Expanding foam and water retention. **Question**

[airsickness]

I have seen many boat rehabs here and elsewhere that had the old foam removed and it was soaked thru and thru. In some cases it added as much as 100 to 200 lbs.
Friday while I was at a local boat show I was admiring one of Lunds boats the rep told me it was completely foamed below the deck. I asked if it retained water and he said Lund uses a closed cell foam and it would not hold water. It would simply run past the foam and eventually make its way to the bilge pump area. Does anyone have experience with this type foam personally? And has it retained any water?
Thx
Kenny

 

[JMichael]

Try using the search function on "closed cell foam" and you'll get over 20 pages. That should provide you with some light reading on the subject. :shock:

 

[sawmill]

If Lund stills uses the same foam as they did in 1997 it won't asorb water. I bought a new in in 1997 and it had a leak. The water wasn't coming from anywhere on the hull but from the seal on the livewell. It sat for I don't know how long before I found it. I found it in the first couple months after I used it and the water was up to the floor

 

[NautiBuoys]

Agreed; use the right (marine grade) closed cell foam and it won't absorb water. Use the wrong stuff (example-like the foam in a can from Home Depot/Lowe's) and it will suck water up like a sponge. I found out the hard way when my repaired duck decoy starting sinking...

 

[airsickness]

Thank you for the replies. I cant believe I am looking at other boats. I haven't even put my new to me Smokercraft and 20hp Merc in the water yet. I got a problem....

 

[fiberglass]

Yeah the older foam used to soak up water real quick. The new stuff doesn't soak it up quite as fast but if it stays wet long enough it will eventually soak up water too. Hope that helped a little thanks