Vinyl or carpet??

[fisherguy]

I am in market for crappie boat possilily stick steer and some models have vinyl or carpet any feedback on the pro and con. I will be fishing year round in Ar. mostly small lakes little concerned about heat and durability.

[65pontiac]

Bought my boat new in 2002 and the carpet is still in really good shape. I keep it covered at the house at all times. Intead of beiing able to wash it with a hose I vacuum it. If it ever gets to a point it needs replacing I am going with this stuff. TUFF Coat Marine « Ultra Tuff and Tuff Coat Marine Non Skid Coatings

[LBM]

I went with vinyl since what few friends I have that ever fished with me in a carpeted boat never seemed concerned about their squishing minnows, corn chips or worm dirt into my carpet.

Fishing in freezing weather and with the water from caught fish that dripped on the vinyl floor tends to get slick when it ices up. I normally fish with a butt seat but haven't fallen down or out because of the floor icing up. Maybe because I don't catch that many fish. By fishing out of a stick steer boat where one is setting down most of the time you wouldn't be bothered as much by the ice on the floor until you stood like when loading out at the ramp.

As for durability I would say its not as durable as carpet since I now over 10 yrs do have a few spots that are torn that I need to do something with. I'v thought about getting some of that spray stuff seen on TV where they spray it over a screen used in the bottom of the boat and it doesn't leak.

Overall I've been satisfied with my vinyl due to the ease of cleanup.

[WKUs Final Approach]

Hydro turf is another great surface. That's what I will be insatlling on my boat soon!

[SirBob]

Vinal for ease of cleaning and no worries regarding spills or fish slime.
Carpet for a ease on bare feet and being a little quieter. Most marine grade carpet is durable and can be cleaned. For the tough spots you can use spot cleaners.
Last fall my fishing partner spilled a mug of coffee with creamer on my light tan boat carpet. He worried all day. When we got home,I took a can of Spot Shot(came from Home Depot's cleaning section) sprayed it, wiped it with 2 microfiber towels and the large Spot was gone. He bought another can and brought to me on our next trip as insurance.
Hope this helps.

[crappiewisdom]

I've got carpet in my boat. Cleans pretty good. My wife worries about blood stains and stuff, but they don't bother me that much. I hose it off at tha carwash once in a while and it comes pretty clean. I like carpet 'cause my wife likes to lay on the rear deck reading magazines while I fish. It keeps her happy. That makes it worth while to me.

[yikess]

Mine is actually a hybrid of the two. I have carpet on the front and back decks and vinyl in the main floor area. The combination is great. I can handle nasty catfish or bleeding crappie over the vinyl and just rinse it out.

[huntinslabs]

Hydro turf is another great surface. That's what I will be insatlling on my boat soon!

+1 on the hydroturf or seadeck. That's some good stuff

[filletfetish]

I've had a couple questions about the vinyl, too. Does the vinyl get pretty hot under the sun? I've walked on some in the showroom and it feels great under the foot, just didn't know about how hot it may get. Some days I like to go barefoot...sue me.

I'm betting it would be easier to get a hook out of it, rather than carpet. I agree that carpet stays pretty nice if you clean and vacuum. This stuff looks like it would be a breeze, though. Especially since some of them snap out all together.

[BTB]

I have khaki colored vinyl in my boat and it does get hot in the summer. The vinyl I have has a "pebble" texture and is comfortable underfoot or to sit on if it's not hot. Some of the vinyl is over wood and some is over aluminum. I don't notice a difference in temp between the two.

Personally, if I had to choose between carpet, vinyl, or hydroturf, I think I'd go with hydroturf. I use my boat to haul deer, ducks, and fish so carpet is not an option in my situation. Good luck with whatever you end up with.