glad your back into boating

If you want a honest opinion on thos 2 boats call Hawkeye Boat Sales in Dubuque,IA they were the largest Baja dealer and sell the Sunsation line.

Thanks Irish.

Thanks "haulinvols", well said, I have the '05 25 Outlaw w/496HO and really love the boat but wanted to look at a Sunsation which was also a "05 288. I think what I was feeling was probably the step hull.

How is the 288 compared to the 29OL? They are more the same size though the Baja is slightly wider and a bit heavier.

The 288 is kind of in between the 25 OL and 29 OL. I think the true length of a 288 is closer to 27'. the 29 OL has twin engines where a 288 is only a single.

The 288 and 29 Outlaw are night and day difference. Baja_Man above is correct in that if you don't take into consideration the swim platform the 288 is about a 27 footer. Goint to a 29 Outlaw you gain about 2 feet in running surface and about 5 inches in beam not to mention the 2300lbs difference in weight.

The 29 Outlaw would actually be a better comparison to the 32 Sunsation.

The two boats really use different driving styles. With the 25 you kind of just hammer through the rough stuff as you would with any conventional deep-V hull. The 288 does better getting more on top of it using tab and drive angles to maintain your angle of attack. At least that has been my experience with the two boats. I am still learning my 288 as I have only had it for a few short months. I bet I have only put about 8-9 hours on it since I bought it.

Do you feel one has a smoother ride then other in rouch stuff?

Any comment on the freeboard difference? Seem the Baja has a LOT more free board. Is either one a wetter or dryer ride in the slop?