What to know about foam decking for your boat

Christmas came a little early for my family and I this year, with a brand new Stabicraft arriving under the gum tree.

I could write an entire book on all its features, how well it drives, how fast it goes, and how much love it! But, I’ll save that for another day.

With hot summer days just around the corner, I thought I’d offer some very helpful advice to all you keen boaties — cover your deck!

Now it doesn’t take a 'Brainiac' to figure out that the first reason that deck covering can benefit you is to protect your feet.

Lots of anglers I know don’t like to wear shoes when fishing. They can lead to slips, trips and falls on even a calm day, so many utilise the "bushman-style" and go barefoot.

A day’s fishing should be enjoyable for your entire body… nothing is worse than when the bite is hot, but the souls of your feet are even hotter!

Covering your deck can prevent this major discomfort from happening and means a more enjoyable day’s fishing.

DECK COVERINGS
There are plenty of deck covers available today. But some are better than others.

I used to use just a large rubber floor matt with drainage holes, but found cleaning it a hassle and any small tackle I dropped would get caught in the holes.

Both my Stabicrafts are now covered in marine-grade, premium-quality, closed-cell EVA foam.  It’s non-slip, too, so that should keep my cameraman happy on those rougher days.

CARING FOR YOUR CREW AND CATCH
Same goes for my dog. Dog owners should hold the back of their hand against the ground for one minute on a hot day. If they can’t handle the heat themselves than that means their dogs can’t either.

But the same goes for fish, if you ask me. Whether you’re practising catch-and-release or taking home a feed, placing a fish onto a red-hot deck is just not on.

The fact the foam decking doesn’t absorb heat is a big bonus for any fish I bring into the boat. This improves the fishes chance of survival for release.

Now we’ve all done this one at one point or another… headed out from the boat ramp in the dark and forgot our sunnies. Or even worse, lost your sunnies over the side of the boat.

Boat decks with no coverings, in full sunlight, may as well be mirrors. Nothing is worse than squinting all day long, while trying to enjoy a day’s fishing.

Covering your deck with a full body cover (not a rubber matt with big holes) can prevent such a thing from happening.

DEADENS THE SOUND
As well as feeling great under your feet, preventing glare and protecting your catch, foam also acts as a sound softener, which is perfect for when you are out fishing.

Fish hear sound and, when fishing shallow water, big bangs can scare fish.

I know all too well that loud noises (like accidentally dropping the knife/gaff/pliers or sinkers onto the deck) sounds 10-times louder underwater than above.

So seriously, if you own a boat and aren’t covering your deck — consider it! There are plenty of cool decking options available on the market today, at different costs, sizes and colours. And cut to fit.

Let’s be honest too, at the end of a day’s fishing the only thing that should be frying is a few fillets, not your feet!