Re: Using swim noodles for floatation
I am one of the few anti-noodlers. When I rebuilt my boat, I used pour foam, lots of it, probably cost me $400 to 500 just for the foam. Why did I do it, because I know besides floatation it also plays a structural role. How much of a structural role, I do not know because I am not privy to the design information the engineers used when they designed the boat.
Before I rebuilt my boat, it had wet foam, lots of it, and it reeked. Was that the problem or just a symptom of another problem? I think that if the deck was not rotted, then water would have not got into the foam. IMO the wet foam was caused by my rotten deck not vice versa. Now that it was rebuilt three years ago, properly, I would wager that the foam is dry.
My position is, that if it was there, I will replace it. The pool noodles do not add any structure, and they do not fill the voids entirely, there is still significant air between the noodles. If I were to hit a dead head, of which there are many around here, the foam could make a difference. At the end of the day, you can use whatever you want, but for the safety of me and my family, if foam was there, I will replace it.
Another point, in my line of work, I am very careful of what advice I give to my clients. If I say something that results in an incident, then I can be held liable. CYA approach. I carry this over to my personal life. If your boat had foam in it, then that is what I would use, just do whatever you can to keep the water out. Because despite what many of you say, there are good reasons to use foam.
Have a great day
Rob.
