ghetto float

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It worked fine. A boogie board float is standard equipment.

I've made and used several boogie board floats but not sandwhiched together. These were good quality Mike Stewart boards that we had and were several years old. So weren't being used for surfing. I imagine the two layer board would ride too high in the water and would be a pain to haul around with wind and swells. A single boogie board should be good enough. The important thing I found is that the tow line set up needs to pull from underneath the board so that the board rides flat on the water and doesn't pearl when towed. The great thing about converting a boogie board for us in Hawaii is you can use to assist in riding a swell or wave as you swim in from a long outer reef dive. You can attach rescue handles on the sides, netting for gear, whatever you want. It's a great way to custom make a float/gear platform for long shore dives.

Try it out. Not sure the size of cooler you're using. If you're diving from a boat and want the board strictly for a float for shooting big fish with a floatline attached I wouldn't do any mods to it other than attaching hardware for the floatline, tuna clip etc. If you're looking for a shore diving gear float then the limitations to what you can do should be determined by practical considerations like how hard will dragging this thing loaded down with gear affect your swimming? Remember, our goal is to relax and not make what we do energy intensive. I've never worried about keeping my fish in a cooler while on a shore based or kayak based dive. I usually have the fish on my stringer in the water and clipped to my float or in the bow hold of my kayak. I think a cooler is not a necessity. I've only hunted from a boat when in Florida and we always just threw our fish in the boat's coolers. Too many bull sharks on the spots I've hunted to keep fish on a stringer. But not a problem in Hawaii. Bahamas, Caribbean, pesky reef sharks chasing my stringers so I don't use em there either.

On the float I made for boat diving and pelagic hunting I only rigged the board for the floatline and put a rope handle on the stern and on the aft port and starboard sides to help in grabbing my float to begin bringing in my fish. The other great thing about a boogie board float is that if you've got a hard fighting fish the board allows you to lie on it with your chest while you clip off and bring up your fish. Make sense?

Keep it simple or build an all inclusive diving support vehicle. It's your board Bruddah. After each trip you can add or subtract. The quality and size of boogie board is also a consideration for how effective your build will be.

Makoa

Not sure exactly what you are building. but go for it. once you get it going you will modify as needed.

What about eye bolts and large fender washers. Here are some SS bolts on Ebay, after quick search.

1 4" Stainless Steel Turned Eye Bolts Choose 1" to 7" Length Grade 316 SS | eBay

I see the cooler getting top heavy, especially after you start filling it up.

What about a Keel with some weight in it, kinda like a sailboat. Maybe bolt the keel on with some wing nuts so it's easier to handle when not in use.

2 boards side by side might be more stable with cooler. Be interesting to see what you come up with.

You should also go with a low profile plastic tub, lots of stuff on market.

I'm sure you got this down already or water displacement for your project.

Here is a link to physics basics on Archimedes' Principle. Pictures were done well to show concept.

Gallon of Water is like 8 lbs. Salt water is higher my some nominal amount. ( Great Salt Lake-- You float much better there...) Density of Salt > Density of Water.

Archimedes' Principle

Look forward to Seeing what you come up with. Lots of fumes on the Fiberglas process. Get a fan and a mask. Breathing it can't be good for you.

I added fiberglas to a solid foam boogie board long ago. It all worked out pretty well, If Bank boards were made back then, I would have not done that project. I messed up on not thinking about the center of gravity of the float. Mine was a too top heavy when I had it loaded up with fish and Abalone. I didn't want weight, but should have added some Lead to lower portion of float.