Swim ladder suggestions?

[TooFly]

What do you guys use? I'm leaning towards the removable Christmas tree style/old school tv antenna types. Of course that means more holes in the transom.

Thanks,
Paul

[jongolds]

I prefer something you can deploy from in the water just in case you wind up in the water unexpectedly or without thinking ahead. The more steps the better.

[BigLew]

I have a swim platform on my '23 I/O with a 3 step telescoping fold down ladder- LOVE IT! A simple rig of shock cord keeps it in place when folded up and pretty quiet as well. No storage issues.

[TooFly]

I prefer something you can deploy from in the water just in case you wind up in the water unexpectedly or without thinking ahead. The more steps the better.

Provided you wear the lanyard on your wrist... Good thinking, though.

[TooFly]

I have a swim platform on my '23 I/O with a 3 step telescoping fold down ladder- LOVE IT! A simple rig of shock cord keeps it in place when folded up and pretty quiet as well. No storage issues.

Yeah, storage of the Christmas tree style, removable ladder is an issue since there's no place under the gunnels, as with the newer Seacrafts.

Do you have a pic of yours, by chance?

[BigLew]

I'm sorry, but I don't have a picture of it. It is attached to the platform at the edge so that it can swing up and out over the trailing edge and then telescope down from there. It has a full two to three steps below the water surface then. When retrieved, I use some shock cord to hold it down on the platform in the collapsed position. Works very well. Here's a link to Windline's web site for your review.

https://windline.com/index.php?act=viewdetails&mod=60

[Bushwacker]

What do you guys use? I'm leaning towards the removable Christmas tree style/old school tv antenna types. . .

I believe you're talking about the Armstrong type. They make a transom mount for it where you can fold it up and just leave it sticking up on the transom.

I picked this one, the Windline UP-3X:


It tucks up out of the way under the swim platform and leaves a nice clean surface on top.

My platform is only a couple of inches above the waterline (even less with the hooka rig in the back!), so I find that I don't even need tha ladder most of the time.

I rigged a line across the platform between the towing eyes that you can grab on to. Only need the ladder when getting back into boat when wearing a dive tank & weight belt, etc.

[thehermit]

Denny,

Rubrail on the bracket Now thats Gucci

I believe you're talking about the Armstrong type. They make a transom mount for it where you can fold it up and just leave it sticking up on the transom.

I picked this one, the Windline UP-3X:


It tucks up out of the way under the swim platform and leaves a nice clean surface on top.

My platform is only a couple of inches above the waterline (even less with the hooka rig in the back!), so I find that I don't even need tha ladder most of the time.

I rigged a line across the platform between the towing eyes that you can grab on to. Only need the ladder when getting back into boat when wearing a dive tank & weight belt, etc.

[Bushwacker]

Thanks Hermit. I've been in some docking situations around pilings where it was obvious that some protection around edges of bracket would be nice to have! When I got ET23's old rubrail to fill in the gap where the transom cutout used to be, I had quite a bit left so decided to put some around the bracket too! It has since proven to have been a pretty good idea! Denny

[TooFly]

Thanks, Lew and Denny. It sucks to put more holes in the transom, but I'll probably go with the Armstrong transom mount ladder since my Gil bracket has no place for a swim ladder to mount to.