Choosing A Boat con't

Think hard about this step; nothing hurts like shelling out for a custom mystery machine and finding that it hardly sinks at all, or paying big bucks for a rippin’ surf sled only to discover that the bow won’t release once you’re back-surfing. Take the time to evaluate your desires and expectations carefully, and network, network, network! Talk to your builder, talk to other squirt boaters, try before you buy (if possible), ask around on the various internet boards – there’s a wealth of information out there!

Step 3 – The Fires of Competition

This is for those folks who are considering jumping into the world of squirt competition. At the moment, squirt boat competitions seem to be heading in two directions: timed, pure downtime contests, and combined flatwater/eddyline and downtime competitions. Boats used for each type of competition typically divide along the lines of boat length and hull shape. There are the exceptions of course, but in general longer, rounder boats excel in the downtime comps, while shorter/flatter designs do best in the combined events.

Downtime

Boats that traditionally have been the top performers at these competitions have been the long, classic designs from Jim Snyder. At big events like the Ottawa JimiCup and US Mystery Nationals, boats like the Bigfoot and Shred usually end up filling most of the top ten slots. The notable exception to this rule is Eric Zitzow’s Angst, which often places right alongside the older, longer boats. The new Whirld series of super-slick sink machines promises to be a serious contender too, and may well end up eclipsing the long boats which have dominated the DT scene so far.