The biggest water I have been in so far (3 weeks) has been about 2 feet. I did a little research and the Stingrays get the best fuel economy and the best performance. The hull design give them better performance. In my boat I hit 45 in no time, I punch the throttle and trim up the motor, the boat lifts out of the water and it just goes. It's almost like flying across the water and you don't feel the waves. I can't say how it will handle three foot waves and I suspect you would not want to go across 3 foot waves at 60 mph, but my guess would be good at 35-40.