Quick comparison question on ESP vs. SPS

[DougandMichelle]

Will a boat 24sslx with tritoons and sps still handle turns pretty well?  Does it turn flat or maybe a little carving like an ESP package?  I bought at the boat show a 24sslx tri sps set up and am wondering if I should have stepped up in series (G or R?) to get the ESP for better turning ability.

Thanks in advance.

 

[lakeliving]

The ESP is the one to get if you're going to be cutting back and forth a lot. I haven't been on one personally but I have been on an sps boat and thought it was really nice as well. We don't plan on cutting back and forth a lot so we didn't see the need for us to bump up a series just to get the esp package.

 

[DougandMichelle]

Sweet.  Thanks much.  I'm not really needing to cut back and forth either but would like to be able to turn around fairly quickly to retrieve a downed skier.  So overall, it turns easily enough then it sounds like. Yes?

 

[lakeliving]

We drove a 24 ssrx with sps and Yamaha 200 at the club event last summer and loved it. I was surprised how well the sps turned with the hydraulic steering. I was able to turn the boat around a heck of a lot faster than our two toon boat that is for sure. Don't be nervous about your new boat. You did good and have enough motor to have a good time!

 

[DougandMichelle]

Thanks for the info.  I've had a lot of boats over the years but have never bought a boat without the chance to test drive it first.

 

[TomS]

I came from direct drive inboards to the ESP. When it comes to retrieving skiers, it's a matter of what your technique is. I watch people with inboards power turn back to the skier, making monster wakes in the process. I learned long ago from the guys who use the slalom course right in front of my house to settle the boat to come off plane in a straight line away from the skier but in mirror's view, then slowly turn around to starboard (driver side) and idle back to them with the skier to that side of the boat. It makes zero wake directed at the person in the water, keeps them in sight and safe, and takes no more time to get to them. If you do that, the SPS should be great. If you want to power curve a turnaround back to them then the ESP will definitely do it and is the only way to go, but at idle they're going to be the same.