Its hung like a tuna can my friend ask my girl

I might as well toss my 2cts worth into this chest thumping event. I think we got off track to the questions. First off I would definitly take a ride in a cat before buying one of any size. Theres good and bad points to every boat. Cats I found are great for speed and going straight. They take some getting used to in the turns especially at high speeds. As with any boat the bigger boat will take bigger chop. Outboards tend to be a little faster. Lighter and less HP lost in getting power to the props. Insurance now is another question. You might want to reasearch costs and availability. Some carriers will not even write you a policy being a first time cat owner and it could be more than you where expecting. Check it out before you buy. I almost had a boat I couldn't use, then I found a policy. Shop around. Others where right though, I don't see me going back to a "V" any time soon. Much smoother ride at cruising speeds. Side by side, with a "V" at the same speed, while the "V" might be getting tossed the "CAT" will be a much smoother ride. For what it's worth.

Skater dave would you like me to give You some driving and throttling lessons
As I stated these were My Opinions and past experiences.
The water was not too rough only 3'-4'
coming from all directions. All I was stating is that it a 28 Skater can beat a 30' V in water besides calm.
For real rough water 8'-10' I would want a 41Apache!!

My .02 cents. I had a 26 foot velocity with twin outboards. Ran in the eighties every day, but you had to pay attention to run it fast and smooth. I have a 25 talon center pod cat. Anyone could drive it up to lift off. From 80 to 100+ boat flys literally. With the center pod it will turn on a dime at speed. Boat rides great . Very smooth. I am still learning about the boat and enjoying the experience.They are two diffrent boats. I suggest at least one of each.

My buddy has a 28 with 300X's. He originally had 2.5's and switched over to the 300's. We ran the boat in LI sound in "real" 3-4 footer and the boat is small for real conufused 3-4 footers. As agreed before any 30ft boat running hard in 3-4's your going to take a beating. Therefor I'd still have the cat cause in anything under, youll be hauling the mail! Also in rough water no 28 Skater is going to run with a high powered Outerlimits! We're going to give Kendall a ride in our 35 Motion to see what he thinks. A 28 Skater is a tiny boat compared to a 35 or 36ft cat though. In rough water the boat is just too small. For 3ft and under the boat is a blast. Just my .02

I have no first hand experience driving a cat but from what i have seen a 28-30' cat will outrun a 28-30' V in snotty water where you can get on top and lay into it. But, when the water really kicks up and you start launching the boat and can't really get on top of the waves, the V is going to do it's job and "split" the waves. Then I give the advantage to the V. Obviously being in BIG water in a 28-30 boat isn't a common occurrence for most of us.

Just what I have observed.

You are right a 28 skater is No comparison to a 35 Motion or a 36 Skater.
I never said it was a smooth easy ride in 3-4 , You have your hands FULL and it will beat the **** out of you. I usually go see my chiropacter after a day of hard running.My beating the "big " powered Outerlimits was a case of being in the "right water at the right time" and being able to out accelerate and stay ahead.
My next boat will be a 32B or a 36 with #6.

Excellent post! This guy is 100% correct. In flat water or even a little chop these boats are unbeatable. However, they are very unforgiving. A 28 is quite a bit smaller than a 30 motion of 30 Spectre....they are also quite a bit faster in your average river water conditions. However 2' and above your not going to like the ride. I am talking real 2' waves....a lot of exaggerating around here.

3-4's in our boat??? Real 3-4's? I dont know about that. YOu may have to take me for a ride too. I have a little more than 4 years in my boat and like I said under 2' the boat is incredible. I was out in 3-4's probably a tad bigger this past weekend.....I rode in my Dads 38 fountain with #6's. No way would I have wanted to be in my boat. It would have made it but not fast and especially not as fast as him.

Come on down to South W. Fl this winter and we will go for a Ride Make sure your life Ins policy is up to date though
I maybe a little crazy, I love running in rough water and practicing Autorotations in Helicopters