I have been considering for a while now on switching to a surface drive, pro's and con's

Here is a video that makes me think even more about doing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of1RY4M8VqM


Thanks

I love that vid...............especially the part from 1:10 on when the props are all but out of the water! That is just freaky to think there is so little prop in the water propelling the boat that fast.
I'd say go for it! If I could afford them they would be on my boat for sure. Rik says they are an average of 10 mph increase just from the drives alone. I'm sure that is mostly due to how far set back the props are and being surface piercing. Similar studies showed that adding a 5" spacer to a 12" standoff box was good for 5+ mph.

Read some of the posts and really only thing left in the water is between 3 and 7

I know where there's a #6 for $5,000 so if I sell my bravo 1 at 2 to 2500 really the initial cost is only $3000, but how much are the props? Maintainance?

Just curious from other owners

I spent a lot of money trying to make a surface drive work on a straight bottom vee with little rocker in the hull and inner strakes that ran back to the transom. Lots of natural stern lift to begin with. Even had #6 props tuned to lift the bow, but they could not overcome the lift at the stern. The faster the boat ran the worse it bow-steered. Now, if I had a stepped bottom vee or a cat

arnesons require almost zero maintenance, thats one of the beautiful thinks about them, and no 90 degree transfers of power

What drive were you trying to make work and in the end you did not like them?

Wow, fantastic video. Thanks.

Props are all over the place in price! Maintenance is virtually nothing, change gear oil in the drop box and thrust tube and that's it. If you run Arnesons and have questions, etc. you can call Rik and he answers the phone unlike dealing with Mercury. Not bashing Mercury but the response time between the two is not comparable..

700 + hrs on my trips and no issues. The setup works well on my diesel Nor Tech.
Bob

The Arneson is worth more than your boat, it does not make sense at all. And a Number drive (3,4,5,6) requires a transmission, therefore relocation of motor, probably not going to work. An XR on your hull makes sense, just not seeing the value in anything else.