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Glide Review…

6K views 40 replies 19 participants last post by  bob_esper 
#1 ·
I’ve had my East Cape Glade for over six months now and I thought I’d give some quick feedback.

I have to say it has exceeded my expectations in every way. It is quite possibly the best one to two man skiff I’ve experienced, certainly the best if you fish solo. I initially got it to fish Chokoloskee and Flamingo but sadly haven’t made it there yet. In the meantime I’ve had it all over Jupiter, Stuart and the Everglades.

Most surprising to me is how well it handles the chop. I just tab it down and slice right thru. It’s also dry as a bone even in strong winds. I haven’t poled it other than along the mangrove shorelines in the Loxahatchee but it’s ridiculously easy to push and tracks very well. Fit and finish is equal to Hells Bay IMO.

The only negative I can think of so far is that it is tippy. With myself and my son on board we have to communicate a bit as any sudden movement by either of us makes her rock. It’s not so bad I’m afraid of going swimming but it is definitely something I pay attention to.

I originally bought it as a stop gap solution to keep fishing until my Challenger is finished but I don’t know if I’d let it go at this point.

She cleans up in a heartbeat too! :)

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#8 ·
Yes. The skiff is so light it’s really no problem. Once in awhile it will hit a paver gap just right and I have to give it a little harder nudge but nothing back breaking.

Tippy would apply to several narrow beam skiffs by several builders. That style design allows for easier poling and less horsepower to perform. Not really a problem if everyone is cognizant, as you're finding out. Congrats and enjoy it!
Agreed. After the first few trips I got used to it. Went solo Friday and hooked a snook sight fishing from the platform so I had to get down and dance around the deck to land it. Lol, I did choose my steps carefully though. :)

Glad to see you’re enjoying it Tony! It really is a great boat and the simplicity of it all was the best part. You’re really gonna see it shine when you get it on some skinny flats!
Thanks! I still can’t get over how pristine it is. You really took incredible care of it. Everyone thinks it’s brand new when they see it in person. Planning a Flamingo camping trip end of the month! Can’t wait to fish it there in its old stomping grounds.

I ran a Glide for a few months while my X was being built. The rough water capability of that skiff really surprised me. Superb flat water, negative tide poling skiff that will get you across the big water into the super skinny.
That’s the one thing that surprised me most. I was expecting to take a beating running across open water into the East wind but it cuts right thru when tabbed right.
 
#9 ·
I thought of one other negative last night...

However it isn't a Glide specific item, it is the gear shift location on the tiller. Up until now I've only used helm driven skiffs so maybe it's just my inexperience but the tiller setup with the gear selector close to the engine cowl makes docking and tight maneuvering more difficult.

I can't easily steer the skiff and bump it in and out of gear because I have to uncomfortably reach far back to the gear selector. In the process it is difficult to steer sharply in either direction because my body is then in it's own way. IMO sitting/standing at helm with steering is much more precise as you can easily bump it in and out of gear and make very sharp steering inputs quickly and easily.

In tight quarters with high winds it makes me a little nervous as I don't feel I have the same control as I used to. I'm in the process of trying to engineer a lever extension so that I can have a selector at the end of my carbon tiller extension.
 
#17 · (Edited)
The EC Glide is possibly one of the best ever designed skiffs for what it’s meant to do. Simple, light, nimble, easy to maintain. What‘s not to like…, real MICRO SKIFFS and skinny water. Ufortunately, East Cape is not actively building them any more.
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#29 ·
The glide is such a stellar performing boat, Ive been on one a hand full of times. Its one of the only boats I've been on that actually surprises me how well is handles a chop. When you tab down it goes from riding like a skiff to just butter. I agree its as tippy as a boat that narrow would expect to be but its manageable if you are used to smaller boats. If you like shallow water fishing and have some balance its hard to go wrong with the glide.
 
#30 ·
That's the thing that surprised me the most. So much so, that I'm contemplating if I should sell my Challenger instead of the Glide once the Challenger is done. It will be interesting to compare the two though I can say the old scholl construction of the Challenger will make it considerably heavier.
 
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