I am in the market for a 353 fastech (2000-2005) with 500 or 525 efi's. Test drove 353 with 525's last week and loved the ride. I have seen several reasonably priced 383's and am considering moving in that direction. Are these boats substantially different in ride, speed, economy, or features? I rarely trailer, and most of my trips are 30 minute runs. 3-4 poker runs a year in sloppy Lake Ponchartrain. One trip to Destin for Emerald Coast PR. Boat will be stored on hoist.

Both great boats. I have a 382 with 525's and absolutely love it. Good performance,awsome ride and plenty of room.The 353's are obviously faster with the same power,and have a little more of a "sport " feel.You can't go wrong with either one. BTW mine is for sale.

I guess you mean 382.
That is the tipping point between bigger boat feel and sport boat feel. There is a noticeable difference in handling and the ride. The difference is not good vs bad it is bigger vs nimble. You should ride them both for the best feel of what you want. Then if you are going to be in shallow lakes consider the draft if that is an issue.

The 382 has a much larger cockpit, 6" more cabin headroom, and can be equipped with AC and generator if need be. If you're just doing poker runs, these differences may not matter to you.

How much more room in the cockpit??



I'm pondering the same boats. The bigger issue where I'm at, LOTO, is there just aren't many 353's around at all. Seems there are always 382's but never many 353's. I'm thinking as much bar hopping as we do that the 353 would be better for docking in tighter locations, probably a little (or lot) faster on top end?

I believe the head room in the cabin 5'1". The cockpit in the 382 is larger but not by much. Plenty of room in both behind the seats.

My bad. Headroom in the 382 is 5'1" versus 4'10" in the 353. I'd say that there is almost another foot between the bolsters and the rear seat in a 382. The cockpit is several inches deeper as well. For LOTO, I wouldn't hesitate to pick the 382 over the 353 for it's proven wave-smashing capabilities.

Great info, I'll keep watching.

I really like the 4 bolster setup and have been hung up on getting a 33 Outlaw or 342. But the fit and finish is so much better in Formulas, even the older ones. And the cockpit is still roomier than say a Scarab AVS. The older Baja's really show their age. The older Forumulas still look nice. And the ride and windshield is nice too!

Just remember, with the four bolsters, there is no "move around" room. It is very tight. Regardless, I do like my four bolsters and in the rough, your passengers will love them.

I sold my 32 outlaw, and had been searching for a 353 for awhile. We ended up with an 01 353 with 575s. We do all our boating at loto, and it handles the water great. It does have a lighter feel than the 382 for sure, but it makes the ride more sporty. Like another post said, it is easer around the docks on busy weekends. Going on a bit of a limb here, I will say it takes a cruiser or very large performance boat to move around with ease on the holiday weekends though. I have really enjoyed our 353 for the first season at loto.