SeaDek type material for sound dampening

[Rodney Smith]

I have a 15.4 foot Riverhawk boat (Gheenoe style) and I want to quieten it down for to help when fishing for big fish. I did a lot of research and ordered some Hydroturf sheets. The come in larger sheets than SeaDek and seemed better suited for my DIY project. When I lay it down in the boat and walk around on it, I can't tell all that much difference in noise. I know it isn't cut and applied with the sticky backing, but there will be quite a bit of templating work, etc. The cost for two sheets was only $260, so that isn't bad. My question is, is the worth the cost and installation hassles?

[A-Jay]

Nice.

I did some thing similar in my 16 ft Old Town squareback canoe.

My version was 4 foam yoga mats glued to the under side of a indoor  outdoor carpet.  Cut it to fit and simply placed it on the deck the entire length of the boat.  It is definitely quieter, but it is also warmer (insulates from cold water), much better and more comfortable footing, and is easily removed to clean dry when need.  It's going on 11 years old and is still quite effective. 

A-Jay 

 

[Rodney Smith]

AJ,

That sounds great. If you get a chance, can you send me a pic? Did you glue it down or does it just stay in place? Where did you get your yoga mats and outdoor carpet?

[J Francho]

I have custom cut sea deck on my Hobie Compass, and it's pretty quiet.  Being a SOT, any uncovered plastic can be loud since it's basically an echo chamber on the water.

 

[Rodney Smith]

 I decided to press on with the Hydroturf DIY project. Not custom by any means, but I was pleased with the way it turned out. I was suprised how much I liked it on my first trip out today. It is quieter and considerably more comfortable to walk on. For anyone considering a project like this with SeaDek, Hydroturf, or similar projects, I would highly recommend it. I ended only needing two large sheets and I did the whole thing in  about 3 hours.