Looking for a surface drive after the season

You need to state what you do (type of hunting and fishing), and where you do it for someone to provide proper guidance...

IMO you are better off buying an outboard and if you really need it buying a long tail to put on it. The only real advantage I've seen a surface drive has over a long tail is speed in open water but with a full hunt load most stock motors are looking at 25-30 TOPS. If you hunt in timber a long tail is far superior because it gives you leverage to get over logs at low speeds.

I usually hunt out of a 16' semi-v bateau with a 50, if we run up on a sandbar when it's dark or foggy it's usually got enough water to be able to walk it back out to the channel.

Most people are unhappy with the speed of a surface drive and it costs you close to a grand for every MPH increase. It's just a lawnmower engine and they do break, so you can either be slow and reliable or spend a pile of money to get it around outboard speed but could very well get stranded when (not if) you break something.

As far as boats go I don't know who a custom builder is best, but based on my research you get the most bang for your buck versus buying an xpress, excell, or war eagle, plus you can go with 3/16" versus 10 gauge and still come out cheaper.

If you're talking an absolutely stripped down version of surface drive rig (35hp) vs a stripped down xpress w/70 hp outboard then I think it'd be cheaper by as much as $4k to get the surface drive rig.

I get to ponds that I only see kayakers able to get to (they hate it but I can get way farther than them and give them peace and quiet quickly) in an 18x54 gatortrax CC with 35hp Mudbuddy....places I wouldn't try to get to with or without a jack plate outboard.....it's a heavy boat with trolling motor, batteries, poling platform, etc.


Top end is close to 30 and with a full hunt load I will get 25 or so

It's tough to get a "do everything" boat.....now I want a smaller stripped out tiller handle surface drive for running yo-yos by myself and such and just be more nimble in general

Good luck, I love boat shopping and setting up new rigs......about a year after I get them set up I'm ready to sell them and get a new project