Are downward firing subs a good idea?

I've purchased 2 Kicker L5 8" subs and have been considering different mounting options in my '05 Malibu VLX for awhile. I've more or less decided that I want to build a custom box to fit under the dash on the driver's side and hold them.

What I'm not sure about is the best orientation for the subs. I don't really want to point them directly towards the driver as I'd rather they not get trampled by the accidental foot. Actually, the kicker grill covers are pretty sharp so it might be the foot that gets injured. I'm also concerned that the driver might end up getting blasted with bass before it reaches a good volume level for the rest of the boat.

So... what I'm thinking about doing is mounting them both in a single enclosure pointed down towards the deck of the boat. I'm hoping this would transmit the sound throughout the entire boat more effectively without blasting the driver. The enclosure would basically take the place of the factory footrest. I was thinking I would extend the edges of the box down about 3" to lift the box up off the ground and provide room for the subs to fire without hitting the deck.

What do you think of this idea? Also, do you think I need to leave the 3" clearance at the bottom open on the driver's side for the sound to radiate out, or can I extend the front edge to the deck as well (to look like the factory footrest).

Let me know if this isn't clear and I'll try to explain it better or maybe post a drawing.

Thanks!

Well Joe...I do appreciate your thinking. When it comes time to music and sound choice you must do a little testing of your own before installing your kickass kicker boxes. I've worked in this area doing car instals but boats could be different. What I suggest you do is put them in different areas and give it a "test" drive. Bass waves really go all over the place. However, it could make a huge difference where you put them...you'll never know until you try! Good luck

I fooled around with this recently and this is what I came up with. Firing down is better than firing at the driver. Firing towards the bow is better than at the driver. For me it was a toss up down vs. bow.

Joe- I wrestled with this question last year when I did my stereo system install. I have a friend who does custom installs in cars and brought him in for some advice. His idea was downward facing subs with a vent. Here is what I did. It works great to bump the boat as well as let the bass out. I cut three vents in the fiberglass under the seat behind the driver. I built three individual boxes to house my three subs. They are at an angle towards the vents. The fist pic of the boxes is how they sit in the boat. The second one is of them on their back side (not top) so you can see the way they look from the underside.

im no expert but one thing to rember with sound from a sub is that it will always sound better when it is reflected off of somthing, so pointing them down should give you the best sound but like Luc said if you can "test drive" a few diffrent spots in the boat... if you cant do that put them in down firing you will be way happier...

Kraig:

Thanks for the post and all the pictures! that really helps. I'm going to go ahead with my plan and leave some room in the front for them to vent. I like the idea of angling them slightly, too.

-Joe