a friend is looking into getting a powerboat, i had a 21 hustler which was a rock, and i just ordered a 25 hustler talon....i was wondering how the 388 compares to other boats such as a top gun or 37 OL.

iT DOESN'T

that was a pretty straightforward answer...any other opinions? experience with both?

FROM what I heard there a hand full to drive on the top end. stick with a OL39 39 CIG if he has the coin, if not the foutain 35 stagger looked nice at the show and the I know baja 35 with 700hps is running 104 and the custum paint is nice. they do make the new lines of the boats look nice and handle easy with the v pad. and are rock solid. superboat 34 custom made at a good price. sutphen 32 and up 35,40 one of the best rough water boats out there. custom made.

Hustler makes a great boat. They are not known for fantastic rides in rough water, but they do run well in mild slop. I have been on all of the boats mentioned.

Have him take a look at www.activethunderboats.com ; and shoot me any questions. I think you will find them competitively priced with Hustler, and much better than Cigarette and Outerlimits. The ride is not comparable with any of them. I wish more people had an opportunity to ride in an AT. I can't describe how well the bottom works; you just have to experience it.

When they raced in F2(twin HP500's), they ran well and won many races. I've personally never been in one but sometimes "it's not the dog in the fight , it's the fight in the dog"!

Pound for pound, horsepower for horsepower, Hustler boats run faster than any other v-bottom in the world. When first introduced, the F-2 slingshot reigned supreme on the race circuit with a dominant undefeated season.

I was really impressed w/ the 37 Active Thunder I saw in Miami , that boat is huge!

They are a great boats for rivers and bays. They also run great with stock power. It is a light boat thus you give up comfort in the rough. It does not handle very well above 90mph, even with the strakes modified becomes very loose.

They are a great boat if you want great quality and run stock power. They dont have the best ride in their class but do have a big cockpit and cabin and have sufficient room to work on the motors if needed. The rigging is top notch as well as their customer service. The styling also cant be beat.

For "rough" water, Cigarette & Outerlimits will give you a better ride.

The Hustler is a better "value", price-wise. You can find nice, clean Hustler 388's in the $100K - $135K range with 500's & 525's. The Cigarettes (stepped hullls only) are considerably higher priced with the same power.