Boat marine speaker install questions??

[SWFL 10+ year member]

I got a 16ft actioncraft boat like this

Wanting to put a nice decent little system in it. dont care for a bunch of bass since its a boat and dont have much room. Looking for more of loud as possible and clear mids and highs. I am just trying to get an idea for what speakers and amps to run. The center console you can see in the middle of the boat i planned on building a amp and HU rack to have the amp and HU sitting up off the bottom of the boat to prevent any moisture and seal the bottom up with expanding foam to elminate any water getting in the center console.

I then was gonna make a place right where the front deck ends and put two 6.5's speakers flush with the front of the deck. Might also add two 6.5's on each side of the center console facing out flush mounted. I am also trying to figure out a small sub or mid i can put in the center console underneath it and have a little bit of some kind of bass maybe a very beefy 6.5 or 8" sub but doesnt need alot of airspace since the box cant be very big at all. Maybe even a pair of kicker free air midbass not sure never ran them before.

Then for under the polling platform i was gonna possibly mount a set of horns seleniums or maybe a set of the kicker tower speakers has a 6.5 and a tweeter with it.

Just trying to get an idea for amps and speakers to run that will hold up in a boat its used for saltwater fishing.

Anyone that has put speakers in a boat like this please chime in.

Thanks

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[budahbuddy803 10+ year member]

putting horns or any type of speaker under the polling platform doesnt seem like a good idea to me. I would imagine that saltwater sprays and hits that area. Other than that, i personally would go with a good comp set, amp, and cd player. I dont think there is need for a sub in a boat.... but other than that, i cant help haha.

 

[SWFL 10+ year member]

I figure maybe for a sub or speakers i need to get ones with more of a plastic cone instead of the paper cone so it doesnt get messed up with water damage

 

[SWFL 10+ year member]

putting horns or any type of speaker under the polling platform doesnt seem like a good idea to me. I would imagine that saltwater sprays and hits that area. Other than that, i personally would go with a good comp set, amp, and cd player. I dont think there is need for a sub in a boat.... but other than that, i cant help haha.

Yea i was thinking the same thing thats why i thought horns it wouldnt bother since its not a paper cone u know, then again its still electricty so idk. Unless i had them on a swivel and could turn them down when running on windy and rough days and when its smooth or just cruising then turn them facing me. I also figured when running the horns wouldnt do no good unless they were on tons of power since they will face the front of the boat and when u are running the sound wont carry forward just the wind will knock the volume down. So mount towards the front and the sides of the console would be the best. Pick up two nice sets of 6.5 comps that can handle moisture or 2 sets of 6.5 coax's dont want to have to drill more than one hold per speaker so unless i can get a comp with teh tweet in the mid then coax's it will be. Or mount the horns upfront so they wont get wet

 

[SWFL 10+ year member]

anyone got a boat with speakers installed

 

[Ellsworthz 10+ year member]

one guy on here has a hella system in his boat, im sure he will chime in soon, from what i remember he had some Type ARRGHHHS in it.

 

[SWFL 10+ year member]

ok thanks, mainly looking for boat installs in flats or bay boats with not much room to put a system in

 

[SWFL 10+ year member]

bump

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

What I'd do is put 2 speakers on the center console on the bottom. Get speakers with high resistance vs. the elements of salt water. Pioneer has a marine line, so do a few other companies. If you want, you can put 2 up front, or where your feet are.

I'd go to a marine store by you, there's bound to be an audio section. Just ask them questions. The only problem is that over time they will break and you'll have to replace them. So don't buy incredibly expensive speakers. Because they will degrade and have to be replaced.

EDIT:: I have a 16 foot skiff, and we just put 2 on the bottom of the center console, and it sounds good. Doesn't need to be that amazing. Just get a nice water resistant HU, mount it in an acrylic case and run the speakers off the HU. We used a pair of full range Pioneers (I can get the model number if you want.) To extend the life a bit, you could mount them in Tupperware. Might even give you a better response.

 

[SWFL 10+ year member]

ok thats what i was wondering, bc i planned on buying very good stuff well for the money like kicker not bad bang for your buck, gonna look into a 700.5 and a nice marine HU, and then a set of speakers upfront, a set in the center console facing right and left, the ones upfront facing towards the back seat, then a pair right under the back seat facing the front deck. Then i was wanting to put tower speakers or horns under the polling platform facing the front but the spray will ruin those i am thinking

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

ok thats what i was wondering, bc i planned on buying very good stuff well for the money like kicker not bad bang for your buck, gonna look into a 700.5 and a nice marine HU, and then a set of speakers upfront, a set in the center console facing right and left, the ones upfront facing towards the back seat, then a pair right under the back seat facing the front deck. Then i was wanting to put tower speakers or horns under the polling platform facing the front but the spray will ruin those i am thinking

Don't. Unless you make water proof air tight enclosures for the amps (which will no doubt make them over heat), it's not worth it. The salt in the mist will severely kill the life span of the amps. On small boats like those, it's hard to find places where it's water proof and mist proof. Like I said, I'd personally just buy a decent water proof / resistant head unit, and a decent pair of speakers. Not to mention, when you're fishing, you can't play music. The fishies will runnn.

 

[SWFL 10+ year member]

yea, i wont play music when fishing only running and cruising thats why i want loud speakers to over power the engine, its only a 115hp but still loud u know. I was gonna do one 8" shallow mount sub inside the center console, and build a amp rack with the HU under the console and seal off the bottom of the console where it meets the floor with foam to not allow any water in there, but the front has an opening its got a door on it but still moisture could prob get in there. If i run the marine amps from kicker they should hold up as long as they dont get physically wet right. They will be off the ground and not get any moisture just w/e is in the air basically.

 

[BassnVW 10+ year member]

So when wwe goin fishin? lol

 

[SWFL 10+ year member]

u paying for the trip haha

 

[BassnVW 10+ year member]

Sure I went just two weeks ago and had to pay my own buddy! Times are hard I guess. Down in the everglades though.