Legend Boat Rough Water Test !!!

[Mike Cork]

This is an Alpha 211 with a Yamaha on the back (you can't see it) Driver and boat are just fine

Can your boat survive this !!!!

This is one of a hundred reasons why I LOVE my Legend, it will get you there and get you BACK!

[JMGullo]

Bet his underwear Isn't fine lol

[BassCatBates]

I bet that one puckered up his spincter!!!!  My BassCat would have no problems and from what I read about Legend I'd feel ok there.... and there the list ends!

[Flyswatter]

Yikes!!!      Where did my rods go? 

[GRR884]

Not to hijack but Cats do it too 

http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/13d36248570848f70291e48099c8c0d1c25850c1.JPG

[Creel Limit Zero]

Ouch, that one is going to leave a mark.

[Mike Cork]

The driver of this boat is David Swendseid. I was fortunate enough to spend some time talking with him on the phone, great guy and very knowledgeable about boats. Oh and he's just a little bit of a specialist in the bait arena too  we'll get into talk about that later  But for now, the boat test

Here is the next photo in that series. David was doing a series of tests on the boat, which will come to light in the near future.



For anyone not familiar in driving in waves this large, the goal is to take your time, keep your nose high and your big motor digging. It takes a very strong motor with low end torque to make this happen, so obviously the Yamaha panned out. This keeps you from spearing a wave with your nose and is much easier on the passengers of the boat. Kind of like trying to ride a wheelie when you were a kid, but imagine doing it through a series of ditches and maintaining that wheelie when your doing 'down' the side.

When David has some time he plans to visit this thread and give us some insight on rough water driving.

[Creel Limit Zero]

Very cool photos, I look forward to hearing from him...

[bassmasta63]

Wish I could have talked to him before I went to Falcon! It was rough a couple of days!

[Mike Cork]

I have published an interview with David on the front page. He has some great ideas that are going to change the boat purchasing power we as anglers have, check it out

[Creel Limit Zero]

Wow, I can't wait to see all the results.  I hope other manufacturers jump in to get in on this and it really takes off, because you are right, there is no real independent review.  It is amazing that in fact these boat company's can sell boats to folks that have never been in one of their boats before, but it happens. 

[nidahobassin]

Not to hijack but Cats do it too 

http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/13d36248570848f70291e48099c8c0d1c25850c1.JPG[/url

Been in some Cats as well as many other brands and I would disagree and your attached photo is of a Cat going through a 2 foot breaker that ant boat could handle with ease. No offense, just not apples to apples.

[Smallie_Stalker]

Thanks for making us aware of this Mike. This is something that we have needed for a very long time. Looks like I am going to have to subscribe to Bass Angler Magazine now 

Thanks also to David for having the guts and gusto to take on an endeavor like this.

[Mike Cork]

It should make for some great information. David talked about all kinds of different aspects to the program. The rough water test was just one of hundreds, and the one that catches most peoples eyes quickly.

But I'm with you, very excited to see the info and how they lay it out. Being a Legend owner I'm bias but will be equally excited to see the reports on other boats and motors as well.

[-Shawn-]

I was talking to Bill Wilcox and he had 3 legends before He was forced back to Skeeter.

He said the Last one had a SHO on it and it handled Big water alot better than the two with XS's did because of the Low end Torque.

[Mike Cork]

You'll never get me out of the Pro XS but that is something David mentioned, the low end torque made it easy to keep the bow up. Could he have done it with a Pro XS, I'm sure but the test was with the SHO

[-Shawn-]

Yeah Bill had 2 alphas with XS then the Show and since he fishes Falcon quite a bit with a cameraman on the boat he has played in the Rough water with both and said the Show was much better......

Him and 3 others have told me they are getting much better fuel economy with the sho too..

The one time I have Driven A SHO on the water was pretty impressive with both better Tourque and Decreased noise level. 

[Mike Cork]

Noise level is comparable. At Idle you can't tell the SHO is running except for the pee hole.

I don't know about on the Legend as I don't think I've personally seen one with a SHO much less driven it, but we (local to Louisiana) have several anglers with skeeters, anyway they ones that are into performance, say the SHO is great but they'd give anything to be able to run an XS. Now that said these guys don't run in water like Falcon and low end torque doesn't me much to them.

[-Shawn-]

I love My XS, but I am definately watching the Guys that I trust running the SHO. 

I can Say this is the first time I have ever came close to liking a Yamaha........ EVER. 

I know the One you are talking about running the SHO on his team boat and I don't think you can include him , because he doesn't run STOCK engines on his non team boat. 

[Mike Cork]

I can Say this is the first time I have ever came close to liking a Yamaha........ EVER. 

Yes they have come a long way in the last 10 years.

[bassmaster893]

well, i cant say i havnt seen boats do this, living in michigan and fishing the big lakes, i see a lot of skeeter, rangers, and nitros do this all the time... but which one is the smoothest? i couldnt tell you. i think all new bass boats are built to handle big waves, except for bullets... those are just race boats with casting decks from what i understand lol. i wouldnt hesitate runing my 94 nitro 190dc in that. but my 150 wouldnt have the torque to keep from getting a little nose dig. im gonna do a lot of research before my next boat purchase. but that legend is really impressive as far as keeping the nose up... running that rough of water has a lot to do with the driver tho. rode witha guy in a ranger who didnt know what he was doing.. got soaked. rode with my friend in his skeeter... not a drop of water. hard to decide on a boat these days. this "project x' would help a lot! 

[Jared LeBlue]

It will be very interesting to see what he has to say not only with the Legends but with other boats as well. One thing I can tell you is it doesn't matter what boat you are in ,when you in 7 foot swells it's not going to be dry or smooth. I would think the test in waves that big would be more for the durablity of the hull and components in the boat. I think a 2 to 3 ft chop would be what you want to test for dry ride and comfort.

[Mike Cork]

Jared, those waves were extreme and more a test for the motor and it's torque. The motors ability to keep the boat at the right attitude to travel water conditions like that.

David tested the boat and motor package through every degree available that a tournament angler might have to endure.

[-Shawn-]

I know the Exact Spot on the river that he was testing in, it has 7-9 ft swells every day due to Current being pushed against a stiff wind....  The only Thing I can see is the Swells there are always spaced well.

  A real test would be 5-7ft swells stacked on top of each other.  Falcon and Big Sam or the extreme southern end of Toledo bend during the passage of a Big cold front would make Excellent testing grounds.

[Mike Cork]

Down play all you want, that's a beast of a drive  :shockinnotams met the goal of the test  not saying you haven't but I've never seen anything like it?