MAGIC DECK VS ULTRA SHADOW 27 WALK THROUGH?

[havasunuts]

Good Morning RD's

We're struggling with decision of which boat to purchase? Now I know it's all a matter of personal preference and all that. I wanted to get all your opinions on the subject. If you were looking at these two boats and they both had roughly the same engine set up around 700 hp which of the two would you select based on overall performance and not amenities? I'd like a boat when going up river to pirates on rough water days that can handle heavy chop at higher speed

Here' a side bar - what if we added in the 28' Scepter open bow?

Ok with that being said lets hear it

 

[prosthogod]

I had a 28 septor, and did just fine on Havasu. If I were going to choose though, I would take the ultra. Looks better, heavy boat, everybody has a magic.

 

[Outdrive1]

This should be interesting. I think what you're going to end up getting here are cheerleaders for either brand instead of a comparison. They are so different. A deck boat is a people mover. It's windy but it's open and people can move around on it. It's a good ride but it's not designed for big water. There's no shelter. Wind, waves, and rough water sitting sideways sliding around isn't comfortable in rough water. It will take ten adults however on a good day everywhere you want to go at decent speed and they will have a blast doing it.

The Ultra is pretty deep. The mid cabin is actually usable and so is the open bow. It's going to be faster with the same power and ride better. Passengers will feel more secure in rough water. Your going to be limited on space if you stick ten adults in it. No one is going to be walking around without bumping into other people. Like I said. Two different animals with different purposes.

Depends on what you plan to use it for.

 

[2FORCEFULL]

I'd go with the howard...:bowdown::bowdown:

 

[jsquaredgc]

They are two totally different boats. The deck boat is just that a deck boat. My experience in Magic deck boats is they are a comfortable boat, not a lot of glitz and glamour , at least the one I was on. But with that said they are great if your using it for hauling a bunch of people maybe pulling the kids tubing etc. We had about 12 people on the one I was on and it ran good.
Now I might be biased here as I own one but my Ultra rides great, heavy water...no problem ...holds about 5 adults comfy in the back and two up front. Thats about the most I will put in my boat, and its rare. The boat is very comfortable with 4-5 adults in it. Power wise with a 700 in it will run good speeds for sure. You will get more boat with Ultra.

 

[Howard28]

That's a tough one because they are two completely different boats. It all depends on what you're looking for. If you want more room then I would go with the magic. If you want about that's gonna be a little faster with the same engine package then go with the shadow 27.

 

[BMABITY]

Magic Walk Thru, Im not a big fan of deckboats with little kids. Having the front closed off has a much more comfortable feel IMO, blocks the wind a tad better too.

The boat has a 525 with XR and full Hydro steering.

I really like how Magic put stairs to get to the swim step and this boat had the extra swim step added on, really nice feature!

IMO, Magics are nice cruisers for lake havasu and run well with decent power under load.

 

[Riverson]

I suggest you find one of each of these boats, get a ride on each of them. The longer ride the better.

I agree with other posters that both are very different and each have a niche.

Good luck boat shopping!

BTW, if you want to ride on/in a Magic Deck I can help you out on Parker. Pm if interested in a ride.

 

[TCHB]

I suggest you find one of each of these boats, get a ride on each of them. The longer ride the better.

I agree with other posters that both are very different and each have a niche.

Good luck boat shopping!

BTW, if you want to ride on/in a Magic Deck I can help you out on Parker. Pm if interested in a ride.

I agree!

I would take them both out on Saturdays when the water is washed out to see how they really handle the not so smooth water.

 

[Joker]

IMHO, I'd look at Ultra. Why not have something different than everyone else?:thumbup:

 

[shippingguy]

Like everyone has said they are completely different boats. I like the Magic and I think they nailed it with the deckboat and it is very roomy. I personally am not a fan of deckboats because I do not like the full open front as well they are wind tunnels! I also do not care for the walk through open bows either. If you are going to go that route then just do a normal deck boat. I have the crawl thru open bow 27 Shadow and it is great. I prefer closed bows, but I lost that battle, but I won on the power option The 27 Shadow has a ton of room and storage in it. You can put 4 adults up front(I never do because I do not want anybody sitting up there while running) and you can put 6-7 people in the back. The front sponsons are ALL storage inside. You can put everything up there and it is all tucked away and out of the way. Plus it is nice if you have little ones with the crawl thru because they can go down in the cuddy and hang out and rest and get out of the sun. The seats are very big and it is pretty deep down there. I have ridden in both in normal to rough conditions and the Ultra by far to me handled way better as well I think what helps is you have wind protection as with the deckboat you do not. Either way you really cannot go wrong I think you just have to decide on the "type" or "style" of boat you want as these are not the same. Now if you were asking to compare the 28 Magic Deckboat and the 26 Ultra Deckboat I would say the Magic all day long. The Ultra 26 is nice, but not a true deckboat in my opinion when it comes to room and storage and it does not have as much freeboard.

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

Someone will know more than I, but wasn't there about 33-38 Magic's that were left over that were auctioned and some said the quality control was questionable? It was years ago so I can't remember definitively, but maybe check into that pending on the year your looking at.

 

[BMABITY]

Magic Walk Thru, Im not a big fan of deckboats with little kids. Having the front closed off has a much more comfortable feel IMO, blocks the wind a tad better too.

The boat has a 525 with XR and full Hydro steering.

I really like how Magic put stairs to get to the swim step and this boat had the extra swim step added on, really nice feature!

IMO, Magics are nice cruisers for lake havasu and run well with decent power under load.

Should have mentioned that in the walk thru area, there are seats tucked away allowing little ones and adults to be out of the sun.

Kids/pets love them...

My daughter is sleeping in the second pic, if you look closely....

 

[TCHB]

Have you looked at the Eliminators?

 

[Ivan Dan]

Have you looked at the Eliminators?

I love the look of the new Eliminator decks. If I was in the market I would strongly consider this one.

I haven't driven or been in the Ultra but I did own a Magic Deck. Unless things have changed at the Magic facilities they were not that well built IMO. Mine was a complete rattle trap and we had screws, bolts, stuff falling off all the time just about every time on the water. I was constantly chasing loose stuff everywhere. Every time you hit a wake the whole boat would rattle in just about every direction. Again, I don't know if the attention to detail is better nowadays but I was glad to get rid of mine. At the time we struggled with the decision between Conquest and Magic but ultimately decided on the Magic because it was cheaper and we liked the overall looks of it better. If we had gone with the Conquest Top Cat II originally we would more than likely still own it.

After I sold the Magic Deck I ended up getting a 26' Eliminator Daytona and that was so much better built boat it was crazy. It was amazing to hit wakes and chop and not hear constant rattles. Not to mention the Daytona had a 525 and that made it more fun to drive as well.

 

[OfSteelE]

I am looking at the exact same boats.. I am leaning to go with the Ultra 27..
except I started reading about the delamination issues with boats in 2006-2008 range and I cant find any real list of what boats where affected.. But I love the Ultras

 

[TCHB]

I love the look of the new Eliminator decks. If I was in the market I would strongly consider this one.

I haven't driven or been in the Ultra but I did own a Magic Deck. Unless things have changed at the Magic facilities they were not that well built IMO. Mine was a complete rattle trap and we had screws, bolts, stuff falling off all the time just about every time on the water. I was constantly chasing loose stuff everywhere. Every time you hit a wake the whole boat would rattle in just about every direction. Again, I don't know if the attention to detail is better nowadays but I was glad to get rid of mine. At the time we struggled with the decision between Conquest and Magic but ultimately decided on the Magic because it was cheaper and we liked the overall looks of it better. If we had gone with the Conquest Top Cat II originally we would more than likely still own it.

After I sold the Magic Deck I ended up getting a 26' Eliminator Daytona and that was so much better built boat it was crazy. It was amazing to hit wakes and chop and not hear constant rattles. Not to mention the Daytona had a 525 and that made it more fun to drive as well.

Be nice to put a couple 300s on the back and swim step in the center. Make a nice quiet deck boat.

 

[Singleton]

I am looking at the exact same boats.. I am leaning to go with the Ultra 27..
except I started reading about the delamination issues with boats in 2006-2008 range and I cant find any real list of what boats where affected.. But I love the Ultras

Only a small percentage of the infused Ultra hulls had that problem. I think they only infused 12 hulls in total (a few 26's and 27's) . If you have specific questions if a boat you are looking at is an infused hull, you can always PM John West and he can provide you with details.

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

Have you looked at the Eliminators?

If I sell my boat, this is the route I am going. Worth seeing in person!

 

[Cole Trickle]

700hp I wouldn't be looking at a magic. If you are going 496-525 the magics Make a great family party platform.

Ultra 27 is a good boat. I would also be looking at the conquest boss cat.

For performance decks hard to beat Howard,Nordic ,conquest and eliminator

 

[throttle]

Here's my .02

Between the two boats you mention and your comment of wanting to run up river at speed, I would be going with the Ultra! The Ultra is hands down going to be faster with equal power as the Magic. The deeper gunnel walls in the Ultra will also provide a more comfortable and secure feeling for you and your family with passengers. It should go without saying that the rigging in the Ultra is far more detailed than the Magic.

IMO, the Magic worked well for so many and still do, they were priced just under others in the industry and they had boats ready to rig when a customer made a deposit, a two week build was always a better sell than, it's going to take 6-8-10 weeks to build your boat statements.

As mentioned, you are comparing two different boats. I will also add some personal advice if you are looking at a Magic, I would be interested in the timeline when it was rigged and by who. I don't have much confidence in the LBYS deals as I know several of them are lucky to plane out, let alone get up to any speed even without passengers.

Nuff said good luck with your shopping.

 

[traquer]

Is Essex out for whatever reason? I've only had amazing experiences with their boats and service. I don't have first hand experience on how their deck boats handle big power though. The vee hulls are all usually fast hulls.

New 28 deck: http://www.essexboats.com/#!28fusion/mainPage

Used 2012 on CL: http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/bod/5020102133.html

[video=youtube;-c7VcHPW48g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c7VcHPW48g[/video]

 

[Abc123]

My close friend owns a Teague powered 28 deck boat that runs high 90s. I've been in the boat at speed dozens of times. The only time I have ever felt comfortable in it over 70 mph was when I was the one driving it. It sucks for everyone else. I'm not a huge deck boat fan, but if I was going to buy a pre-owned one, I'd probably buy a Magic.

The only thing I don't like about the Magic is the staggered seats. I've never understood the point of that.

 

[Not Allways A Deck]

Go with a Magic Septor! very fun & comfortable with the right power/Drive package. Like mine!!!

 

[Wmc]

I still love mine. Bought it new in 05. No problems here. If I change, it will be a toon

 

[havasunuts]

Morning everyone

Wow what can I say you guys are great. You all have excellent feedback and comments! The Ultra definitely sounds like the right choice for what I want and the Magic sounds just like the boat my wife wants. This should be an interesting conversation lmao.

Thx again everyone - I'll update you on which way we go

 

[Maw]

Morning everyone

Wow what can I say you guys are great. You all have excellent feedback and comments! The Ultra definitely sounds like the right choice for what I want and the Magic sounds just like the boat my wife wants. This should be an interesting conversation lmao.

Thx again everyone - I'll update you on which way we go

We had the same basic discussion in our household. The wife then picked out the 28' deck hull at LBYS and I took the boat to Pfaff's for the motor, drive, and rigging. We ended up with a comfortable and generally well built package that now nudges the century mark under the right conditions.

The things that have and are going wrong have been ticky-tack in nature. Hatch grommeting braking down, loose hardware that rattles in rougher water, a couple of minor stress cracks in the gel coat. All things that a good detailing would address. We're still happy with the choices made.

 

[Always Floored]

My 2 cents. My wife and I bought our boat last summer. Just so happens our decision was between a 27 shadow and a Magic deck. We went with the ultra. To me the magic felt lime a cheap rattle box. The ultra is solid and works great in rough water. Thats my 2 cents.