Which one?

[Steviecops]

Ok, I’ve narrowed it down to two options. A Honwave T38 or an Excel Volante sd360.?
Which one would people recommend? Pros and cons for both please.

[Highland Haggis]

I would definitely go for the T38 I have trued both boats and in my opinion the honwave is the better of the two but it’s your choice all the best in what ever you chose HH

[Steviecops]

Thanks for that, my instinct is telling me to go for the T38. Just wanted to make sure there wasn’t a better option for the money.

[Highland Haggis]

You definitely won’t get better unless you spend stupid money but the honwave will serve you well

[Steviecops]

Originally Posted by Highland Haggis

You definitely won’t get better unless you spend stupid money but the honwave will serve you well

Thank you. I’m thinking a 9.9 two stroke would push it along nicely with 2 up? I want to keep the weight down for ease of use.

[nousername]

Originally Posted by Steviecops

Thank you. I’m thinking a 9.9 two stroke would push it along nicely with 2 up? I want to keep the weight down for ease of use.

The Honwave is fine but you might get away with the model size down. Probably suit you if you are looking at weights also...
Min 15hp either way but you will always be wanting more power with the T38.
Just something else for you to ponder i guess.

[Steviecops]

Originally Posted by nousername

The Honwave is fine but you might get away with the model size down. Probably suit you if you are looking at weights also...
Min 15hp either way but you will always be wanting more power with the T38.
Just something else for you to ponder i guess.

Thanks. Initially, I was looking at the T35 but it has an alloy floor, so weighs more than the T38.

[nousername]

Originally Posted by Steviecops

Thanks. Initially, I was looking at the T35 but it has an alloy floor, so weighs more than the T38.

Stick with airfloor, much lighter and easier to set up, what i meant was the smaller air floor version...

[Steviecops]

Originally Posted by nousername

Stick with airfloor, much lighter and easier to set up, what i meant was the smaller air floor version...

The T35 only comes with an alloy floor. The next size down from T38 that has an air floor is the T32, which is too small.

[Steve509926]

Firstly can I apologise to all as they have heard me say this before. You are comparing two completely different sibs, which are both good but for different reasons and without knowing certain things I think it's impossible for anyone to give meaningful advice.
You are asking a question without giving a lot of info as to how, where or when you will use your new SIB,. How you will transport it - trailer/deflated, what car, just as importantly who will mostly be using it. Just yourself, 2 up, 2 up and a child, 2 up and a dog? Family beach and cove hoping, fishing? Sea, lake? I'm sure you get the picture. The more info you give, the better the advice will be.
One piece of advice I can give with complete confidence is a 9.9hp 2 stroke, 2 up on a SD360 will be very underwhelming, and unless you are happy cruising at displacement speed, very disappointing. That's not to say an SD360 isn't the SIB for you it depends what you want from your SIB and what you have on the back of it.
I have an SD360 with a 15hp 4 stroke efi, 2 up + 30kg dog + daily kit. WOT 15.5 knots (average) Performs well, but cruising at 14 - 15 knots is at the top end of the outboards performance and I think a 20hp is probably the best fit for an SD360.

[Steviecops]

I’ll be using the sib for fishing costal waters. Mostly on my own, sometimes with my Mrs. I want to pack the boat up into the back of my car, a land rover freelander 2, so I can take it anywhere and launch from a beach if necessary. I wouldn’t be happy with displacement speeds, so want something that’ll get me planing. I’ve seen videos of Honwaves moving at good speeds with 9.9, or even 8hp? If I need 15, then I know that a lot of 15’s are just retuned 9.9’s, so no extra weight. Seems like a good idea to me.

[chipko]

Personally I wouldn’t automatically write off a 10hp two stroke as inadequate for even two up plus a bit of kit. Back in the day we had a 20hp efi four stroke and a 9.8 two stroke. Unless we needed the extra grunt the lightweight 9.8 was often the go to motor.

On the sib front I’d be going T38 over the SD360. In my book a flat hp air deck with sausage keel is the worst of both worlds, performance wise, especially in larger sibs.

[Steve509926]

Freelander 2 very sib friendly, if my memory serves me well it doesn't have a boot lip that you have to lift things over.

Here's my take on both sibs.

T38 pros - lighter, slightly faster, slightly better performance, tracks and turns well.
T38 cons - sloping internal deck, narrower.

SD360 pros - wide flat deck, space below deck acts like a bilge (dryer deck), wider overall (stability)
SD360 cons - heavier, slightly slower (with same power unit) can slide through turns.

I can honestly say airdeck trapped air bubble movement has never been an issue.

I was in the same position as you, choosing between T38 & SD360. I came down on the side of the SD360 because the bigger, flat deck suited my needs better.

[Steviecops]

Chipko
Yes, that’s the way I’m thinking. I’ve just seen someone with a Talamex sun sport 3.5 and that looked like a great boat. Very similar to the honwave. Are these any good?

[chipko]

Hi,
Sorry not familiar with the Talamex Sunsport 3.50.
However, a quick search reveals it’s a flat hp air floor inflatable keel jobbie…if so it would be a no from me.
Interestingly SunSport used to do a hp V floor Honwave copy.
Boatworld also have a similar range.
https://boatworld.co.uk/boatworld-air-v-type-floor-380
But for the money I’d be sticking with a Honwave….particularly as the latest model has ditched those pesky extended floor tabs.

[Fenlander]

>>I’m thinking a 9.9 two stroke

Just a bit of clarity on this. The Mercury/Mariner/Yamaha 9.9 2-strokes are the de-rated versions of the 15hp motors so are heavy for their output. The Yamaha 9.9 can easily and cheaply be made a 15hp... the others are harder work and more expense. The only truly light "9.9" 2-stroke is the 9.8 Tohatsu that Chipko and I (others too) have... 10kg lighter than the 9.9 2-strokes.

Like Chipko if it makes the difference of an being outfit manageable I'd support a 10hp motor on an air floor 3.5-3.8m as long as only two persons.

[Steviecops]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

>>I’m thinking a 9.9 two stroke

Just a bit of clarity on this. The Mercury/Mariner/Yamaha 9.9 2-strokes are the de-rated versions of the 15hp motors so are heavy for their output. The Yamaha 9.9 can easily and cheaply be made a 15hp... the others are harder work and more expense. The only truly light "9.9" 2-stroke is the 9.8 Tohatsu that Chipko and I (others too) have... 10kg lighter than the 9.9 2-strokes.

Like Chipko if it makes the difference of an being outfit manageable I'd support a 10hp motor on an air floor 3.5-3.8m as long as only two persons.

Thanks. I’m familiar with the 9.9 and 15 OMC 2 strokes, having owned both. They’re basically the same engine, but not sure how they compare with other makes for weight?

[Hwavet38]

i can recommend a T38 it handles well in the rough also. We use a 4HP (4 stroke) Mercury for inland waters and for further afield a 18HP Tohatsu 2 stroke pushes it along nicely 2 up - - have fun.

m

[Wazzajnr]

Originally Posted by Steviecops

Thanks. I’m familiar with the 9.9 and 15 OMC 2 strokes, having owned both. They’re basically the same engine, but not sure how they compare with other makes for weight?

The omc motors are about 36kg so quite a bit heavier than the tohatsu but I would guess within a couple of kg of the yam/mariner/merc 10/15 series