Which is better?

[fishinaddict]

Is it better to have a higher or lower degree deadrise on your boat? Mine has an 18 degree, but most newer offshore boats have 20 or more. Does it help you cut the waves?

Fishinaddict

 

[JB]

Re: Which is better?

More deadrise usually rides smoother but goes slower and uses more gas.

Which is better depends on your priorities.

 

[fishinaddict]

Re: Which is better?

Thanks JB, I was just trying to compare my 1983 248 Wellcraft to the newer ones. Thank again
Fishinaddict

 

[dingbat]

Re: Which is better?

Steep Deadrise = Requires more HP, good ride in the rough, rocks on the drift

Low Deadrise = Stable on the drift, need a friend who is a chiropractor when it?s rough out.

Having had a boat with an 18 degree dead rise and now one with a 20 deadrise the difference in rough seas can be dramatic.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Which is better?

The steeper the deadrise the better for me, the older I get the more I like not spending the next few days in pain after a day in the rough.
They may not be as good on fuel but I'll deal with that not to be in pain. Not to mention the added under bow and under floor storage you often gain.

 

[QC]

Re: Which is better?

I am a 20 degree minimum guy now, and I also preferred it when I was younger. I had a 16 degree bottom once. The boat was waaaaay fun and we loved her, but knocked our brains out in anything rough. That boat was the fastest in our group when we were in smooth water. Exact opposite when it got rough.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Which is better?

I've been in a few that would knock your fillings loose and rattle your brains when it got choppy but they were fast in light chop if you could take the beating. It's just not worth hurting for days after once you get older.
My favorite boats are pretty much a compromise with the forward bow area having a very steep deadrise but yet a moderate deadrise at the transom. I've always been fond of the early MFG V hulls for that reason.
I've been in a few aluminum hull boats in rough water that would jar you so bad in even light chop you could feel every joint in your body jar with every wave you hit.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Which is better?

For rougher water, a deeper V is better.

 

[haskindm]

Re: Which is better?

EVERY BOAT IS A COMPROMISE! The fastest, most efficient boat would have a flat bottom, but it would ride extremely rough and would just slide when you wanted to turn. Every manufacturer is looking for that magic hull combination that will provide acceptable speed and economy and still handle rough water well. You need to look at each boat and evaluate how well that manufacturer meets your needs/expectations. Some people are very happy with a boat that other people would not consider. That is the beauty of having choices. No one design will suit every need.

 

[fishinaddict]

Re: Which is better?

Some people are very happy with a boat that other people would not consider. That is the beauty of having choices. No one design will suit every need.

Thanks, very well put.