That is the thing, compared to parts of Mead (since that started all of this, mead is dirty water, I dont even like to swim there or care much to boat there) and more so my home lake previously mentioned, LOTO seems like a river style lake with a bunch of protected "coves" to me. I know it gets wide in some spots but lets be real here. Not many rollers are coming through like rogue waves from nowhere, miles away. That is why I have my opinion. I appreciate hearing others though. FWIW I kinda wish I was closer to loto, its a cool place and a much better scene for the type of boating I am into than Tahoe where wake boats and cruisers outnumber fast boats 100 to 1.

Ha...never heard Mead described as dirty but Tahoe is so clear so I guess???

OK. I'll jump on here. I been on just abut every big and a few small once in the states. Including Mead. Loto for decades, (and Loto changed BTW from the 70's) Michigan, Superior, many areas of the costal Oceans. From 26' to 42' boats.
For the record NOTHING IS WORSE then Lake Michigan when she gets pissed off. And I mean NOTHING. That said a 33' AVS is a good all around fast hull. Bigger is better but may not be faster. I had my 33 Avanti in places where 42 fountains turned tails and put puted to the docks.
So First; Given any size of a hull it depends how well you know the hull, how well you read the waves and how well you can drive it in a given condition. I been in Poker Runs where a 26' kept up with the big boys and large 40+ footers had no clue what they doing.
Money doesn't buy you skills or balls. I would stay with the 33 AVS. may be add a faster trim tab pump for faster response, but 33" is all good.
Unless you try to go across the Michigan during a storm when 52 footers (Carry) stuff their bow constantly and I'm trying to go behind their wake in a 26'.. Not good, crazy idea, but I was young, (and foolish) and that's when you want a BIGGER boat. :)
If you can handle Lake Mich, you can handle anything. Just my .02

PARADOX I want to get your impression on Mead. So so many conflicting reports and descriptions of it. What would you compare it to? Does it get a rough as LOTO?

I was there! Great run indeed. Throttle man had something to do with it too.

No. Mead does not get crazy dishwasher chit as much as Loto.
But both two very different waters. Mead is like a lake, Loto is lie a river. On Loto the waves coms back from shore due to ALL the shore built up, "Headwallls' so the waves just bounce back.
On Mead waves has a chance to disperse and run tp to the shore. (At least a little) But since Mead is a lot wider, a storm could create large wave swells then at Loto. Loto you get the cruisers.
In short, Mead rough days are nature related, (mostly, except in the narrows) Loto man made.

You are so correct Peter in RE: Lake Michigan, she is one nasty *****. My younger years I grew up in Milwaukee Wi and been on a many boats out there and tore a many up. One boat in mind did fair was a none step 42 Lightning I believe. All the rest go the snot beat out of them. I owned a Sea Ray 390 EC and docked at Snug Harbor Marina, many times I would be out on the lake and wham, she is pist off and made all passengers Barf!.
11 footers and scary. a few times breached the deck and hit windshield with a wall of water. OMG. so yes, beware of Lake Michigan.

Another reason Lake Michigan has a higher probability of killing you is you can go far from shore and can be alone when things go bad unlike many inland lakes with clusters of boats everywhere.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...8560ab4b03.jpg


One good thing about Lake Michigan you can do this a lot :D

I'm just east of the Mackinac Straits and have been caught in 10'-12's in a 16 foot ski boat. Had to go 2 miles to get to safe harbor. I had to ride the waves like a dirt bike with the bilge pump on manual, or I would have stuffed it. Fortunately I had plenty of power, until everything started to break. About 200 yards outside the harbor I lost throttle control, at that point I was close enough to the harbor that the waves were only 3-4'. I idled in and made it alive. I ended up breaking every motor mount in the outboard. I've had the Velocity 280 out in 8's for fun by myself. My wife said she could see the entire boat above the break wall which was 12' over the water. I have watched waves break over the bow of freighters going by so you have to be careful in the big lakes. The secret to boat selection is to know the distance between wave peaks that is typical for your water. My 28 is too short when the waves get over 3', and when you drop down between swells is when you are going to launch. On a rough day I am more pilot than captain. Just whatever you do, watch your trim. I wanted to test a prop before I put it away for the winter and it was rougher than it should be for speed testing. I went out anyway and was adding a little trim to see how it would run and I went to far. It launched off a wave and I caught the stern on the next wave and the bow caught the next wave and spun the boat sideways into the third wave. I went from 75 to 0 instantly. Fortunately I didn't break the boat, but I got beat up pretty bad. I was wearing an impact rated full life jacket and I have full wrap around bolsters, but I broke a couple ribs and had a contusion on my leg that still bothers me years later. But when it's calm I can get from Cheboygan to Mackinac Island in 17 minutes, LOL.