I feel like this disc is criminally underrated. They're SUPER glidey. I've had several over the years and they tend to fly a bit less stable with more glide than the numbers suggest. I have a flat one from years back is true to numbers, but all the ones I have from the last couple years are domey and glide for days.

The depth of this disc is greater than some 11 speed discs, but it seems to have WAY more glide than flatter discs. This definitely isn't a flat disc, but it's not uncomfortably domey. I'm about 5'10" and it feels great in my hand.

VIP plastic is some of the best feeling plastic in the game, so no complaints there. 

If your max distance is under 350" or so, this will be a great stable control driver. For those with a bit more arm speed, this thing becomes a SUPER straight, SUPER glide machine. I think I have 3 in my bag right now.

Most overstable disc I've ever thrown. I don't know if I got a bad mold but the rim on the wing is super steep and the dome is insane, creating the most overstable disc I've ever thrown. I hope I just got a bad mold but that's $20 down the drain.

The Boatman, its a disc I'd like to say could be a primary drive for so many people. For me it splits distance driver duty with others. I use it for 300-350ft long straight shots with a clean fade at the end. I primarily flick this disc and the flight chart is a very accurate representation of how it flies.  Its a great disc in your bag as 11 speed discs are a sweet spot.

I found one of these a few weeks ago and used it quite a bit. It's a very nice a controllable distance driver. I would say the speed is more along a 10 versus 11. I just think a Wraith or similar is a smidge faster.

I found a very straight flight, maybe a hint of turn but then a solid forward fade. Nice glide as well. I'm going to rate this a 5 disc and I won't do that for many. It's not the longest distance driver, but if you need to get still very good distance while being controllable for tighter lines or through the woods this is the ticket. 

Very straight flying speed 11 driver. I would classify this as "stable" rather than "understable". It flexes out of anhyzer shots, but doesn't dump on flat or hyzer releases. The vip plastic hits trees and stays in spotless shape. If I really mash on this disc, it'll turn the tiniest bit but never flip over. For forehand throws, my poor technique turns it over, but that's 100% snapping my wrist like a baseball player. If I ever lose this disc, I'm 100% buying a new one. It's a staple in my bag and I don't see it leaving anytime soon. 

The Boatman is very consistent thrown either FH or BH and flies true to the flight numbers.  The Boatman I have is a 171g VIP and it quickly became my go-to distance driver at a time when I could only throw backhand from a standstill with a little force over. I have since moved on to other drivers but at the time I was looking for a zero-turn distance driver with minimal/controlled fade to use for both forehand and backhand drives for maximum distance on holes without a lot of room for error. Since I started throwing the Boatman I can power up drives in situations where I would have normally laid up in the past due to fear of hitting low branches, going OB, etc.  I love the consistency of the Boatman -- it goes where you throw it.  I wouldn’t recommend it for a beginner but once you have good form and spin I highly recommend it.

I had thrown the Wraith and liked it, but just wanted to experiment and try a few other speed 11 drivers.  I give it a 3/5 b/c of the grip.  I'm 5'11 and have pretty big hands/long fingers, but just couldn't get comfortable with this disc in my hands.  The rim felt sharp and like it was jabbing into my palm, maybe b/c of a wider/deeper rim than the other speed 11 discs I've tried.  I'm going to try the DD Hysteria next, I've already confirmed I like the feel of it better.

That being said, I had some great flights out of this disc, and if you don't mind throwing something with the width of a destroyer, I could definitely see this as being a workhorse go-to driver for you, and would definitely recommend it.

I was really excited to try this disc.  I had heard that it had a particularly narrow rim for its speed and I really like throwing midranges and fairways because I find the smaller rim sizes to be more controllable.  The Boatman delivers in both distance and accuracy and has become a workhorse control driver in my bag.

I was super excited when I got my Boatman. I'd been researching for a month looking for a disc that could hold up to my forehand but not be too fast to where I couldn't get it up to speed. I was turning over the Flow, and then I found the Boatman. The numbers told me it should be exactly what I was looking for - a notch more stable flow. That was not my experience. All I could do was get it to ride a glidey hyzer. I couldn't get it to go straight at all. I lost it halfway through the first round I got to play with it while I was throwing my other discs just fine. I spent a ton of time trying to get it out of the tree but eventually had to leave. I never missed it in my bag and never tried it out again. I will say that this was an older run TP Boatman with the shadow face, so I'm not sure if the current ones are more or less stable. I haven't ruled trying one out in the future, but I got better at controlling angles and love the Flow, so it will probably be a while, if at all.

The Boatman is a pretty neutral speed 11 driver. I'd compare it to a Wraith in terms of overall flight. The Boatman glides well and has a hint of high speed turn on hard throws. Its a capable performer and is resistant to turning over entirely. I found this disc useful for accurate drives out to about 400'. It will take all the arm you have and respond favorably with good distance. Fade is fairly mellow.

Great alternative to a Surge or Wraith. Same flight characteristics. The Boatman has a slightly gentler late fade than a Wraith. 

Recommended for pretty much anyone. The Boatman is not a very intimidating disc, and all skill levels will be able to throw it.

The boatman is a good disc when you need distance and control. It holds lines very well, and will have a reliable yet not too skippy fade at the end. I’ve been able to get this disc just as far as my distance drivers, and at times can more workable. It functions well for controlled forehand shots. I personally like this disc in the tournament plastic versus VIP for all shots.

This disc is and always will be the most consistent thing in my damn bag LOL I have beat the crap out of this disc and it still fly's true as the day I got it! 

Great Utility Driver. Good for both BH and FH. Very straight with a slow fade at the end. Out of all the Westside drivers to me it is the most consistent. It's only an 10 speed so it is beginner friendly. It will help you work on finesse as this disc flys quick and straight. 

I first got this disc on a whim at a chasin' the chains two disc tournament. It was love at first throw. With the nature of a two disc tournament, you need to be able to mold different shots with the same disc, and this help up to the challenge perfectly. The first throw on the first hole of the event, I flexed out a shot and landed further and straighter than I had ever thrown on that specific hole. Now that I have bagged it for about a year, I find myself reaching for the Boatman more and more often, to replace many distance and fairway shots. If I had only one driver to take on a course with me, this would be it. 

If you are thinking about getting a Boatman, just do it! I bought this disc for forehand and for stable backhand shots in the wind or on hyzer, and I was not dissapointed. I almost wanted to put "not beginner friendly" but I went with neutral because it is very hard to turn this disc over. I have 175g VIP plastic and it goes dead straight on forehand, I have a pretty strong forehand, and has a very consistent fade. I use the longbowman for almost all forehand shots under 300 feet, and the boatman is like a longer version of the longbowman. It just has that nice smooth fade that adds distance and is dependable. My first time using it on course, it was extremely windy (a very long, open course) and I found myself reaching for the boatman on almost every drive. I recommend VIP plastic to get the most consistent shots. I tried throwing tournament plastic a few times but it seemed to be less stable. Get this disc.

I have owned my VIP Boatman for a year now, and I think it is the best control driver I have owned. Whether I throw it backhand with a flat release, or hyzer flip a forehand, my Boatman flies very straight with a soft but predictable fade. I know it is odd to call an 11 speed disk a control driver, but it really is that reliable for me even in breezy conditions. A good drive for me with this disk is 320-330', forehand or backhand. I think the flight chart and flight numbers accurately represent what you can expect from the Boatman.

For me it is really hard to give this disc flight ratings. Comparing it with star wraith it seems to have more glide even at 175g VIP, the boatman requires less power to keep on a straight line for a long throw but given enough power trying to maximize the distance the disc starts behaving a little volatile. if it turns just a little bit all is fine and very good distance is guaranteed with a nice fade in the end, on the other hand a little too much turn and this disc doesn't seem to come back anymore but instead keeps that anhyzer angle all the way to the ground pretty much.

Excellent disc for learning forehand like mentioned, not the best for strong forehand throws later on. Love the deepish rim for forehand.

Not bagging the disc currently, wraith and Tesla took its place kind of, but maybe I'll give it another chance soon.

I initially bought a VIP Boatman to learn how to drive forehand but quickly learned it is an excellent disc for both forehand and backhand.

The flight path is very straight with a good neutral HSS and an overstable LSS finish halfway between forward fade and a strong dump. It is a capable ,but not excellent, disc for skip shots.

The boatman can handle a lot of power but remains reliable and is trustworthy in moderate to high winds (<20 mph).

It's one of the best discs in the Westside lineup and can find a spot in most player's bags.

171g VIP plastic.  This quickly became my go to distance driver.  One of the most reliable discs in my bag.  I can always depend on a straight flight for 275-325 ft, then a soft fade to the left for about 25 ft.  Flight numbers seem to be very accurate.

Boatman Boatman Boatman them boys up to something!

a few years back before i knew of Westside, My local DG store had just got a small assortment of their stuff. The VIP 169g boatman was a disc I ended up walking out with, it has a great feel to it, and it had flight ratings that suggested overstable with minimal fade. I found it to be a tad more understable than the ratings but it is so money, I throw this when I want to go straight for 250-300ft and finish left for the remaining 50ft. and it comes through everytime. I feel like I have to be gentle with it when i throw it FH so I  throw it with good hyzer and it levels out nicely and gets a nice finishing fade right. Overall its very reliable and something you can dial up a variety of shot shaping with, It holds lines like a champ. I have been asked by many people that see me throw this disc what it is because its lines are that sweet.I keep 2 of these in my bag, and my regulars i play with already know the boatman is coming out of the bag on the regular. hence the drake remix inside joke. 

The Boatman is currently my favorite disc that i have ever thrown. it is pretty easy to throw and get lots of distance. This disc makes for great low shots and will glide below the tree line to make for some long distance drives. The Boatman is a very straight flying disc as well and it doesn't fade out to hard and the end of the flight. The boatman is an awesome disc and a great addition to any bag

So I bag two of theses bad boys. One is a max weight VIP and the other is a 171 Tournament. I have a slower arm speed and normally throw disc around the 9 speed, but the Boatman is one of two disc I carry above that. The Boatman is a rather large diameter disc but still feels good in the hand. When thrown flat it will go straight for a long ways before kicking into the fade. It is not a harsh fade, just smooth and even. Thrown with hyzer it will carry that line throughought the flight. It will finish with a nice flaring skip also (VIP). My lighter tournament Boatman will go a little further with less skip and has a little more turnover in the wind. Speaking of wind, this disc performs quite well in the wind. I use in the blustery OK headwinds to great success. A staple in my bag!

This boat doesn't flip. I like the disc a lot so far, but sometimes it seems to fade out a lot harder than I expect. You really have to thow this thing hard to keep it straight. 

it's a big help for really long tunnel shots on windy days when I can't throw my normal flippy discs, but don't want to use my normal overstable drivers because they have too much fade.

Top 5 disc in my bag.

VIP 167g. I cannot say enough about this disc. It is quickly becoming my go to distance disc on anything other than a shot I want to hyzer flip or anti. It's great when thrown flat and low, where it goes remarkably far while staying just a few feet off the ground, and for big hyzers tosses. This disc has a unique flight path in that it flies straght for a long time than fades off at the end without crashing. This adds a ton of distance and is a blast to throw. Not a big FH guy, but this one is one of the few that I'm confortable using for FH shots. BH is where it really excells for me though. Once I got used to the flight path/ started to break it in this disc became a staple in my bag. Simply put, I won't play a round without one in my bag. Also, the VIP plastic is amazingly comfortable in this mold and the disc is a good wind fighter.

5 stars. (Idk why the stars always revert back to 1 on my phone) I LOVE THIS DISC. I bag several of them. 175g VIP flies very straight, and then has a nice fade. I like putting it low and getting a big skip. My 169g VIP is getting pretty beat in. It just flies dead straight. My 172g Tourny is also pretty seasoned, and will flex or Hyzer flip very straight. I really like it for headwind flex shots. The 175 VIP is unaffected by headwinds, as are new Boatmans, They do get some turn as they break in, but still Hyzer back. The profile is great for forehand shots as well. It's a little slower for an 11 speed. But makes for a fantastic, and versatile control driver in ANY conditions. I'll take a Boatman over a Thunderbird, or Sampo. Although those would be better choices for slower arms. Good distance on the Boatman for me is 375-400

Love it, easliy controlled flight path and predictable. I dont flick much, but RHBH anhysers with this are a thing of beauty. Can get +325' with my natural throw without tring to over do it. Flys very close to the ratings

As most have said below, the Boatman is a great disc for forehand drives.  My boatman (169g VIP) replaced my previous distance driver during my first round out with it on the course.  For me the disc flies fairly true to the ratings, possibly 12/5/-0.5/2... as there can be some turn when I really get a hold of one( I Don't have a huge arm) .  What's really nice is the consistency of the fade in the Boatman, which makes for predictable throws when released flat.  You can release with anny and really strech out the distance on the Boatman while still retaining a more subtle, but still predictable fade.  The local course has a creek running on the left hand side of 12 of the holes so the reliable fade to the right (RHFH) has helped to improve my scores since I bagged the Boatman.  Absolutely recommend this disc for those in need of a good flick disc.

I bought this disc in 171 VIP, and the flight ratings are pretty much dead on (which is generally a rarity for Westside). Throwing in any type of wind, this disc flies exactly the same; and it flies very controllably, and really stretches out drives more than you would expect. In all honesty I think the fade rating is more like a 1.5, but Westside hasn't started rating turn or fade in anything other than whole numbers. Although I haven't tried throwing it with a significant amount of anny yet, all other lines I've put this disc on have held, and the disc will relaibly fade just a little bit at the end of the flight. I already know this disc will be my workhorse driver, and I would recommend it to anyone with anything more than 'beginner level' power.

A long, fast, mid-range-style driver. That's how I sum up the Boatman. I got mine in VIP at 176g and have had it for well over a year. Boatman is a very large driver but the rim is not deeper then any other standard driver. The Boatman indeed handles a fair amount of wind and is plenty stable enough to handle a strong forehand snap. Boatman can fly very far and has terrific glide. One of the highlights of this disc is how it fades and lands. Boatman has a habit of fading just at the end of it's flight and has a tendency to land flat, which is essentially why I compare it to mid-range discs. Boatman can fly very far and very straight and land flat. I'd recomend this disc to anyone curious about it. Boatman is a gem. I recomend this disc to any forehand or backhand driver(with a decent arm) looking for something long and straight with exceptional glide.

Just recently got a 171 VIP Boatman from my tournament winnings on June 8th! This disc looks sick and flies even better. It's slightly more stable than a Rogue, but has some of the same characteristics. The speed and minimal high speed turn are identical for both these discs, but the Boatman has a harder fading finish than a Rogue. This makes the Boatman much more versatile. On hard backhand throws, this disc will flip up flat for me and still finish left, or if released with an anhyzer angle, it will turn gently right and finish back to the left. The Boatman shined for me on sidearm throws. On a flat or hyzer release, it holds that same angle release and stabilizes out into a nice skip. When given an anhyzer angle, it will turn to the left, but the glide keeps this disc in the air long enough to let it stabilize and finish back to the right with a skip. I almost aced a hole today with my Boatman! Amazing S curve flick shot. This might just be my favorite Westside disc yet. This one and the Northman are just fantastic!

The westside boatman is a great disc for forehanders. I started playing not too long ago and had alot of trouble with my back hand and was throwing primary forehand. This disc helped me greatly in that department. The Plastic this disc comes in is great. If you prefer champion type plastic the VIP Plastic is the way to go. If you like Star plastic the tournament is in my opinion pretty similar. Plus its got a pretty cool stamp on it. This disc has a great S curve for forhanders. It flies beautifully and gracefully. The problem i had was if i tried to throw backhand it became way more overstable and unpredictable for me. Maybe i wasnt throwing it correctly and it was a user error but i would just stick with forehand thorwing with this disc. This disc could easily go 4-450' but i dont have big arm so i could only get mine out to a little above 300. I took mine out ( not bc of the disc) but i had to make room for my flows, but if you are a primary forehand thrower i would highly recommend giving this disc a throw.