Fastech 353 or 382?
 

Hey guys,

Currently I am a Nordic owner, love her to death, but with 2 little ones on board, I am finding I need more boat. We are looking to buy maybe next year if my Heat sells this winter, only time will tell there. I have been trying to hunt down info, and man there is lots to sift through.

So, currently I trailer my 28' Heat with no issue. She has her own parking spot behind a privacy fence, and is easy to maintain with a single 500efi. I am looking for something with a head, ac, limited galley works for overnighters. From what I have found the 382 obviously has more cabin. And most seem to have AC that I have seen.

How difficult is the maintenance on these? I do all my own work and am not afraid to tear things apart if need be. How are these things to trailer? This is for lake with very limited Galveston usage. I am running a Ram 2500 Cummins now. Any problems with single rear tire towing and huge trailers?

I am basically looking for a run down on both the 353 and 382. Any info would be awesome. Sorry for the longish post. Thanks a ton guys!

Oh, and duh...the whole reason anyone is on this site. Speed. Currently I run about 74 on a good day. I would like to see that or better, no downgrades. What power is required for these guys to hit that? Thanks a lot again. Happy boating!

Edit...can't seem to think straight today. This will be used. Any model years to steer clear of? Ok, done for now... back to trying think straight.

A 382 with 500's should run right around the same. There really about 36' plus the platform. Your dodge will have no problem towing one. From what I've seen prices are reasonably close so I would go for the 382 over the 353, but in personally not a big fan of their ride. They lay over on their side bad when crossing wakes, and feel stuck to the water and bow heavy until you get past 55 or so and get the front step out of the water. Jmop and observation.

Cool, thanks for the reply. I guess what truly matters is a solid predictable ride since it is mainly for family fun with a few runs with the boys a year.

353 Unless your going Blue Water.

Is that a resultant of the overkill theorem? :)

How big of a difference in cabin space is there between the two? If in didn't want to go fast, I would just buy a cabin cruiser... but my need for even moderate speed won't let that happen.

I could write a book but I went with a newer 353. Extension boxes really work on this boat. I've compared same setup minus I.T.S. in real world, fresh water running side by side and there was a 6 mph difference 353 to 353. When going 525s its all about the maintenance done at the right time. I found a one owner boat and it didn't have a/c. All the basics were there for it so I negotiated factory a/c in when I bought the boat. We overnight one or two times a year, its good for 2 adults. I wouldnt plan on useing it as a frequented hotel room. Cabin headliner sags like a 79 Nova, easy fix once apart. Speeds are 82-83 all the time with 84 when all is just right. The boat is bow heavy and takes time to plane. I have never been on one with 496s but my guess is it struggles to perform, there's much more weight there than a comparable Fountain. Its easy to get parts for, the factory has an excellent customer service oriented team. We enjoy our boat every time we use it, Im going to be moving on next year though. PM me questions if you would like.

In response to the "lay over on their side" comment. ANY v bottom lays on it side. The drivers skill wicks the wheel to get ANY v bottom straight. One that allows the chine to take the hits will be fixing all the kwhams and cabinets until One learns to drive. This I say from first hand knowledge! Its all me!

Had a 312 then went to a 382. The cabin of a 382 is huge compared to a 353.....but with that comes a speed disadvantage due to weight. (2500 lbs heavier). We have 3 kids and overnighted often. The 353 was a better/faster performer but the 382 suited our needs better. As a plus, I found a 382 with Procharged 500's.......ran 98 on GPS. :eekdrop:

Haha, nice numbers! I know there is a fella on Travis with a 353... mayhaps I can bum a ride someday. Then to find a 382 to put my hands on. Trying to balance the family against speed addiction is difficult to say the least. You guys are great, thanks for all the replieS thus far!