# Just how tippy is a Gladesman?



## RileyH203 (Jun 28, 2017)

Hi all, thinking about getting a skiff and looks like a used Gladesmen would fit my needs. I have never been on one but I see a lot of mention of how tippy they are. I guess the question is what would you compare one to?


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

I was interested in them also but was afraid my wife wouldn't be so keen on it I have spoken to a few people on here who compare it to a canoe so I ended up with a shadowcast and really enjoy it. Pm whiskey angler he has one paint it black they could give you information on it.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

https://www.microskiff.com/threads/east-cape-gladesmen-review.31619/


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## jamesbe386 (Sep 6, 2017)

They are tippy and it does take some getting used to. If you are agile, the learning curve will be much less then someone that is not. I would compare mine to a 17 foot paddleboard with way too much power. (I love it). They are definitely not for everyone. They are very purpose built skiffs so know that before you spend the $$ and try running it across a huge open bay with the wind blowing out of the north at 20. They are not meant for that.. They're built to handle it, they'll do it, but it will be a beating. I will say that I absolutely love mine. Its very fishy and taken me to places and given me opportunities that in the past I've only been accessible with a kayak (with a long ass paddle..) I'm very proud to own one. Try to go for a ride before you pull the trigger. It breaks my heart seeing them for sale on here then back for sale a few months later. As you can tell by the smile on my wife's face. She loves it too..


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Gotta stay on the center line...I have hundreds of hours standing on kayaks, SUPs, and poling platforms...but I fell out of a Gladesman while wet testing it. A boat wake caught me at a bad angle while I was poling and pushed the boat right out from under me.

Doesn't mean I wouldn't love to have one...just gotta know what to expect.


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## jamesbe386 (Sep 6, 2017)

Centerline IS key.. and I would NOT want to be on the platform during a passing boat wake. but then again I wouldn't want to be on any skiffs platform during that. Asking to scorpion.


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## RileyH203 (Jun 28, 2017)

Awesome, thanks for all the input. I live in Charlotte, looking for something I can fish along coastal Carolina areas during the months that trout fishing slows down. The Gladesman looks like a simple and effective tool for getting this done.


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

I stood on one once. I give it a 6 tippies out of 10


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

RileyH203 said:


> Awesome, thanks for all the input. I live in Charlotte, looking for something I can fish along coastal Carolina areas during the months that trout fishing slows down. The Gladesman looks like a simple and effective tool for getting this done.


Don't over look the shadowcast or sm 1444


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

RileyH203 said:


> Hi all, thinking about getting a skiff and looks like a used Gladesmen would fit my needs. I have never been on one but I see a lot of mention of how tippy they are. I guess the question is what would you compare one to?


Broken record here, but it takes some getting used to. Its all about placing your gear and accessories to balance weight and then teaching yourself to subconsciously keep your weight centered over center line. It sounds like alot, but your body will adjust itself pretty quickly. Some recommendations for setup: get a grab bar and a tiller extension and run it standing as much as possible...its the way to go. I do not have a poling platform at the stern, nor do I want one or think I need one. If I need more height, I move my casting platform to the rear and stand on it.

I'll repeat, its all about placing weight. During my Harvey escapades, I had a run with me, another dude, an old man, his trophy wife (who would definitely float if jettisoned), a cat carrier, a small dog, and a 100# dog, and her LV emergency luggage. They were all sitting and I was standing running the tiller. Made it back comfortably with no complaints. 

Another point of success...at one point a rescue line got turned around my prop. I had to jump out in deep moving water, unwrap the line, and then pull my self back in. I was able to do so without capsizing or taking on any water.

They are sweet boats. If you aren't agile now, you will be a Ukrainian gymnast before long.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Yeah...tippy until you adjust, for sure...and I still want one.


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Whiskey Angler said:


> Broken record here, but it takes some getting used to. Its all about placing your gear and accessories to balance weight and then teaching yourself to subconsciously keep your weight centered over center line. It sounds like alot, but your body will adjust itself pretty quickly. Some recommendations for setup: get a grab bar and a tiller extension and run it standing as much as possible...its the way to go. I do not have a poling platform at the stern, nor do I want one or think I need one. If I need more height, I move my casting platform to the rear and stand on it.
> 
> I'll repeat, its all about placing weight. During my Harvey escapades, I had a run with me, another dude, an old man, his trophy wife (who would definitely float if jettisoned), a cat carrier, a small dog, and a 100# dog, and her LV emergency luggage. They were all sitting and I was standing running the tiller. Made it back comfortably with no complaints.
> 
> ...


Big props for your search and rescue whiskey angler hoping not to have to use my shadowcast down here in swfl to do the same after Irma. My son's in the national guard and he was just activated heading to Miami.


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

Backcountry 16 said:


> Big props for your search and rescue whiskey angler hoping not to have to use my shadowcast down here in swfl to do the same after Irma. My son's in the national guard and he was just activated heading to Miami.


Of course I was glad to help, as were the many others who were out in their boats, but I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't quick to grasp a rare opportunity to get out on a weekday and run the boat. My wife and kids had very little leverage this time, and shame on them had they not let me go.

P.S. ....still waiting on a thank you call/visit from you Random Trophy Wife.


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Yeah you Texans definitely helped each other out that's what it's all about and hopefully she'll hook you up real soon here.


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## damthemainstream (Apr 11, 2017)

jamesbe386 said:


> They are tippy and it does take some getting used to. If you are agile, the learning curve will be much less then someone that is not. I would compare mine to a 17 foot paddleboard with way too much power. (I love it). They are definitely not for everyone. They are very purpose built skiffs so know that before you spend the $$ and try running it across a huge open bay with the wind blowing out of the north at 20. They are not meant for that.. They're built to handle it, they'll do it, but it will be a beating. I will say that I absolutely love mine. Its very fishy and taken me to places and given me opportunities that in the past I've only been accessible with a kayak (with a long ass paddle..) I'm very proud to own one. Try to go for a ride before you pull the trigger. It breaks my heart seeing them for sale on here then back for sale a few months later. As you can tell by the smile on my wife's face. She loves it too..
> View attachment 15596
> View attachment 15597


It helps to be a mermaid though.


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## Slipstream (Oct 12, 2015)

Cool little boat but on the tippy scale it's more like a 10 out of 10, have watched several very experienced anglers fall out of one.


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## damthemainstream (Apr 11, 2017)

Slipstream said:


> Cool little boat but on the tippy scale it's more like a 10 out of 10, have watched several very experienced anglers fall out of one.


You don't need to be an experienced angler, just an experienced balancer. You get used to it, and if anything it will make you a better "skiff rider." It's all relative. I went out in my buddy's SM Heron the other day after having fished exclusively in my Gladesmen for the last several months and it was like being on a barge.


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## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Living up North, I have never had the pleasure of fishing out of a Gladesman, but man they are the coolest looking boats.


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

I don't have a Gladesman, but I expect my hull isn't much different. I notice that my core and ankles are more tired/sore after a day on the water in a tippy hull than they used to be after a day in a bassboat. 

If you have a tippy hull, you'll fall off eventually. If you have fallen out before, you'll fall out again. There is always a wake with your name on it or a small child or a goofy Labrador that make the boat zig when it was supposed to zag while you are standing in some wonky position. If you are scared of falling out, it isn't the right boat for you. You are in South Carolina, so the water is warm.

Nate


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## RileyH203 (Jun 28, 2017)

WhiteDog70810 said:


> I don't have a Gladesman, but I expect my hull isn't much different. I notice that my core and ankles are more tired/sore after a day on the water in a tippy hull than they used to be after a day in a bassboat.
> 
> If you have a tippy hull, you'll fall off eventually. If you have fallen out before, you'll fall out again. There is always a wake with your name on it or a small child or a goofy Labrador that make the boat zig when it was supposed to zag while you are standing in some wonky position. If you are scared of falling out, it isn't the right boat for you. You are in South Carolina, so the water is warm.
> 
> Nate



I guess falling out is to be expected. Will also be getting a Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy in the next 6 months or so. I expect him to be the cause of a few wipeouts and a few spooked fish. So better to know what to expect. I like the Gladesmen for its simplicity. While I have been on many boats over the years, I have never owned my own. This is all good info.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

Whiskey Angler said:


> Broken record here, but it takes some getting used to. Its all about placing your gear and accessories to balance weight and then teaching yourself to subconsciously keep your weight centered over center line. It sounds like alot, but your body will adjust itself pretty quickly. Some recommendations for setup: get a grab bar and a tiller extension and run it standing as much as possible...its the way to go. I do not have a poling platform at the stern, nor do I want one or think I need one. If I need more height, I move my casting platform to the rear and stand on it.
> 
> I'll repeat, its all about placing weight. During my Harvey escapades, I had a run with me, another dude, an old man, his trophy wife (who would definitely float if jettisoned), a cat carrier, a small dog, and a 100# dog, and her LV emergency luggage. They were all sitting and I was standing running the tiller. Made it back comfortably with no complaints.
> 
> ...


Not to derail, but I briefly dated a Ukrainian who was a former circus acrobat once...


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

SomaliPirate said:


> Not to derail, but I briefly dated a Ukrainian who was a former circus acrobat once...


So you understand...


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

SomaliPirate said:


> Not to derail, but I briefly dated a Ukrainian who was a former circus acrobat once...


Did you fall off?


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

jmrodandgun said:


> Did you fall off?


See that above post reference "scorpion"


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## GDouglas (Jan 14, 2015)

You can find something that is simple that can still accommodate what youre looking for and is way less tippy. I think if you are having to ask, the answer is probably that you need to find something else. I fish the SC Coast a lot. We don't have a ton of exclusive "backcountry", most of your runs are gonna take you across some big water or at least large rivers where it can kick up in a hurry. Just my 2 cents, good luck.


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

RileyH203 said:


> I guess falling out is to be expected. Will also be getting a Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy in the next 6 months or so. I expect him to be the cause of a few wipeouts and a few spooked fish. So better to know what to expect. I like the Gladesmen for its simplicity. While I have been on many boats over the years, I have never owned my own. This is all good info.


I hate to break it to you, but retrievers are horrible fishing partners before arthritis sets in. My Chessie cannot chill and watch me fish. If she isn't under my feet, she is trying to snag herself on a racked rod. She also loves to stand in the middle of coiled anchor ropes while I am trying to drop the anchor. She paces when she starts to get hot. I love her company, but she stays home on fishing trips now. I'll try again when she is 8 or 9 years old.

Nate


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## RileyH203 (Jun 28, 2017)

WhiteDog70810 said:


> I hate to break it to you, but retrievers are horrible fishing partners before arthritis sets in. My Chessie cannot chill and watch me fish. If she isn't under my feet, she is trying to snag herself on a racked rod. She also loves to stand in the middle of coiled anchor ropes while I am trying to drop the anchor. She paces when she starts to get hot. I love her company, but she stays home on fishing trips now. I'll try again when she is 8 or 9 years old.
> 
> Nate


Yeah I have been wondering about how much he will try and chase a fly. I've fished with a guy on rivers who has a Chessie that will just stand right beside him in the water and let us fish. But then I have seen others that jump into every trout pool they come across. I guess its just luck of the draw.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

WhiteDog70810 said:


> If you are scared of falling out, it isn't the right boat for you. You are in South Carolina, so the water is warm.


Yup...just don't fall out over an oyster bed.


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

crboggs said:


> Yup...just don't fall out over an oyster bed.


Or land on the lower unit


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## Str8-Six (Jul 6, 2015)

I'm sure someone on here would let you fall off of there gladesman if you ask. I would if I had one.


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## RileyH203 (Jun 28, 2017)

Str8-Six said:


> I'm sure someone on here would let you fall off of there gladesman if you ask. I would if I had one.


thank god I can swim


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

I'm resurrecting this thread for anyone that was ever on the fence for one of these skiffs they're tippy but easy to get use to my grandsons 5 and he doesn't have any issues in the boat


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## Plantation (Nov 24, 2015)

How big of a guy are you? Ive fished a couple and I couldnt ever own one. They are awesome skiffs for smaller people. Im ok up front but its sketchy in the back poling. Also if you fish over oysters you are going to want to stay in the boat.


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## Backcountry 16 (Mar 15, 2016)

Plantation said:


> How big of a guy are you? Ive fished a couple and I couldnt ever own one. They are awesome skiffs for smaller people. Im ok up front but its sketchy in the back poling. Also if you fish over oysters you are going to want to stay in the boat.


5 7 150 ish no poling platform on mine I use a cooler or pole backwards from the front if solo


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

At the other extreme for stability you might also check out an ordinary Jon boat… They’re super stable, will float shallow, can run with less horsepower… The downside? Wet riding if the wind is from the side and beat you up in a chop…


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