Pool Noodle Alternative
 

I am building up my Expresscraft MTI cat and thought I share this with all of you. I personally do not like the look of pool noodles although they work and are cheap, but hey nothing is cheap or second best with a $2000.00 boat. But with my boat the modeler is really coming out. So I went looking for "closed cell foam" (polyethylene foam) aka pool noodles in sheets so I could model it in the hull of my boat I saw it in a previous forum long ago. Anyways if anyone is interested here is a good source and the price for me was right.

http://www.closedcellfoams.com/polyethylene.html

I got a half sheet of 2" foam to use in my cat, her dimensions are 60" x 20" and its charcoal in color. Its looking good with the red/gray carbon kevlar cloth I added for reinforcement (awesome hull didnt need it, but I wanted it bulletproof for my QD35).

Before anyone can say anything, yes it adds weight, but I dont race!

Maybe this will help someone.

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

Hey Bugg,

Awesome alternative to noodles. Kinda pricey, but as you said nothing is cheap in a 2K boat. Your boat sounds like a screamer, got any pics of her? Thanks for the tip, take care.

Scott

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

I have a ton im just not sharing them yet! Make a few out there wait.....lol

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

Nice stuff, but pricey. I'll stick with noods tho. Cheaper and you can color cooridinate better. Thanks for sharing, Brian

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

Hi guys, I recently found out the material inside the cheap orange life vests for boating is a closed cell foam. It looks just like the noodle foam. I got a kids size one for about five bucks and cut it open, inside were sheets of white foam about 5/16ths thick. The vest was small and very light and said it would support 95 lbs. Its real easy to fit into any hull. Mike.

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

I'd stick with the noodles.....Thats going a bit over board. My cats are worth 2K PLus and Pool noodles are fine.....LOL

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

hey... what ever floats your boat!...:D (sorry, couldnt resist)

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

This is why some people leave the forums, or just wont post any ideas.

How is it going a bit overboard?...Like the topic stated this is a "ALTERNATIVE", if you don't appreciat it thats fine, but be mature enough not to flame the posting. I could say "why in the world would anyone drop 2k on a boat, then throw a .50 cent pool noodle it?" Beside's if you want to get really technical about it, with the amount of foam I purchased I will be able to do all 3 of my boat's, so in reality I did not spend that much more.

Going overboard (not "over board") would be correcting your grammar in a forum, or stating the obvious point that you really didnt read my post when I stated that this was a "alternative", or the fact that I also stated this was the "modeler" coming out.

I now return you to our regularly scheduled program...lol

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

i have to say i agree with ya on the subject of how the noodles look Bugg. Im not a huge fan of the outcome of appearance , but they do what they were designed to do and cheaply at that. If i could afford the foam you found, i'd probably go that way just for a cleaner look. even though I personally will end up using noodles because of the price , i still say thanks for throwin it out there for the guys that have the funds. good lookin out.

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

Nice alternative !
Also gives a person more options on placement for floatation
What would be NICE ... is someone could find another lightweight material that is bouyant AND will last . Even though pool noodles are cheap , they DO need to be replaced ( sunlight dries them out and then they tend to take on water after aging ) and can SOMETIMES be a royal pain in the butt to replace because of location/placement .

Kudos for going out of the box and finding something different .

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

Thanks for the tip one the lifevest.

I was looking for something to put under the edges of the deck on the Easy Vee i'm building and this sounds like it will suit the bill just fine. it's thin enough and the price is right

Tony

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

Geez Fella....I ended it with a LOL.....that would mean that I'm laughing ! Was mature enough to share my opinion , BUT if you take that as a FLAME ?? sorry that you feel that way[&o] Saying this is why people leave forums or don't want to post any ideas Thats a poor judgement . "Food for thought" This Forum has many unexperienced , also a good amount of experienced people , so that being said.......You will definately run into people with different ideas and outlooks on topics. So the more times that People make such a STINK over somebody sharing their Opinion.....THATS a good reason why people leave. I Personally really spend very little time on this sight...because of this type of reaction happens all too much[&:]

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

Get a life will you ? TAHOE ...
Seems YOUR the one always looking down the dark side of the street . And , yeah ... go back to that "other" site , you fit right in there :eek:

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

OK people, I just got called in here to clean the place up. Water Bugg showed another choice for floatation and that's cool. With peoople spending Mega-bucks on their boats I can see why they might not want to skimp on a part that could save money later on.
If you like using pool noodles, fine and dandy but keep your mind open to alternatives.
I'm just hoping that cabin fever isn't setting in early this year as I went through enough of that last winter. Come on, let's start playing nice.

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

I used these [link=http://www.flaghouse.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=2283]Arm Floats[/link], they are pretty dang tuff, impervious to oil and gas. ran a set for two years and they never chafed through, trim the bags below the seam and you get 4 floats that you blow up to fill the cavity

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

Thanks Ron, This simple post was getting real stupid!:eek: Cute lil floaties!:) Brian

RE: Pool Noodle Alternative
 

Good idea for some alternitive you also can use a old pool float that your wife uses to sun bath on atleast with my wife she like's to change them every couple of year's for reason's I don't know but being they cost around 70 bucks new the old one's can be used again for my boat's they lay flat and you can cut them up to fit any hull