Baja compared to Sunsation??
 

A few weeks ago I drove a 288 Sunsation and I was impressed but still like the 25' Outlaw handled. Not really saying one drove better but different. Any thoughts appreciated.

Also the 288 was a MCOB.

haulinvols would be the best to answer this question for you as he now has a 288 and had a 25OL previously...

What year boats? What are you looking for in terms of ride, handling, performance, room, quality, etc. in a boat?

Have to ask the same questions...not really an even comparison...sort of apples and oranges.

both good boats

I have owned both. I have kind of come full circle in my opinions of Sunsation in the past and now.

I have owned three Baja brand boats including a 20 Outlaw, 245 and a 25 Outlaw being the most recent. My 25 was a great boat and in all honesty I might still have it had my wife and I not had our first child and I wanted to alleviate some debt. My only gripes about my Baja boats was the attention to detail in the rigging and some of the fit and finish. You do get a huge bang for your buck though. Yes there will always be Baja haters but in my opinion they have always been a great boat. One thing the haters need to remember is that there is always a better, faster boat out there.

My first experience with a Sunsation 288 was not a good one. In fact, after taking a ride in a poker run in one an aquantence of mine owned, I vowed never to get back in one. From the passenger bolster it felt unsettled and all over the place sometimes coming down on one side or the other when the going got rough. I am not a novice to rough water or performance boats and it is one of the few times I was nervous. The guy I was riding with had owned the boat for a few months but had owned several performance boats so I figured he knew how to operate his stuff. What I have later found is that the guy really did not know how to drive the boat and operate it in that kind of water which brings us to some differences.

As a guide, my 25 was a 2006 model with all the options including 35th anniversary package. My 288 is a 2001 model with Mcleod interior and some other custom touches.

The 25 being a standard deep v non-ventilated hull is kind of hard to get into trouble in. Not saying it is impossible but it is a no-frills hull without any tricks. Hammer the throttle and hold on and even a novice will be safe with mild power. The Sunsation requires a bit more input due to the step in the hull...older Sunnys had kind of a half step and newer ones have a full step. I would call my Sunny more of a driver's boat needing more input from tabs, drive and throttle to get the most performance and handling out of it.

The 288 is a bigger boat, if only by a couple feet. It feels bigger in rougher water and has just enough extra length to span bigger rollers. Now, while it has added room in the cabin and overall length, it is not much bigger if at all in the cockpit. In fact, I would say it has almost identical room as the 25 in that aspect. The sun pad on the 25 is bigger if that is important.

As far as fit and finish, I have been very pleased with my Sunny. The rigging is great and the glasswork and gell work are very good. The engine compartment is well finished and all wiring is done very neatly. My 25 was also very good but the wiring was not as neat and the finish in the bilge was a bit more confused looking. I would say out of 1-10 I would give my 25 a 7.5 and my sunny a 9.

Speed between my Sunny and 25 WITH EQUAL POWER is about the same. I got around 66 out of the 25 any day of the week in any condition with a 496HO and my sunny is a solid 70 no matter what with a warmed over 502.

As I said before, my 25 was a fantastic boat but this go around I wanted something different after three Bajas. I am extremely happy with my 288 but I would go back to a bigger Baja in a heartbeat when the times comes to make a move to a larger boat.

In the end you just need to drive and experience both and buy the one you like the best.

Great writeup, haulinvols.

Agreed!
Fantastic write up HV.

Thank you for the real world experience.

No problem, nice giving some real world experiences. Both boats have been great.

My old 25 and my Sunny

Not to highjack but can someone compare a 32 ss/ ssr and a Baja 342??

glad your back into boating:drink:

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?

In flat to mildly confused water I would put them neck in neck. When the water gets larger with bigger rollers I would give the nod to my 288 only because it has a little more length to span the water. In rough water a foot is like a mile.

Two weeks after I purchased my 288 I took it up to Michigan on Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron. Below is some video that was taken from that trip on Huron. Keep in mind I had very little seat time in the boat at this time and I know it was flying just a little nose high as I was still playing with set up but even with that it was comfortable. For any safety conscious in the crowd, yes I always wear my tether.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHVjG4sp-VA

Great write up. I honestly thought it would be more lop-sided in favor of the Sunsation. Maybe Baja's are better than I thought... and I even own one!

I agree, great write up. Typically, you'll get the lop-sided reviews from guys that have no experience in either boat. Put this in the general discussion area and I guarantee you'll see a bunch of "Sunsation, hands down" replys. :drink:

Actually, the 25 and 288 freeboard feel about the same to me and I am 6'3". Here is a picture of my 288 and Violator's 25 next to each other. In wind blown slop I do feel like I got an occasional spray a little more in the 25 but I think it had to do with the fact the bow was not as far out in front of me on the 25 to knock a little of it down.

I have driven both with a substantial amount of seat time. I am a bit more bias to the Sunny for obvious reasons. :drink: but the 25 ol is a great boat.
To me the 25 seems to have a bit more depth in the cockpit. The sunny will run and fly a bit more level when trimmed out. The 99 outlaw used to run a bit bow high.

Great picture, this is really what I wanted to see the two next to each other. I believe the Baja is suppose to have a deeper draft?

The draft on the Baja is two inches deeper.

Here is a shot of the two boats on trailers next to each other along with a 33 for good measure. .

and here are a couple more shots showing a different view.

Did you change trailers on yours?

I refurbished the trailer that came with my Sunny and added some additional features.

Here is a thread I did on www.bajaboatowners.com outlining the project. http://bajaboatowners.com/threads/25...ailer-Upgrades

Here are some before and after shots.

That 33 looks like a monster:lolhit:

Yeah, I heard the guy that owns it is pretty cool. :angry-smiley-038:

What's with all the Baja comparison threads lately?

BAJA vs Nordic
Baja vs Sunsation
Baja vs Faja
Baja vs Beckmates
Baja vs Baja

Winter is coming!!

If I was looking at either boat I'd prefer a hands on experience from someone...Think with all the deals out there on performance boats people are just trying to make the right decision.

I agree.

The problem with threads like that is that there are very few if any people that will have substantial experience in both boats someone is looking at so it normally turns into a lopsided conversation.

This thread is an exception in that I have owned both boats and I feel like I gave a fair description between both boats.

Here is a comparison of the 33, 30, and 25 from the rear.

And here is one of a 25, 33 and 36 :coolcowboy:

Well said again! As for my case I have someone wanting to purchase my 25 Outlaw and really unsure what direction I want to go with. I really like my Baja but don't want to go with the newer Baja liner boats, JMO. I really like the Sunsation and I really appreciate "haulinvols" opinions, hits home for me because of his real experiences.

Happy to help in any way I can. Where are you located by the way?