The History of Chittum Skiffs: Crafting the Perfect Boat for the Florida Keys
When it comes to the shallow-water flats of the Florida Keys, where bonefish, permit, and tarpon roam over turtle grass and white sand, few names carry as much weight as Chittum Skiffs.
Known for innovation, craftsmanship, and performance in some of the most demanding waters on earth, these skiffs reflect the vision of one man—Hal Chittum—whose relentless pursuit of perfection changed the way anglers and guides think about technical poling skiffs.
A Vision Born in the Keys
The Florida Keys have long been considered the birthplace of flats fishing, where pioneering anglers in the mid-20th century began chasing bonefish across the shallows in modified wooden boats.
As the sport grew, so too did the demand for skiffs that could run quietly in inches of water, handle sudden weather shifts, and provide stability on the pole.
Hal Chittum, a Florida Keys guide turned boatbuilder, understood these demands better than most. In the 1970s and 80s, Chittum was already well-known as a fishing guide who knew every flat, cut, and mangrove shoreline from Biscayne Bay down through Islamorada and beyond.
His deep connection to the Keys and to the guides who worked its waters gave him firsthand knowledge of the shortcomings in the skiffs available at the time.
By the late 1980s, Chittum had moved into the world of boatbuilding, first making a name with Maverick Boats, a company that helped define the early era of production flats skiffs.
But Hal Chittum’s ambitions went further. He believed the ultimate shallow-water skiff had yet to be built. Guides wanted a hull that combined stealth with seaworthiness, speed with poling efficiency, and durability with a refined ride—qualities that were difficult to achieve all at once.
Chittum set out to change that. He immersed himself in hull design, advanced composites, and construction techniques borrowed from the world of offshore racing yachts and aerospace technology.
His philosophy was simple: a skiff should perform flawlessly, even in the toughest conditions the Keys can throw at it.
By the early 2000s, the first Chittum Skiffs were introduced, quickly earning a reputation for being among the most advanced technical poling skiffs ever built. Unlike many production skiffs, each Chittum hull was carefully designed and crafted with input from veteran guides.
Models like the Islamorada 18 and the Maverick-inspired designs became instant classics, not only for their ability to float in skinny water but also for their handling in rougher channels and open bays.
Chittum Skiffs distinguished themselves with exceptional build quality, quiet hulls, and meticulous attention to detail.
Perhaps the most important innovation was Chittum’s commitment to resin infusion and vacuum bagging techniques, which made the skiffs lighter, stronger, and more rigid than many competitors.
This gave anglers the best of both worlds: speed across the flats and silence while poling after spooky fish.
Chittum Skiffs were never just about boats—they were about solving the daily challenges of professional fishing guides in the Keys. A guide needs a skiff that poles straight and true in wind and tide, carries anglers and gear comfortably, and doesn’t spook the fish.
Chittum involved many of the Keys’ most respected guides in the design process, ensuring his boats met real-world demands.
Over the years, these skiffs have become synonymous with some of the most prestigious names in saltwater fly fishing. When legendary anglers and guides needed the most reliable technical skiff available, they turned to Chittum.
The boats became fixtures at tournaments like the Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament in Islamorada, where performance on the flats can mean the difference between success and failure.
Hal Chittum’s influence stretches far beyond the boats that bear his name. He helped establish the benchmark for modern flats skiff design, inspiring countless builders who followed.
The blend of shallow draft, quiet hull design, and advanced materials pioneered in Chittum Skiffs is now considered standard in high-end technical skiffs.
Even as competitors have caught up, Chittum Skiffs retain their aura of prestige. They are regarded as the pinnacle of craftsmanship in an already specialized market, often built in small numbers with a focus on perfection over volume.
Owners of Chittum Skiffs aren’t just buying a boat—they’re buying into a philosophy of performance, tradition, and respect for the waters of the Florida Keys.
To this day, Chittum Skiffs and the Florida Keys are inseparable. These boats were designed for the exacting conditions found between Key Largo and Key West—places where bonefish tail in ankle-deep water, permit cruise over hard-bottom flats, and tarpon roll in channels just a cast away.
Guides and anglers in the Keys continue to push their boats to the limit, demanding quiet approaches to wary fish, stability for precision casting, and seaworthiness when afternoon squalls roll across the islands. Chittum Skiffs, shaped by Hal Chittum’s years as a guide in these waters, remain perfectly suited to the task.
The history of Chittum Skiffs is inseparable from the history of modern flats fishing in the Florida Keys. From Hal Chittum’s early days as a guide to his pioneering role as a boatbuilder, his vision has reshaped what anglers expect from a technical poling skiff.
Today, a Chittum is more than just a boat—it is the embodiment of decades of knowledge, innovation, and a deep respect for the flats that make the Keys one of the greatest fisheries on earth.
Nautical Mile Magazine
