I am new to this arena and starting to consider purchasing my first mud boat. I am trying to decide first and foremost between LT and SD. I have spent hours searching through forum posts and have looked at the comparisons on the Go Devil website but haven't been able to get a real feel for the actual capabilities and downfalls of the two different technologies. Due to my location test drives are not an option, there are no dealers within several hours of here.

I am in South Florida. I want a boat that is, first and foremost, a duck hunting boat for 2-3 people and gear that can be hunted out of with a blind attached. Hunting will be done in Lake O and some saltwater bays and creeks. I would also like to use the rig for frogging in the lake and the glades as well as some fishing, gigging and bowfishing in the shallow saltwater bays and creeks in the area. I am thinking something between 16-18 ft. in length. $$$ open.

The lake and glades are primarily shallow water with heavy vegitation and mud bottom, not too much in the way of lumber. Some areas are a bit rocky with hard sand bottom. The saltwater bays are primarily mud bottom.

I have friends who run LTs in these same areas and they tell me that the LTs will go through this type of terrain much better than a SD and that LTs are more manuverable, especially at slow speeds. I don't know anybody that runs a SD. I understand the drawbacks of a LT are that they are slow, hard work to drive and that you need to stand up to operate them. I would much prefer the merits of the SD, speed, comfortable to operate ect. but not at the expense of restricted capability.

So, to anybody who might like to help me make a decision, your input would be greatly appreciated.

Being I saw you post questions previously on here about this subject. I would suggest go to youtube and watch videos of both in action. As for the conditions you have there, operating a sd motor with some sense and getting tiller time(experience) about what your sd can and cannot do is the key. We all learn through trial and error. As for sd versues lt, unless you run very shallow sand bars, the sd will hands down be the easiest, faster, safest, and is way more user friendly. If you plan to frog, sd with reverse is the best option on that note. I have 3 boats at home, cannot have one boat for everything.

The differences you mentioned are minimal, at best. The round chines will prevail when you're running winding ditches where you need to turn on a dime. The Gator Tax boats are built like a tank, but are also as heavy as one.

The Gator Trax "Guide Series" boats are actually a commercial hull with no flotation. That will cut back on quite a bit of weight. Then have them build it with open bow storage & just a driver's seat pod. That's about as light as you'll get one with a round chine. 18/48, my guess would be around 450 lbs built like that. Maybe a 17/48 with a huntdeck. (the huntdeck is sealed off & could serve as a small amout of flotation if you're concerned with sinking, but doubt it would prevent goin to the bottom.)

Hey man, I live in Miramar and have a Gator Trax 1750HD with a Mud Buddy 5500 surface drive. I'm literally in Holiday Park like every other day so if you want to ride one, I don't mind meeting you at the dock for a quick spin. I've taken 4 people on my boat with hunting load and still run 25mph. One thing I can say is that my boat turns like if it was on rails.

Holiday Park is a boat ramp to the Everglades located on US 27 and Griffen Road. 95% of my hunting is in the Everglades so I would imagine the terrain is exactly like the one you would come across on the other side of the state and I've had no issues with this boat so far. It does have limitations as far as how shallow it will go and how much sawgrass I can go through before I get stuck but once you keep these things in mind, you'll have no issues.

I've been able to bring it out on plane in about 6" of soft bottom but it does take a little longer, so if I had to guess, I would say my boat drafts about 3-4" more or less. Overall, I think I have the ideal rig for the type of terrain we have down here. I can go about 85% of the places an airboat can but still hunt off my boat if I wanted to. Not to mention that I never waste more than a few gallons of gas when I go out.

I see you have no means of a test drive unless someone lives close to you with one but it you are looking for something that turns on a dime also is the gator tail extreme series I love mine. I dont know if you have a preference but the gtr reverse is very nice for the frogging deal