# Longtail vs surface drive ?



## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

Pros and cons


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

One of each. Surface Drive for those long hauls and speed. The longtail for shorter shallower runs where you don't need to go balls out. I like how easy SD's are to steer and the speed you get. I like the hole shots longtails give you in shallow water, and how fast you can get on plane. They both are good and have their place in the marsh.


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> One of each. Surface Drive for those long hauls and speed. The longtail for shorter shallower runs where you don't need to go balls out. I like how easy SD's are to steer and the speed you get. I like the hole shots longtails give you in shallow water, and how fast you can get on plane. They both are good and have their place in the marsh.


Exactly!!!


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

These are the things I have noticed the last two years with my hunting buddy using a surface drive me using a long tail in the same conditions. with about the same HP.

Longtail:
Good starting out in shallow water because you have leverage and distance away from the boat to get the prop into the mud and your more in control of how deep the prop goes into the mud and the water. the good thing about the distance is you can keep relocating the prop into fresh mud to get a bite and a lot of the time around obstacles in the water that might wrap your prop up.

Speed is much slower when comparing the same HP motors.

Very difficult to drive in canals or for long distances and the bigger the motor the worse it is.

Hunting loads have more effect do to a smaller prop the longtails direct drive has to turn.

Surface drives:
Horrible at starting out in very shallow water with a hard bottom, better in shallow water with a soft bottom but the longtail typically can get going and leave the surface drive in these conditions.

Once on plane or moving in general the surface drive will out perform the longtail in any condition do to the speed and the maneuverability it will run shallower water hard or soft bottom and it will run it faster. This is where surface drive owners typically get themselves in trouble because once they stop they get stuck especially in hard bottom conditions soft bottom its not as bad and they can slowly get moving again.

Driving a surface drive is just like driving an outboard it is effortless most the time and very easy on the body, running tight canals is easier and running long distances is faster.

load carrying can be allot better unless your prop is to big for the torque your motor produces this can be easily fixed by changing gear ratio or prop size though but will effect the speed the boat will go.

I ran a long tail for six years I just switched to a surface drive because in my eye my buddy went every where I did he always beat me back to the boat launch and to the hunting spot always carried heavier loads faster. I myself think I am going to like my surface drive and wont look back and wish I had the longtail back. Guess will see.

Good luck on your decision. Both do the job in the same conditions very well.
same motor different drives:
Longtail




surface drive:




fnf8)


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