Near 66 yo as I write this, only been for a swim once, not a step bottom boat, just a straight V, pad bottom Hydrostream with a big azz Merc. Fault to the straight V? Fault to the pad bottom? Fault to the too big big azz Merc? None of the above, Fault to the dumb azz behind the wheel running way too fast into the wind. I have hundreds of hours in a twin step boat, have hundreds of hours in a single step boat, have at least one thousand plus hours in non step vees. The only one that I have ever taken a dump in was 100% my own dumb azz fault. Years of old wives tales about these step bottom boats, people just learn to run what you got, simple as that, you need little more than some common sense, little attention to wtf you be doing and the understanding that you are not superman. Step bottom boats go back decades, have their advantages, and are just as safe as any other design, when used as they are designed to be used.

I moderately skimmed through that. No one has reported on exactly what happened. But it's speculated that the boat was being run at speed with the SeaKeeper turned on. I can't possibly see how the driver, the sea, and the SeaKeeper could all agree on what to do with the hull at the same time.

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nice steps on the DW360

for more pics ==> https://www.performanceboatcenter.co...=xNewInventory



https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1877/...3b77ecdd_k.jpg





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Heres a question on stepped hulls, i understand all the theory, etc and how its supposed to help. I own a 33 scarab AVS, runs 85 w 500efis, the mpi 502 versions run 76 to 78ish. The boats titled as a 31, if you look at a slightly older 31 or 33 scarab they look identical except the bottom with its agressive steps. So, if it only makes them faster in smooth water, how come the non stepped versions are 6 to 10 mph slower in rough water and smooth water? How come.my boat still runs 84 or 85 in rougher water, how come the non stepped ones DONT go 6 to 10mph FASTER in rougher water. Serious question, thanks, Smitty

^^ Once upon a time in the early days of the development of the deep V hull it was claimed that they were faster than other hulls in rough water because they were designed to run fast in those conditions without smashing the boat and its occupants to pieces .
Now ignoring that for a minute , if you have 2 nearly identical V bottomed boats in terms of size and power but one is a slower straight V and the other is a faster (by virtue of its bottom) stepped hull then as far as I see it the slower boat will always be slower . It's not suddenly going to pick up 6-10 mph simply because it's rough . Wouldn't the step bottom also pick up the same 6-10mph ? Am I missing something here , or maybe over simplifying ?