Offshoreonly.com - How big are the new OB’s?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tropical Buzz (Post 4857445)

The adrenaline rush of going really fast on the water from one point to another in a boat designed exclusively for doing just that - and only that - is giving way to a trend towards sacrificing a bit of pure speed in exchange for increased space and versatility to allow a more relaxed, sociable experience with friends and family. In comparison to the new outboard powered, center console party boats; old school offshore performance monohulls and cats are single purpose machines that are all hull, tight cockpit and slippery deck with nothing for passengers to do besides gritting their teeth and holding for a pounding and a salt spray pressure wash. If that's your cup o' tea, nothing beats it but the industry is responding to a much larger demand for boats that can still go (not quite as) fast but also accommodate more passengers for lounging, hanging out, fishing, grilling and climbing in and out of the water. There'll always be a niche market for traditional, serious offshore performance boats but as reflected by the boat shows, it will be supported by an ever smaller number of enthusiasts and dedicated manufacturers.

Well said.. Any of these single purpose performance toys tend to have an intense short run, and then die off. I would say the heyday for the offshore performance boats was mid-1980s to 2007, the year the housing recession hit, so just over about 20 years. 2007 was when the loan money dried up to buy those boats. It was also a bit of a wakeup call to some people to buy something that had more utility. Same thing happened to the low profile boats in the Southwest in the 1960s and 1970s. They were fast, but not at all practical. They only had about a 10 year heyday. The companies that survived changed course, and started building tournament ski boats or wake boats. People also like low maintenance, so that has fueled the popularity of outboards recently. In the end, people might want speed, but gravitate towards practicality and low maintenance.