There’s no need to convert. Aquasports from the 170 on up have self bailing decks. For a self bailing boat, the deck just needs to float higher than surrounding water, and there needs to be a pathway for water drain. The 196 had brass tubes through transom for scuppers with rubber flaps to minimize back flow.
As the old hulls gained weight, through water saturated foam, a heavy motor, too much gear Or a heavy guy standing near the stern, water could flow back onto the deck through the scuppers. That’s why many people choose to raise the deck when they rebuild. The exact amount to raise the deck varies with the intended purpose of the boat and the rebuilder’s comfort with water on the deck. If you go through the rebuilds on CAS, you’ll see decks raised from 3/4” all the way up to 6 or more inches. A higher deck improves bailing, but reduces freeboard.
