Boat Float Pods PSA 

Dude I love your videos! I have only ever understood the most basic theory of pods and have wondered what and upward slant to pods would do, now I don't have to make the mistake of trying it. I'm so glad someone with your level of experience and expertise is taking the time to record and instruct the rest of us. I really wish my instructors in college had your teaching skill and relevant info!

Outstanding and full information on pods. Have an old 12' aluminum boat (a project) that I was considering investing in pods. Now I'm reconsidering. My boat's transom is curved and not angular. Your description of angle, location, displacement, drag, handling, etc., has me thinking that maybe I can solve the issue with equalizing weight distribution. I really appreciate the video.

So much useful information. Thank you sir, you definitely made it make sense. Looking forward to putting my pods on this weekend

Great informative video. Lots of valuable information in regards to pods and proper installation.

Excellent info and exactly what I was looking for thank you sir.

I really appreciate this! I'm building a small 13 and a 1/2 foot flats skiff that I'll be using to fish coastal flats. I'll be putting a 15 HP outboard on it and I want just a little extra buoyancy back there. Your video with the math calculations will help me build a set of pods that will be just the right size for the weight I want to displace so the back of my boat doesn't get swamped in rough water. Otherwise, I would have probably used the "bigger is better" - "go big or go home" method and built pods that were way too big. Thanks!

That was excellent. I went bowfishing for the first time a couple days ago. The boat owner I chartered was talking about adding pods. Now I understand why he wants to add them.

Fantastic explanation! Thank you very much.

Great information. Thank you for your time and effort to help.

Great information on pods . Going to try it on my boat. Thanks

Your video gave me a great deal to think about. Very well presented.

Biggest reason for putting pods on the boat is to be able to piss out the back and not dribble in the boat!

Great video and explanations! Thank you!

This is a fantastic video. You just got a subscriber here. Im trying to figure out if i want/need pods for my jon boat (coming soon) your video really cleared up a lot of questions for me.

I recently purchased a small v hull boat and have been try to dispute weight better on it do to issues getting on plane and not sitting level when in the water. I often wondered if pods would help me because I didn’t want big pods hanging off the rear. I made some cardboard mock ups for size reference to what I want with the goal off adding a couple hundred pounds of floatation this video helped a lot and I now think pods could really help me out

Thanks for the information. I actually learned something today.

I have been planning to add pods to my boat for a while now. I was told it would affect steering and I wouldn't like them. Your video explains why and how to correct it. Would like to talk if possible just to get a better understanding and what design I should use. Thanks for an awesome video!

Great info and thanks for taking the time to explain this. Makes a lot of sense! Have any suggestions on pods for a step down hull?? Would it make sense to mount the pods flush with the outside(highest sitting part of the boat)(for boat reference skeeter zx17)

Awesome video! I had to save it for future use. Thank you

Welded my pods on the other day after watching this video boat runs great with em on. only 1/2” of rise in the back runs great.was a lil scared to put em on after a bunch of forums I read but this video helped me decide to just do it thanks

Great info. Thank you.

Well done, sir. Well done!

Wow super interesting video. Thanks

Great video, I’m buying my first Jon boat to trap out of, was looking at pods for it. I have only trapped out of McKenzie style drift boats in the past. Thanks for the info.

Awesome video! Answered a lot of questions. But what do you think about float pods on a pontoon boat? Thank you

Very good discussion

Awesome video and very informative. So just to recap if I set the pods in towards engine and not flush with the outside and up off the water say a inch thats a good thing? If I angle just the back up it will cause it to porpoise. What's the difference between the two? Angled and fully raised. Fully raised wont porpoise like angled pods? Trying to get a better understanding seeing how im new to boats.

Man O Man Great Video! Appreciate the Pod Class- Thanks Million- Off topic here but could you recommend option for not too expensive (weekend use) beginner tig welder? Maybe machine I could grow w/ a bit- Mainly as fishing guide & 2 aluminum jet boats that need repair from time to time - Thanks, jack

Very informative as are all your videos. I did not watch the entire thing, so I don't know if u addressed it, but...... .have you noticed that when pods are added, it creates somewhat of a void where the prop and ventilation plate are? I had to add a 6 inch set back and drop motor 4" to compensate for this. It's a mercury 4stroke, 40hp, quiet as can be, but once underway, it sounds like a Harley. Again, if u addressed this, link the time stamp.

Great video glad I came across it because it totally applies to a project I'm starting. Always have had boats on the great lakes Sea Rays Baja's , Zodiac etc, my Dad had a 12' Alumacraft that he used in his pond ( last registered in 1980 ) and it will barely fit inside my tow vehicle, 7.3 Box Truck, that we pull an RV with I thought I was done with boating but started watching videos and now I have the Bug! Ordered a Suzuki 20 4stroke 100lb and want to do a simple build? Lol ! I know, there is no such thing, but here is my problem, my original idea was to use trim tabs with adjustable turnbuckles for support brackets and pull pins to either fold them up or remove them, I have that part figured out, but if I need the extra bouyancy do you think a longer thinner removable adjustable pod might be practical? The other idea I am considering is an aluminum angle 1/4 x 2x2 or ? riveted along each side to keep the water from pushing out the sides kind of a tunnel hull effect. U R D Man!

Man alive what a good video sir

Well done, even a hilljack like myself could follow your math, big thumbs up.

I have a 1448 aluminum, rated for a 25hp...I have a 50hp Johnson, well, I decided it was going on the boat..I put the pods on, best thing i could have done. 2hundred pounds of lift..the beaver tail was made to fit my boat..

Interesting. I put a 50hp on my 14ft fiberglass runabout. Its back heavy now especially with the heavy panther marine tilt and trim and 6 inch setback.

Great video! Thanks. I want To install pods on my classic gheenoe

I assume that backing up is quite different also... with the pods on. Great class, thanks.

I browsed through the comment section and you had mentioned about v-hull boats would be counter productive if pods are installed? I have an older hewescraft 16ft that is v on front but flat bottom on the rest. Was thinking of adding pods to make up the difference since a wanted a larger motor or upgrade to a 4stroke. Is it not a good idea to install pods then? Also the outboard is on a jackplate so it sticks out the motor an additional 5in away from the transom.

Thanks for this video… Will adding the flotation pods effect the steering on a tunnel jet? I just purchased a used Alweld tunnel jet and it’s heavy in the rear. I want to add pods for all the reasons you covered. I called Alweld and they said it will make it hard to turn the boat cause it’s a jet and turns off momentum thrust.. What’s your thoughts?

Great content

awesome thankyou

Great information, I’m interested in installing pods on my2020 bass tracker classic. I fish swallow water n I’m looking for a extra help on going to plane faster. Would you think pods would help on my tracker? Thank you

Very good video

Forgive the dumb question but do small boats not have outboard brackets available? A bracket can get you all the additional floatation without drag on plane but also gets your prop into cleaner water, has option of a swim platform and moving the outboard back can improve performance. It's a common upgrade on larger boats and I'd assume small boats would see similar benefits if available

Would shake your hand if I could that cleared up so many questions.

Amazing vid brother ❤

How dare you bust out the math. This is very unacceptable. Good video keep it up.

Good video 👍

do you usually brace the inside of the pods as some stiffening or leave it empty when you build pods?

I'm fan of sponsons. They go on the sides to aid stability at hull displacement speeds, and are fully out of the water when on plane. Not so much to lift the back for an oversized outboard, though they will do that a little. Make the boat more stable, standing on a casting deck or when someone is boarding or getting off at the dock. Foam filled backup if you rip the hull open at 30 mph hitting a nearly sunken log. But that's a side effect, not the purpose.

Great video because a lot of folks probably think theyre all the same! I will say its easy to find a successful pod install on someones boat where I live(everyone has them lol) so people who are looking to do this should always bring cardboard and tape and a sharpie to the ramps the. go home and welder up!😂 Subbed!😎

excellent video thanks for sharing the knowlegde I learned alot: I have a 22' aluimiun deep V w/ a single engine pod 20" setback. this is a early 90s Armstrong pod it's so weird that they designed the pod to fill w/ water, I believe so saltwater would drain and not rot the stainless steel. instead of pods I'm wanting to widen my engine pod. seal it for extra floation add a bung to drain attach pods directly to existing engine pod around 1.25 cubic feet on each side, I'd like to add a kicker engine which is 120LBs. is there a way I can send you images of my plan? I have a thread at a boat design forum that has images of planned project if you'd like to take a look. Thanks Steve

Dustin is it safe to tig weld modifications on an aluminum boat with an integral fuel tank in it? I just didn’t know if it could ground and spark inside the fuel tank. What’s your experience?

Don’t you have to subtract the weight of the pods for the final solution? I have my pods pulled up .5 inch and choked in 1 in from the sides and my boat is still able to ride on the pad with zero performance loss. Nice video!

We transfer from a 12 foot aluminum boat to our bay liner trophy 50 yards off shore on our bui Puget sound is no place to take a dip in the pool ! I filled two 10 foot vinyl gutter downspouts with spray foam for a different project that did not work .I have a big 2 handed riveter and i plan to rivet and epoxy them to the sides at the water line i dont think il extend them back 4 inches like i was thinking to many issues

It seems as tho pods should be mounted on a jack plate to make the most outa them. I've never had a set of them. Never thought about the steering drawbacks. But a jack plate would make the most of a set of pods , in my humble opinion anyway. It would add more weight and more mechanical parts as well I get that.

Thats great

very informitive

I’m building a 1448 flat bottom boat. I went with the small beaver pods. Should have I went with medium?

Very imformative. I don't think I'm looking for speed and performance. A 14ft. jon, motor is 10 hp,100lbs + -,till steer and I'm 288lbs. Weight compensation for stabilty???

Thank you for the video. I’m a 290 pound man I wanna put pods on my boat. For a little more stabilization why fishing still .

Good info; appreciate you sharing your experience. I'd welcome a follow up to discuss the pro's and cons of different mounting methods that you've considered... Example, you point out that mounting at an upward angle causes porpoising, moving left & up enables better steering (at the cost of reduced volume/buoyancy). You mentioned mounting so the top is just out of the water. What would happen if you mounted the top so it is below the waterline do? guessing little less buoyancy, maybe more drag (until you come on plane). What would changing the angle of the pod's back do? Thanks!

Thanks for the tips! My question is in regards to spacing off the sides. I went with the small beavertailpods for a 1442 alumicraft. They are slightly angled up as you mentioned. I will be running a surface drive mud motor so the prop will sit pretty far back past the pods. ( not the long tail but still past the pods. ) Thoughts on flush to side or Would you still step them in. Thanks!

Just seeing this and you already want me to do math?!! You are mean!!🤨🤨. Kidding. Great video! I learned something!

What is your take on pods for stability? I have a 17' aluminum Bass Tracker that I want to be a bit more stable while sitting in the water for saltwater fishing. I know that's not the intention of a Bass Tracker, but I have what I have.

You mentioned if someone was a bass fisherman we wouldn’t need them pods. Now I am a bass fisherman and run a 14 ft v-hull Jon boat. I am building it into a bass boat. I would like to have a pair of these so I could get up in shallow water.

by this same math/geometry will 8x8x8 boat pods work, that I will have to custom make? I know they won't displace much but I absolutely need them on my boat. The beaver tail pods (even the smalls) are way too big for my boat. it's a 14x55 (55 on top, 36 on bottom) so by this logic, they wont displace much but 8x8x8 will help. I am running an over 100lb surface drive mud skipper that swings very far to the sides with a reinforced transom (about 30-40 pounds) and I bowfish, currently sitting LOW. I need pods but no one makes what I need. Everything is too big.

Wow ok that was alot. Now I'm thinking I need to have my pods custom built and installed by a professional :(

New guy here……. Just bought a 2008 G3 20x72 with a 2018 Yamaha Vmax 4 stroke. This is my first boat purchase. I’ve been thinking about adding pods. I could be wrong but, the boat seems kinda lite in the front especially when getting it on plane. I haven’t seen pods on a boat this size. Is it worth it? And does adding them increase your occupancy while on the water?

Have you seen anyone put pods on a deep fee Crestliner Sportfish?

Good video, well explained, but density of water is 62.4 #/ cu. ft. Small difference.

Anybody know where I can get custom pods I have a 14ft Jon boat?

I would think this would be most beneficial to duck hunters

1100cc Inboard jet jon. Thats what I'm building. I figured angles on the inside of pods for steering? The rest is your engineering. Whats your thoughts?

I have watched your video about 10x lol and i still have some questions about how i just installed my pods. I have not got the boat in the water yet so i have no idea wtf to expect. But long story short. I have a semi v hull. I decided to match the side and bottom profile of the boat. so the top of the pods are angled in toward the motor vs running horizontal with the transom top edge. Not a TON but they are angled down or in toward the motor. i also mounted them in 1 inch from the sides. and 1.5 inch up from the bottom. Did i screw myself?

Thanks for sharing, it was most helpful. I do believe you may have a dyslexic mistake. One cubic foot equals 7.481 gallons. One gallon of water (the media we are displacing) = 8.34 lbs 7.481 x 8.34 = 62.39 62.4 not 64.2

I want to put pods on my bass tracker for two purposes 1) to replace that fipper dolphin fin on my outboard(40hp) and 2) to increase the size motor rating on my boat if that makes sense. Right now my 17’ bad tracker is rated for 60 hp max. This boat should be rated for a bigger motor than that , so I figured with pods it would help with the extra weight of a larger motor and help it get on pad faster! Please tell me if I’m totally wrong in my thinking

Appreciate your video...what size pods would you recommend for a 14' long × 42" bottom, 55" top × 16" tall jon boat..I have 95 lb 1974 20hp mercury outboard and I weight in at 345...I'm just looking to stay afloat lol..

I have a 1648 that I want to waterfowl hunt out of, we will hunt three most of the time and im sure we’ll hunt four sometimes. I’ve got a 30 hp on it and our hunting group averages 245 lbs. how do I go about getting the right size pods for my boat

You called it. My boat is about 9 inches deep in water at back

I am going to make a pair from Plywood and fiberglass. Will save over $100 compared to beavertail small, and will be the size I need exactly

1 ft. cubed = 64.2 lbs. 1 ft. cubed would be the internal measurements and the weight of the materials to build the pod is not included in the 64.2 lbs., would that be correct?

Loved the video but I have had just about enough of freedom units🤦. Alternatively you could just buy a metric tape measure. 10cm x 10cm x 10cm= 1 liter. 1 liter= 1kg of water. Math lesson over lol. Oh, unless you HAVE to convert that back to lbs. Simply multiply kg x 2.2. I've built a few boats, and did landscape construction and built pools for 25 years. Our system is so unbelievably stupid, it's actually pretty embarrassing

I just wanted to look cool at the boat ramp.

I want to make one solid pod extension and move the motor back?

Wow! Great video. At which university are you a professor of science and technology?

Good info . Been building boats with and without pods for over 42 years most production on full planing Catamarans. You left out the importance of filling your pods with pour in foam. Pour in not for bouncy but for structural reasons. My current build I have designed a 55x22x18” pod fully filled with 2 pound pour in urethane foam. It is as solid as a rock and yes I can pee off of it with room to shake it off.

If your waterline is 10" and you make your pods. 10" tall. Wouldn't the pods make your boat sit higher. So the waterline would no longer be at the top of the pods?

I remember buoyancy with engineers. Why does a concrete boat float? It will if it weighs less than the weight of the water it displaces. In layman's terms

So other then steering, is there any issue with going too long on pods?

So I just ordered some beavertail small pods for a grizzly flat bottom 1654 what do I need to do because I've got a 60 Mercury Bigfoot on it and it sags on the ass end bad

Would pressurized pods increase bouyancey?

I would love to talk to you about the design on mine! I have a fabricator working on my 1860 alumacraft next week. Any chance you’d chat with me on the phone?

Does anyone have experience putting aluminum pods on a fiberglass skiff? I'm only 5 hp over the suggested size but I have built it from a plain hull had to glass in 4 wood stringers and a removable fiberglass floor added a 24 volt trolling motor so 2 batteries and a good size livewell and about to install an over motor platform needless to say more weight than it was meant for being a cheap skiff and I need flotation where I can get it was thinking to get them and have them powdercoated the same as my platform when I get that done has anyone seen how black powder coat holds up to being submerged in salt water? Any replies are appreciated

Man I felt like this dude was talking to me

I’m going to ask a stupid question. Would it be worth my time to put foam in the pods

😯high in this one is the dah huh factor 😊

Sir Does pods is good for deep v type hull?

Everything you say about steering I get, what about a long tail???

I run to big of a motor on my 14 foot aluminum,that is why I need pods.

Do you know how to upload pictures in the comments