Hydro Sport??????

[geeforcem]

I've never seen one of those closed deck Hydra Sports before. Any idea what it might weigh?

i really don't know.. if i remember the bass boat 178Vee was around 750lbs... i figure the closed ski deck would weigh less. i bet it would run pretty well with a 2.5

hopefully we can find out more...





i don't even remeber seeing these boats in the Hydra Sports brochures from back then... i was only 8 or 9 at the time but had a huge passion for boats already.

I'm glad to hear there might be another one of the 15' bassboats like the one we had. Let me know if u can locate that one u saw...


jeff

[geeforcem]

Same color and all. But diffrent seating and trailer. This one actually has the bucket seats in it (like a jet boat).

well.. i think the seats in this picture were definitely added later on... i'm sure the one u are looking at is more original...

good thing to hear there is more than one floating around. I'm excited to hear what u find...get more pics any idea if it's a kelvar reinforced hull? sometimes you can find a small sticker that says "Kelvar 49" on the outside of the boat.

[geeforcem]

here's a pic of the other side...

if you look where the trailer guide rail meets the lightning bolt... there's a little white sticker... that's the 'Kevlar 49' sticker..

[Action Dave]

That's a pretty cool boat. I've never seen one of those before. I really like how it looks.

[playin boats]

Bought mind in 1976, from the plant in Hendersonville, Tn.
Was a partner in a boat dealership in Barren River Lake, KY
I was only 21 at the time, man time flies. Remember we rigged a Merc inline 15" 150 hp, we cut the transom out about 2",ran it with a chopper prop somewere around 70 ish. I know all the bass boat guys didn't have anything for me.
My friend at the local marina, had a 15' Hydra sport fishing rig with a 150hp, we pretty much ran side by side.
funny note; I keep the steering kind of stiff, could get on the pad and in open water you could take your hands off the wheel. (my Mother rode the boat that day, boy did I get a look)
You could take the wrap around seat out in the back, the passenger seat out, low fuel the boat would really hang out there.

Great part of my life, never forget the memories.

Thanks for sharing.

Ken Cook

ps will try to find some pics from back then.

[geeforcem]

great stories Ken...

yup... my memories are of me learning to drive when i was 10... fishing by myself in the little 15' by myself then graduating to the 168Vee.. both were rigged with a little 85hp Merc... ran around 48-50mph... flying for a 11-13 yr old!!! When i climbed into my uncle's 178Vee's 70's was a downright rocketship back in the early 80's!!! great memories!!!

like i said before.. i still think they are awesome boats with lots of potential!!!

[geeforcem]

get any pics of that Hydra Sport u were looking at? or info on that lil' 15 foot basser you found?

jeff

[MADDOG355]

The guy that owned the basser has moved and haven't found out where yet.

and When I came through the area where the other one was saturday it was dark. I will try to get back by there one day this week.

I do recall it has the wrap around seats like playin boats described.

[neveredge]

Hydra-Sports built a closed deck model based on the X270 also. I used to have pictures of one but I can't find them.

I have never seen one in person or seen another photo of one. But I know that at least that 1 was made. It was from 1983 if memory serves me right.

I was an X-270 nut back in the day, I would have given my right arm for one when I was in high school.

[geeforcem]

The guy that owned the basser has moved and haven't found out where yet.

and When I came through the area where the other one was saturday it was dark. I will try to get back by there one day this week.

I do recall it has the wrap around seats like playin boats described.

cool..keep me posted if you find out anything

jeff

[geeforcem]

Hydra-Sports built a closed deck model based on the X270 also. I used to have pictures of one but I can't find them.

I have never seen one in person or seen another photo of one. But I know that at least that 1 was made. It was from 1983 if memory serves me right.

I was an X-270 nut back in the day, I would have given my right arm for one when I was in high school.

yup.. X270's were cool too! hmm...never saw the closed deck version... seems like they made a few different experimental models, huh?

[GPRACING]

A while back i saw a tunnel vee Hydra-sports bass boat.Anyone ever seen one???

[geeforcem]

A while back i saw a tunnel vee Hydra-sports bass boat.Anyone ever seen one???

yup... seen a couple... THey made them both in a 18' and 20'.. never ridden/driven one.. and don't know much about their performance.

btw... i like your Stratos! I have an '83 Laser LTV too!

[Larry33kc]

I had an x280 with a 150 Black Max on it. I shaved the heads .020 and put in carbon fiber reeds and was running a 24" Chopper. Radar at 74MPH. Wish I would of had a JP for it but didn't. I sure miss that boat it would beat the he!! out of you but ran great.

[1986 Mantra]

When I was a kid my Dad had a 1979 HydraSports 158v with a 1980 inline 6 140 Mercury. I was 14 years old and obsessed with it. He ran that boat for 17 years before he decided to buy a new boat. The boat was rated for 105 hp and would carry 2 people totaling 300lbs. That particular boat was not Kevlar. I remember that the kevlar hulls were about 200 lbs lighter. This particular boat weighted about 800lbs. I am pretty sure that 1979 was the 1st year that HydraSports had the vee hull. Before that they were tri-hulls. Keep in mind that this was 1980. He ran a 26" small ear chopper that came from a company called Rebal propellers somewhere in Alabama. He gave them the specs of the setup and they modified the prop for that application. Also had a manual jackplate with 5" of set back and that would raise cavition plate 5" above the bottom of the boat. Of cource he ran it jack all the way up adn JB Welded the top 2 or 3 holes on the water inlet. Due to insurance company only insuring up to a 115 hp, he had 115 decals put on the 140. The boat would run a hair over 65 mph with 1 person and about 60 mph with 2 people. I remember my old man hurting alot of guys feelings that were running 150's and a few 175's. It was actually a beautiful boat with full metalflake on everthing bit the lightening bolt. Over 50 mph trimmed out it is when you had to start driving it. This boat was a blast to ride in because it was so dang small. I was like riding in a fast go-cart. When my dad sold the boat it did have some stress cracks in the transom that were pretty bad. From day one the boat sat in a garage and looked like new until he sold it. The last I heard the guy that my dad sold it to blew the motor up and now it has an 85 hp mercury on it. I had heard that the mid 80's hydra sports were junk. They came out with the Vee Lok hull which was slower but it ran great at slow speeds. I think they had alot of transom problems. After that I do not know anything about Hydra Sports. I do remember my dad went to the Hydra Sports plant and toured it and consulted with Earl Bentz on setup. Shortly after that Earl Bentz went to Stratos.