hot shoe gas pedal;?

[Darth-Baiter]

pro/cons?  my friend installed one on his boat.  first time seeing one actually was his boat.  grew up around my brother's boat and we had the traditional hand thing, very similar to the one on the Starship Enterprise (from what I can tell - I joke!)

 

the hot shoe doesn't negate the need for a cut off switch lanyard, right?  (friend still clips his)

 

and I remember difficulties maintaining steady gas foot pressure in a bumpy 4x4, it has to be similar in rough waters no?  

 

he has never let me pilot his boat.  just asking to learn.  I vaguely remember Randy B, poo-pooing the hot shoe, but I dont watch his videos.  

[Fishingmickey]

I can see a hot foot as a serious plus, especially in rough water where your having to vary the throttle due to waves and wakes. Much better boat control and less chance of "accidental" throttle control being hit or pushed.  You still have to have a kill switch lanyard.

FM

[GaryH]

Been using hot foot for years. Great in rough water as you can keep both hands on the wheel. Yes you still need a kill switch. 

[rangerjockey]

The advantage to the hot foot along with blinker trim is that it allows you to keep both hands on the wheel. I think it is safer especially in a faster boat.

Absolutely use the the kill switch. 

[TOXIC]

There’s pros and cons to both.  I’ve had both on motors 225hp and 250hp.  They are great for control and driving, they are spring loaded so they return to idle if you remove your foot, they are a pain if you have long no-wake zones and can foster foot/leg fatigue, the spring setting is tight enough you don’t unintentionally “feather” the throttle in rough water unless it’s an evenrude that is a fly by wire and not cable driven.  Evenrudes newest versions do give you the ability to switch back and forth from hand throttle to hot foot.  There is a learning curve if you switch from a hot foot to a hand throttle.  With a hotfoot, you quickly push the hand throttle in gear all the way to what would be full throttle if you did not have a hotfoot.  I’ve seen many boats smash the dock or the trailer when the captain forgot which he was dealing with.  😱

[TnRiver46]

I’m immediately reminded of joe dirt and his footprint gas pedal 

[Way2slow]

Hot foots came about when boats got fast enough to chine walk.  On a fast boat, they are almost a must have.  On a boat that only runs in the 50's, probably not so convenient unless you do a lot boating in areas heavily congested with other boat traffic, where you need are constantly modulating the throttle.  Running at 70 - 80 mph I wouldn't want to be without one.    Just cruising at 50 mph, they tend to be a little aggravating because you can't just sit back, relax and cruise. 

Having dual capability is great but having to decide on with or without a hot foot, it would depend on the conditions the boat was driven in.  I like being able to sit back and relax when just cruising, for that I prefer the control handle.  When going fast or in rough conditions, I prefer the hot foot.