2019 Los Angeles Boat Show Report!!

[RiverDave]

THIS YEARS BOAT SHOW REPORT BROUGHT TO YOU BUY NORDIC BOATS & THE LOS ANGELES BOAT SHOW!

Before I dive right into the boat show, I wanted to take a second to talk about what the Los Angeles Boat show is, and what to me it actually represents. At its core it's a congregation of boat manufacturers of all types, and marine related products all under the same roof. I think it's safe to say that isn't what it is to any of us regardless if we are in the industry or not.

(Props on the front where they should be)

When you break it down it's not just an industry affair, but a social one as well. On the social side of things it's where you get to see a lot of your friends that you haven't seen since the previous summer at the river. In many cases it might be the only chance where you see someone that year! As most of us know that are into boating we all have our neighbors and friends at home. On the flip side of that coin we all have our river neighbors and friends as well! Often referred to as "Framily" or the "River Family" etc. The boat show is one of the few times somewhat locally where everyone gets a chance to get together, and not only be around our favorite past time, but to enjoy the revelry that is usually saved for those summer weekends.

(Now printing on the flooring material!)

On an industry front, the Los Angeles Boat show has always been the barometer of not only how the industry is doing, but what's to come. The size of the show, the attendance, and most importantly the sales done at the show give everyone in the industry an idea of what to expect during the summer.

(Same as last year but I still like the indirect lighting on this toon)
On top of all that, it gives us enthusiasts a great opportunity to not only see the latest models and industry trends, but the ability to compare them all within a a couple of steps of each other. Whether you have been in the industry for decades, or a first time buyer it's nice to go sit in the seats, feel the materials, and look at the construction to form your own opinions.

Nicest display in the history of the Boatshow.

 

[RiverDave]

Every year we always kick off the boat show report with the "Best Booth" in the boat show.

Over the years we have had many different winners of that title.. DCB has won it a handful of times when they started bringing out those big truss systems in the convention center and had their logo's circling around on the carpet. Ultra won it back in the day with a kind of hospitality section they had (John West). Most of this was pre-recession and it was the biggest / baddest displays, a variety of boats, and we can't forget the ever important "Hospitality" (beers, fun, etc..) portion of that.

I always try to factor in who brought the best variety of boats (something for everyone), who brought the most, how impressive was the display, what's the beer situation look like, what's the hook (something different than everyone else?), how they are managing the crowd and potential customers.. It's kind of a "wild card" because it's about the overall experience, and it's all based on just my opinion.. That said in one sense it's kind of a big deal because it's the only award we give out.. But the inverse of that is realistically nobody wins anything that it's just bragging rights until the next year, so lets not get too crazy about this..

This year Shockwave brought the best variety from a Jetboat to a nearing 200K Deckboat. (Last Year Nordic brought Outboards to a Tilt Boat)
DCB had the most impressive hardware and again brought out their giant big screens showing videos of their boats (they also brought a newer model the M33)
Nordic brought the new 355 Long Deck (game changer) as well as the Hallett 275, the most boats and a great variety from a 28 Heat to the 355
Lavey brought out a RZR and that was an awesome hook to get people to spend time in their booth.. That single rzr drug more people into their booth than anything else I saw in the show (it was also the only offload car in there). With the whips lit up it was like moths to a flame.

That all said there can only be one Highlander as they say and this years Best Booth goes to...

ELIMINATOR BOATS

As I eluded too earlier it isn't just about what's brought (but that is all factored in), it's about the experience as well. Eliminator not only brought out some amazing hardware, the vibe of the booth felt like it was 2004-2005 all over again. Everyone was all smiles, and everybody that entered that booth had a good time. It was a very relaxing and fun booth where people were talking boats, and river, and it wasn't the "do you have any questions" type experience. More so "Hi my name is ______ what's yours?" and the conversation started from there.

It was the most packed booth of the show all weekend and for good reason, their "hook" was the fact that they brought swag out for sale. It's something affordable that people walking through the show could purchase and throw in a bag, or in the case of it being cold put on right on the spot. No matter where you went in the 2019 Los Angeles boat show there was an Eliminator sweatshirt or shirt. From a promotional standpoint it was outstanding. I don't want to call it innovative, because honestly it's more retroactive than anything.. but it worked and was something that not only I but a lot of other people took notice of all weekend. As far as hospitality was concerned I think they did a fantastic job of crowd management and talking to anybody and everybody.

The clincher for the title was hot chicks selling swag, friendly, beers, roof mount display (the giant circular banner above the booth was the only roof mount display in the performance hall) if you are wondering.. Who will win next year? Not sure, but I know a lot of guys took notes this year and will be coming heavy next year.

RD

 

[hawgty55]

I walked up to you wondering where the hot chicks where selling RDP gear, but was disappointed there wasn't anything to be had! Maybe next year.

 

[sintax]

hmmm I dont recall seeing that level of talent on Friday, maybe should have gone on saturday or sunday =)

Eliminator def had the best setup out there (loved that fundeck with the flake, gold foil treatment and pinstripes), followed closely by the folks over at DCB displaying Magoos boat.

 

[n2otoofast4u]

Not to get too far of track, but is there a vendor list for the Havasu Boat Show anywhere? There is a group of us flying down from Oregon for that, and just curious who all is going to have a booth.

 

[spectras only]

I walked up to you wondering where the hot chicks were selling RDP gear, but was disappointed there wasn't anything to be had! Maybe next year.

You should have walked over to the Eliminator booth. That blonde is Hot, and worth checking out what she has swag to sell.

 

[RiverDave]

So that said lets kick off the 2019 Boat Show report.. Eliminator won so we'll start there!

This 28 Fundeck was done up with a ton of metal flake in it, and a little bit "low rider" style. The boat was actually pin striped at the show from what I was told, and I really enjoyed a lot of the detail that went not only into the build of the boat, but the owners tastes. I'm not much into low riders, but it wasn't so overdone that even a white boy like me could rock it.
(Note the ceiling display afore mentioned in the best booth post).

This was right about the time show opened on Friday if I remember right.. Note how many people are already coming into the booth and I'm still standing in the same spot.

In person you could see the flake in the gel from the end of the boat show hall.. This picture is where it starts to show up in my photos. You can see the interior has nice simple graphics too it, but there are subtle details that begin to emerge. If you look at the front seats you can see the diamond pattern is actually arced and stretched as it goes towards the bottom.

Looking into the first recessed cup holder area in the bow area you can already see that Eliminator added a power port to charge cell phones, or power whatever ya want (spotlight?).. The Speakers covers were all hand pin striped, as well as the fiberglass gunnel. The cupholders are different than most with the LED's down inside the cupholders, this was something we noticed last year with the black and grey boat..

Just a picture of the under seat storage. Some people get really into the specs of how much storage this in a deck boat etc.. There's a couple that are larger than others in this department. If you go filling all this stuff up though the boat isn't going to run right and will end up being slow. (Note check the cemetery of the stitching on the back seat cushion)

Other side

Again you can see more of the pin striping throughout.. Quick note almost everybody is putting Sea Deck / Gator Step into boats now. Most aren't really taking advantage of the styling cues that you can do with the designs in the flooring to really accent the boat. This is one area where Eliminator is really standing out from the crowd. I'm not sure who's doing their design work on that (I'm guessing Jake?) but it's really nice to see them taking advantage of that instead of just throwing a repeating pattern in it, which can actually detract from the visual appeal.

This is going to be very apparent in the 28 Speedster later.

Storage cabinet drivers side. You can see the back end of a speaker box. (Quick side note as a boat owner and a person that has had pin striping done before.. That cover better have a fleece liner or it's going to screw up that pin striping in a big hurry.).

A little better shot of the back wall in that compartment. You can see the access panel to get to the gauges etc.. I don't know the owner personally but have heard he has an extensive car collection etc.. If we are going low rider theme I think a plexiglass window here and going full chicano with gold plating all the terminals and fittings is in order! Don't forget the back lighting..

Passenger side storage. I'm not sure what those big pads are for? You can see the back end of the speaker box, and the beginnings of a stereo install.

There's your amp rack, and it's very "factory." It's clean and it's simple and it makes the point.. Again for the theme I think I would've gone a little more flashy than this with gold plated terminals and illumination etc.. but Eliminator is a boat builder, not a stereo shop and it's really easy to start adding zero's and a comma just on the install alone if you get crazy with it.. As well as stopping production for awhile.

Looking forward off the bow. The owner opted for both floor rails and bow rails. Legally you have to have one or the other, but you don't need both. You can see the name of the boat and the logo put into the flooring, and the symmetry of the design as it rolls forward through and out of the walk off.

Clean dash lay out with a vessel view handling the majority fo the duties. Nice digital Livorsi Trim gauge! It does have a bit of a "blank" feeling under the screen and gauges. I stared at this for awhile wondering what I'd do with it if it was mine. I'd have the pin striper come back and put a detail on either side of the screen, and then remove the window, and place a detail in the center of that area to break it up.

Note the steering wheel with the "logo" of the boat in it, and the custom wrap / stitching etc..

You can just get a glimpse of something in the foot area.

Passenger side is simple, clean and executed beautifully by the pin striper as well.

On the stereo front, THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT.. You can see there is a metal mesh and this is what the subs are behind! It's a foot well guys if you put speakers in there it's a matter of time before someone is gonna kick em. This solves the problem, maintains the aesthetics of the area, and gives opportunities for back lighting etc.. (Also gives opportunity for a tastefully done mfg logo ).

Behind the driver with the steps towards the walk off. You can see there's another little jump seat here. The Fiberglass gunnel insert has the same attention to detail as the rest of them. Button LED lights on the floor (which can be turned on and off separate from the colors), and again the design of the sea deck is flowing.

Near the first step you can see something black hanging out. That's the cover for the chord for the on board battery charger.

When I opened this I half expected to find a cooler here. I believe it was on previous models? In this case they made it a storage area.. My .02 if I was building a Fun Deck is I'd make this my cooler (It's big enough for a day if you have a soft side to go with it). Nobody is sitting here, easier access than under the back seat etc.. That's all preference though.

Merc 600 color matched. Gel coated bilge with flake! You can see the battery switch and an access panel. The back of the rear seat is on velcro and can be removed for access to the hatch pin if needed. A lot of mfg's are putting the battery switch on the drivers side gunnel in the back now.. Pro's and cons to each.

First glimpse of a cooler under the back seat. This was the passenger side (for lack of a better term) jump seat flip up.

The Fiberglass seat backs were epic.. The pin striping and off center graphics were bad ass.

Closer look at the Merc Motor. . The pin striped oil filter looks cool, but you better call that guy and have him do four or five of them depending on how long you are planning to keep the boat. Otherwise every time you change the oil he's gonna have to come back out.

Graphics are on both sides of the motor. It's pretty cool that you open the hatch on the walk off, and see this when you look in.

Paint the fire suppressor to match the motor and then get a billet bracket in either polished or that orange color.

It's a small detail, but if you guys are ever wondering why everything flows so seamlessly in the bilge of a DCB that's one of the many things they do. You want them sanitary and so that nothing "jumps" out at ya. Honestly its' not expensive and easy to do so why not?

That's about as clean as it gets..

Just bad ass.. I would love to see the aftermarket trim pump mount and reservoir as well as an oversized drive reservoir, but you can't fault them for going factory. The hidden (internal) hinges on the engine hatch are appreciated as well! (nothing worse that stubbing your tow on one of those hinges).

Honestly this boat got a ton of attention at the show and gets two huge thumbs up from me. It was done tastefully and yet makes a statement. Generally speaking if you are building a custom boat it should represent the owner and his tastes. I've never personally met the guy, but I feel like I already know him after having gone through the boat, and that's something that's getting rare in modern days. Great job.

RD

 

[RiverDave]

Not to get too far of track, but is there a vendor list for the Havasu Boat Show anywhere? There is a group of us flying down from Oregon for that, and just curious who all is going to have a booth.

It's too early right now as they are still signing up.. but I believe last years list would be online at www.lakehavasuboatshow.com

RD

 

[RiverDave]

They had this Speedster tucked away in the back, and part of the reason that I'm showing it next is because of the color combo's. Nothing was crazy overdone, and there is even some opportunities on the boat, but the color combo's just looked extremely "rich." I would never think to integrate oranges and yellows with tans and browns, but it really worked well.

This is just kind of a quick overview of this boat, but notice the black hardware.. Now notice the headers are black as well! (Nice touch). Most people go with polished headers every time and it's nice to see something different.

Again the color combos made this 27 Speedster look like an exotic car! Not sure I'd want to drive it in Havasu with Black throttles and a black steering wheel, but it looked cool as all get out.

Personally I wasn't a huge fan of the designs on the seats, but again that's all owner preference and what makes a custom boat custom. I will say though this is the first pic that you get a glimpse of something that most people won't notice.

All black Bimini hardware! You know you didn't miss a trick when you spec'd the color of your Bimini frame!

Again Eliminator is running a different cup holder than most that gives it a soft glow (ghost) effect instead of the large LED ring underneath the top.

Pretty sure those are GRP billet Fender holders.. I'm not sure what the bracing is across the back of them because I don't think that's from GRP. I will say behind that though is something interesting.

They upholstered the top of the gas tanks, which I thought was pretty cool! (You can see some flaws in the bilge area center screen).

Otherside of the boat in the engine bay.

Just looking over the whole boat with the fades, and the black hardware, and the color combos, along with the light tan and dark brown vinyls.. Just unbelievable how well it all flows.

So here you get a pic of the passenger footwell and gunnel. You can see the small LED's that are courtesy lights at night etc. The thing that caught my eye though is the head unit. You might ask yourself "why?" Kicker doesn't sell that in all black to my knowledge, I have two of them and they all have the chrome bezel around them.

I'm not sure if this is something custom they did in house, or if this is a newer product that Kicker is offering? But it's the little touches like getting rid of a chrome bezel (because nothing else in the boat is chrome or polished) that most people and builders wouldn't think to do.

Nice hidden grab handles.. That's the same kind of repeating pattern Sea Deck I was referring too earlier, but it doesn't take away from this boat. Love the simplicity of the interior in the bow.

As I was taking this picture one of the guys that was purchasing a speedster (at the show) said "you see this is why Eliminator is bad ass.. If you want to adjust the tunes and your in the front there's a way to do that." I didn't say anything (for obvious reasons), but it is always interesting to hear what / why someone makes a purchase.. LOL. In this case I guess it was the front stereo remote? (WTF?). Not the attention to detail, the price point, the performance, and yada yada yada.. A flipping secondary head unit.. Blows my mind.

CARB really is killing the custom boat industry one blow at a time.. I don't care how cool you make them with the custom powder etc.. Those gas caps look like hell.

Here you get a glimpse of the battery switch, and a close up of the rear seat cushions.. They ooze "rich"

 

[RiverDave]

This to me is a bad ass boat.. Class River / Lake bruiser with big power and tons of style. You can see in the pic how far away the stairs were and I didn't feel like climbing over the side of this thing so I just took all the pics from the outside.

Everything about the boat is pretty "conservative". No wild colors, or trying crazy things just clean / simple and for the most part timeless.

First look into the bilge and it's Sano.

Ya see boys, this is what I'm talking about! Big Teague Power in a nice little Hot Rod boat. The glory days of loud fast things is not behind us!! Big giant oil cooler, power steering reservoir, and even the Trim pump tank all anodized to match.. I'd spend days just keeping that blower looking as good as it does right now!

(If ya don't want to paint the fire suppression you could even have a vinyl guy wrap it? It's the only thing that looks out of place to me)

My only complaint would be that the interior is a little "too conservative" and I think this could've been "upped" especially on a build of this caliber. I get that it's a "conservative" style boat, but the interior tends to detract from the rest of the boat a little.

I know it's nothing special, but I do like these little adjustable feet that Eliminator integrates into their builds. These are to adjust the gap when the engine hatch closes to make sure that it's perfect all the way around. Again every car on the planet has these things since god knows when, but most mfg's just use a flat pad and the body lines land where they land.

Form over Function is the name of the game here. It looks completely bad ass, and is a total Hot Rod. That said they are going to have to keep some bath matts on hand to put on that engine hatch so you can get in and out of the boat without slipping / scratching etc.. Sometimes owning nice stuff isn't easy.

Teague definitely made his presence known on the transom!

I can't help but to think how sexy this boat would look if you ditched the swim steps all together and went for the total clean look. A piece of black grip tape on the top of the car plate, and maybe a single grab handle in the center and just shave any excess hardware.

The interior is a little too plain Jane for my tastes. Again these aren't pro's and cons but rather just personal preferences and Eliminator will build it however you ask for it. I think if they tied in the colors to the boat with either the center cushions, or even the side bolsters it would've flowed better.

If you look at the amount of industrial design that went into the 27&28 Speedsters they are still some of the best looking boats on the market today.

Everything is pretty Sano here.. Love the location of the controls for the headsets. I think I would've put in a black bezel for the Digital Trim gauge or possibly flipped the switch plate to polished.

Overall this is the boat I tend to most identify with as it's a true River / Lake bruiser and is something that is going to turn heads anywhere you go!

RD

 

[RiverDave]

The Cement Grey 27 Speedster.. Every now and again a boat gets built that just has a "look" about it that gives it instant notoriety. This Cement Grey / Monster Green 27 Speedster is "That Boat." This same boat was in the show last year and it stood head and shoulders with anything in the show including boats that had much larger price tags.. The boat instantly exploded on the social media scene as well, and I can still hear my phone ring and people asking me "Did you see that grey Speedster?" My wife is pretty laid back and she never says "I'd be ok with that" or in this case "You can go buy that if you want." She's pretty happy with our boat program.

In 13 years I can only think of two boats that she has said she'd be ok with owning.. The first was the All White 50' Outerlimits with the hard top (obviously a little out of my price range, and not exactly suited to our style of boating).. The second was this cement grey Speedster, and at the time she probably would've been cool if I went and got it!

We reviewed this boat in last years boat show report so I'm not going to go full tilt and go through it again. I'll just put up the pics and talk about some of the cool things that I still like about this boat (and you won't find on most others).

Grey Base Color that also continues throughout (bottom of the boat etc.. ).

The double stitched diamond pattern is nice.. Nice use of accent colors as well, and keeping the green visible but not overbearing.

Love the Poker Run interior feeling, but not making it so suffocating that it's uncomfortable.. A

Take a look at the backing plates on the transom. Note the two tone billet where they coated it and then windowed it and then recoated so there's a machined finish and a black finish.

Black and polished carried over to the hinges.

Two tone billet through out the swim step..

Leadfoot Industries Approved!!

As you can see even though it's a second year veteran of the boat show it still drags a crowd!

Two Tone continued to the outside of the boat.. I'm not sure if they recoated after it was machined or not because after usage that aluminum on the transom looks a little white. (Could be the picture though).

 

[RiverDave]

The Silver "Muscle Car" inspired 28 Speedster. This boat had a definite "Muscle Car" / Old Nascar theme going on with the gel. Everything from the two stripes on the deck that said "Speedster" on it to the single rear stripe in the rear. Eliminator is very familiar with doing "Nascar" and race themed boats.. We all remember the Nascar series they did back in the day. This was probably the best looking boat in that "style" that I have seen yet, and I think they were going more for "legacy" than Nascar per say..

I will say the boat is unbelievably sick by any measure.. Even in this front shot you can see this thing is all business and the interior actually adds to the boat.

It just kinda throws me for a loop that it's "Muscle Boat" theme and then it's open bow / outboards. The outboards are so damn quiet you can't even tell if they are running or not at idle without looking at the gauges. The Twin Outboards are the new deal though there's no denying it, so I guess this is the new "Muscle boats" of today.

I love this interior.. It makes the point without having to get "loud" and in your face about it. There's designs in the stitching, but black on black makes it so it's just enough you notice it without overstating the case.

Again this thing is all business.. I don't think it even had a radio in it?

I never did get a picture of the entire floor of this boat, but this is a great example of less is "more." The interior in this boat, and the flooring perfectly match the gel and ultimately the theme in this boat. This is one of the best examples I have seen of tying sea deck in with an interior and again into the gel all together. Unbelievably cool.

They did upholstered seat backs instead of the traditional fiberglass ones.. And it's perfect!

I didn't craw through this one and open the hatches etc.. They had those giant aluminum stairs and I didn't feel like dragging it over to the boat etc.. Besides in a twin rig boat with a glass dash, there isn't going to be a whole lot of rigging that we are going to be looking at anyways.

Ultimately whomever designed and styled this 28 Speedster I give him/herthe double thumbs up. You don't get more on point with making a statement than this boat.

RD

 

[Meaney77]

Some amazing looking boats!! Love the new Speedsters!!

 

[WhatExit?]

Damn RD, those boats are works of art! Reminds me of the exotic cars like the Ferraris that owners put in their garages just to drool over. These Eliminators are so clean I'd be hesitant to get them wet but that's thinking with my wallet in my pocket not the ballers who own these boats

Great work, as usual, on the write-ups, photos and observations. Your eye for design and quality is true and I appreciate your reviews!

 

[twocents]

There have been a couple of posts earlier in this thread wondering about an exhibitor list for the April 5-7 Lake Havasu Boat Show. 'Early Bird' sign-ups for space expire on January 18 -- by then the show will be a little over 90% sold-out. So far, every exhibitor in the L.A. performance building is confirmed for the Havasu Show except for Lavey who is still considering. In addition, Tahiti Offshore, Caliber 1, Domn8er and Conquest will also be showing in Havasu. The biggest news will be the expansion of the demo dock -- having to add more docks to accommodate more demo boats than ever before -- pontoons, wake-sport boats (including two Pavati models, the 24 and 26) and even some high performance sportboats will be available for test rides.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Not to be the technolgical pain in your ass, but I have to ask: WTF is going on in your first pic with the outdrive in a 180 flip?! Saw that this morning, been mind fucking it all day I see some actual advantages in terms of lift (don't know if that accurately describes it). I see low speed manuverability being good...have no idea of the stress on the transom with power...I'm confused and intrigued...

 

[Boyd2016]

The Silver "Muscle Car" inspired 28 Speedster. This boat had a definite "Muscle Car" / Old Nascar theme going on with the gel. Everything from the two stripes on the deck that said "Speedster" on it to the single rear stripe in the rear. Eliminator is very familiar with doing "Nascar" and race themed boats.. We all remember the Nascar series they did back in the day. This was probably the best looking boat in that "style" that I have seen yet, and I think they were going more for "legacy" than Nascar per say..

I will say the boat is unbelievably sick by any measure.. Even in this front shot you can see this thing is all business and the interior actually adds to the boat.

It just kinda throws me for a loop that it's "Muscle Boat" theme and then it's open bow / outboards. The outboards are so damn quiet you can't even tell if they are running or not at idle without looking at the gauges. The Twin Outboards are the new deal though there's no denying it, so I guess this is the new "Muscle boats" of today.

View attachment 719164

View attachment 719168 View attachment 719166

I love this interior.. It makes the point without having to get "loud" and in your face about it. There's designs in the stitching, but black on black makes it so it's just enough you notice it without overstating the case.

View attachment 719158

Again this thing is all business.. I don't think it even had a radio in it?

View attachment 719159

I never did get a picture of the entire floor of this boat, but this is a great example of less is "more." The interior in this boat, and the flooring perfectly match the gel and ultimately the theme in this boat. This is one of the best examples I have seen of tying sea deck in with an interior and again into the gel all together. Unbelievably cool.

View attachment 719160

They did upholstered seat backs instead of the traditional fiberglass ones.. And it's perfect!

View attachment 719161 View attachment 719162 View attachment 719165

I didn't craw through this one and open the hatches etc.. They had those giant aluminum stairs and I didn't feel like dragging it over to the boat etc.. Besides in a twin rig boat with a glass dash, there isn't going to be a whole lot of rigging that we are going to be looking at anyways.

Ultimately whomever designed and styled this 28 Speedster I give him/herthe double thumbs up. You don't get more on point with making a statement than this boat.

RD

Pretty excited with the way it’s coming together! The guys at Eliminator are doing a great job!! My family and I made the trip from Oklahoma! We had a great time looking at the variety of boats and meeting new friends!!

 

[Racer56]

There are definitely some bad a$$ boat's in this thread, but I can't even imagine trying to use these boat's in the middle of summer in havasu. Some of the interior and exterior colors will get so hot it must be unbearable.

 

[Boyd2016]

The Silver "Muscle Car" inspired 28 Speedster. This boat had a definite "Muscle Car" / Old Nascar theme going on with the gel. Everything from the two stripes on the deck that said "Speedster" on it to the single rear stripe in the rear. Eliminator is very familiar with doing "Nascar" and race themed boats.. We all remember the Nascar series they did back in the day. This was probably the best looking boat in that "style" that I have seen yet, and I think they were going more for "legacy" than Nascar per say..

I will say the boat is unbelievably sick by any measure.. Even in this front shot you can see this thing is all business and the interior actually adds to the boat.

It just kinda throws me for a loop that it's "Muscle Boat" theme and then it's open bow / outboards. The outboards are so damn quiet you can't even tell if they are running or not at idle without looking at the gauges. The Twin Outboards are the new deal though there's no denying it, so I guess this is the new "Muscle boats" of today.

View attachment 719164

View attachment 719168 View attachment 719166

I love this interior.. It makes the point without having to get "loud" and in your face about it. There's designs in the stitching, but black on black makes it so it's just enough you notice it without overstating the case.

View attachment 719158

Again this thing is all business.. I don't think it even had a radio in it?

View attachment 719159

I never did get a picture of the entire floor of this boat, but this is a great example of less is "more." The interior in this boat, and the flooring perfectly match the gel and ultimately the theme in this boat. This is one of the best examples I have seen of tying sea deck in with an interior and again into the gel all together. Unbelievably cool.

View attachment 719160

They did upholstered seat backs instead of the traditional fiberglass ones.. And it's perfect!

View attachment 719161 View attachment 719162 View attachment 719165

I didn't craw through this one and open the hatches etc.. They had those giant aluminum stairs and I didn't feel like dragging it over to the boat etc.. Besides in a twin rig boat with a glass dash, there isn't going to be a whole lot of rigging that we are going to be looking at anyways.

Ultimately whomever designed and styled this 28 Speedster I give him/herthe double thumbs up. You don't get more on point with making a statement than this boat.

RD

Thanks for the write up RD!

 

[Boyd2016]

Not to be the technolgical pain in your ass, but I have to ask: WTF is going on in your first pic with the outdrive in a 180 flip?! Saw that this morning, been mind fucking it all day I see some actual advantages in terms of lift (don't know if that accurately describes it). I see low speed manuverability being good...have no idea of the stress on the transom with power...I'm confused and intrigued...

I think that is the new drive for surfing

 

[steak&lobster]

Better ceramic coat these great looking boats!!!

 

[Bpracing1127]

There are definitely some bad a$$ boat's in this thread, but I can't even imagine trying to use these boat's in the middle of summer in havasu. Some of the interior and exterior colors will get so hot it must be unbearable.

My thoughts exactly! These aren’t boats for kids, water spots, beer cans, shoes, heat.

Black shit in havasu = melt your skin hot
Deep red in havasu = leave your thighs on the seat hot

 

[gqchris]

My thoughts exactly! These aren’t boats for kids, water spots, beer cans, shoes, heat.

Black shit in havasu = melt your skin hot
Deep red in havasu = leave your thighs on the seat hot

Black Steering Wheels= Melt your Hand off!!


We used to call red boats "Quick Fade Pink" back when i worked for Long Beach Yacht Sales!

 

[toyaddiction]

This was the first time in many years that I was blown away by the Eliminator boats over the DCB's. With that said I was really impressed with the multi purpose boats over the cats. The Sea Ray's, Cobalt's, Chapparal's and all the wake board boats. The fit and finish and interiors have really stepped it up. Its starting to get old having single purpose boats that just go from point A to B fast. I miss pulling kids all day on water ski's and wake boards, barbequing on the boat and just spending a better quality time with the family. Not sure what my next boat will be in the next few years but it will be a V bottom with a tower that I can pull grandkids all day long on their boards.

 

[hallett21]

You guys do know there are bodies of water outside of havasu right?

Nice write up RD!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lashburn]

Not to be the technolgical pain in your ass, but I have to ask: WTF is going on in your first pic with the outdrive in a 180 flip?! Saw that this morning, been mind fucking it all day I see some actual advantages in terms of lift (don't know if that accurately describes it). I see low speed manuverability being good...have no idea of the stress on the transom with power...I'm confused and intrigued...

Hi Monkeyswrench, I'm sure someone answered this for you but... Its a VOLVO Forward Drive, in short, it is Bolted on Drive unit to a standard Volvo I/O platform. Props are Now Forward of the Unit and near the Location of a V or Dirrect Drive Unit, providing the safety for Wake Surfing that would otherwise be impossible for an I/O. The big advantage for a tradition BowRider/I/O owner is, the still have all of the Handling Characteristics around the Dock and Ramp that a WakeBoat operator struggles with. Basically Zero learning curve. It has opened up Surfing to Chapperal, Cobalt, Regal, Monterey etc.... They a appear to do a decent job at it ,the assistance of Wake Shapers and some ballast. Hope that helps

 

[monkeyswrench]

Hi Monkeyswrench, I'm sure someone answered this for you but... Its a VOLVO Forward Drive, in short, it is Bolted on Drive unit to a standard Volvo I/O platform. Props are Now Forward of the Unit and near the Location of a V or Dirrect Drive Unit, providing the safety for Wake Surfing that would otherwise be impossible for an I/O. The big advantage for a tradition BowRider/I/O owner is, the still have all of the Handling Characteristics around the Dock and Ramp that a WakeBoat operator struggles with. Basically Zero learning curve. It has opened up Surfing to Chapperal, Cobalt, Regal, Monterey etc.... They a appear to do a decent job at it ,the assistance of Wake Shapers and some ballast. Hope that helps

Ok, primarily safety and low-speed handling. I have never driven a wake boat...but with ballast they look like they'd handle like a Peterbilt. It just looks like a new idea that could be played with a little for other uses. Just the other day I posted downstairs in the Church, looking for OB info. I have a very limited knowledge of boats, but like learning.

 

[hallett21]

Propellers on the front of an outdrive are vastly more efficient than behind the lower unit.

It allows the propeller to bite clean water.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sirbob]

Are these fender covers full custom built for each boat or can they be purchased? I assume the embroidery is done for each boat but would love to buy a set of these fabric covers for my fenders.

 

[RiverDave]

Alright guys time for a quick intermission and an Interview with Greg at Shockwave!

 

[RiverDave]

Are these fender covers full custom built for each boat or can they be purchased? I assume the embroidery is done for each boat but would love to buy a set of these fabric covers for mine.

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I think they make them in house.. I'm sure they would sell them though just call up Elim and ask!

RD

 

[RiverDave]

And the final boat from the Eliminator booth is this Fun Deck. As with any custom builder the boat is built to the customer specs and not just down an assembly line. There are some subtle differences between this boat and the first fun deck that we reviewed.

This boat went with handrails up top and not below (the other had both). I'm assuming that's a customer choice. I noticed in the other boat there's a little "bump stop" on the hinges of the doors that wasn't on this boat. That bump stop on the first boat prevents the door from opening and hitting the lower hand rail. They aren't needed on this boat because of that change.

On this boat they did the fiberglass gunnel insets, but I noticed they didn't put the charging ports in them. That's a pretty handy thing to have and costs virtually nothing (in the grand scheme of things) during the build. I would definitely add that if this was mine.

I really liked how they implemented fender holders in the cabinets. Easily accessible, looks good and makes the space very usable for other items. What I mean by that is without the holders, the fenders roll around and are always in the way of what you are trying to put in, or pull out.. There's cheaper ways of doing this than the 400.00 billet holders, but these look nice, and really serve a purpose.

The other boat had a panel that was screwed on to the back of the dash. This boat had a large vinyl cover with snaps.... So we gotta take a look right?

Any questions? . Eliminator is kicking ass.

I took this picture just to note that this boat didn't have the bump stop on it.. (again not needed on this boat). If you are wondering where it is on the first boat, it's on the bottom hinge on either side.

I have never seen a black Merc 600 before.. and I gotta say I love the way it looks!

Remember in the speedster where I said the head unit comes in Chrome? This is what it usually looks like. I'm not sure how they got that one in black on that Speedster.

Everything about this dash layout is perfect.. I can't think of one thing I would change on this.. It's simple, clean, and functional. I love where they put the stereo control as well!

Not as bad ass as that Teague motor in the speedster, but for factory stock this thing is sexy A F!

Something kinda weird going on down there to the left of the Trim pump.. We'll come back to that.

This is on the back of the bulkhead (back of the backseat). It's all easily accessible through the access hatch, or just reaching down with the hatch open.

Left of the trim pump and underneath the exhaust.. I have no idea what that 20' of wiring is that is kinda bundled up and zip tied... but there's gotta be somewhere better to hide it, or some other solution because I didn't see it on the other Merc 600 boats?

Love the way this motor looks in black.

That concludes the Eliminator booth and everything that they brought to the show. Again I thought they absolutely killed it at the Los Angeles Boat show, and my hats off to them! I am sure (as with anything) they are going to have a few growing pains as they are under new ownership, but if the conduct themselves as well as they did at the boat show they are going nowhere but up!

 

[RiverDave]

One more thing that I found extremely interesting at the boat show this year (and very uncommon for the performance segment) was standardized pricing! In years past three guys could buy a boat and three guys paid wildly different pricing.

Both DCB and Eliminator had their prices on display which is great for comparing values and bang for the buck etc..

 

[ChasingPaper]

Are these fender covers full custom built for each boat or can they be purchased? I assume the embroidery is done for each boat but would love to buy a set of these fabric covers for my fenders.

View attachment 719256

you can purchase them from Eliminator- check the website or call the shop and talk to Hannah.

 

[RodnJen]

That Shockwave in the interview I my favorite product of theirs to date, really well done.

 

[DaveC]

My good buddy owns this boat.

He wanted just what you described a lake hod rod with big power. He owned the Teague package already but needed EB to build him a Speedster.

He picked everything out himself and was particular about his selections to suit his tastes.

Regarding the interior colors I know from talking to him that he went back and forth on the design of the interior. He gave some serious thought to adding some color and incorporating some other materials. He definitely liked the look of the many designs and colors available from EB. Also the materials like Alcantara or the textured vinyl. EB had some great choices available as you can see from the other boats.

But in the end he choose an interior design that would be low maintenance, easy to clean and would be cool to the touch on those hot summer days. Also not be so "busy." Ease of use was key. Dude likes his shit clean.

Interior colors can be a lot of work to keep clean especially when hauling a lot of passengers around on regular basis. We already wash, clean and wax the exterior each use so cleaning the interior starts to become a chore.

At any rate interiors are only good for several years anyway. So he might just add a color or two on the next go around. LOL

But EB is killing it with their choices of interiors now. Lots to choose from.

This to me is a bad ass boat.. Class River / Lake bruiser with big power and tons of style. You can see in the pic how far away the stairs were and I didn't feel like climbing over the side of this thing so I just took all the pics from the outside.

View attachment 719086

My only complaint would be that the interior is a little "too conservative" and I think this could've been "upped" especially on a build of this caliber. I get that it's a "conservative" style boat, but the interior tends to detract from the rest of the boat a little.



The interior is a little too plain Jane for my tastes. Again these aren't pro's and cons but rather just personal preferences and Eliminator will build it however you ask for it. I think if they tied in the colors to the boat with either the center cushions, or even the side bolsters it would've flowed better.

View attachment 719099 View attachment 719100


Overall this is the boat I tend to most identify with as it's a true River / Lake bruiser and is something that is going to turn heads anywhere you go!

RD

 

[RiverDave]

Most manufacturers have "their" insurance guy that they refer too.. Leading into our next manufacturer (Nordic) I figured we'd put up another interview real quick as Wozencraft is generally the guy they refer their insurance too.

 

[Bobby V]

One more thing that I found extremely interesting at the boat show this year (and very uncommon for the performance segment) was standardized pricing! In years past three guys could buy a boat and three guys paid wildly different pricing.

Both DCB and Eliminator had their prices on display which is great for comparing values and bang for the buck etc..

View attachment 719416

View attachment 719411

View attachment 719412

View attachment 719413

View attachment 719414

View attachment 719415

Hard to see on my phone. Are those prices without motors?

 

[ChasingPaper]

Hard to see on my phone. Are those prices without motors?

These are with power.
25 Speedser- 300R, closed bow
27 Speedster- 565, closed bow
28 Speedster- Twin 300R's, closed bow
30 Speedster- Twin 300R's, closed bow
36 Speedster- Twin 300R's, closed blow
Fundeck- 565

Increasing the power is cost of power and not marked up

 

[Bpracing1127]

Hard to see on my phone. Are those prices without motors?

Exactly what motors come “standard” in these boats

 

[Bobby V]

Exactly what motors come “standard” in these boats

See post above yours #39.

 

[Bpracing1127]

These are with power.
25 Speedser- 300R, closed bow
27 Speedster- 565, closed bow
28 Speedster- Twin 300R's, closed bow
30 Speedster- Twin 300R's, closed bow
36 Speedster- Twin 300R's, closed blow
Fundeck- 565

Increasing the power is cost of power and not marked up

Wow a 65mph 25 speedster is 130k$ what is the point?

So a 25 speedster without power cost 110k roughly with a trailer. That’s insane!!!

 

[Done-it-again]

Exactly what motors come “standard” in these boats

I was told standard power is a 520.

 

[RiverDave]

Propellers on the front of an outdrive are vastly more efficient than behind the lower unit.

It allows the propeller to bite clean water.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I wouldn’t say “vastly” because of some of the slip numbers that are being achieved with modern prop technology.. but yes biting clean water is definitely an advantage!

Back in the day there were companies making prop forward outboards, and were racing them etc.. Also saw some prop forward IO’s etc.. this was back in the 60’s though if I remember right.

 

[HCP3]

Wow a 65mph 25 speedster is 130k$ what is the point?

So a 25 speedster without power cost 110k roughly with a trailer. That’s insane!!!

Eliminator is claiming 75-85 mph with a single 300r.

 

[Q4mtxUS]

Eliminator is claiming 75-85 mph with a single 300r.

That’s pretty dang good for a single dontcha think?

 

[LLGirl]

In looking at Eliminators price sheets, they show the 27, 28, & 30 speedsters all being the same width, length, and weight. Is that an error? I've heard that their 26 & 27 ICC are basically the same boat and same length, but from a listed 27' to a 30' on the speedsters it seems odd.

Anyone have the insight on this?

 

[gqchris]

Eliminator is claiming 75-85 mph with a single 300r.

To "not" put twins on that boat is just a sin!

 

[FreeBird236]

In looking at Eliminators price sheets, they show the 27, 28, & 30 speedsters all being the same width, length, and weight. Is that an error? I've heard that their 26 & 27 ICC are basically the same boat and same length, but from a listed 27' to a 30' on the speedsters it seems odd.

Anyone have the insight on this?

Yep, those sheets are wrong, not even the website seems completely accurate. I believe the 26 and 27's are 26' 10" and 100" beam, the 28 and 30 are 108" beam, and 28' 6" and 29' 10".

 

[Eliminator Boats]

Wow a 65mph 25 speedster is 130k$ what is the point?

So a 25 speedster without power cost 110k roughly with a trailer. That’s insane!!!

estimating 75-80 mph on the 300R