I love my Bluewater 2350. Excellent boat for our waters: Montauk/Block. Just visited the factory myself unexpectedly and Ken stopped what he was doing to give me and my buddy a tour. Can’t recommend them enough.
Have a Tidewater 2020 232CC with an F250 as our sandbar-watersports-bay boat (have a 38' express for fishing). With the F250 it tops out at 52 mph. It isn't a true deep vee, so its ride is a little harder than some, but it is very stable on the drift. It is a big 23' boat with a great layout, the build quality is okay, but for the price (paid $65k plus electronics in Feb 2020) it is a hell of a value.
@@stephenschneider3967 I said this in the video, but I was a bit skeptical at the comment. Having said that, and as I also said in the video, I’ve never actually ridden in a regulator, but have only heard amazing things about the ride.
So funny John, when you went on the Blue water I said I’ll bet that’s Kevin’s(very good friend of mine) boat. Sure enough, you said the owner was Kevin!!
I love my Contender 23 Open. Kinda sad that they don't make them anymore but I know mine will last me my lifetime. Rides well and fishes great. Still running my 2000 Yamaha 250hp.
Love the Bluewater 25T. Bought a new Sportsman Open 242 last year which serves my purposes well but had I had an extra $100k budget I would have gotten one of those. The Steiger is nice too, minus the bilge access as mentioned like the simple utilitarian layout.
I shopped the steiger 25 cc a few years ago and the lack of in-deck storage, poor bilge access, and cheap plastic hatches turned me off. The bluewater 25T has a great layout and premium build quality. It wasn't available at the time I was looking. I ended up purchasing a used 23 Regulator and I'm happy with it. Great ride and top tier fit and finish. They also hold their resale value extremely well.
The regs ride better, but the completely flat deck of the contender is a lot better for guys who do more offshore fishing, even if ride gets sacrificed
If you ever get a chance, you need to check out the Sea Chaser 26 LX. I believe it's the best offering by Sea Chaser/Carolina Skiff in terms of price point and everything you get.
Huge fan of the Tidewater flare when I’ve seen them in person, they look super nice, I just still don’t understand why Contender/Regulator is twice the price of say a Tidewater, Keywest, seahunt, seafox, robalo etc
@@kolbyhumbert2680 having ridden on some the brands you listed (all actually except Regulator), I can say the ride is different - at least on the Contender/Bluewater. The other brands you mentioned I don’t think our quite as heavy or well built, and you absolutely can feel it in the ride.
@ gotcha ok. Where would you put some of those brands, if you categorized them between lower tier & mid tier? I have a Hydrasport 202DC with the vector hull
@ upper mid tier as far as ride with your boat. That HS Vector hull is a really good one. I'd put Robalo at the top of the list you mentioned followed by Key West.
@@jiggingjerks gotcha okay, my dad has a 99 HS 200 seahorse which is much lighter, and you can tell how much better mine rides having more weight & deeper V
Not only are the prices still crazy on new boats but the interest rates are too high. At least pre-owned have come down a bit but again the interest rates are high.
If I had money to burn, I would buy a millennium marine hull from Canada, And you can run all these boats over like fleas I think they’re advertising something like 55,000 us for a 38 footer
Do the prices of these boats are so ridiculously insane considering the fact that that I have seen boats that have a literal cockpit and a bunk for 120k in contender has the audacity to sell that piece of crap for 200k 🤣 look up the saxdor 340 gtwa and tell me that you would want to contender over this thing... You could literally buy two of these boats for the price of one contender.
I love my Bluewater 2350. Excellent boat for our waters: Montauk/Block. Just visited the factory myself unexpectedly and Ken stopped what he was doing to give me and my buddy a tour. Can’t recommend them enough.
@@Mc6788-p1y amazingly great people
Have a Tidewater 2020 232CC with an F250 as our sandbar-watersports-bay boat (have a 38' express for fishing). With the F250 it tops out at 52 mph. It isn't a true deep vee, so its ride is a little harder than some, but it is very stable on the drift. It is a big 23' boat with a great layout, the build quality is okay, but for the price (paid $65k plus electronics in Feb 2020) it is a hell of a value.
As an owner of a 23’ Regulator it is definitely a comfortable ride and handles well through rough water.
@@stephenschneider3967 I said this in the video, but I was a bit skeptical at the comment. Having said that, and as I also said in the video, I’ve never actually ridden in a regulator, but have only heard amazing things about the ride.
So funny John, when you went on the Blue water I said I’ll bet that’s Kevin’s(very good friend of mine) boat. Sure enough, you said the owner was Kevin!!
Wow!!!! Small world Frank!
That Steiger-Craft came so close to being spot on for a layout, but that bilge "access" is a total deal breaker.
Love the Bluewater
I love my Contender 23 Open. Kinda sad that they don't make them anymore but I know mine will last me my lifetime. Rides well and fishes great. Still running my 2000 Yamaha 250hp.
Love the Bluewater 25T. Bought a new Sportsman Open 242 last year which serves my purposes well but had I had an extra $100k budget I would have gotten one of those. The Steiger is nice too, minus the bilge access as mentioned like the simple utilitarian layout.
I shopped the steiger 25 cc a few years ago and the lack of in-deck storage, poor bilge access, and cheap plastic hatches turned me off. The bluewater 25T has a great layout and premium build quality. It wasn't available at the time I was looking. I ended up purchasing a used 23 Regulator and I'm happy with it. Great ride and top tier fit and finish. They also hold their resale value extremely well.
I guess the rides is subjective cause I’ve been out in Both a 26’ Regulator and a 27’ or 29’ Contender and I’d pick Regulator ride over both of them.
The regs ride better, but the completely flat deck of the contender is a lot better for guys who do more offshore fishing, even if ride gets sacrificed
Blackfished with the wife. Like a honeymoon. Put ur Met hat and enjoy. Season could be a fish of a lifetime. Put it in the books!!!!!!!
If you ever get a chance, you need to check out the Sea Chaser 26 LX. I believe it's the best offering by Sea Chaser/Carolina Skiff in terms of price point and everything you get.
Huge fan of the Tidewater flare when I’ve seen them in person, they look super nice, I just still don’t understand why Contender/Regulator is twice the price of say a Tidewater, Keywest, seahunt, seafox, robalo etc
@@kolbyhumbert2680 having ridden on some the brands you listed (all actually except Regulator), I can say the ride is different - at least on the Contender/Bluewater. The other brands you mentioned I don’t think our quite as heavy or well built, and you absolutely can feel it in the ride.
@ gotcha ok. Where would you put some of those brands, if you categorized them between lower tier & mid tier? I have a Hydrasport 202DC with the vector hull
@ upper mid tier as far as ride with your boat. That HS Vector hull is a really good one. I'd put Robalo at the top of the list you mentioned followed by Key West.
@@jiggingjerks gotcha okay, my dad has a 99 HS 200 seahorse which is much lighter, and you can tell how much better mine rides having more weight & deeper V
Over prices for twin outboard models!
Not only are the prices still crazy on new boats but the interest rates are too high. At least pre-owned have come down a bit but again the interest rates are high.
I know this unrelated to this particular video but ... are you planning to review your friend’s Glacier Bay?
@@mikedepo12 I am but have had a chance to fish on it yet. Likely that review will happen in Florida this winter
@@jiggingjerks gotcha! I’m anxiously awaiting haha I am considering for my next boat
What's that boat at the end. It looks like a walk around and says sea keeper on the side.
Pretty sure that's a Steiger CC 25 like the one in this video
What’s the boat at 20:56
Not sure. It wasn't a boat show boat but there with Seakeeper
@@jiggingjerksI think it’s a contender fish around
Nothing to do with fanboying. I’d take the blue water 100%. Contender a close 2nd.
That price for that Carolina skiff is insulting. Carolina skiff needs to stay in it's lane and get back to offering cheap, tough, utility boats.
If I had money to burn, I would buy a millennium marine hull from Canada, And you can run all these boats over like fleas I think they’re advertising something like 55,000 us for a 38 footer
@@Lazybones52 ok, need to check this out!
Do the prices of these boats are so ridiculously insane considering the fact that that I have seen boats that have a literal cockpit and a bunk for 120k in contender has the audacity to sell that piece of crap for 200k 🤣 look up the saxdor 340 gtwa and tell me that you would want to contender over this thing... You could literally buy two of these boats for the price of one contender.
@@0King_Anon0 just looked them up. Very Axopar lines. Any idea where they are made? I know Axopar is made in Poland