I figured I'd get these kind of responses. I don't have any interest in trying to produce any hulls. Other than maybe a one off for personal use. And I know how long this kind of stuff takes, it is very time consuming. That being said, I don't see why a couple guys in a shop couldn't produce 2-3 a week once they had the molds and the process down. For it to really be profitable, you need to have cheap laborers do it for you, like in Thailand. If it cost even 1k materials for a glass hull, 7k sale price that's 6k profit. Sell it for 4k, that's 3k profit and sell X amount more.
I just brought it up because the topic of the sport declining came up. Whenever I bring it up to people they usually say first, wow do they still make those? Then it's, can you do a backflip? I then explain no, A. I don't have the skill, which is largely because B., those setups cost 2-3x + as mine. Then they're usually dumbfounded what the prices are like.
Yamaha can turn a profit at 8600, motor and all. They produce what? 500 a year? It's an economy of scale for sure, it would be hard to sell 500 AM hulls a year. Chicken and the egg kind of deal I guess, no current demand for that many units but I believe there would be if it were more affordable and it was popularized.
I just like to look at the grand scheme of things. Someone is in the market for a toy and willing to spend 15-20k. For that money, one could get 2 new superjets, a fully loaded couch (hell no, but people do), RZR 1000, multiple dirtbikes, or even a used 400hp corvette. Hell, I just about see more 6k sparks at the lake than anything else. And these are no assembly required, most people can't or won't build something themselves.
I just think the sport has dwindled to a point where few people know about it and few are willing to spend the money to build one themselves. The ones who are, have been involved in it for years, already have skis and are at a later point in life. I think the root of it all is the demise of the 2 stroke (thanks EPA) and the transition to larger and larger couches that people can drive to a dealer and buy turn key.
Like I said, I knew I'd get flamed. But I just think a large part of the reason the sport is dwindling and getting few new people into it can be traced to it's cost and the amount of competition in the market.