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Which ladder is best

Timdelta

Timdelta

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hey folks, just ordered a boat and I am still wondering which ladder is best? The stainless one that comes on the Q or the aluminum one that is curved and can be blacked out? I ended up ordering a Q and as of now I have the straight stainless, but it looks like the curved one would be easier to use. Please voice the pros and cons. Thanks all.
 
I have had 2 of the stainless of different years and just ordered my 22 with same ladder. My opinion is it looks cleaner, works great and is off the platform.
 
I like the clean look of the stainless ladder. We were leaning that way in 2017 when ordering our boat, but the sales manager said the curved ladder was A LOT easier to get in and out of the boat from the water because of the curve.

We tried out both prior to ordering our boat due to his advice. Sure enough, the curved is much easier to use to climb back onto the boat from the water. Not even a close call in our minds.

As a result, we went with the curved, blackout out with our boats blackout package. Looks very nice blacked out to match the boat, and is much more practical in my mind due to its ease of use.

Not sure how well these pictures help, but at least aesthetically, this is what the back of our boat looks like with the curved blackout package/ladder. We think that it adds to the look of the blackout package and looks very nice.

257D90A1-2228-4092-93F2-4FDE58E45959.jpegFA27428B-9ACB-4BE1-BD27-E28A3007257F.jpegA515B44C-92BA-4266-A8A6-C0189F8AE900.jpegB383DF91-DC66-4DA7-9382-38C436FD088F.jpeg
 
I have both and the curved is much easier to use.
 
I just ordered mine with the Stainless . It stores out of the way ,and after seeing them side by side at the show last month the Stainless ladder is wider.
 
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I have the curved one and am thinking about tethering the lower half to ease the task of pulling it back up to the stored position. Has anyone done that with something that looks decent?
 
I have switched my order from stainless to curved aluminum blacked out. The stainless shows rust stains very quickly as evidenced by a boat in the yard for other repairs. The manager confirmed the rust issue and he also said the curved easier to climb. The only con is the stainless does hide better. Thanks for the input ladies and gentlemen, this is a great resourse.
 
Timdelta said:
I have switched my order from stainless to curved aluminum blacked out. The stainless shows rust stains very quickly as evidenced by a boat in the yard for other repairs. The manager confirmed the rust issue and he also said the curved easier to climb. The only con is the stainless does hide better. Thanks for the input ladies and gentlemen, this is a great resourse.
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I had a stainless on my 2014 RCW for the 6 years I owned it , not one spot of rust . I also had a stainless on my 2020 QCW , no rust on that for the short time I owned it . No rust on the stainless keeper rails or gate either .
 
Is the boat in South Florida with warm salt water? Dealer did say the newer metals are not as good as they used to be. I live at the beach and corrosion is a constant battle. Cars, all fasteners on home and all outdoor stuff, suffers. Even glass on windows gets coated with salt and needs to be rinsed. (In dry season) I can see big differences in the quality of different stainless steel items.
 
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I am going to be the lone voice of dissent, but I opt for the straight ladder. At first, I looked with envy of those boats that had the curved ladder, but after befriending someone on the lake who had one and was able to use it, I realize that I prefer the straight ladder, whether aluminum or stainless. I was surprised at my reaction, but the curved ladder is actually in the way when trying to climb up. It curves outward and I find myself banging my shins and top of feet to try to find the first rung. Granted, I am in able-bodied, middle-aged man. Those who are older or heavier my prefer the curved. But I absolutely like the straight ladder.
 
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You’re not alone. My salesman was adamant about the straight ladder, his boss was in curved camp. The beauty is we can each choose what we prefer. As we all things there are trade offs, I would like a curved aluminum ladder that disappeared.
 
Another vote for the stainless/hidden ladder. The newer versions have a much wider entry, and going from my 2011 to the 2021, the new ladder has an extra rung, and the top is about 8" wider making for easy entry/exit.

Biggest drawback of the stainless/straight ladder that nobody has mentioned is that you can't tell if it's up or down... I've made it part of my standard checklist to double-check before ever putting the boat in reverse.
 
Last one out of the water stores it ( My Wife ) and I double check before leaving .
My brother in law has a curved ,I cannot believe how much narrower they are .
 
As this thread demonstrates, different people have different preferences. If at all possible, test each in advance in the water. You will find the one that you think best meets your needs.

Another way of considering items like this is how my wife and I partially approach some of our lake house decisions for boat, dock, accessories, etc: Who might struggle slightly with ease of use, or safety, etc… that we may invite up: typically our thinking gravitates to our currently aging parents, and future grand children.

Thus, potential ease of use for others is another thing to possibly consider if you will have various guests on board regularly. That said, if you can try each style out yourself, I bet one will stand out more compared to the other.
 
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