310 Owners - Comments about ride & handling in the chop ???


T

tpenfield

Member
I'm thinking ahead a few years and may get the newer style Sun Sports in place of my current (1st generation) 330SS.

I was wondering about the 310 SS vs. what I have now (330SS) and if the 310's have a better ride in choppy conditions, as they have a deeper V (22 degree) and a more narrow beam (9' 6" ish) vs. my 330 with 20 degree hull and 10" 2" beam

Overall, I am finding that the 330 hull is a wee bit too 'flat' for my ocean conditions and wondering if the 310 rides better than its 1 st generation predecessors?

There is also the 350 SS w/ 21 degree hull, but that might be too much of a step up. With a 350SS, I might have to rent a slip instead of have the boat on my mooring.

Comments on the 310SS?

Thanks in advance.
 
Hey Ted - I'm a 310 owner but unfortunately I don't have a point of comparison to a 330 since I've never ridden in one. It's often windy in North Texas with 15+MPH winds common on my lake. When the wind runs down the length of the lake, its fairly easy to get 2-3 foot chop and its not unusual to find some mild white capping. Most smaller boats head for protected coves in such situations, but I've never been turned away because of the ride. I find it easy to run at modest planing speeds (say 26-30mph) in those conditions, though I find myself working both tabs and outdrive trim to get my bow angle optimized for ride/spray. I'm fairly sure I could run faster without discomfort, but on my lake all I'm doing is running out of water faster when I do that.
 
Thanks for the input. I realized few if any will have direct comparisons of 310 vs 330, but any/all input is appreciated. Lewisville lake, not a big lake. I can see why you would run out of room going at a good clip.
 
Just by the numbers (narrower beam and more deadrise), I would say it has to handle the rough stuff better. How much is the question and that would be subjective as everyone perceives ride quality differently.
 
I looked at an 09 330 SS two years ago and was not over impressed by how it coped with waves on the Gulf of Mexico....which isn't a rough sea. Too much roll and wallow. The 310 SS I purchased felt more stable, cut better through slop and was to me a better handling boat without any sacrifice. I do intend next time to go bigger but the 310 SS is a great day boat or occasional overnighter.
 
Man I have owned both - but the 310 was a bow rider. Can anyone confirm it is the same hull? The 310 was a '13 and the 330 was an '01. So I have a huge gap in memory and I ran the 330 mostly on a big lake but it did get rough with very 'confused' waves. I did run the 330 in the salt for one winter in FL and didn't love it. We settled into the inter coastal most days. The 310 was fine out here in Naragansett Bay and the Block Island Sound. Like anything, if it gets rough you gotta slow it down to a comfortable ride. I think both held plain with tabs around 14mph so that should be comfortable in rough stuff. Even my 370 would slam pretty hard if running hard.
 
Thanks for the latest round of replies. I would think that the 310 SS and BR share the same hull. Can't see that Formula would go to the trouble of making them different.

The best ride that I can get with the 330SS is to put the bow down into the waves so that the more narrow part of the bow is cutting into the waves. As conditions get rougher there is more chance of nose diving (which I have done once !!!). Overall, the 330SS has been great, but I do miss the 24 degree hull, that I had with my 242SS.
 
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