Forward Drive, however, does have the advantage in the event of a prop strike. Both types of propulsion require users be more careful in shallow conditions, as well as when trailering, to compensate for the added exposure. Theoretically, trim should also allow any sterndrive boat to get into shallower waters than a V-drive, but in fairness the location of the props at the front of the Forward Drive negate much of this advantage. Trimming the drive can lift the bow to better handle rough water conditions, adjust the boat’s running attitude to compensate for passenger load or deliver superior top speed, even affect the size and shape of that surf wake.
INBOARD VS STERNDRIVE DRIVER
Unlike a prop on a fixed driveshaft, Volvo Penta’s Forward Drive also allows the driver to adjust the boat’s running angle with trim. Some V-drive boat manufacturers have begun to add optional steering fins or thrusters to solve the issue, but it’s often a relatively expensive upgrade. V-drive operators often overcome this by resetting the angle of the boat with repeated bumps of forward thrust when backing extended distances and learning which side to dock on to take advantage of torque and rotation, but it’s not the intuitive, immediate response provided by a sterndrive. One direction will be favored and produce the expected results, but movement in the opposite direction is almost non-existent.
INBOARD VS STERNDRIVE DRIVERS
This means drivers must learn to use the prop’s torque and the direction of prop rotation for proper control in reverse. V-drives don’t display the same predictability in reverse because prop-driven water never passes over the rudder. Turn the wheel and the boat will respond without hesitation in each direction. While both approaches provide good results at speed when moving forward, a sterndrive’s “vectored” thrust proves superior during low-speed handling, particularly in reverse.
With Forward Drive, Volvo Penta takes the existing sterndrive concept, where propeller and rudder pivot in unison, but relocates its dual, counter-rotating props from the rear of the drive to the front.Įach choice significantly affects the boat it’s on. Steering is accomplished via a movable rudder, located directly behind the prop. A V-drive places the propeller at the end of a fixed driveshaft that exits well under the hull, its sole purpose to propel the boat forward or backward through the water. The most obvious difference has already been touched upon. In the process, Forward Drive opened up the sport to a large number of mainstream boat builders, enabling them to give their audience a viable wakesurf alternative that, in many ways, was often a better choice for the average recreational boater.īut how do the two propulsion systems actually compare, not just in terms of wake production but also all those hours you, your friends and family spend on the water? By taking the wildly popular sterndrive and relocating its props to the front of the drive rather than the rear, Forward Drive solved the issue of propeller exposure. Volvo Penta, of course, changed all that with the invention of the Forward Drive. More popular, more mainstream sterndrives and outboards, with their propellers exposed behind the transom, presented a safety hazard that effectively kept them out of the running. Perhaps not so obvious, but even more important - V-drives, with their propellers tucked far underneath the hull, are safe for a surfer plying the wake in close proximity to the transom. Towsport manufacturers also have the advantage of having been an integral part of the wakeboarding craze and are familiar with concepts like added ballast, speed control and wake-enhancing tabs that build wakes to their max potential. Why? They produce large, clean wakes ideal for the sport. V-Drive boats, with their towsports-specific hulls and tucked-away props, have long been a favorite of the wakesurfing crowd. So how does Forward Drive compare with V-Drives for wakesurfing and towsports? Wakesurfing is one of the most popular sports in today’s boating scene.
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