i plan on purchasing one of these boats in the next year. i havent decided which one yet. any input or experiences with either boat would be appreciated. i fish in the northern sea of cortez which has no swell to deal with at all but i do have to deal with 2 to 6 foot chop.

I just took delivery of a 2004 HydroCat 300C. It eats heavy chop and rough seas for breakfast, but it was a lot more expensive than the two boats you mentioned. It rides better than any boat I have ever been in, and that includes a lot of boats. I would buy a HydroCat if it is in your price range. I fish in the Gulf of Mexico (Texas) where the swells are small but the chop is severe and will beat you and your boat to death. I have also fished the Sea of Cortez (Bahia Kino) and the chop there is very similar to what I face in the GOM.

This is going to step on some toes, but here is my honest opinion on the subject. I started out looking at the boats you mentioned, but the GB was too narrow for me and the ProKat did not meet ride performance expectations. The PK pounds almost as bad as a monohull in my experience. I suspect this is because it is a planing hull design and looks to have a fairly shallow tunnel. Based on what I have heard about GB, I would lean that direction if I was forced to choose between the two you mentioned, but I have never ridden in one before. The GB has a displacement hull design and should ride a lot better than the PK, but may get you a little more wet. You might look at the World Cat too. It has what I would call a semi-planing hull like the HydroCat. It is sort of a blend beteen the planing and the displacement hull. You need to ride in these boats to truly compare them. Good luck and don't get in a hurry to make a decision.

The pre-2000 HydroCats have a completely different hull design than the 2000-2004 models. I would stay away from the 1999 and earlier models because they have a planing hull design and do not ride too smoothly. Also, HydroCat Marine is going out of business, so new ones will no longer be available unless someone buys out the company.

I hate to disagree but HydroCat has only ever used ONE mold for its hulls. We run a 1998 HydroCat 300C in charters and we were going to buy a newer one but the hull and performance are IDENTICAL. The only change (which has always been an option in these boats) is the addition of a bowpulpit. Only the pilot-side of the console on these boats has changed.

I hate to disagree but HydroCat has only ever used ONE mold for its hulls. We run a 1998 HydroCat 300C in charters and we were going to buy a newer one but the hull and performance are IDENTICAL. The only change (which has always been an option in these boats) is the addition of a bowpulpit. Only the pilot-side of the console on these boats has changed.

go to (www.defiantmarine.com) this the chop eating cat. fast & smooth.

MY HYDROCAT IS AWSOME. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS MY HONDA POWER IS TAKING A BEATING WITH THE ARMSTRONG BRACKETS. I KNOW THEY ARE OUT OF BUSISNESS BUT HAS ANYONE ELSE SOLVED THE PROBLEM? I AM TRYING TO GET NEW BRACKETS MADE AT THIS VERY MOMENT. CAPT JB

[Greg]

I would like to add one vote to the side that says that Hydrocat changed their design in 2000.
Anyone know if Hydrocat ever made longer boats than the 30' model?