fisher 680 maxi vs riptide 6.8 cuddy

[shane t]

g'day all,
after seeing 2 recent posts re the building of both a fisher and a riptide from ground up, to say im impressed with both boats would be an under statement.....the last thing i would want to do is ruffle any feathers [i know there are passionate owners of both boats amongst ausfishers] but im after any opinions on the fisher680 or riptide6.8 on strength, performance, build quality,value for money, resale etc that would give one the advatage over the other. i currently live and fish off mackay , normally heading out 30 miles plus mainly chasing reds , big mouth nanny's, trout etc and looking for a safe smooth ride. cheers shano.

[Blackened]

G'day

I was about to say take a walk through the factories.... but that'd kind of out of the equasion.

I have met dave, the bloke in charge at riptide, great guy and workmanship is second to none.

Both boats have a brilliant following and are on par with eachother I believe.

I have an idea, Just buy both. With the price of aluminium, chances are you'll make money on them soon enough.

Dave

[withoutatrace]

Obviously being a Fisher owner I may be a little biased, however I have just been through the process of searching and settling on a boat builder and taking delivery of a 6.8 Fisher Maxi recently.

There will be opinions about both boats, and others, however ultimately you will have to make the final decision that best suits your requirements, budget and faith in the product you buy.

I chose a Fisher Boat because I arrived at a result that gave me an extremely strong professionally built customised boat. "What you see is what you get", and all this at a fair market price which adds up to tremendous value at the end of the day.

I would suggest you look very closely at both boats at the premises where they are built and speak to owners for a true feedback of customer satisfaction and after sales service etc.
I know that the Fisher boats team have a great deal of pride in making sure every boat they deliver is to a standard they would expect themselves. They are all keen fishermen as well, and Col will assist you with any of the ideas you have or need in the boat.

There is a 6.8 Maxi that was being built when mine was delivered that should be almost finished with twin 140's. I think this boat is going up to your area somewhere. It would be a good idea to have a look at it if possible.

Good luck with the research
WOAT

[shane t]

thanks guys, dave to buy both i would be spending 10 to 15 yrs behind bars for robbery but they do both look unreal. woat you're right to spend this sort of money i would do heaps of research and testing before committing,just trying to get an insight from owners and experienced fishos of pros and cons cheers shano...

[Greg P]

Shane - both are high quality platies for sure. My advice is to go for a ride in both and then make your mind up. I did and I cant be happier with my decision.

The 680 going to Mackay will be a cracker - it's being fitted out now.


Cheers

Greg

[shane t]

greg, is the boat coming to mackay going to belong to an ausfisher, if so doyou know who?. are twin 140's about the right hp for a 680 or could you get away with a 225 or250,what would be better fuel wise.?

[withoutatrace]

Shano,
Give Col a ring about the boat going up your way and he may be able to arrange for you to see the boat when it arrives up there.

Re the engine requirement: Col will correct me if I'm wrong but a 680 powers well with a Suzi 200/225 or 250, twins is another option again with a different transom setup.
I have a 250 on mine and it is sweet. WOT at 40 knots, cruising at 4000rpm gives 27 LPH. Not sure what Greg has on the back of his but he will give an opinion on that.
Richard

[Greg P]

Running a DF150 on my 600 Maxi. Had a play today so From the EP-20 interface my best fuel readings 17.7l/hr @ 3900 rpm cruising for 21 knots even. This was coming back around bribie with the tide and glassed out. Very happy with those numbers.

[shane t]

HI ALL, yeah i thought a 200hp or there abouts would be about right,and you would have to be happy with the fuel economy on both of your boats.we normally sit on about 4000 rpm as we find fuel economy and ride are best at these revs.how do you find the ride in a 1m swell and are the fishers a pretty dry boat and is the boat nice and stable at rest with the ballast system it uses.i was also hoping to hear from the riptide boys to get some info on their pride and joys. cheers shano

[revs57]

Ahh this thread begs a Riptide owners response!

Both a brilliant boats without a doubt the best value for money on the market In my opinion. Owners of both have a healthy respect for each others boats and quite rightly so - they just have to be the best around...quality of build and value for money...no-one could doubt the quality of AMM & Nobel but they really are at the Top end of the market. I think the Fisher works out dearer than the Riptide...but talk to Col at fisher and Dave at Riptide so you are comparing apples with apples.

Having said all that, I couldn't be happier with my Riptide...never a trip goes by where I'm convinced it is one of the best boats around.

It is a Cuddy Cab (see avatar) 6 mt to the inside of the transom...6.6 with the pod...and there are some differences.

The dead rise on the Riptide is around the 16 degrees, vs the deeper V of the Fisher. The strakes are a different design...the Fisher run straight up the hull, the Riptide wrap around giving more positive lift in a following sea from the entry point. From what I understand this makes quite a difference...

The 16 degree is very stable at rest...I understand the 23 degree maxi is also very stable at rest with the ballast tubes set up. the ballast tubes do come into play in a marginal way beach launching...they fill in a shallow gutter until under way although a mate who owns a new Fisher said they emptied out quickly and didn't affect the hole shot a real lot.

I know Dave who builds Riptides has just repowered his 680 with a DF250 'zuke ...its a cracker. Another Ausfish Riptide owner has twin DF140's 'zukes. I suggest that you shoot 2IC a PM and ask him what he thinks.

I reckon it is great to have two boat builders turning out such a high quality product, local to Brisvegus, it does make it tough to choose...in the end you will weigh up the pros and cons and go for one or the other...either way I don't think you will be disappointed.

Cheers

Rhys

[sea-rash]

If I was looking for a smooth ride and it was my money I would buy a patriot over either of them, particularlt the one with the 16 degree deadrise.

Rob

[shane t]

rhys, what sort of weight does your 6m riptide come in at fully loaded up for a days fishing and how does your boat handle a 1m swell,are you pushing it with a 175hp or so. are the noble and amm boats so much more expensive over similiar size and if so why, are they using superior materials options etc. cheers shano.

[shane t]

yes rob i have to agree the patriots are a nice boat but the extra weight [bigger car needed to tow]and price would be my main worries. cheers shano.

[revs57]

G'day Shane,

I tow mine with both my GQ patrol...turbo diesel, but my wife's 3.2 v6 Frontera does it better...although doesn't have the same footprint which really helps in the sand and to pull the whole rig up. Fully laden including a 460kg trailer, I'd be pushing the 2000kg mark. I've just upgraded from a 150efi Merc to a f220 Yamaha...no using around 18 lirtres per hour.

I don't think the AMM and Nobel use any different materials. the nobel has some really neat pressing that give rounded features in the cab...but I don't think they are any better designed structurally or cosmetically. Coudl just be the brand recognition and selling to the higher end of the market.

Dave finishes his Riptides off to the highest standard. He doesn't care about the market...he just builds a great boat to the highest possible standard. Every boat is a challenge to him to build it better than the last one. He is so fickle and pedantic when it comes to putting his name on a boat.

Mine is 5mm bottom, 4mm sides and 3mm top...pretty standard for a 6mt although you can get 6mm bottom.

My boat in a 1mt swell is fantastic...we were out today outside Moreton it was between 1-1.5 mt with no chop, 4000 rpm, around 38-40klm/hr, ate it up not problem, dry as and had a great day!

Cheers
rhys

[Out-Station]

Shane T,

I've got a riptide in a Hard Top Centre/Shelter console type layout. 6.1 LOA with a 115 Yammy. Had it built in late 2005. Build quality is excellent and Dave is a great bloke to deal with (and even a better bloke to know when you get your boat trailer stolen and need to get your boat out of the water and back to Toowoomba). 16 degree deadrise a good compramise between ride and running over the surf and creek bars if you do any of this. I've only been in one Fisher, about a 6.2 I think. Nice boat, good ride, excellent build and I could only ever have positive comments about the balast system.

I think the fisher may be very slightly dearer but this figures given the extra work in the hull with the balast etc I guess.

I reckon I'd be equally as happy with either.

Cheer's, Scott

[xrayxray]

It is all about VEE,more the better for a smoother ride to a point without sacrificing stability hence ballast tubes or anything else that provides stability at rest.
I bought a 660 maxi for this reason.
My vessel is now 18 months old and have no regrets in my purchasing decision,and alway's look forward to heading out again as i load the boat onto the trailer to head home.
In a heartbeat i would buy another fisher maxi.


cheers mickey.

[shane t]

thanks guys, thanks for the excellant replies,sounds like happy boaters from both sides. i guess it will come down to tesst rides, something i will really be looking forward to. ps good to see no slagging off by both sides , really says something of both boats quality imo cheers shano

[revs57]

I don't think you'd find any slaggin off between the owners Shane...I know I appreciate looking over quality plate boats. You always pick up an idea or two of each one.

I've just incorporated a couple of ices boxes under the seats of Flamin Riptide that will mean when they are finished that I've got 370 litres of esky without having to take the 130 litre evercool I currently use for a fish box/food esky together. and all this without losing much storage as a lot of space is dead space. and they dont eat into valuable fishing space, and in fact add a couple of seats which is quite handy.

I worked very closely with Dave at Riptide during the build of my boat. I'm not sure about other builders although my mate had quite a bit of input during the build of his Fisher too. I certainly am aware the you can get built what you want with these two...storage bins, extra shelving for more storage, seat configuration, dash layout, transom design, battery shelves and layout...with Dave you can also have input into Cabin design including height, windscreen height, seat height so it is a custom fit for those of us height challenged;).

Dave is currently building a sport fisher design for a customer down south...man its got everything...very impressive...tuna tubes, special work bench that has heaps of inclusions, wash down tub, slots and bins. Amazing Cabin and dash layout...Never seen anything quite like it. could be worth checking out just for interest sake

In the final analysis they are both brilliant boats, built by very capable and experienced people and owned by very discerning owners...that in itself tells the story ...excellent discussion guys

cheers

Rhys

[chris_s]

I am currently in the fit out stage of my Riptide. Prior to placing the order i did quite abit of homework on the plateys, i spoke to the owners the builders the painters and both boats mentioned got more than favourable reviews. Each boat is as good as one another in their own wright. My decision in the end wasn't so much about money but about aspects of the boat that i liked and personal choice and flexibility that i had. With that said it does come down to personal choice and its interesting to add that both mentioned boats were the top two of my list to choose from out of all the SE Qld manufactures.
The decision in the end, well i couldn't be anymore happier with the boat and the builder i chose.
Ohh i nearly forgot to mention the paint, thanks Paul absolutley great job, thanks Mate.

[shane t]

thanks for all the info guys, hopefully by xmas i will be ready to test ride and order a boat,i'd like to say my job has been made easier but with all happy owners on both sides this decision will be tough. will keep you posted when my mind is made up, ps keep an eye out for second hand boats in good condition. cheers shano.

[DAVE_S]

shane if your looking for a second hand fisher, for some reason they are not around thats gotta tell you some thing :-X

[shane t]

yeah dave you're not wrong ,but hey you never know.......... cheers shano.

[mr_stinker]

I Own A Fisher 6 .0 Bought In 2004,so Can Only Comment On Pre 2004 Fisher Boats At This Stage.value For Money Was Very Good.in The Top 3on The Market.quality Of Build Was 1st Class.3yearsdown The Track Money Well Spent If I Buildagain It Will Be A Fisher On Saying That I Know Riptide Build A Great Boat Either Way U Will Be A Winner ,main Thing Is U Will Have Plate Transport All The Best

[Coastie]

Hi Shane,

I am in the same situation as you, looking for a 6m plate. I went to Fisher on Wednesday and they gave me the tour of the factory and a CD to consider all the options. Very impressed so far, I had met Dave (Alchemy) and looked over his 660 Maxi as well, that set me off on the wish list. There is also an extensive contact list of owners on the CD with some in Mackay as reference to the product but you have had some great responses from both camps here

They have about a 6 month wait to start new orders at the moment which suits me.

Cheer CC