you have, just remember that the purpose is to get out on the water and make some stories of your own.

What are the benefits of SeaDek?

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 wakeboard boat 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 Flyer

Applications for SeaDek

SeaDek is a versatile product for boats and everyday use. While it was designed and developed for the marine environment it works well in any environment. The great thing about the sheet material is you can use it so many different applications. While you may not be able to get a nice beveled edge like order a stock or custom product from us, SeaDek cuts like butter with a sharp razor knife. If you are on a budget and cannot afford to have us come out and custom cut pads for your boat, or you are just handy and like a good do-it yourself project, SeaDek sheet material is great. Whether you are working on a large or small project we sell stock sheets in many different sizes that will fit your needs. If are working on a project and cannot find a sheet size that suits your application, feel free to contact us with the size you are looking for and we can assist you. So next time you are looking for some grip and traction or maybe just looking to cover something up think SeaDek.