# Carbon Marine Casting Platforms



## slewis (Sep 8, 2015)

Just wondering if they're really worth the money. Thoughts?


----------



## fishn&flyn (Oct 23, 2015)

Yes, Carbon Marine products are built to last a lifetime


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

Yes they are worth the money. The bigger question is do you _need _to save the weight.


----------



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I'd say it's "worth the money" but really not necessary by any means. We have one on the Cayenne. While it is a nice platform, I much prefer the standard aluminum platform on my Heron. I won't go as far as saying it is built to last a life time, but it's definitely well built, however that doesn't mean it wont fail. I know several guys who have ended up in the water when their carbon casting platforms collapsed. Again, super nice platform, worth the money because there is definitely quality craftsmanship, however to say it is indestructible is a lie.


----------



## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Anything can break including an aluminum platform. I'm quite fond of my cm platform.


----------



## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Two CM casting platforms still in service. I sold a very nice Bluepoint aluminum platform to buy a CM. If you pole your skiff, less weight is always better.


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

paint it black said:


> I know several guys who have ended up in the water when their carbon casting platforms collapsed.


I ended up in the water when my aluminum casting platform collapsed.


----------



## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

jmrodandgun said:


> I ended up in the water when my aluminum casting platform collapsed.


Strong arm?


----------



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

jmrodandgun said:


> Yes they are worth the money. The bigger question is do you _need _to save the weight.



This ^^^ . Us fly fishermen are come crazy people. We put our gas tanks up front for weight and move the battery up there sometimes. And then buy a carbon casting platform to save weight.


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

el9surf said:


> Strong arm?


Yeah. Poling platform was bad as well, we fixed it before it had a chance to fall apart. You could pull it apart with your hands once it was removed from the deck. Someone may _know multiple people _who have had carbon platforms collapse but I've been standing on an aluminum one when it went down and took apart another one that was about to fall. Empirical evidence trumps hearsay.

I've never heard of anyone who has had a poling platform come down while they were on it, much less multiple people who all own the same style platform. Just seems unlikely, possibly even flirting with the edge of complete bullshit.


----------



## slewis (Sep 8, 2015)

jmrodandgun said:


> Yes they are worth the money. The bigger question is do you _need _to save the weight.


I'm not 100% sure yet. With the VF115 on the back, my skiff squats a bit. I'm going to eventually put a 24v on front with two batteries in front hatch, but I dont know if that will take me to the point where I need to watch weight on the platform.


----------



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

jmrodandgun said:


> Yeah. Poling platform was bad as well, we fixed it before it had a chance to fall apart. You could pull it apart with your hands once it was removed from the deck. Someone may _know multiple people _who have had carbon platforms collapse but I've been standing on an aluminum one when it went down and took apart another one that was about to fall. Empirical evidence trumps hearsay.
> 
> I've never heard of anyone who has had a poling platform come down while they were on it, much less multiple people who all own the same style platform. Just seems unlikely, possibly even flirting with the edge of complete bullshit.


Do some digging on this board. You will see some guys had posted pics of their cm platforms collapsed. That's a shame you fell off a shitty made aluminum platform. My aluminum platforms (not strong arm) have never failed. Again, my company skiff is decked out with carbon marine casting and poling platform, and four carbon marine grab handles on the console and jump seat. I'm not speaking out of my ass. The platforms are built well but not indestructible. personally I don't see the sense in saving the weight, so my new skiff went back to aluminum everything. I don't understand why you are butt hurt about my statements.


----------



## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

Love both of mine!


----------



## fishn&flyn (Oct 23, 2015)

Nice!


----------



## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

Does anyone post facts on fishy chat rooms any more? 

What is the exact weight savings of a carbon fiber platform vs. an aluminum platform of identical size?


----------



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

Again, I love these platforms. The statements I made is in regards to someone saying they're built to last a lifetime, I stated they aren't. However if taken care of, they can last. I think it makes sense to go CF route in the case of our skiff where all parts that are typically aluminum are carbon fiber, if you add up the weight difference, there will be a considerable drop in weight. Whereas having everything aluminum, and then a CF casting platform, I don't think you're really benefitting from the platform weighing 10lbs lighter. However, I don't know, maybe the difference in weight is much greater than this. I will have both the Cayenne and my Heron side by side this weekend down in key west, going to spend the month down there for Tarpon season. I'll try to weigh both the CM casting platform and the aluminum casting platform and get an exact number. Again, I am not bashing the quality of the platforms, I was just stating that no matter how well built, a carbon fiber platform won't handle abuse as a well built aluminum platform. Again, I was making an unbiased comment on my personal opinion formed on real world experience having both CF platforms and aluminum platforms. I have no connection to any platform manufacturer. Heck, if I wanted to make a bias statement towards one being better than the other I would lean towards Joe's as he's taken good care of us throughout the years. But instead of making statements based on friendships, I was making an unbiased statement based on my personal experience with the two products. 

Here's our skiff with CM platforms and handles.


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

paint it black said:


> Do some digging on this board. You will see some guys had posted pics of their cm platforms collapsed. That's a shame you fell off a shitty made aluminum platform. My aluminum platforms (not strong arm) have never failed. Again, my company skiff is decked out with carbon marine casting and poling platform, and four carbon marine grab handles on the console and jump seat. I'm not speaking out of my ass. The platforms are built well but not indestructible. personally I don't see the sense in saving the weight, so my new skiff went back to aluminum everything. I don't understand why you are butt hurt about my statements.


I'm not butt hurt, I just think you're statement about knowing _multiple people_ with carbon marine platform failures is bullshit. I'm also not going to dig around and look for proof on this forum to back up your case, that's on you. It's one of those things where if you're going to say something like that, at least provide some sort of example. There aren't that many of those carbon platforms out there to begin with, so saying there are multiple failures just on this site alone could be alarming to some.


----------



## HBFanatic (Dec 2, 2016)

I have a CM casting platform that has a sissy bar. I am going to sell. Came of Harry Spears prototype Low Tide Guide.


----------



## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

JRH said:


> What is the exact weight savings of a carbon fiber platform vs. an aluminum platform of identical size?



Question pending. No one has a factual answer to this specific question? People have been putting these things on their boats with no idea of the true amount of alleged weight savings?


----------



## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

JRH said:


> Question pending. No one has a factual answer to this specific question? People have been putting these things on their boats with no idea of the true amount of alleged weight savings?


It's about half. Maybe 40% depending on the design. Carbon fiber density is about 2x less than the density of aluminum. 

The one and only carbon fiber poling platform I've messed with was 15 pounds without the seadek.


----------



## redsonfly (Jun 8, 2007)

I owned and fished Tom Gordon's Ambush with a Carbon Marine casting platform which performed flawlessly. The boat was a pole only boat built very light and kept minimalist.
My anglers joked that to fish my super skinny Ambush they could only bring one jig aboard.
I am not sure of the weight difference between the cm casting platform and an aluminum one, but the cm platform really drove home the concept of keeping it light, and it performed great for the two years I had it. I sold the boat due to divorce, and miss it to this day.
The Ambush became the current glades skiff. One heck of a boat.


----------



## HBFanatic (Dec 2, 2016)

There is one for sale here. It weighs nothing. Great for tarpon fishing with sissy bar which is removable.


----------



## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

jmrodandgun said:


> It's about half. Maybe 40% depending on the design. Carbon fiber density is about 2x less than the density of aluminum.
> 
> The one and only carbon fiber poling platform I've messed with was 15 pounds without the seadek.


That's right JM. About half the weight of a Bluepoint aluminum platform of similar size judged by picking them up. To the original question if you have a 115 HP on your transom the reduced weight savings will not help make poling your skiff much easier.


----------

