splash guards

[jwmiller33]

ive been doing a lot of backtrolling lately, and it would be very nice to add some splash guards on my boat, so i dont get the occasional spray of water to the face from a wave while trolling. been looking online and ive seen the wave wackers ones and the whitecaps ones... they seem to be the best well known companies... i have a 1986 aluminum Lund S-16 with a 35 hp Johnson on the back. Splash guards would need to have a spot for the 35hp motor and the transom mount trolling motor. Other than that, I think splash guards for my boat have to be about as simple and cheap as it can get compared to other bigger boats. i want to get a price from both of them and wave wackers doesnt list their prices and i couldnt find my boat on the list on the whitecaps HSOforum.

anybody have any input as to a good place to get wave wackers put on? or how much it might run me to buy them? just curious and want to get the ball rolling because I think I am going to be fishing for another month or so at least before the ice comes (hopefully)... Lots of trolling

[gregg52]

wave wackers are wayyyyyyyyyyyyy over priced

i have whitecaps on mine he gave me a good deal cuz i bought the boat to him from up here

i have a 20 ft boat with a kicker on the back he did an excellent job

while i waited...for 250...they also are easily removal for cleanin and towin if you want to save a little gas

i didnt price wave wacker but i'm sure they would have been 500 or more

if you are in st paul you can run to shakopee i'm sure he would mount them for you most anytime

and your right yours probably would be real reasonalbe

[Northlander]

Miller just make your own out of old floor matts or some plexi glass. Otherwise go Whitecaps. I agree with gregg52 the Wavewackers are way over priced.

[jwmiller33]

Steve where does a guy find some plexi glass?

[harvey lee]

I went with the Whitecaps and have been very happy with them. They come to fit the boat and mine fit perfect. They also went on very easy and are way cheaper than the WW.

I would purchase them again in a heartbeat.

[jwmiller33]

harvey how much did you end up paying for yours if you dont mind? and did he install them for you?

[fishinfey8]

Jake my dad has a ton of extra full sheets. I'll ask him what he wants for it...

[Northlander]

You can get plexi glass at menards or Lowes I would assume.

[jwmiller33]

Elliot that would be sweet if your Dad could hook that up. I'm really interested in trying to make my own.

So the plexi glass comes in flat pieces, how do i go about bending it to get the shape of the splash guards? my boat is very similar to the one in the picture below, but i would just have the trolling motor on the opposite side from the picture.

I would want my splash guards to be very similar to the ones in the picture in terms of dimensions, height and angle. do you heat the plexi glass and bend it to that shape or........?

thanks much!

[Tullibee]

I also have whitecaps, very nice!

[Northlander]

You can heat it up or just angle it. For looks purposes the whitecaps are the way to go.

[goose89]

I +3 or +4 the Whitecaps. I've had nothing but good experiences (2 different boats w/ modifications to original Whitecaps) and great service with Brian (Whitecaps guy).

[benjineer]

Be careful when drilling. Plexi is apt to crack and bust if you get too much bite. At least that's my experience.

[Northlander]

Ya keep the paper coating on it and start very small and work your way up.

[gregg52]

fun to make your own stuff but i think for what you going to pay

you will be further ahead...looks to

but on the other maybe it will be the start of a new career for you...lol

[volksdriver]

I recently bought a set of the "Whitecap" splashguards for my 2001 Alumacraft Navigator (75hp Yamaha 4stroke and MinnKota Vector rear electric troller) VERY NICE, and easy to install. Used to have a Lund S-16... made my own for that boat out of a product called "lexan" ..... bought it from a window place, it is FAR MORE DURABLE than plexi-glass! I just had to determine the width, etc, and then decide where and what angle I wnated it bent... they did that for me (wish I had a picture to share, unfortunately not).... was not very expensive either!

[hamms-scooter]

Tullibee, If not too much trouble could you post a couple of pics of your boat with the whitecaps?

[caseymcq]

I have the over-priced Wave Wackers, I am very happy with them. I would go with them again when I get a different boat. They come off and go back on very easily. The materials are quality, IMO. I haven't had the unfortunate expierence myself but I know people who have had them crack and they have been replaced for free.

Now you guys can tar and feather me for being the disenting opinion

[gregg52]

they can afford to replace them if they crack

cuz you paid 2 prices........lol

theres a few feathers lol

[Northlander]

ive been doing a lot of backtrolling lately, and it would be very nice to add some splash guards on my boat, so i dont get the occasional spray of water to the face from a wave while trolling. been looking online and ive seen the wave wackers ones and the whitecaps ones... they seem to be the best well known companies... i have a 1986 aluminum Lund S-16 with a 35 hp Johnson on the back. Splash guards would need to have a spot for the 35hp motor and the transom mount trolling motor. Other than that, I think splash guards for my boat have to be about as simple and cheap as it can get compared to other bigger boats. i want to get a price from both of them and wave wackers doesnt list their prices and i couldnt find my boat on the list on the whitecaps HSOforum.

anybody have any input as to a good place to get wave wackers put on? or how much it might run me to buy them? just curious and want to get the ball rolling because I think I am going to be fishing for another month or so at least before the ice comes (hopefully)... Lots of trolling

Miller e-mail I just thought of a guy who was selling his splash guards. I think the trolling motor hole was on the drivers side of the boat but that could be fixed easy enough. I will call him and see if he still has them.

[LMITOUT]

I have the over-priced Wave Wackers, I am very happy with them. I would go with them again when I get a different boat. They come off and go back on very easily. The materials are quality, IMO. I haven't had the unfortunate expierence myself but I know people who have had them crack and they have been replaced for free.

Now you guys can tar and feather me for being the disenting opinion

Ditto!

[mww24]

we use lexan to make machinery guards so you can still view the belts and what not. If you drill go slow like said. We've had problems with cracking while bending them using our press brakes. If you bend them you don't want to make to sharp of bend. We try and using something with quite a it of radius. Also we have them watercut to hold hole patterns and what not. It's a lot of work to do it by hand.

[harvey lee]

harvey how much did you end up paying for yours if you dont mind? and did he install them for you?

I got a good deal on them and I believe I paid around $135.00 at the most.

That is also about 4 years ago and I installed them. They are very easy to install.

Fit was perfect and they go on and off like a dream.

If I were to make a pair, I would go with the Lexan by far. It does cost a bit more but I believe they would be of better quality.

[delcecchi]

I learned this many years ago. Grind the drill bit to have zero or negative rake and you won't dig in and crack plexiglass. (on cutting edge of bit.) here is feeble attempt at asci art.

/

regular bit /_____

/

zero rake |________

negative rake \_______

[jwmiller33]

so i asked my dad about my xmas present for this yr and told him how much i have been backtrolling and could really use some splash guards... i hinted enough for him to say that he would buy splashguards for me as a xmas present! im thinking about having them put on before i put the boat away for the year so i can have them on when i take my boat to the rainy river in late march (hopefully ice is gone by then)...

so......... it comes down to this... wave wackers or whitecaps? sounds like i cant really go wrong with either brand, but, is there anything that one company offers that the other doesnt? how are these companies in terms of warranties? is there a warranty offered? what happens if one cracks from normal use in a year or 2? sounds like these things arent bulletproof

i really like the aspect being able to remove them easily... do you need any tools to do so? or are they just like wing nuts or something?

for guys that have them... is there anything you wish you would have done differently with what you currently have or had?