Average Length Of A Skiff (with Examples)

A skiffs length is measured from the very tip of the bow to the very back of the stern. This length excludes anything that attaches to the hull such as brackets, engines, and accessories. Most skiffs range from about 16′ up to 21′ in length. As with anything with a boat, there is no length that fits all needs perfectly. There will always be tradeoffs that you will need to weigh against your particular fishing style and needs. The 19′ 2″ East Cape Vantage may be a great boat to comfortably fit 3 anglers but that same boat may not be able to spin on a dime as well as the 16′ 4″ Hells Bay Whipray.

What is the most common length of a skiff? The most common length for a skiff is 17′ 8″ based on measurements taken from 26 of the most popular skiffs on the market today.

The table below shows the list of 26 skiffs used to calculate the most common skiff of 17′ 8″. To learn more about these individual skiffs, click on the links provided below to navigate to the manufacturer's page for each skiff.

The best length for a saltwater skiff

A common question most people ask when searching for a flats boat is what is the best length for a saltwater skiff? Most find that skiffs between the lengths of 17′ and 18′ best fits the needs for most flats fishing situations. Boat in this range tend to provide enough space to fit multiple anglers relatively comfortably but are generally still light enough to get into very shallow waters.

The more accurate answer to this question is it depends. Some might say “the bigger the boat the better” while others say “the smaller the better”. Anglers who spend their time in open waters or on flats over a foot in depth may find that the larger skiffs serve them better. However, if you are navigating the shallow flats in Mosquito Lagoon you may want to go smaller so you can cross over sub 5″ of water.

Length of Skiff vs Cost

One really easy way to reduce the overall purchase price of your boat is to go smaller. When looking through all the different boats offered by any manufacturer, you will see that the shorter the boat will generally be cheaper to purchase. Furthermore, as we will explain later on down this article, shorter boats will also come with a lower cost to own due to a lower storage cost.

Length of Skiff vs Weigh & Draft

All things being equal, longer skiffs need more material to build which equates to more weight and more draft. Skiff fishermen generally want as little draft in a boat as possible in order to navigate shallow waters when flats fishing. Again, how much draft is too much really depends on the area that you are fishing. Some areas may be fine for a boat drafting 11″ while other areas, such as the Everglades, may require a boat drafting under 6″ to get to fish tailing on the flats.

Skiff Length Impact On Poll-ability

One of the most important things to consider with a skiff is how well it can be polled. A skiff that doesn't track well, has a ton of drag, and is difficult to turn or stop can be very frustrating and and wear you out. When fishing the banks for tailing redfish, it is important that you are able to stop quickly and change directions with ease and precision. In general, longer boats will be more difficult to perform technical polling maneuvers such as turns and spins. However, longer narrow boats will usually track much better.

Skiff Length vs Capacity

One of the major benefits of a longer skiff is the additional room. The more length of a boat you have the more room occupants have to spread out for simultaneous fishing. If you are on a 16′ skiff, there is usually only room for the person on the polling platform and one on the casting platform. When you get up to the 17.5′ and above range you will have more room to fit 3 anglers but even then it is hard to have everyone fishing at the same time. Not to say it can't be done, your anglers will just need to be extra careful with their backcasts.

Skiff Length vs Ride Comfort

Longer skiffs span chop and waves which help reduce the amount of bounce and slap when going over chop. This spanning generally lends to a smoother, more comfortable ride. If you regularly ride longer distances over choppy water, a little bit of extra length could really make a difference in your overall comfort.

Storing Your Saltwater Skiff in your Garage

Most boat storage facilities charge by the foot to store your boat so the longer the boat the more the cost. When looking for a skiff I was looking for one as long as I could find that would fit straight in my garage and would draft no more that 6″ fully rigged. This means it can be no longer that 20′ including trailer and engine which would put an optimum boat length of about 18′.

If you can fit your skiff in your garage the cost of owning a skiff is drastically reduced. For instance, I have a 1991 2120 Robalo which is about 23′ in length including the front pulpit. Stack on top of that the trailer tongue that sticks out another 2′ and the 200 Mercury that adds another 2′ and I am well beyond what a typical garage can house. Like most folks, I live in a community with an HOA which prevents me from just storing my boat outside so I chose to keep it at a local storage place which costs me right at $290 per month (outrageously overpriced, I know). So, when I started looking for a saltwater skiff, my number 1 rule was that it must fit in my garage.

After a ton of research, I was down to 3 Hells Bay skiffs that I was considering to buy, the Waterman, Professional, or Marquesa. I was in love with the Marquesa for its great ability to cut through rougher chop and its slightly larger size which would more easily fit an extra passenger. The Marquesa is right at 18′ 1″ in length, however, when you add on the 115hp engine and the swing tongue trailer and you are now up to 21'6″ which is too big for my garage. This left me with either the Professional which measures out to 17′ 8″ or the Waterman which comes in right at 18′. Tacking on the swing tongue trailer and a 70HP 4 4 stroke Yamaha to either one would put the total length to 19′ 6″ for the Professional and 19'10” Waterman, both of which will fit just fine.

Another rule I had was that I wanted my boat to fit straight in the garage so that I could back up, hook up, and go without as little effort as possible. If you don't mind giving up more of your garage space you could squeeze a few more feet on to your boat by positioning it at a slightly at an angle. My neighbor used to keep his 20′ deck boat in his garage along with his motorcycle, golf cart, and riding lawn mower. Whenever he wanted to take the boat out he had to unload his entire garage to get to it. Eventually he decided it was too much and went up the road to the same overpriced storage spot that I use.

Swing tongue trailers

One option that many skiff owners choose when attempting to fit their skiff in their garage is a trailer with a folding tongue. Trailers with a folding tongue can take off as much as 2 feet from the total length of you boat/trailer setup. This could mean the difference between selecting a skiff 17′ in length to fit in your garage to a boat 19′ in length. The nice part about the folding tongue trailer is that it is very simple to fold out to get ready to attach it to your hitch.

If you already have a trailer for your boat but need a little extra room, Fulton offers a heavy duty Fold-Away™ Bolt-On Hinge Kits that can convert your standard trailer's tongue into fold-away tongue. This kit is very easy to install with all the hardware included and is much cheaper than replacing your trailer.

Longest Saltwater Skiff

There are very few saltwater skiffs in the 19′-21′ range. Most boats at this point get to where they fall out of the technical polling skiff category and more in to the larger flats boat or bay boat category. The longest technical polling skiff that I have seen out on the market is the Islamorada 21 by chittum skiff. This boat measures in at exactly 21′ in length with a beam of 7′ 4″ while still holding a light weight at 750lb and a draft of 6″-9″. While this boat may not get quite as skinny as some smaller boats, it still can get you in most tight spots. I would think guides who carry 2 or 3 anglers will love this size boat.

Other Important Measurements of a Saltwater Skiff

Here are a few other important boat measurements when looking into saltwater skiffs. All of these specifications will play into the safety, comfort, and fishability of your skiff.

• Beam
• Freeboard
• Deadrise
• Weight
• Draft

To learn more about these attributes and much more about saltwater skiffs, please take a look at more articles by clicking here.