So looking at Gator-Tail 1854 Extreme and am trying to decide on a mod v or just a standard extreme hull. Would appreciate any opinions and personal experiences with the mod v. I've been in extremes and like them but thinking it would be nice in bigger water to have the mod v when the waves are beating you up. Any drawbacks that anyone could pointout besides the extra cost?

Test drive a few hulls and forget getting input here

That might be the best advice I get! If I wasn't way up north that is exactly what I would do. Not too many Gator-Tails around. But cant wait to read what everyone has to say!

Mod-v or hybrid v? A mod v means the whole bottom has some deadrise. The hybrid v is only adding v to the rake, while the rest of the bottom is a true flat. The former will take a performance hit in shallow water, while the latter is typically more a matter of to each their own in this application. If you don't run any protected water, the flat front is usually fine. If you run timber, the v at the bow can be nicer as it will limit coming to a full stop when you hit a tree unless you hit it with the point. Seeing as how you stated waves being of concern, the hybrid front won't prevent the waves from beating you up like a mod v will, as you're still in a flat bottom boat. It will cut the somewhat larger waves some which will lessen the initial impact when you're running against them, and lessen the slowing effect when your running with the waves, but wanting to travel faster than they're moving. The true flat will always beat on you if you're running choppy water past a certain (but unique given the specific conditions) speed, even with the hybrid v front.

There will be a small tradeoff where the flat front has a slower planing speed, but it's rarely measurable as how many times are the boats next to you the same exact size, same weight, same load, and same thrust, in order to compare apples to apples. Too much load in the boat, though, and that advantage actually disappears because it creates too much wall that a hybrid v will allow to flow to the side easier, which means less resistance and more speed, making planing more of a possibility.

Russ is wrong.... you'll be able to run swells like a 30' bay boat as long as Gator Tail builds it, Jimmy said so.

Basically Russ is saying a flat bottom is a flat bottom regardless . I have a hybrid V and I still slap the water but I do break through larger waves easier as Russ stated. Iv seen no performance difference other then that.

Thanks that's some good input there, I appreciate it! Does anyone know what the mod v Gatortail makes is? A hybrid v? I'm assuming that's what it is, but can't quite tell from the pics I've seen.

It'll be a hybrid.

If you run Ice ever a V helps a bunch with that