SHALLOW WATER CRAFT HIN Decoder
Hull Identification Numbers beginning with WRQ were assigned by the US Coast Guard to SHALLOW WATER CRAFT of FRESNO, CA. The company is recorded as out of business since 1990 — common for older hulls, and useful to know when hunting parts or records. Enter the full 12-character HIN below for build date, model year, and serial — free, no account.
MIC
WRQ
Location
FRESNO, CA
In business
since 1985
Status
Out of business (1990)
SHALLOW WATER CRAFT hulls (1985–1990) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Free · no account · the HIN is on the transom, upper starboard (right) corner
The optional $19.99 Boat History Report adds stolen-boat, salvage/auction, incident, and USCG documentation checks — one-time, no subscription (typical boat-history services charge $25+).
SHALLOW WATER CRAFT HIN FAQ
What does a SHALLOW WATER CRAFT HIN look like?
It starts with the three characters "WRQ" — the Manufacturer Identification Code the US Coast Guard assigned to SHALLOW WATER CRAFT — followed by a 5-character hull serial and a 4-character date code, 12 characters total. SHALLOW WATER CRAFT hulls (1985–1990) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits.
Is SHALLOW WATER CRAFT still in business?
USCG records list SHALLOW WATER CRAFT as out of business since 1990. That's common for older hulls — the HIN still decodes normally, and the out-of-business date helps date the boat and guides parts-hunting toward salvage and owner groups rather than a dealer network.
How do I decode the year on a SHALLOW WATER CRAFT HIN?
On current-format HINs the last two characters are the model year and the 9th–10th encode the certification month and year. SHALLOW WATER CRAFT hulls (1985–1990) all use the current HIN format: a month letter (A=January…L=December), a certification-year digit, then two model-year digits. Enter the full 12-character HIN above and the decoder works it out, including the legacy formats.
Other builders in CA
Sources: USCG Manufacturer Identification Code database (uscgboating.org, refreshed monthly) · HIN format per 33 CFR 181 subpart C. Cite this page: CarWhere, "SHALLOW WATER CRAFT HIN Decoder," carwhere.com/hin-decoder/wrq, last verified 2026-06-12.