so what happend to this new revolutionary boat?

(wakebrdr38) · (wakebrdr38) **Join Date: Sep 2006** 09-23-2008, 12:57 PM

all this talk about a new boat being released at surf expo... possibly a hybrid. The rumors i heard was epic, and now no one stepped up. anyone remember this thread? Anyone know whats up, i havent heard anything. Kinda lame cus people kept saying this would huge...

(greatdane) · (greatdane) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 09-23-2008, 1:29 PM

Perhaps a hybrid would help a wake boat. The boat could have use a smaller gas motor for on plane and use the high torque electric motor to get out of the hole.

(xsmini) · (xsmini) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 09-23-2008, 1:36 PM

I heard an Epic Hybrid

(wakeworld) · (wakeworld) **Join Date: Jan 1997** 09-23-2008, 1:38 PM

Plus the battery weight would be a good thing.

(dreevs) · (dreevs) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 09-23-2008, 1:41 PM

The concept makes sense. Add battery = weight = bigger wake. Boat is only used on sunny days (as a norm) solar panel technology in the tower - come on it cant be that hard!!!

(behindtheboat) · (behindtheboat) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 09-23-2008, 1:55 PM

Great idea until all that water and electricity get together.

(mobv) · (mobv) **Join Date: Jun 2002** 09-23-2008, 4:40 PM

Hybrid with a smaller gas motor to get out of the hole - Most wake boats struggle to get out of th hole with 340 hp. The Prius has a 78hp 4cyl engine and a 67hp electric motor. The torque comes from the electric motor. The Tahoe technology is moving in the right direction. It uses a 332 hp v-8 that shut down cylinders when the power is not needed. It can tow 6000 lbs but is almost 100% gas when towing heavy loads. The improve fuel economy comes from in-town driving with light loads where the electric motors can meet much of the load requirements.

Wakeboard boats require almost as much hp on plane as they do coming out of the hole.

(mvl) · (mvl) **Join Date: May 2004** 09-23-2008, 5:01 PM

I'm all about pushing and making things better, but at what cost....to US? Get used to it, unless the entire industry does something to change, the inboard industry is looking at a $100,000 wake boat in a couple/few years. I don't mean just 1 company and on a huge boat, but you start to add drastically different engine technologies, new hull designs/molds, more standard features, more electronics...it is coming. Rather than boating being for a normal say middle or upper middle class family we'll be stuck with the idea of owning at best a 10 yr. old boat still in the 40's-50's.

(ralph) · (ralph) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 09-23-2008, 5:11 PM

IMO it is a feeble concept. The only reason a hybrid car works is because of regenerative breaking & a car uses significantly less energy once it is rolling. Both of which do not apply to a loaded wakeboard boat.

I think a lot of people underestimate the amount of energy contained in a liter of gas, and we all know how much a wakeboard boat uses of that!

(formfunction) · (formfunction) **Join Date: Jun 2008** 09-23-2008, 5:23 PM

Hybrid was never mentioned for use in a boat.I have heard of a electric conversion but they are having problems with the electricity not lasting long enough.New battery design will eventually solve this but as of now its not enough.
Cng is very possible and the parts exist to do this now.Not only is it cleaner but cost less.I could see a manufacture offering this in the next few years.

(cavlxenvy) · (cavlxenvy) **Join Date: Aug 2007** 09-23-2008, 5:24 PM

It wasn't ready in time. The boat has been water tested multiple times though.

Rumor: 2 of the big 3 are also working on a hybrid boat.

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 09-23-2008, 6:19 PM

I own a boat with more battery power than Hp. Funny
they are calling them Hybrid's LOL

Imagine someone saying this: Turn down the stereo we need to make it home LOL

A cool thing about Hybrid's they can be used like generators. They have kits that you can hook to your Hybrid that in a power outage the Hybrid can power your house. Pretty cool. Next time we throw a remote party on the water and need the DJ equipment to be powerd up ill be sure to invite the guy with the Hybrid.

(grant_west) · (grant_west) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 09-23-2008, 6:27 PM

Check this out

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/412222.html

(hatepain) · (hatepain) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 09-23-2008, 6:38 PM

Id rather have a boat powered off natural gas or even diesel rather than a Hybrid. We had a dead battery on a Prius today and none of our tech's would even jump it for fear they would die. When they have to work on one it looks like a hazmat team came out to clean up nuclear waste.

(ponte_06_x2) · (ponte_06_x2) **Join Date: Jan 2006** 09-23-2008, 7:20 PM

the oil companies bought the rights to the word and technology of the hybrid

(bill_airjunky) · (bill_airjunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 09-23-2008, 7:40 PM

Can you imagine what the cost of a 21' hybrid wakeboard boat would be?!

(malibuboats4) · (malibuboats4) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-23-2008, 7:59 PM

when i think of hybrid cars, i think girly men. when i think hybrid boat, i think accident waiting to happen.

(whirli_7) · (whirli_7) **Join Date: Aug 2003** 09-23-2008, 8:22 PM

I heard this rumor. There is a company in wisconsin that is developing a transmission that has one drive shaft going in, from one engine, and two prop shafts exiting. So one engine = twin props. I guess the hole-shot is insane, and it maintains speed really well. Huge boost in the economy of the engine.

(themxercr85) · (themxercr85) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 09-23-2008, 9:54 PM

To make a solar panel on a tower and not look goofy would be pretty pointless, they dont transfer that much energy do they? I thought i remember hearing that the % of energy transfered isnt much, considering the diameter of towers it would be a small panel and wouldnt do much. But a hybrid boat would be cool if it really worked, it would save my a$$ from paying for a butt load of gas every summer

(greatdane) · (greatdane) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 09-23-2008, 10:46 PM

Solar powered wake boat -- thats funny - ya, it may work during the mid day if you have a football field sized panel bolted to the top of the tower.

(dreevs) · (dreevs) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 09-24-2008, 5:36 AM

Electricity and water? Its just as scary as sparks and gasoline - the concept of an internal combustible engine...
The panel on the tower wouldnt have to power the boat, just some of the electronics when your just chillin on the lake - much like the Fiskar Karma car has a solar panel on the roof that keeps an air conditioner running when the car is sitting in a baking parking lot.

(dreevs) · (dreevs) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 09-24-2008, 6:02 AM

http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/technology/

(rbeckei) · (rbeckei) **Join Date: May 2007** 09-24-2008, 6:34 AM

This is what boat builders should be looking at. WATER POWER.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=KZOsOB3z3IE

(Message edited by rbeckei on September 24, 2008)

(formfunction) · (formfunction) **Join Date: Jun 2008** 09-24-2008, 9:03 AM

Rob,that has to be the biggest scam on the entire planet.The energy required to split a atom and store hydrogen is massive.I had a guy come to my shop with one of those home made hydrogen solar kits claming it boosted his mileage twenty percent.

The reality is the kit he had would take several days to acumulate enough hydrogen to light a cigarette.

The future link is CNG.

(tuneman) · (tuneman) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 09-24-2008, 10:01 AM

The boat company that is supposed to have a "hybrid" boat out soon is Epic. It was supposed to be out for '09.

Steve, the dual prop shaft trannies have been used on top fuel drag boats for several years. It's just a matter of time before it gets to wakeboats.

(snowboardcorey)

there is a company out of austria(i think) building hybrid boats, cost in us dollars is around $185,000 I can burn a lot of gas before that thing becomes cost effective.

(themxercr85) · (themxercr85) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 09-24-2008, 2:10 PM

Did anyone catch the news clip on salt water being flammable? i think boat manufactures could do something with that and their salt water series boats.

(bdavis) · (bdavis) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 09-24-2008, 4:14 PM

That's why smoking is not allowed at the beach, #1 cause of water fires.

(bftskir) · (bftskir) **Join Date: Jan 2004** 09-24-2008, 6:56 PM

whatta you put a water fire out with?

(wakereviews) · (wakereviews) **Join Date: Sep 2006** 09-24-2008, 6:59 PM

i think you need gasoline to extinguish a water fire.

(jayc) · (jayc) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 09-24-2008, 11:34 PM

Hybrid boat possible yes, practical no. Well for the time being anyhow.

It's never going to reach the market and will just be seen as boat shows and alike. Anyone remember the electric car prototypes seen at car shows in the 70s, 80s and 90s?