Newb Looking to Purchase First Boat

[Panther6834]

First off, I'm a newb to RC boats...not RC. I first got involved in RC approximately 40 years ago, with a gas-powered car. About 12 years ago, I got involved in RC helicopters (three, from a 250 4-channel, to a 650 6-channel), which I replaced 7 years ago with a DJI Phantom. The Phantom was replaced 3 years ago with a Typhoon H (which, two days ago, I've decided to sell). I finally got back into surface RC about 2 years ago, starting as most people do...with a Traxxas vehicle (my first Rustler 4x4, which had since been 'converted' into a "true" stadium truck). Since then, I've acquired two more Traxxas vehicles (including another Rusty 4x4 that's being converted to a 1/8 e-buggy Lite), 4 off-road race vehicles, an on-road USGT, and (so far) 4 crawlers (in various stages of build, from still-in-box, to fully operational, including one Class 3 comp rig). I belong to several RC forums, and have been quite prominent in the of them for a while. Like I said, not an RC newb.

Now...it's time to "get wet" (so to speak). I'm looking to purchase my first boat, and I'm hoping to get some suggestions/recommendations. For a "first-timer", I don't want to get outrageous, getting something that's too powerful, to difficult to control, something prone to easily flipping over (ie. as cool as it might be, no ProBoat UL-19...at least for now), or any other 'mistakes' newbs topically make. I'm not looking for something that's designed for a "kid", but I don't (yet) need a comp-grade boat. Also, I'd prefer something that turns left approximately as easily as it turns right.

Over the past several days, I've been doing a fairly decent amount of research (being temporarily out of work, due to this coronavirus crap, I've got plenty of "free" time on my hands), and I've come up with a few possibilities - ProBoat Sonicwave 36", Traxxas Spartan, Traxxas DCB M41, ProBoat Veles 29" & ProBoat Miss GEICO Zelos 36". NOTE: I'm not a "fan" of Traxxas, although I will admit they have excellent customer service...but, so does Horizon Hobby (at least 5 of my current vehicles are Horizon Hobby brands). This does NOT mean that Traxxas & ProBoat are the only brands I'm willing to consider...I would greatly appreciate suggestions/recommendations from other brands. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with other brands. Through my research, I have uncovered others, such as TFL, but I haven't been able to determine what other boats would make good "starter" options.

Again, I don't want, or need, something aimed specifically at those who are completely new to RC. I've got plenty RC experience...just no experience with boats. I'd prefer something fast, but I'm not interested in something that is competition-fast. I want something fairly "stable" (not going to flip over extremely easily, such as the aforementioned ProBoat UL-19), but I don't want anything aimed at "total RC newbs". While I do see a very-string probability of fiberglass/carbon fiber I'm my (hopefully, not-to-distant) future, I'm somewhat certain (tho, not entirely) that starting with such a boat might not be a smart/good idea. I'm not saying I want to completely eliminate fiberglass/carbon fiber boats from contention...I am willing to consider the possibility...just that they might not be the best/smartest way to start in RC boating.

The final 'requirement' for anything suggested/recommended - price-point. I'm not looking for anything "cheap" (by that, I mean low-quality, as well as low-proceed), so anything less than $200 would probably qualify as a "toy". At the same time, funds are currently somewhat limited (due to temporary loss of work), so I'd prefer to keep it below $500...below $400 would be even better...with a 'ceiling' around $600 (these are pre-tax amounts). Suggestions/Recommendations can be RTR, or ARTR, as I probably won't be using any included Tx/Rx for longer than a few weeks...just long enough for me to replace any included Rx with one from Futaba (obviously, if much prefer to continue using a single Rx for all my RCs).

Let the suggestions/recommendations begin. I'm not in an extreme rush...but, at the same time, the sooner a decision can be made, and the sooner I can purchase, the sooner I can get out of this house, and have a little fun. Stay safe...but have fun while you're at it.

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[willy43]

HI there!
Look at RC Groups There is a Aquacraft Revolt for sale .Very good beginner Boat Fiberglass, good Hardware + price is right ! have one my self and have
a lot of fun with it !!! Good luck !!

[Panther6834]

HI there!
Look at RC Groups There is a Aquacraft Revolt for sale .Very good beginner Boat Fiberglass, good Hardware + price is right ! have one my self and have
a lot of fun with it !!! Good luck !!

First, thank you for the reply. Is that the one where someone commented about the ESC having been smoked?

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[Panchothedog]

Aqua craft made good quality stuff. Just because some body burnt up an esc don't get all hung up on that.The revolt is probably the most popular rtr boat ever produced and with good reason, it is stable, very easy to drive,and when you are ready it can be hopped up to run pretty hard. Also It is made of fiberglass. YOU WANT a fiberglass boat.They will hold up SOO much better than a plastic hull.They will all flip sooner or later and the glass hull will withstand much more. Also the Pursuit by TFL is in the same category as the Revolt, very popular, very easy to drive,and very stable on the water

[Panther6834]

Aqua craft made good quality stuff. Just because some body burnt up an esc don't get all hung up on that.The revolt is probably the most popular rtr boat ever produced and with good reason, it is stable, very easy to drive,and when you are ready it can be hopped up to run pretty hard. Also It is made of fiberglass. YOU WANT a fiberglass boat.They will hold up SOO much better than a plastic hull.They will all flip sooner or later and the glass hull will withstand much more. Also the Pursuit by TFL is in the same category as the Revolt, very popular, very easy to drive,and very stable on the water

That's good info to know...especially considering the Pursuit was added to my "short list" earlier today. By suggesting it, I'm assuming this means you're suggesting I forget about the SonicWave? Also, I am curious as to which Pursuit you're referring to, as I noticed there are two different versions - fingerless w/ flood chamber & Integrated Drive System, and the carbon fiber w/ stinger strut (which doesn't have a flood chamber, and I'm unable to tell whether, it not, it is the Integrated Drive System).

Regarding the fingerless version, I really like that it includes a self-righting feature. I don't know anything about TFL's Integrated Drive System, but I'm assuming it's a "good" thing. What I thought 'unusual' about it is that it doesn't have trim tabs, and it has a turn fin only on one side. The carbon fiber Verizon has turn fins on both sides, plus it has adjustable dual trim tabs (on both sides). Does the fibreglass version not need turn fins on both sides? Does it not need trim tabs at all? Are trim tabs needed, but need to be installed by the user? Again, when it comes to RC FE boats, I'm a definite newb. I really like the looks of the Pursuit, but, I admit, I am "confused" by the two different versions. Are there any other TFL FEs you'd recommend to someone familiar with RC, but new to boats?

If I were to get the Pursuit (once it is determined which 'version' is the smart, more appropriate, version), or another TFL,, would it be best to purchase direct from TFL, or from a vendor (such as OSE)? Part of why I ask is because of pricing. Using OSE as an example, for some TFL models, TFL has lower prices...and, for some models, OSE had better prices. That being said, beyond process, and delivery speed, I'm more interested in better customer service. For example, if there's a problem, such as chipped paint, or bubbles in the hull, I don't consider offering a credit as truly good customer service. Truly good customer service would be replacing with a non-defective unit. Something as minimal as chipped paint, that I could see offering a credit...but more serious things, such as those that relate to the structural integrity of the hull, those should be replaced.

Speaking of pricing, customer service, and replacement (if needed), another aspect is where something would need to be shipped to. If something does have to be shipped for replacement/repair, I wouldn't want to have to ship overseas...cost is WAY too high. If it can be shipped to a North America location...or, better yet, a US location...then that's better. I don't mind paying a slightly higher price if customer service, including where something would need to be shipped to, is US/North America-based.

I greatly appreciate whatever assistance is given. The more I watch some of the videos on YouTube, the more interested in getting.

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[785boats]

The TFL Ariane boat is a great performer.
I race mine with the 1600kv motor in both our 4s class & our 6s class. Merely by changing prop size. A 445/3 for 6s & a 452/3 for 4s.
In fact, just recently, a fellow cub member took the honors at our state championsips with his Ariane.

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pr...24L-F-4082-180

I think you would do well to buy most of your gear from Steve here at the OSE shop. I've never had a complaint with him, all the way down here in Australia, but I understand that any complaint is dealt with perfectly.

Cheers.
Paul.

[Panther6834]

The TFL Ariane boat is a great performer.
I race mine with the 1600kv motor in both our 4s class & our 6s class. Merely by changing prop size. A 445/3 for 6s & a 452/3 for 4s.
In fact, just recently, a fellow cub member took the honors at our state championsips with his Ariane.

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pr...24L-F-4082-180

I think you would do well to buy most of your gear from Steve here at the OSE shop. I've never had a complaint with him, all the way down here in Australia, but I understand that any complaint is dealt with perfectly.

Cheers.
Paul.

The Ariane is about what I can currently afford. Even the the 'return/open box' he currently has listed is at the upper-end of what I can afford. The previously-recommended Pursuit seems like an excellent choice...unfortunately, the only versions currently listed by OSE would be 2 carbon fiber versions (1106-carbon & 1106-carbon-4084), and a fiberglass w/ flood chamber & Integrated Drive System (1106-D2-F). I don't know if this is an older, or newer, model...or, if it's something Steve customized (considering the fiberglass offering from TFL N.A. has a stinger drive (see below).

Speaking of the fiberglass vs carbon fiber 'debate', I finally got enough info, and it definitely seems as if fiberglass is the better way for me to go...at least for my first boat. Maybe, once I become a better driver (I say "better", as if I've driven an RC FE, which I haven't...lol), them I can consider a CF hull...but, until then, fg it is. Another reason for me to such with fg is the greater range. I don't know how much CF decreases range (due to the interference caused by CF), but I'd prefer to not cause that.

Looking at the TFL North America site, they list a fiberglass Pursuit (1106-2A) with an SSD motor (definitely a 'plus'), a stinger drive, and without any flood chamber...but, there's something that "worries" me - the ESC. Instead of a 120A or 180A (or even a 160A), it's listed as a 125A. If memory (from all the reading I've been doing these past few days) serves me correctly, in a thread (can't remember if it was this forum, it another), it was pointed out that the boats with the 125A ESCs were coming in via banggood, and that they were cheap, low-quality ESCs.

Now, I don't mind having to purchase a better ESC, but there were other problems pointed out related to them. Granted, those parts were from 1-3 years ago, but, according to those who had purchased from OSE or TFL N.A., they'd had 'proper' electronics, and everything was installed correctly...while, those who had purchased from banggood reported (inferior-quality) 125A ESCs (as opposed to the Seaking 120A ESCs), things connected improperly, water lines of different materials (and, in one case, hoses with different diameters), and Deans connectors (as opposed to XT60 or XT90). Now, I'm not going to say that TFL N.A. might be importing their boats through banggood...but, be it does seem like a possibility.

Between TFL N.A. & OSE, I'd prefer purchasing from Steve...but, if the only fg Pursuit he's selling is the version with the the flood chamber & Integrated Drive System, then I'd have to go elsewhere, as I've decided against the flood chamber. Plus, between the Integrated & stinger drives, I'd prefer the stinger. Suggestions?

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[boatsrnew2me]

the pursuit is a great boat i have one ,but the flood chamber version i am not too sure about . that flood chamber is surely going to effect the handling of a otherwise great boat .the pursuit with stinger is the most popular model and the one i have . but hard to find now .
i also have the sonicwake which is a great place to start . the revolt that was mentioned is also a popular boat . i had a spartan too but sold it when the sonicwake hit the market in favor of the flood chamber .
the wake self rights pretty quickly .most times within 9 seconds which is great .its not the most stable boat but the self righting makes it fun as you can get pretty crazy with it knowing it will self right when things go wrong .
for a first boat i would stay away from the velez .had one .wasnt that impressed .it has to be turned at high speed or it trips over its own rudder and will flip . and they are known to have hulls that do not lay flat .
the spartan is a fast boat and will give long run times on the stock prop or a black 29 prop . that boat gave me the longest run times of any of the boats i owned (about a half dozen) but it does suffer from chine walk(rocking back and forth at high speed).its a big boat too with lots of room for lipos and they are easy to get in and take out .
but like i said i sold mine in favor of the self righting sonicwake .which i do have alot of fun with .
theres also the recoil 26 self righting boat . a fun boat that goes about 32 mph stock form and self rights by goosing the throttle .nice little wave /swell jumper .

if you buy anything other than a self righting boat make or get yourself a rescue rig .swimming after a overturned boat is never recommended .even a self righting boat could need a rescue for a unforeseen reason .

any questions about the boats i mentioned feel free to ask me .
i have owned
recoil 26
blackjack 29
velez 29
spartan
sonicwake
pursuit
angry shark(vector pro)i can answer questions about any of these .

[Panther6834]

the pursuit is a great boat i have one ,but the flood chamber version i am not too sure about . that flood chamber is surely going to effect the handling of a otherwise great boat .the pursuit with stinger is the most popular model and the one i have . but hard to find now .
i also have the sonicwake which is a great place to start. the wake self rights pretty quickly .most times within 9 seconds which is great .its not the most stable boat but the self righting makes it fun as you can get pretty crazy with it knowing it will self right when things go wrong .

if you buy anything other than a self righting boat make or get yourself a rescue rig .swimming after a overturned boat is never recommended .even a self righting boat could need a rescue for a unforeseen reason . i can answer questions about any of these .

As much as I like the Pursuit, I'm back to thinking that the SonicWake might be a better "first boat". This is not to say I won't get the Pursuit...I'll probably still get it, but, whether it's my first, or second, that remains to be answered. In a few forums, people have started how stable the Pursuit is, which is part of why I'd like it. However, for someone just learning how to drive, starting with the SonicWake might be the 'smarter' idea. Thinking along the lines of a car, if you're just learning to drive, you don't start in a new Ferrari, or even a new Audi...you start in something closer to a Nissan. It doesn't have to be a Sentra...it can be a Maxima (which has the same engine as a 350Z/370Z, tho tuned to lower power).

If I decide to start with the SonicWake, in a year...maybe less...I'd get the Pursuit. Whether I start with the Pursuit, or the SonicWake, there are a few upgrades I'd do as soon as possible - dual pickup rudder, HD flex cable, and prop (plus ESC, trim tabs, and turn fins, if I get the SonicWake). With either boat, I do have some questions. First, is it better to run 4S/6S, or two 2S/3S in parallel? Second (the answer could be different for each boat), do these two boats handle/perform better with the battery (batteries, if 2 in parallel) further forward, or further back? Third, which props (obviously, different for each boat) would be recommended for increased speed, as well as maintaining stability (while I'm interested in increasing speed, maintaining stability has a higher priority)?

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[boatsrnew2me]

the sonicwake likes the lipos as far back as you can get them . well ,thats how i run mine .if you want more stability move them forward a bit ,but speed suffers and worse then that is the heat in the motor and esc from running a wetter boat .
on 6s proboat anything is running hot ,they always advertise that their boats can run 6s but do not have 6s running motors in them . you can however run 6s just keep an eye on your temps .thats why i say run the lipos as far back as you can and tweak things like prop depth and trim tabs if you want better stability .myself i find it fun to just let her rip ,if she flies off the water so be it ,it self rights and a keep keepin on .
lipo choice is yours to make but i run 2-3s lipos . rather then a 6s . reason being if you get a bad cell in a 6s your out alot of money ,if you get one in a 3s your out half as much . choice is yours .but do not buy cheap lipos get at least 50c lipos if not 70c because the boat can swell a cheap lipo fast .

i would not go upgrading to a bigger prop on the wake .just get a non de tounged prop of the same size and run that .you will be in the 50`s and thats plenty .
ps -you wont need a upgrade flex cable on the sonicwake ,its pretty robust .

[Panther6834]

Thanks to all who replied, as a decision...ok, call it a "forced decision"...has been made. I truly did want to go with the TFL Pursuit as my first boat, but OSE doesn't have the specific model I want in stock. According to Steve, delivery of them to him is at least 8wks out. Thankfully, he did get some SonicWakes in stock, and he's done the 'OSE upgrade' (dual pickup rudder & HD flex cable) to at least a few of them. So...it looks like the SonicWake will become (by "forced default") my first boat, and the Pursuit will end up being my second. Yes, I would have preferred to have the Pursuit, but, at least I'll be able to get 'something' in the water before the end of this week (already have the tracking number)...plus, I'll still be getting the Pursuit, but will just have to wait a little longer. I do seem to recall that, in one of the threads where I had been posting (been posing these questions in multiple threads, in three different forums), someone "suggested" getting both...well, looks like that's exactly what I'll be doing.

Anyway, the bullet has been bitten...and, with two upgrades 'pre-installed'. I've also ordered the larger turning fins, and adjustable trim tabs, from RC Boat Bitz (from the land down under). Since they'll probably take a couple weeks (or longer) to arrive, looks like my first "upgrade" will be replacing the stock Rx with one from Futaba. I also need to get the adapter to run 2x 2S in-series (as opposed to a single 4S). Thanks, again, to all who replied (in here, and in other threads). I'm REALLY looking forward to getting into FEs.

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[Panchothedog]

Glad to hear you pulled the trigger. It's a very enjoyable and satisfying hobby especially if you are into r-c which it sounds like you are. I'll bet that within not too long you will have more than just the two boats you are talking about. It's very addicting,you know you can't have just one or even two. Anyway enjoy,stay safe and as mentioned in post #8 don't ever go swimming to retrieve a capsized boat.

[Panther6834]

Glad to hear you pulled the trigger. It's a very enjoyable and satisfying hobby especially if you are into r-c which it sounds like you are. I'll bet that within not too long you will have more than just the two boats you are talking about. It's very addicting,you know you can't have just one or even two. Anyway enjoy,stay safe and as mentioned in post #8 don't ever go swimming to retrieve a capsized boat.

I did used to be a competitive swimmer...but, I think you're right - no "swimming retrievals". Hopefully, it won't be needed, but, I've already been looking into cheap RC retrieval boat ideas. Any suggestions? ProBoat used to have an RC retrieval decoy (a Mallard duck), which I thought was cool, not it was discontinued years ago.

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[boatsrnew2me]

good choices .i have had about a half dozen boats and have narrowed it down to the same 2 .the pursuit and the wake . i would like maybe one or 2 more yet but laid off right now . if you want a good catamaran best choice out there a promarine . hard to get right now though . my second choice in a cat would be a aquacraft motley crue .
reason being is they ride well . they ride flat . no whaa,whaa,whaa.....as your going down the water . watch videos of them .

like i mentioned the veles 29 has a rudder thats too long and will trip over it during low speed turns . its fine i guess on hard fast turns but getting a hull thats flat is a real challenge .especially since all they have is old stock .

promarine cats are pricey but worth it . the motley crue out the box is a 4s boat that goes about 40mph but can be upgraded . i hear the hulls are kinda thin but never had one in my hands .


for a rescue boat i use a traxxas blast with a pvc fork . the blast uses prop steer and steers the fork very well compared to my ft009 i use to use .

[Panther6834]

I want to keep the cost of a rescue boat down as much as possible...say...less that $100. The Blast could work, if I can find a used one on eBay. As for putting together the PVC & float-foam "device", that's simple enough. I've seen quite a few, so putting together a 'design'won't take but a few minutes...plus, I've already got the adhesive, since I recently remodeled our master bathroom's vanity, including replacing the plumbing.

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[fweasel]

Consider two PVC screw joints on the longer legs if transportation room is limited. I'm able to collapse mine down and get it into the trunk of my 2-seater, which leaves more room for boats! Also, depending on the size of your lake (perspective at a distance) and the width of your largest hull, make sure your skis are wide enough to capture a boat at a distance with difficult depth perception. My first version was too narrow and half my rescue time was spent lining up the capture.

[Panther6834]

Consider two PVC screw joints on the longer legs if transportation room is limited. I'm able to collapse mine down and get it into the trunk of my 2-seater, which leaves more room for boats! Also, depending on the size of your lake (perspective at a distance) and the width of your largest hull, make sure your skis are wide enough to capture a boat at a distance with difficult depth perception. My first version was too narrow and half my rescue time was spent lining up the capture.

There's a simple...and VERY fun...solution to that - FPV. If you have a standalone FPV, attach the camera to the rescue boat, and you'll have a first-person view as your capturing. Alternately...and, the more versatile option...if you ever do videos using an action cam (and, if you haven't, maybe it's time to start?), using the same cam you would normally mount on the vehicles you're filming from, you could have a mount on your rescue boat. Obviously, this route would require live-streaming capability, and you'd be viewing the feed from your phone...but, essentially, it's the same.

I've been looking to do action cam videos for my land vehicles, and I'll probably want to do them from the SonicWake, so, adding a mount to the rescue boat would only be a minor additional cost. Depending on how often you use the results boat (meaning, helping other people), you could even consider an (inexpensive) FPV specifically for the rescue boat. Now that I've thought of that last idea, I'm assuming it to my "research needing to get done" list. Damn, I'm constantly finding more ways to spend money...and to piss off my wife...lol

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[boatsrnew2me]

boats! Also, depending on the size of your lake (perspective at a distance) and the width of your largest hull, make sure your skis are wide enough to capture a boat at a distance with difficult depth perception. My first version was too narrow and half my rescue time was spent lining up the capture.

good advice here ,mine could be wider as well