I need your help

djanna · #1 12-13-2006, 12:16 PM

I would like to get my husband an rc boat for xmas....he is totally into speed and cars, etc., and now lives on a lake. A real jet boat is out of the question.

I do not know where to start to to purchase one that will be challenging, etc. for him....Can you help...

edmkills · #2 12-13-2006, 12:22 PM

Whats your budget? There are a lot of good boat manufactures out there. Try Warehouse hobbies website they make dependable strong boats for beginners (fast too).

Rex R · #3 12-13-2006, 12:55 PM

well if you're thinking of something that is ready to run out of the box... the 'Aquacraft Super Vee27'(it will require 8 AA's, 2 6cell nimh packs(and charger), your dealer can help there)is about the fastest electric model.

edmkills · #4 12-13-2006, 12:57 PM

Sorry i assumed you wanted a gas boat. You can either get electric, gas, or nitro. My preferrence is gas they are easy to maintain, fast, and make some noise! Nitro boats are also very fast but can be very finicky at times which can be tough for a beginner. Electrics well.....i wont go there I will let some one as respond to that. If you havent looked around yet you will find out its pretty easy to spend a grand or more.

djanna · #5 12-13-2006, 01:16 PM

Well I would like to spend $300 or less.....I want dependability, but speed and noise are very important. Gas or electric .... well I"m looking to you to advise.

My husband is into racing cars, etc., but I think he might really like boats .... so looking for that first boat to spark his interest ........

djanna · #6 12-13-2006, 01:17 PM

I need specific advise as I've search all the hobby sites....it's all greek to me. I want to buy from a reputable source that allows returns maybe .....

edmkills · #7 12-13-2006, 01:54 PM

Speed and a little noise are important to me as well and that is why i have never run electrics. Unfortunately speed costs $$$ in gas boats, if your looking for a fairly fast gasser (40+ mph) that is ready to run complete with electronics you will probably have to triple your budget. Sounds crazy I know (at least my wife thinks so) but unless the boat is used (and probably abused) it will be difficult if not impossible to find a decent gasser.

Electrics may be cheaper though.

**for you electric guys i wasn't implying your boats are slow

edmkills · #8 12-13-2006, 02:06 PM

djanna i just did a quick search on the 'Aquacraft Super Vee27' its around $300 or a little less, i think it does 30+ mph out of the box, the husband will just have to do without the noise. You might want to try your local hobby store for one and if not try www.aquacraftmodels.com for a dealer. hope that helps.

djanna · #9 12-13-2006, 03:40 PM

Thanks for your help....I didn't realize the nitros were so expensive...right under a grand.....

Kirker · #10 12-13-2006, 04:42 PM

Does your husband like to work on his own cars, etc.? If so, he may like a kit. A kit is a boat that you build yourself, like a model car. Lots of guys find as much or more fun in the "building" of their boats. I believe kits are a bit cheaper too. For reasons I won't go into here, I'm not one of those guys (although I wish I could be). As a result, I'm a RTR electric guy (RTR = Ready To Run). That means, other than a charger and batteries, the boat comes fully ready to go. I also own one of the SuperVee 27's by Aquacraft, I bought it through towerhobbies.com. Fast and fun boat! As far as chargers, you can spend $30-$300 or more just on a charger, but don't be alarmed, you can get a very good one for $50 - $120 range. I bought my boat, charger (MRC 977) and batteries for a tad less than $500. Over your budget but there are cheaper ways to go. All of this information can seem overwhelming, even to someone with modest experience like myself, which brings me to my next point. There is a outfit called offshoreelectrics.com, they guy who runs the show there is named Steven. There is also Chris at finedesignrc.com and some others. These guys are all hobby enthusists, they are in the "bizz" not just to make a living but also because they love it, go to their websites and shoot them a e-mail, or better yet call them! Tell them your situation and your budget and I'm sure they'll steer you in the right direction! 3 more quick points and then I promise to slowly back away from the keyboard.
1) When you hear 25-30 mph, on the surface, that may not seem impressive. Remember, alot of full size boats will only do 25-30 mph. Put that in a rc boat that is only 30" long or less and weighs 5lbs. and it WILL get your attention! Defiantly a rush!
2) While gas boats have some definant advantages, noise is the biggest thing people will complain about. If you have some neighbors that may be "whinners", give them some noise and you just gave them a reason. Something to think about.
3) If you end up getting your hubby a boat, turn him on to this forum! Lots of "salts" on here that know more than you, I, and 5 of our friends will ever know about rc boats. Very helpful "deckhands"!

hdboater · #11 12-13-2006, 05:57 PM

What i think you should do is buy him a proboat miss elam or proboat miss llamar, or a aquacraft miss vegas or even a proboat blackjack 26. all great ready to run boats , especially for a first timer. They all have nitro motors in them and all are under 300 bucks. these are great first time nitro boats that make some noise. your husband will love um. but be prepared , after he gets a taste ,there goes the budget. Thats my 2 cents.
good Luck.

BoatDoc · #12 12-13-2006, 05:59 PM

the SV27 is an excellent boat for someone to get into this hobby with. the boat itself is within your budget, but like Kirker said, you'll need a charger and batteries as well. i'd recommend you e-mail steve at offshoreelectrics.com or call him up. he can put everything you need to run this boat into a single shipment ('cept the water of course

) and get it to you in a timely fashion.

edmkills · #13 12-13-2006, 11:49 PM

djanna if you are considering a nitro boat keep in mind that they require nitro fuel ($$$) as opposed to gasoline and support equipment is also needed like a starter and belts. Nitro boats can be finicky for the beginner and retrieving the boat requires either a full size boat, accurate casting with a fishing rod, having another rc boat for retrieval, or swimming (not recommended).

Bmus · #14 05-11-2009, 12:56 AM

KISS, Keep It Simple Sister, Go with a good electric. For that budget amount you can get a high end electric which will have the speed and reliability. Let your hubby try it out, if he likes it then he can decide to upgrade. Remember he can always sell the used electric and recover some good money from that for help with an upgrade. Becareful on the return policies. Lots of dealers wont take returns if the package has been opened. Make sure you read their return policy before you buy.