Banks Board - New Shore diving Board

    LunkerBuster,
    Thank youi. It is probably desireable to have options to drain or not drain. I use a boogie board when diving for abalone and find it completely adequate. It does not have the pack straps your board has, but delivers to my expectations in all other categories. But if I should ever need a replacement, your board looks to be a fine alternative.

    Bumping a year old thread.


    Can any owners of the Banks Board comment on how well the board supports its dive flag?


    Being in South Florida, home to blood thirsty powerboats driven by 80 year old men hunting the reefs for divers brains. I have an extremely tall dive flag on my current boogey board float. I mean tall.



    I achieve this using a stiff but light fishing rod, and a counterweight that protrudes from the bottom of the float by about a foot. (its a round lead weight on a stainless steel rod)


    Does anyone think I could come even close to this height with the dive flag on a banks board with some modifications? Im concerned that even adding some kind of additional counterweight wouldn't work because the flag is at the front of the board. But I would imagine a few banks board owners have tried to extend the dive flag. Thanks guys.

    4ft is probably adequate, I previously had a 4ft pole for mine before it blew away towing a boat, and it worked well. But when I made this one which is closer to 7ft tall I definitely noticed a huge difference in the visibility of my float.


    Im not so much concerned with its ability to rise above larger waves as I don't beach dive when its rough. But even in calm or roller seas I noticed that the taller flag waves and moves significantly more and is easier to see off off a tall bow due to the extra long flag pole.The movements of the board are amplified on the long pole into a constant tall flag waving even on calmer days.


    Ive had enough close calls to know that a 5ft flag on a 10ft pole isn't enough in some cases, and I still rely first on my eyes and ears to keep me out of trouble.
    But I do think my giant double flag did enough for my floats visibility that Id always like a flag that tall. But for all that the banks board offers over a boogey board I may need to suck it up.

    Is it advisable to add a small cooler to the Banks board? I feel hesitant about putting the fish on top of the board; I'm concerned that the sun would cook the fish before I made it back to shore. How do you keep the fish fresh when using a Banks board?

    I would not add a cooler. If you are going out in the middle of the summer and out for like eight hours then maybe you bring an insulated bag. Remember the fish are swimming in the water at the same temp. The banks board deck is not dry, it has a scupper hole and self bails. The fish will say wet. I use the net set up and that also shades the fish a bit. I also have a shirt or towel to cover the fish with


    Some guys will hang a stringer off the board. I don't like this because you have fish in the water. Still viable on scorching hot days.

    i like to spear fish

    I use a stringer with good viz. If the viz is bad ill put the fish on the board. If a shark comes around ill do the same.


    If there is any turbulence in the water the banksboard will keep getting wet. But on a really flat day the board stays relatively dry. If its flat and hot you might run into a little bit of a problem. But ive been using this thing for a while and never needed a bag. Typically when the viz is bad its rough and the board stays plenty wet. If it was an exceptionally hot and flat day I would probably make a point to splash water over the mesh/fish every now and then for the evaporative cooling effects.

    Cool, good info. Thanks guys. I've started doing more beach diving, so I am considering a banksboard, for once I get sick of lugging a cooler around. Do you ever have issues with water getting in the hatch when open in rough seas? Also, has the third board design been released by Mr. Banks, yet?

    I never open my hatch in the water. Esp when its rough. I mainly use it for my keys, wallet, a flare, a radio, and anything else that I need to bring for an emergency. Basically stuff that goes in before the dive and hopefully doesn't come out till after. Its always stayed closed and dry even in crazy rough seas. But If I ever needed the flare or radio when it's rough I expect some water might make its way in.

    Any feedback on guys using this on big game fish?


    Ive been thinking of getting a tuna board, and also need one of these. Cash is tight so, ideally one float could pull double duty.


    Has anyone filled theirs with foam, perhaps beefing up attachment points, and used it like a hard lifeguard float in a string for Bluewater?


    Thanks for the input.

    Given the cost of materials, shipping, and time to build a tuna board, or the cost of buying one, and add to that the fact its not nearly as elegant a solution as the banks.


    If i go the foam block route, I would still have a need for a shore diving rig.


    If you thought about it, means the idea may have some merrit. ;).


    It would be interesting to know the bouyancy and weight when filled with 7lbs foam for maximum crush resistance.


    The more I think about it, I will probably give it a try, maybe find a way to make the bolt through reinforced the length of the board.


    Anyone else try this. Seems way better suited to our needs than the typical lifeguard can, given the proper mods are made. Perhaps not as a primary float but as a trailing float.

    on the new banks board, the line could be looped around the front handle... it will take a lot to break that! The line could be attached to the eyelet with a weak string to have a more streamlined pull trough water. With fish action, the string would break and line would pull from the handle...

    Pulling from the handle would make the board more streamlined underwater and negate the drag advantage.


    If I were to do it I'd make a dedicated foam board, with a bungee and cleats to grab the line as I pull the fish in. Like the one Don posted in the other thread.

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