- Location
- Cape Canaveral, Fl
First off, I would like to say thanks to Chad (Chadman154), Zach (PowerHousePerformance), Tom (tpain) and Trevor (Trevair111) for letting me ride their skis and the use of Chad’s lake house. I was in town visiting family, hit Zach up and he threw this little shindig together. Everything was last minute but could not have been better. All of the skis (except the q8) were powered by Zach’s PowerHousePerformance motors. Every ski had an excellent motor with a seamless power band. The skis being reviewed are the Superfreak, EME q8, Gen 3 b.o.b. and Zach’s wife’s Yamaha SN (aka flower power). It was great to be able to ride so many custom hulls in one place. It really helped to get a feel for the ride characteristics of each hull. We also had tpain’s gen 2 b.o.b there but it was out of commission due to ignition problems.
As for me, I have been riding a stock motor 701 RN in the surf for 2 years now (I did all the handling mods first). This review is my personal opinion of how I felt each ski rode and in no way meant to bash ski manufactures. I think it’s great this sport has so many custom hulls that all ride differently to suit everybody’s wants/needs. This is my first time riding flat water setups and big motors.
Superfreak - Carbon
PowerHouse 937 power valve
MSD total loss
48 Novis
Power factor
148 Maxx Pump
Yamaha SN “Flower Power”
PowerHouse 771 big bore
Mikuni 44's
TNT pipe
MSD Enhancer
D Cut ocean pro ride plate
Shortened RRP pole
Gen 3 b.o.b. - Carbon
PowerHouse 760 62t top 61x bottom
Mikuni 44's
Waterdog wet pipe
MSD Enhancer
EME q8 – Glass
Jet works 760
Black jack 44's
b pipe
MSD Enhancer
Skat 144 Setback Pump
The first ski I rode was the EME q8. Overall the ski rode alright but was not my favorite. It was difficult to get the ski to plane out (rode nose high) and the handling was only ok. Note the body position (Picture attached) required to get the ski to plane out. As for the footholds, I didn’t care for them due to placement and shape. They are semi-enclosed and could not get my feet to stay put and overall just did not feel right. The Jet Works 760 was quite peppy. When I got on the throttle the pitch of the boat was easier to control than the b.o.b. making it slightly more manageable. The first few times I got on the throttle it wanted to go vertical but this was soon compensated for by leaning forward. Nothing really stood out to me on the q8, good or bad. Everything was just ok.
The next ski ridden was the SuperFreak 937cc. This was the best ski in my opinion. It rode incredibly light in the water, almost like it was skimming the surface. The steering was very light and required minimal input. I have ridden Mr. Bojangles WCF hull and the way the Superfreak skims the surface of the water is very similar to the WCF hull. Even though the Superfreak feels like it’s skimming the top of the water the handling was amazing. The pump never came unhooked and carved like nobody’s business. The pitch of this boat was easily controlled with body position even with WOT. The combination of the ski riding light in the water and the steering/handling made riding this ski nearly effortless. This ski is powered by a PowerHousePerformance 937cc that was tuned to perfection. The power band was smooth with ample power whenever you needed it. So much so that on my one flip attempt of the day, the ski ripped out of my hands as I went to pull the trim (I was warned ahead of time I would need gloves but did not take the advice). There was no bogging, hesitation or “Light Switch” power. The footholds felt great and kept me connected to the ski. The wide tray was nice and I only rode with my feet in the footholds. I would like to ride this ski surf stance in the surf so I could compare it to my RN. The photographer rode this ski at the end of the day and was able to handle it no problem. He has only ridden my RN 2 times before this. He also commented on how easy it was to ride and how light it felt in the water. I think it’s amazing a beginner can jump on a shortened hull with a 937cc motor and manage just fine. This is a testament to a great hull and great motor.
Next was the Gen 3 B.O.B. 774cc. The motor in this ski was impressive. With a PowerHousePerformance 774cc, the couple times I got on the throttle it wanted to flip me backwards. This ski was designed to flip and flip it does. The adjustable foot holds felt great and keep me connected to the ski. I’m sure this ski is great for some people but it was not for me. I found controlling the pitch of the ski very difficult. This was expected though knowing the hull was designed to flip. I could not get the ski to plane out and the turning/handling was only ok. The ski would hook nice and was very predictable in sharp turns but I personally enjoy sweeping turns and carving and it was not possible with this setup. My dislike for the B.O.B. is based on personal preference. This ski was designed for a riding style I personally do not enjoy that much.
The last ski that I rode was Zach’s wife’s “flower power” SN and that thing was great. It has a PowerHousePerformance 771cc motor with a seamless power band. This ski was equipped with tubbies and d cut ride plate that helped with handling. After riding the short hulls, jumping on the flower power SN felt like a long board. This ski planed out easily, providing exhilarating high speed runs followed by carving. This would be a great combo for anyone looking to get into the sport. I found this ski to be almost as enjoyable as the Superfreak and would love to put this motor in my ski.
Overall the Superfreak was my favorite. It performed great all around, from high speed runs and carving to freestyle. Granted, I’m currently not that skilled of a freestyle rider but when riding the Superfreak you just know the possibility is there, especially with 937cc of internal combustion greatness. The PowerHousePerformance motor was a monster when you wanted it, yet tame enough for a beginner to handle. My next favorite ski was Flower Power SN. This ski was a total shocker. It had purple flowers on it, hauled a$$ and handled great. The q8 and b.o.b. we’re close but I liked the q8 slightly more because I could control the pitch a little better.
So there you have it. My opinion of how 3 custom hulls ride. Hope this adds some insight to the community and again, thanks to everyone that allowed me to ride the sh!! out of their skis for a day
Video Update:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiDt_xn9os4
As for me, I have been riding a stock motor 701 RN in the surf for 2 years now (I did all the handling mods first). This review is my personal opinion of how I felt each ski rode and in no way meant to bash ski manufactures. I think it’s great this sport has so many custom hulls that all ride differently to suit everybody’s wants/needs. This is my first time riding flat water setups and big motors.
Superfreak - Carbon
PowerHouse 937 power valve
MSD total loss
48 Novis
Power factor
148 Maxx Pump
Yamaha SN “Flower Power”
PowerHouse 771 big bore
Mikuni 44's
TNT pipe
MSD Enhancer
D Cut ocean pro ride plate
Shortened RRP pole
Gen 3 b.o.b. - Carbon
PowerHouse 760 62t top 61x bottom
Mikuni 44's
Waterdog wet pipe
MSD Enhancer
EME q8 – Glass
Jet works 760
Black jack 44's
b pipe
MSD Enhancer
Skat 144 Setback Pump
The first ski I rode was the EME q8. Overall the ski rode alright but was not my favorite. It was difficult to get the ski to plane out (rode nose high) and the handling was only ok. Note the body position (Picture attached) required to get the ski to plane out. As for the footholds, I didn’t care for them due to placement and shape. They are semi-enclosed and could not get my feet to stay put and overall just did not feel right. The Jet Works 760 was quite peppy. When I got on the throttle the pitch of the boat was easier to control than the b.o.b. making it slightly more manageable. The first few times I got on the throttle it wanted to go vertical but this was soon compensated for by leaning forward. Nothing really stood out to me on the q8, good or bad. Everything was just ok.
The next ski ridden was the SuperFreak 937cc. This was the best ski in my opinion. It rode incredibly light in the water, almost like it was skimming the surface. The steering was very light and required minimal input. I have ridden Mr. Bojangles WCF hull and the way the Superfreak skims the surface of the water is very similar to the WCF hull. Even though the Superfreak feels like it’s skimming the top of the water the handling was amazing. The pump never came unhooked and carved like nobody’s business. The pitch of this boat was easily controlled with body position even with WOT. The combination of the ski riding light in the water and the steering/handling made riding this ski nearly effortless. This ski is powered by a PowerHousePerformance 937cc that was tuned to perfection. The power band was smooth with ample power whenever you needed it. So much so that on my one flip attempt of the day, the ski ripped out of my hands as I went to pull the trim (I was warned ahead of time I would need gloves but did not take the advice). There was no bogging, hesitation or “Light Switch” power. The footholds felt great and kept me connected to the ski. The wide tray was nice and I only rode with my feet in the footholds. I would like to ride this ski surf stance in the surf so I could compare it to my RN. The photographer rode this ski at the end of the day and was able to handle it no problem. He has only ridden my RN 2 times before this. He also commented on how easy it was to ride and how light it felt in the water. I think it’s amazing a beginner can jump on a shortened hull with a 937cc motor and manage just fine. This is a testament to a great hull and great motor.
Next was the Gen 3 B.O.B. 774cc. The motor in this ski was impressive. With a PowerHousePerformance 774cc, the couple times I got on the throttle it wanted to flip me backwards. This ski was designed to flip and flip it does. The adjustable foot holds felt great and keep me connected to the ski. I’m sure this ski is great for some people but it was not for me. I found controlling the pitch of the ski very difficult. This was expected though knowing the hull was designed to flip. I could not get the ski to plane out and the turning/handling was only ok. The ski would hook nice and was very predictable in sharp turns but I personally enjoy sweeping turns and carving and it was not possible with this setup. My dislike for the B.O.B. is based on personal preference. This ski was designed for a riding style I personally do not enjoy that much.
The last ski that I rode was Zach’s wife’s “flower power” SN and that thing was great. It has a PowerHousePerformance 771cc motor with a seamless power band. This ski was equipped with tubbies and d cut ride plate that helped with handling. After riding the short hulls, jumping on the flower power SN felt like a long board. This ski planed out easily, providing exhilarating high speed runs followed by carving. This would be a great combo for anyone looking to get into the sport. I found this ski to be almost as enjoyable as the Superfreak and would love to put this motor in my ski.
Overall the Superfreak was my favorite. It performed great all around, from high speed runs and carving to freestyle. Granted, I’m currently not that skilled of a freestyle rider but when riding the Superfreak you just know the possibility is there, especially with 937cc of internal combustion greatness. The PowerHousePerformance motor was a monster when you wanted it, yet tame enough for a beginner to handle. My next favorite ski was Flower Power SN. This ski was a total shocker. It had purple flowers on it, hauled a$$ and handled great. The q8 and b.o.b. we’re close but I liked the q8 slightly more because I could control the pitch a little better.
So there you have it. My opinion of how 3 custom hulls ride. Hope this adds some insight to the community and again, thanks to everyone that allowed me to ride the sh!! out of their skis for a day
Video Update:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiDt_xn9os4
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