Zodiac Inflatable and Sidescan Towfish...

[LM]

Does anyone know if I'll encounter any performance problems pulling a Starfish sidescan towfish with a Zodiac inflatable?

 

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[aquanut]

It might be a little slow if you're using a paddle...

 

[wwwtimmcp]

any kind of wind or waves will throw the inflateable off course, try to plan your runs directly into or running with waves,current,wind. I've towed my 4' coil for my jw fishers pulse 8x for several years now and it works great.

 

[LM]

Hahahaha Aquanut. These aren't 'your granddaddy's rafts' RIBs are pretty impressive.

wwwtimmcp: That's pretty interesting. I never even thought about towing a big MD setup. How does that work? What machines and components are you using?

 

[divermark]

I'd like to see the face on the guy when that landed, I have a 6.4m RIB and if you did that you would almost certainly give yourself some serious back issues and possible need a change of underwear!

 

[inletsurf]

I'd like to see the face on the guy when that landed, I have a 6.4m RIB and if you did that you would almost certainly give yourself some serious back issues and possible need a change of underwear!

He probably crapped his kidneys after that one.

 

[pcolaboy]

It might be a little slow if you're using a paddle...

Nice one John.

LSMorgan, if you're using a towfish I believe the only real requirement is speed of some sort. Scubafinder was successfully pulling a towfish behind a waverunner for a Humminbird Side Imaging unit. The whole point of the towfish as you know is for throwing out a stable beam that is not as easily disturbed from wave action or cavitated water from prop wash as you would have on a vessel mounted transducer.

 

[FISHEYE]

If you are using that RIB for your SS tow fish.First off your boat will have to be in the water and not airborne.You will have to tow at 4 knots or less.Surface waves cant be more than 1 foot.You will need a water proof box or some enclosure to keep your SS electronics dry.

 

[aquanut]

Well guy, You'd be better off with a paddle, because your tow fish turns into a flying fish on that rib!
Seriously though, if your are careful and pay attention, with calm seas, you can get the job done.
Aquanut

 

[LM]

Cool. I guess we're all going to find out how this setup performs, as it's the setup I'll be using on the upper West Coast of FL come this summer. Just have to learn more about RIB displacement and if they're suitable for the shallows I'll be navigating in and out of.

 

[mad4wrecks]

I'd be curious to know how that Starfish side scan performs.

Keep us filled in.

 

[comfortably numb]

There is one thing you have to remember when working the upper west coast.
Inflatable boat + Oysterbars = Bad day on the water!

 

[LM]

There is one thing you have to remember when working the upper west coast.
Inflatable boat + Oysterbars = Bad day on the water!

Yeah, no doubt. I'm trying to figure out what's the right kit for working shallow but occasionally punching out into the gulf.
The draft on a lot of these ribs wouldn't be good for the shallows, not to mention the whole abrasion thing.

 

[comfortably numb]

There is no "Right kit" for working these waters. That's why most of us over here have multiple boats. One for skinny water, One for deep water, And of course One party boat. The only boats That I have come across that meets your specs. Is the older ProLine or Aquasports, Known as A flatback. They have A deep V in the bow that comes down to A flat bottom in the stern. I had A 20' Proline like this That I have had out in the gulf, But could also run in 12" of water. The guides around here swear by them. The boat I run now is A Wellcraft with a deep V all the way to the stern, It's more stable in rough water. But the first time I tried to run it thru A pass that I use to run my proline thru I wiped out A lower unit.