Excellent question. To most, it’s obvious. It makes your entire life on the water easier and if you’ve had the pleasure of fishing a Pavati, you know first hand what that’s like. Heaven. However drifting about the fishing community there are plenty of skeptics. It’s cool, if you’ve never been in one of our boats we don’t expect you to buy in. So before you read further, hit your buddy up and get your tail in one of his Pavati seats ASAP. For the rest that haven’t been in one, and don’t plan to (at least yet), we’ve rounded up our top 10 reasons why a drift boat with doors is a game changer and unlike anything else. Check it out:
(1) Entering and exiting the boat
This one likely speaks for itself but we’ll explain anyways. When was the last time stepping over the gunnel like you’re jumping your neighbors fence was super easy? Wouldn’t you much rather “walk into” the boat instead of rocking that sucker from side to side to the point of comments from the rest of the crew who are already comfortably seated? Do we even need to mention the other 9 reasons?!
(2) Fighting hooked fish
Ever hooked a hot chromer that decided you were going to play his game at his pace? By the time the boat gets pulled over, you go to jump the gunnel, latch your wader belt onto something inconveniently attached to the side of the boat, slip and fall on mossy rocks face first into the freezing river, get spooled by the biggest steelhead you’ve ever hooked and cursed your poor grandma (who did nothing to you), you probably all but took your boat home and cut a door into that thing with a grinder..
(3) Reviving and releasing fish
You no longer have to get out of the boat, or make yourself sick by bending over the gunnel to revive a fish. This is one of our favorite features about our doors. You get to be down close to the water and still be able to handle the fish carefully rather than chucking them over the side of the boat and hoping they swim away.
(4) Washing your hands
It’s like your own personal washing quarters. One click of a door hatch and you have Mother Nature’s clean waters to wash your buddies “Area 51 Egg Cure” off. Tell him to chill out with that stank. If the bite is on, it’s on. No need to smell up the entire day.
(5) Exiting the boat with waders on
How many of you enjoy army rolling out of the boat with waders on to avoid the dreaded crotch rip? Better question.. How well do you like the rip in your crotch on your brand new $300 waders because you got high centered on the gunnel and became the laugh of the day? That’s not very cost effective.
(6) Increased boat strength and durability
Ahhh, yes. Here’s a hot topic! If you haven’t seen a Pavati in person you may be thinking to yourself “That looks super weak” or “I bet those things leak” or “That door would break the first day in the waters I fish”. There are a couple rad things about our boat doors and what it does to the boat. For one, the boat doors are reinforced making that area of the boat one of the strongest on the ride. They are engineered above the water line, have a “slam shut” design/function AND have watertight sealing on them. They’ll never leak. Guaranteed.
(7) Accommodating elders and less mobile fishermen
Do you think grandpa would fish more if he could easily get in and out of your boat? This is actually one of the reasons why Chuck started building drift boats, and one of the main reasons why once people go Pavati, they never go back.
(8) Loading/unloading gear while on trailer
Have bad shoulders? Are you short (like me)? This feature when the boat is in the driveway on the trailer is a total lifesaver. There’s a reason why convertible cars STILL have doors on them. This is a big part of that. The next time the cooler is loaded down with ice and beer/whiskey .. soda, you won’t find yourself needing a crane to load that beast up.
(9) Dogs
Whether you are hunting out of your Pavati or your pup enjoys the river as much as you do, you’ve just solved likely the only problem with bringing your dog. Getting them in and out. No longer a hassle or a back breaker for you. Everybody wins.
(10) Style points
Perhaps this should have been #1. When you buy a Pavati we warn you to be ready for the attention you’ll get at the boat ramp. And the next time you’re drifting past the bank fishermen and you lay your hook into a slab in their hole, the rower yanks the boat over, you fling the door open and step out with your fish on, there won’t be a lack of “Well I’ll be damned” comments coming from the peanut gallery.
Honorable mentions:
Bringing your wife/kids, cleaning your boat, relieving yourself (recommended for men only), skipping rocks, cooling your feet off in the summer, etc..
