When it comes to buying a boat, there is no way around how bad of a financial decision it is. The question becomes how much money am I going to lose and how much am I willing to lose?
All in Ideas
Budget Boat Builds Under $20k: Get on the Water For Cheap
If there is a sure sign you're a boating enthusiast, or you have a major addiction, it is measured by how much time you spend perusing the classified ads.
The Best Bargain Repower Outboards for Performance Boats: Power, Performance and Value
The purpose of this article is to look at some under the radar repower options for those on a budget.
Can this old Baja be the Budget Boat of your Dreams?
One thing that I hope has always been apparent with my articles is that we appreciate the budget boater. With boats, especially performance boats, it’s easy to get carried away and only report and test the expensive exotic boats
More Stock Outboard Racing Classes Would be Good for the Sport of Boat Racing
When I hear stories of racing from the old days from race veterans, one key component was the accessibility to racing.
Outboard Conversions: All Boats, All Budgets
One great thing about living in Florida for a boat enthusiast is you get to see almost every kind boat imaginable everyday.
The Best Bargains on the Water: Midsize Sterndrive Sportboats
In a world where outboard powered boats dominate new boat sales and engine manufacturers are accelerating the horsepower race with big outboards, we seem to have forgotten about sterndrive power.
The Case for a Mercury Racing V6 Outboard
Let me start by saying what an amazing group the team at Mercury Racing is. When it comes to the marine business, especially on the engine side, there is hardly a more dedicated group of enthusiasts that not only push the envelope for performance but also constructed an extremely viable business segment for Mercury Marine.
Phantom 25: Modern Outboard Power for a Classic Offshore Sport Boat
We have readers from all over the globe and quite a few from Norther Europe; Norway, Sweden and Finland. As a result, I connected with a reader from Norway named Toffen who owns a beautiful original Phantom 25’
Could This Donzi 16 be Sweet Again?
A while ago we did an article about converting older sterndrives to outboard. Not every boat is a good candidate but there are many that are pretty good. With semi custom brackets, you can integrate an outboard and get the benefit of setback and a swim platform all in one
Modern Look: New Boats Featuring Less Graphics, Less Colors
One trend I’ve seen lately is quite a few performance boats using much more simple and tasteful color schemes.
Built for Efficiency: An Allison Grand Sport Powered by a Mercury 150
On paper, this looks like an odd combination. Take Mercury Marines stock four stroke 150 HP, and pair it with one of the fastest sport boats ever made. But, when you really think about it, the Allison Grand Sport was built to be efficient, not just the fastest.
Can Stock Outboard Engines Bring Back Amateur Boat Racing? New Engines Are Better
One thing we have discovered at Wave to Wave, is that there is a huge amount of interest in all things outboard. From re-powers, outboard conversions, new boats, and everything in between, outboards are all the rage. Considering some feedback we get, it is apparent that there is a lack of organized amateur race events for amateurs.
Outboard Conversion: Repower
In the boat industry in general, there is an undoubted trend in outboard powered boats of all kinds, including performance boats. We have have seen traditional sterndrive models converted to outboard models by the manufacturer.
Project Honda BF 150: The K24 Outboard Revs Up
When I think of how the idea of tuning the Honda BF 150 started, it was after spending so much time working on our outboard articles last year. On top of that research, we conducted a comprehensive survey that helped us gain valuable insight into outboard buyers shopping in the 150 - 300 HP range.
Essential Reading for Performance Boaters: Books
One of the greatest thing about boating is that no matter what kind powerboat you are into, there is always something to learn about design, setup and new technology.
The Drag Race: Burning up the Water
Drag racing cars has always been a staple of motorsports, from street to strip and stock cars to top fuel, there is something about that short sprint that is incredibly captivating for drivers and audiences. For boats, drag racing is equally, if not more exciting, the incredible acceleration and driver skill to keep the boat on track make it fun to watch and more fun to drive.
Boating on the Cheap: Restoration Ideas
With the popularity of our restoration features, we thought we would share a few suggestions and tips on what to look for and a few ideas for a good budget restoration on small performance boats.
Building the Ultimate Sutphen 21 SSX
In our recent article about the “fastest outboards” we had the Sutphen 21 featured and talked about what a great setup it is with a 200 or 250 outboard. Among the other boats on the list, it was one of the few that can be had in a sterndrive or an outboard.
Big Racing, Small Boats
There is something about driving a small lightweight hull that allows you to feel the water and experience the speed better than anything else. Riding a motorcycle is the closest comparison I can make.