88242LS

303 Is a great boat, can take the snot, just enough room, just enough of everything but not overwhelming, WE love ours, its a rare one with 502's, so I run north of 70 all day, 454 mags put u in the 68/69 range, I tow it with my 05 Sierra crew and although heavy, as it should be it actually tows pretty good, In our area we only have rolling hills, with 1/2 good tugs, if in the mountains or towing all the time I'd suggest a 3/4ton, 90% of my towing is within 3 miles with 1/2 trips a year down the highway, I will admit one of my biggest mistakes was jumping form mt 242-271, but boat prices, economy, and my wallet dictated such a move, 252-303 you will be very happy, any questions just ask, expect to pay mid 20's for a 303, 20k usually need alotta help, 30ish is usually mint, and bye today's standards might be overpaying, but if its that nice and what you want it will be worth it,

312 is also a great boat contrary some beliefs, I'm thinking that boat wasn't set p properly but could be wrong, but finding a properly equipped one is hard, most had 454/310hp and they were only 64/65 mph,

353 is a whole diff ball game, my wife is pushing for one, and I still haven't seen her get up on the bow and start waxing, so until then we will run n enjoy the 303, for us the 353 would be a huge jump, from the boat, to the truck, to storage,,,,

Good luck

Priobe

This is great info. I like the 303, I think it is the best bang for the buck. As 1 member mentioned , it should be. 454 mag, 496, mag or 502. However I like the look of the 312 and the white interior/ gauges.
It's a little intimidating jumping from the 252 to the 30ft w/ twins.
Some people comment about $$$$ on the twins. I dothe maintenance myself and I'm very knowledgable in these aspects.
Is there a difference in the amount of space between the motor and transom between 303 and 312?
Also does the 312 sit higher in the water ( rear) compared to the 303?

Perlmudder

I would not be intimidated making the jump to a bigger boat. You will have much better control of a 30 with twins over a 25 single. It just takes time to get used to it. My progression in size was my 20ft bow rider, to a 35 twin OB for work, to a 60ft cruiser. Once you get used to it, the 60ft boat is the easiest to drive, everything happens rather slow. Just take your time, and practice. Never approach anything faster then you are willing to hit it.

88242LS

Space between engines is the same, space in front is a bit more in the 312 especially with the hatch that raises the back half of seat, as far as how they sit I never noticed when I was tied in with a 312

Gary P

Priobe - Before getting the Skater 30 we currently run, my brother and I ran a 353 FasTech, and before that, a 242LS Formula. Both Formula's were bought new, the 242 in 1992, and the 353 in 1999. The 242 had a 502 carb motor (black), and the 353 had the twin HP500EFI's (blue motors). My brother originally wanted to get the 312, but could not get those engines in it, so he made a killer deal on a new 353. We ran the 353 for 10 years, and not a lick of trouble. It is a great rough water boat, with enough room in it to sit and relax at your destination. With you being a Formula owner already, you know the quality is built in.

The Merc HP500EFI's ran flawlessly. The only addition to that 353 was a pair of standoff boxes and thru-hull mufflers, extending the drives and raising them a bit. We regularly hit speeds of 85 MPH, and when lightly loaded in perfect conditions, could get 87-88 out of it! It was a fine machine, and missed very much.

The Skater 30 we run now is a totally different type of boating. It's more of a 'get in, sit down, go fast, and get out' type of boat! Where as in the Formula, if you wanted, you could cruise and relax all day, with some go-fast running too. If you can afford a 353, and your truck can handle the tow, it's a fantastic ride.

Gary P

Also, I forgot to add, once you run a boat with twins, you will see just how incredibly maneuverable they are! So much better than a single engine boat. Since you do most of the maintenance yourself, cost will not be too bad, although you will double the price of materials. (props too!)

auto_werks 3.6

My friend pulled his 303 home from initial purchase with an F150.... I don't think you will like that long term. Being under trucked is not a fun way to roll around.
I would recommend getting the bigger truck no matter what you end up with. Also, My wife and I bought a 357 at the beginning of this season, and we have no regrets at all. It is our first boat, and I wouldn't want it any smaller... I also probably wouldnt want much bigger, as this seems to be a pretty decent length for getting in and out of gas stations etc.

Don't sell yourself short on truck or boat!

Priobe

Thanks for all the information. this is really good. As far as the towing situation, most of my hauling is straight road (20 miles) no hills, around 35 -45 mph. I have heard of people pulling with F-150 with no problem, really did not want to change the truck now :-). I have not considered 357, and have read the 500 EFI motors require more maintenance due to the roller cam / lifters. Its hard to give up the reliability of the Black motors 454, 496, 502.

Look like what ever I decide its a true winner, but first have to sell the 252.

252 has been great, but wish I would have purchased bigger from the start.

Gary P

Regarding the truck.... we tow the Skater with a F150, but the skater with outboards is fairly light, and it's a short, flat tow. When we ran the 353 Formula, it was towed with a F250 diesel. MUCH heavier boat and trailer. Don't forget, it's not just if the truck can pull the load, it has got to be able to stop it too! 3/4 ton trucks have bigger brakes to handle a bigger load.

Priobe

I really like my truck and and it has enough power and torque to pull the load. I completely understand you have to stop the load as well. I was thinking if addional brakes were added to the trailer wouldn't that help the stopping power?