Light weight flotation

[Basstronics]

Has anyone use the air bubble packaging as flotation?

I wanted some light weight flotation in my 25" mono. I can only fit one of these in the nose. It weighs next to nothing- literally. Unlike pool noodles or expanding foam.

The better question- is it reliable?

The bags seem to be air tight if I press on them. Takes a decent amount to pop one.

[keithbradley]

I think the pool noodles are more buoyant. A very small peice of noodle will float a much larger object. The bag of air might be ok, but if there isnt a venthole in the nose, you should have a pocket of air up there anyway.

[SweetAccord]

The one bag of air may not be enough to keep you hull from sinking if that is all you plan to use. Pool noodle cut sideways and stacked inside per area will give you better floatation and you will want to add more around the sides, if you can, and in the back of the hull. Pool noodle is very light, hard to beat.

[Fluid]

The bags are more buoyant than pool noodles for the weight. I've used both and they both work, but of course if you get a hole in the bag it's useless.

What you need to remember is that for each pound of your boat you need a minimum of 29 cubic inches of flotation to keep the boat at the surface. For a standard 2.5" pool noodle that's ~7" of noodle. A six pound boat needs at least 42" of noodle stuffed inside. And do not count on "trapped air" keeping a boat afloat. I've seen far too many boats split a seam in a crash with the bow losing air until the boat disappears beneath the waves....


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[SweetAccord]

Good point, hit something pop goes the bag and down you go. Pool noodle can't do that.

[keithbradley]

do not count on "trapped air" keeping a boat afloat. I've seen far too many boats split a seam in a crash with the bow losing air until the boat disappears beneath the waves....


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I wouldnt count on trapped air to float a boat... But I wouldnt count on a plastic packaging airbag to stay in tact if I crashed hard enough to split seams either.

There was a member on here that did the whole inside of his boat with foam and cut out spots for the rx, batteries, rx pack, ect. so the foam acted as more than just flotation. I thought that was a cool idea as well.

[keithbradley]

What you need to remember is that for each pound of your boat you need a minimum of 29 cubic inches of flotation to keep the boat at the surface. For a standard 2.5" pool noodle that's ~7" of noodle. A six pound boat needs at least 42" of noodle stuffed inside. .

I just put the rest of teh noodle I had in my 50" mono. I wasnt sure it would be enough, but according to what you are saying here, Im probably not even close. Fortunately pool noodle is on the wifes grocery list

[chummer]

The bags are more buoyant than pool noodles for the weight. I've used both and they both work, but of course if you get a hole in the bag it's useless.

What you need to remember is that for each pound of your boat you need a minimum of 29 cubic inches of flotation to keep the boat at the surface. For a standard 2.5" pool noodle that's ~7" of noodle. A six pound boat needs at least 42" of noodle stuffed inside. And do not count on "trapped air" keeping a boat afloat. I've seen far too many boats split a seam in a crash with the bow losing air until the boat disappears beneath the waves....


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Jay,
You need to write a book. "F/E for dummies".

I will pre-order!!! Tell me where to send Paypal!

[ozboater]

chummer, check this out... jt wrote this book... a friend of mine has a copy... good stuff..

http://www.airagestore.com/books/boats/basics-of-fast-electric-boats.html

[sailr]

POOL NOODLE! You can cut it, slice, it, dice it, to make it fit anywhere and everywhere.

[FE Wannabe]

The bags are more buoyant than pool noodles for the weight. I've used both and they both work, but of course if you get a hole in the bag it's useless.

What you need to remember is that for each pound of your boat you need a minimum of 29 cubic inches of flotation to keep the boat at the surface. For a standard 2.5" pool noodle that's ~7" of noodle. A six pound boat needs at least 42" of noodle stuffed inside. And do not count on "trapped air" keeping a boat afloat. I've seen far too many boats split a seam in a crash with the bow losing air until the boat disappears beneath the waves....


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Jay,

I do not doubt the math behind the 29ci per pound for flotation.
However, aren't we just concerned the only the non-displaced weight of the boat and not the total weight of the boat?
Otherwise, it would take a 145 foot long pool noodle to float my 250lb body in a pool!
I guess we need to define how high in the water we are wanting to float a boat.

I do agree that you should shove as much pool noodle as you can comfortably fit in a hull, though.
Just my 2 cents.
Brad

[martno1fan]

Depending on how big your boat is you can use wine bags,when you buy your wine in a box once its gone take out the bag and blow it up through the tap,viola one cheap light weight strong airbag.I saw this idea posted on a UK forum so thought id share it,blow the bag up as much or as little as you like to suit the space etc.
Mart
pool noodles add a lot of weight to a boat these bags weigh nothing,much better idea in my opinion.Even small water bottles would work well in some boats and theyre also very light.

[Fluid]

Otherwise, it would take a 145 foot long pool noodle to float my 250lb body in a pool!

Better go back and take high school physics again! To float, an object must weigh less than the water it displaces. Most of your body is water so it has close to neutral density/buoyancy. Your bones are the densest part and are why you would sink at all. Your body will float without any flotation if your lungs are full. That is why a small pool noodle will help to keep your head high above water.

A boat is far far different. Nothing it is made of is close to neutral density, all its parts have densities far higher than that of water. Plastic, metal, lithium...all are far denser than water. It is the density that is the difference between how a boat and a body float. The flotation we add is not to keep the boat floating high above the water, it is to maintain the buoyancy just high enough to keep the boat awash at the surface.

pool noodles add a lot of weight to a boat these bags weigh nothing

Give me a break. A 60" pool noodle weighs 3 ounces! If 3 ounces effects the performance of your boat, then you are way underpowered. I often have to add lead to my boats to keep them on the water. Plus, if that bag gets a hole in it you suddenly have zero buoyancy from it. Use what you want of course, but be advised...

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[Basstronics]

I will weigh that pool noodle and let you know.

I bought one to use now.

I pulled a bunch of expanding foam out of a boat- it was noticeably lighter.

[martno1fan]

My hulls are 58" usually it takes 3-4 noodles for floatation they add quite a bit of weight not only that over time they do soak up oil etc,the bags weigh nothing in comparison.These bags are reasonably strong and dont puncture easy so they should be fine.Another idea is to use kids arm bands split where the join is at one side so you get two joined that will lay flat,these are even stronger and cheap too.In my view in the larger hulls a poole noodle down the side works great but under the deck the bags would be a good way to save on weight.
Mart