Ok long tail Guru's help me out. Pete is building me a boat that is an 1856 using .125 everywhere. The boat will have a sport deck with a 16" transom on 12 degrees. I am planning on strapping a SWOMP 35 SS on it. My question is-- what are the pro's and or cons of the 59" SS vs the 72". Common sense tells me that tight turning would be beneficial with the SS. But what about real shallow water with a very hard bottom (flooded corn field) will I lose shallow water performance with the shorter shaft? Basically what are the trade offs.?

1st outstanding choice of boat and motor.
2nd If you are going long tail, go long. I have never driven a backwater but I heard they are great. However, I have driven both long tails from go devil. The short crawfish model did not perform anything close to the same as the regular model. I would think backwater is the same way. With the longer tail, you can get good bite and you have more area to move it around and dig out of the shit. That is just my opinion.

The ss is for a 16" transom, the 72" shaft is for a 21. Although either will work on either transom, the are specifically designed as described.

2x on your boat/motor selection! I believe the ss swomp 35 can be used on both short/long transoms, since they have adjustment on the cavitation plate as well. Maybe Frank the Tau can chime in. That is a heavy hull you have but the 35 should push it well in the skinny. We have similarly, a hard sand/marl bottom here, so the LT is still a very viable platform. Give us review/report as soon as you have run it! I am leaning to the 35 SS because of the turning radius, and putting it eventually on an 18' lighter gauge hull.

SS is meant to run on a short transom out or the box with no adjusting. LS is meant to run on a tall transom. But both the SS and LS can be adjusted to run on either transom. As far as the LS being faster than the SS because of the extra length, I'm not positive, but I don't think that's true. Call Back Water and they'll shoot you a straight answer. And if I'm mistaken and the speed difference, please let everyone know.

As far as the boat, an 1856 is a big boat! Please post a review when you've got the chance! Is love to know how the 35 SWOMP pushes a mud hull that size!

I tried finding the thread on here again of a guy that has the 2 of the exact same boats except one is a tall transom and one is a short. The tall transom has a 35hp long shaft and the short transom has the ss. I believe he said they are both backh2o. He said the longshaft with the tall transom out performs the other dramatically. I would think the physics would say that the less of an angle the greater the propulsion but the longer the shaft the harder it will be to turn and search for holes to put the prop in.

Thanks everyone for chiming in. Tight turning is secondary to shallow water performance for me. I am wondering if I should go ahead with the 72" and have Pete build a 21" transom. I really have not heard a compelling reason to go with the SS. I will call the guys at BackH2o but value the input here as well


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Can you post a diagram of your boat design with the sport deck, 16" transom with 12 degree angle? I'm curious as to how this is laid out.

Also, are you building it with square chines, tapered or round chine?

Don't take this the wrong way. The diagram and design I am leaving up to Pete. Thanks


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Awesome!!! And welcome to the wc family... post pics as you get them from pete..... I'd go long shaft tall transom.

you drink the kool aid, id rather drink the whiskey and raise hell!!!!

Short transom, long shaft is the way I'd go... Out of all the possible combos, I'd think this one would have the best forward thrust.

I would say if you are running a lot of timber go with the ss. What did the guys at backh20 say?

The guys at at Backh2o - Arlon tells me the long shaft is better for jumping logs. The SS is less demanding to run for the operator. He tells me the shallow water performance is basically the same since the short transom compensates for the short shaft He did say some like the long since it allows picking a holes in heavy vegetation. Pete seemed to think the sport deck would better accommodate the LT. Guys great input thanks.


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had a hunt deck on my surface drive loved it but I thought sport deck would work better with longtail when you have to raise prop out of water so that how I built it here a few pics of sportdeck

The sport deck gives the boat no extra flotation. The only thing I can see that it does is give you a place to stand outside the boat and take away space inside. By creatin g a huntdeck but keeping the motor on the transom and having surface area behind the motor it lifts the ass end up higher and makes the boat run flater. If kept short enough it should have no effect on operation of the motor.

Marks will be 1854 (not 56) with 21" sides but here is a 1648 we built year ago with Sport deck 24" sides down to 16" / 21 decree transom

Angle of pics don't show the transition very well but his wont be near this extreme.

Great looking work! Looking forward to seeing the finished boat and seeing how she runs!

If it helps any I have a an f86 1854 25" sides with hunt deck 21" transom with a 35 swomp ls and I'm getting 21 empty and 16 with 8dozen dekes 3 fats guys and gear 80+lb dog and food for a day trip

My rig

Choot'em
I am impressed with your speeds. I will be pleased if I can get those numbers with my new boat. Typically I will be loaded a bit lighter than your load. Thanks for the input!

I have a 1854 with the Backwater 35 SS and run 23 with just a buddy and me.

Schafer- are you running a 16" transom? Are you happy with the SS?

Sorry about the delay. Did you get one yet? But I have a 19'' Transom. Yes I love it!!! no problems what so ever. has all the power i need. they told me on the phone only thing different is the shaft length and there is no power difference. it was all in what i wanted/preferred SS or LS