Considering purchasing a Shallow Sport X3

Wanted to know if there are any owners or users here

I found a thread from 6 years ago but that's pretty old

Just want opinions on quality, performance, etc.

TIA

Our family has had the 25' X3 since 2014, second year they were out. Fantastic boat. Rides much better than our old 21' Sport, can fish 4 people of the front of the boat and only gave up a few inches of draft for take offs. You need to be a little more conscious when drifting but havent been stuck anymore or less than the 21'. Lots of storage as well!

I would agree that it is a great boat. Since they have switched or upgraded or whatever you want to call it to the Suzuki 350 and or mercury 400 s they have been getting much better performance

We have hit 52-53 but usually just run around 45 and still get 2 miles per gallon In rougher water it is probably one of the smoothest riding boats I've been on. Tons of room on the bow and tons of storage

My understanding is there is about a 6 month wait to get one built out like you want but you can occasionally find used ones for sale in various boat trading forums

I've known Wes Hudson (third generation of the Hudson family building Shallow Sport and current owner with his wife Kyra) in the marine business for well over a decade. They build a very quality product and have great factory support with a good dealer network.
They offer OEM power options of Yamaha, Mercury and Suzuki…..usually dependent upon the retail dealer.
Add to that that Wes is a fellow Aggie grad as well.
Great family and a good product. Well respected in the boat building industry.

Known for great ride, fit and finish, shallow draft etc. The only negative I hear is they plow through the water resulting in bad fuel efficiency.

Heard the same. It is thought that the trimaran hull of the X3 is stable and gives a nice ride in rough water, albeit it, the hull design creates increased drag.

I will be the bad guy.

Excellent build quality. Very well respected name for purchase and resale.

I am less and less impressed every time I am on one. Giant boat to tow and manage and doesnt do anything particularly well. Ride is not impressive to me at all. Efficiency is not impressive. Speed and handling leave a lot to be desired. It is a nearly 70 year old design of the old Falcon that noone else tries to replicate or compete with. Seems gimmicky to me countijg on the ShallowSport name. There have been many many better designs in 70 yrs. It would not be on my list of boats to consider.

Seems there are fan boys and then everyone else.

Wes's grandfather, Willis Isaac Hudson started both Hurricane (1958) and Falcon boats (1960).

https://www.2coolfishing.com/threads/three-generations-of-boat-design.471669/

Here you go pics side by side of the x3 and the Falcon when they released the x3 in 2013.

Im very very very familiar. Been on, in, and seen the stringers of hundreds of the Classic, the Sport, the X3, the Mod V , the Latitude, and even a falcon.

I wanted to like the x3. I have been on them in skinny water, choppy, very choppy, big swells, offshore, and way offshore. Just not a fan and have never been impressed. Disappointed as I had a big crush on them at first..... but that hull doesnt fit the bill for me.

Best thing for anybody to do when getting ready to buy a boat is to go to the factory of the brands you like and watch them build one. Then look at the warranty. Then take a true demo ride in rough, windy conditions.
Every manufacturer and dealer will tell you they are the best. Only the good ones will take you to the water to prove it.

Negative. Falcon Malibu was the cathedral. The Falcon Skipjack was the tru tri hull. Look at the frontal of this old Falcon Skipjack that a creative fiberglasser cut down for a flats boat. The x3 is based off that old family design. The Skipjack was NOT like the cathedral hull graphic above. The design was a Skipjack copy (60ish year old designs) then flattened out towards the rear of the hull for shallow water capabilities. But the Falcon Skipjack which is a true tri hull from the '60s is absolutely the design cue for the x3.

https://www.2coolfishing.com/threads/is-this-where-the-x3-came-from.2209721/

Why the X3? Have you been on one? How do you fish? What other boats are you considering?

I'm with SGrem. Not a huge fan when I've been on them. If they had added 1" to the back deck and a good place for a seat, I may like it better. If I fished out of the boat and went offshore I may like it better, but 4 guys and wade gear will fill that thing up tight. Also, I think the lines are terrible. It would be hard for me to spend that kind of scratch on a boat I don't enjoy looking at. Rev 23, Patron 25, Saber Cat, Reaper/Recon/RC23, and Tidewater TPC are a few boats you may consider looking at

Outlaw 23 and 25.
Skuta makes a big freeboard 24 cat boat that is offshore racing inspired bay boat and does very well in chop. Not absolutely certain but I think Lake and Bay owned that mold and used to be called the SCB Widebody???? Maybe.....dont quote me on that but I believe that is the history.

Appreciate all the responses!

So...some background

I fish West Galveston bay. Not terribly shallow, can get quite rough in the wind
I have a slip on the water so I don't launch and tow my boat around. Maybe twice a year
I don't care whatsoever about running 65+ mph
If I get the X3 I will option the 400 Verado, should be plenty of power
I have a wife and 3 teens, (1 at A&M and 2 HS age). We almost always have 5-6 (adult size) people on the boat, sometimes more, their friends, etc.
I fish from the boat, dont wade
I prioritize casting space, build quality, storage, ride comfort
Am less concerned about speed and super skinny water

I currently have a Blue Wave Pure Bay 2400 with a 300 zuke. Love the boat, it serves us well
My motivation for change is my boat is almost 5 years old, the manufacturer no longer exists, and I just kind of want something new and different

I feel like of the different types of inshore saltwater boats, you have Little scooter boats/skiffs for polling, couple of guys, etc. Flats boats that run really fast and really skinny, like SCB, Simmons, Jireh, El Pescador, etc. These boats have very little storage, very little seating but they go fast and run shallow. Perfect for 2-4 guys, tournament fisherman, and guys that prioritize fast and shallow

Then you have what I call traditional center console bay boats, which Is what I have now. Your Sea Fox, Sea Pro, Blue Wave, Skeeter, etc. many other brands. Good storage, will run pretty shallow, fish plenty of people, can be used inshore or mild offshore

I feel like the X3 is kind of an in between. Every thing I've read online and video I've watched says Shallow Sport is a quality company that puts out high quality boats. Of their models, the X3 feels like a good balance of what I like. I went and looked at a couple in person, stood in them, walked around, etc. They seem solid

I already have a big boat, so the X3 doesn't seem big to me like it might to others.
My boat is 25' 3" long. The X3 is 25' 4"
My hull weighs 2200 lbs, X3 weighs 2500
My beam is 8' 6", X3 is 9'

I have buddies that run Simmons, Jireh, Shoalwater, Skeeter, Hayne, and all of them think their boat is the best
I dont love the hull design on the Mowdy and I checked out a Patron 25 and just didn't love it

Im in West Bay 200 days a year. Check out the JH Outlaw 25 for cat style hull.

Check out FCJ 26 LS (or HS for jetty and beachfront) for their big pad V style for some serious ride comfort and space for all your bodies. Cheaper, bigger, wider, rides better, just as shallow draft. Especially since you dont have to trailer.

Darby,

I have a close friend that owns an outlaw and another that owns a patron and both are on water more often than land. If you are going to want a boat that does both offshore and inshore capabilities, then the X3 is better than any of those others.

In my opinion, it comes down to what you really want. It sounds like you have a lot of people that usually fish or get on the boat with you. I am in the same boat per se when I go. My other 2 friends don't put 5-6 or more occasionally as you said in either of their outlaws or the patron. You have already said that speed is not an issue.

I have been heading offshore many times in 3-4 foot seas with 4 second wave periods with my friends also heading out in their outlaw and the have turned back every time. Again, it depends on what you want to be able to do. Most of our fishing is in the bays but we love to go offshore too. I love the patron and the outlaw and I know John and Lyndsey more than I know Wes or even the guys in League City that sell the X3. They make a very good boat and Wes and family make a very good boat too.

We run out of Matagorda so if you want to go on a test run some day before you buy I will be happy to take you out. I would bet you can get the guys at Coastline Marine to do something for you too as they have always been helpful to me. I bought my boat used from an individual but they have helped me on stuff from time to time.

I dont know fuel consumption on their patron or outlaw, but I can tell you with 60- 80 gallons of fuel and 6 men over 200 pounds we will run 43 mph and get 1.9-2.2 mpg depending on wind conditions. Most of our runs are 30-50 miles offshore or 50 miles round trip when we are in the bays fishing.

Just another opinion for you to try and help you out. Best of luck in your journey in picking another boat.