for those who have owned different thickness hulls, is there a noticeable difference going from .100" to .125" OR .125" to .190" or even .250"?

is it more important for the braces to be longitudinal rather than the cross ribs to keep the hull's integrity good on impacts? I know there have been a lot of discussions on why longitudinal stringers are good to prevent the hooks in a hull from the engine's torque but haven't found much on impact/dent prevention.

There's a significant difference on dent reduction of 190 vs 125, as between 125 and 100. Is it worth it to You? That's up to each person's preference.

Different alloys make a difference as well. Depending upon whether or not you're running salt water or purely fresh water, and denting. 5086 vs 5052 and so on, 5086 being less prone to dent but more likely to crack on impact. Conversely 5052 being more likely to dent, and less likely to crack.


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And long braces as opposed to cross sectional bracing. If you're planning on touching bottom you want longitudinal bracing to avoid hooks, which have a big impact on performance.


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If there's a chance of you hitting a stump, go with 3/16.

If you will never hit a stump, go with 1/8.


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I agree, rocks are scary


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I agree as well about rocks... that being said I've hit shit really fast with all sorts of hull thicknesses and never not gotten home. Any hazards are as bad as how you handle them... if you go WTFO through a boulder infested creek you can't be upset if you get some scratches and dents, and on the other hand if you gotta break ice take it slow and you won't have any problem. There's always going to be that dead head or submerged rock that you'll hit, but that's an accident. I don't drive a tank just incase I get rear ended, yknow?


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I like tanks

If the only the bottom is 3/16" then not much more weight added to boat to tough it up just in case of that bottom contact with something.

And the 70 pounds dispersed over 80 sq feet... so less than a pound per square foot


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That being said if you're not running a stump feild you probably don't need it... if you wanna have the boat for a lifetime gopher it


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The only place I've ever hit rocks is way up in Canada, but they are all rounded and smooth rocks. Never had a problem with rocks or ice on a 1/8" boat.

Given weight of the boat is important, I'd opt for a lighter boat and more care in handling it.

3/16th just gets me that warm fuzzy feeling kinda like that after a good shot feeling be it liquor or bagging that big buck. Besides I like jumping logs and stuff! Any more air time in my boat then the FAA is gonna want me to get a pilots' license! If any chance at all of hitting anything????? Besides most drive a mud boat to get to those hard to reach places and get back out, so bottom toughness is 1 thing I look at.

A hull that stays rigid and maintain its integrity trumps weight savings any day of the week. I'd rather have a hull that weighs an extra 50 pounds and holds up to abuse over the years better. With that being said, most folks are better served having the extra weight in bracing, and not a 3/16 hull. 1/8 is just fine unless you smack solid obstructions on a regular basis.


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[quote="Crews"]A hull that stays rigid and maintain its integrity trumps weight savings any day of the week. I'd rather have a hull that weighs an extra 50 pounds and holds up to abuse over the years better. With that being said, most folks are better served having the extra weight in bracing, and not a 3/16 hull. 1/8 is just fine unless you smack solid obstructions on a regular basis.


And with a hull that is braced with more longitudal ribs will not hook as easy and most dents or bends will be from front to back affecting performance a whole lot less.

I have a 1/8" hull. I run basically all mud and hit the occasional obstacle. I've hit petrified stumps, an engine block, a jeep frame, dock piers, and who knows what else. But I'm in dirty jersey so that's to be expected. Bottom is still perfect.

I have 1/8" but extra stringers. I don't know which is better. Would it be better to add those extra 70lbs in more stringers than in the 3/16" people are talking about? It seems to me the ideal would be for an underwater obstacle to be hit right on 1 or 3 stringers to minimize damage.