Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | With a proper deep V hull, you can let the hull work for you. First, in a chop, say 2'ers, head into the waves and let the bow and the weight of the boat (full tank of gas) work for you to cut the waves. I this, I'll trim down to get the V into the wave. I don't mean trim down too far and plow into the waves, but if you get the V up too high, the keel starts to work and that's not the keel's job. Heading up-swell in rollers, I'll also trim down because each time you come up from a trough, that's basically a hole shot with acceleration and you'll want prop in the water. Watch your power here because you can launch off a roller.
Heading down-swell, watch the power (not too much or you can get in serious trouble if you spear the back of a wave) and trim up some to keep the bow higher and land more on the keel and avoid spearing the back of a swell. Chop isn't as bad, but you can still dive a boat if you're really hauling, have power and hit it right.
I like heading into chop so I can pick my battles, setlle the trim and just go. Trying to go diagonal across it like you often hear, you're constantly adjusting, accelerating, slowing, and things are coming at you from the side, instead of in front of you. And this applies for V hulls. A deeper hull is more of a pain in a side or diagonal approach. Try the head-on thing in too big of seas in a bass hull and you'll have a rougher ride. In a bass hull in heavy seas, you'll be using a whole 'nother set of tactics to get home dry.
This is my technique. Don't take is as official guidance on driving a boat. But I run big water pretty much exclusively and I've never gotten myself in trouble yet!
Edited by esoxfly 3/20/2016 7:55 PM
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