# Poll: Shallow Sport X3, Dargel 250HDX or Dargel 230HDX



## finaddiction (Aug 8, 2005)

While attending the Rock the Dock boat show at Aransas Pass, Wes Hudson told me that they have delivered 150 X3's since they started production. I'm sure its safe to say that Dargel has produced quite a few HDX's also. I am now very curious as to how many of our 2cool brethren have these boats. Take the poll and post up pictures of your X3's, 250HDX's and 230HDX's. This is your turn to brag and show us what you got. Post up details about your sled as well as performance numbers if you want.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

I run the 23 Kat. The 25 would not fit in my boat barn or I would have bought it.

They are all great, pick the one you like best!


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## sailorguy96 (Oct 5, 2016)

Haven't rode in the x3 or 230 hdx but I love my 25 kat. I've only had it for a month so I haven't completely mastered its capabilities but it does all I could want. Tops out at 43kts and cruises around 30kts. With a full load of 100 gal. of gas and regular equipment onboard it will float in 12 inches (physically pulled it until it wouldn't float and measured it at 11in). It eats up the chop significantly better than my old Explorer and I feel much more comfortable outside of the jetties in it. I haven't run it too shallow yet but that will be soon to come. Be forewarned this boat is a gas hog.
























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## jmbapp (Aug 28, 2015)

Don't own any, havent rode any.... but based on what i see on the water the X3 has a better stance for offshore fishing. I see one a lot around aransas bay and he attacks that snot with ease.

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## finaddiction (Aug 8, 2005)

sailorguy96,
Very nice 250HDX! The design of your winch stand is different than any HDX I've seen. I sent you a PM requesting closer pics. Thanks for sharing.


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## twelfth man (Sep 1, 2005)

*Dargel 250HDX*

Here's mine....


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## finaddiction (Aug 8, 2005)

The poll shows the X3 and the 250HDX running neck to neck. Keep them coming and don't forget the pictures.


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## finaddiction (Aug 8, 2005)

twelfth man,
looks like you could host some serious parties. Plenty of seating and enough coolers to hold what ever you're drinking.


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## twelfth man (Sep 1, 2005)

finaddiction said:


> twelfth man,
> looks like you could host some serious parties. Plenty of seating and enough coolers to hold what ever you're drinking.


I have four daughters and this rig is customized for my princesses and my queen. As a family, we LOVE the Kat. And although it looks like a cyclops, most anyone that has fished on it with me will tell you it is a VERY comfortable boat to fish out of.

This boat serves us well.

Gig Em!


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

Here is my hdx230.
Best ride I have ever been on..
Runs 7" all day and gets up on less than 10" with no problem.
I run a 250 show vmax and does 47 tops with 3 people and gear , the best thing is you can run 40 with big chop and still is a comfortable ride......
You won't regret buying a kat...
Do it!!!


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

..


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## Aggieross05 (Nov 1, 2011)

alman...put the jack plat on 3.25" and trim it out...she will do 50 all day with a full load and 54-55 light if you still have the same prop on it.

looks like you are enjoying the boat!


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

Aggie thanks for the advice,still learning and yes still running the same prop...


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

Alman77 said:


> Aggie thanks for the advice,still learning and yes still running the same prop...


I get 55 with mine with two people and I have a Ttop


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## Aggieross05 (Nov 1, 2011)

I ran three different props on it fastest I had was 60 mph...hole shot sucked

the prop that is on there is a Baumann that has a lot of cup and the hole shot is great...put the trim tabs down and you can have the jack plate all the way up and it will get you out of some shallow water no problem. But the result is less speed.


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## twelfth man (Sep 1, 2005)

*Baumann*

I'm actually having a Baumann prop installed on mine today. I am much more likely to need a hand getting out of a shallow bind than I am to push my Kat to 55 mph.


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## FishyLady (Dec 18, 2014)

I figured this post needed some X3 representation (Besides the current poll numbers). Call me biased, but...

Also, I thought I would mention another thread that I just saw... May have some good info for you!

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=2237049


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## finaddiction (Aug 8, 2005)

Fishylady,
Nice pics. I really like the tiger shark blue one!


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## BretE (Jan 24, 2008)

Another choice.....JH B253..... Checked out Randall Groves new boat this afternoon.....it's a beast!.....


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## arrozconpollo (Apr 3, 2017)

i have been on all 3 units, the 250 KAT and 230 KAT are fantastic. We recently met up with a X3 owner and we decided to do a head-2-head run and sorry (but not sorry) the X3 peeled off and couldnt handle the 250 HDX with a 250 suzuki, and he was running a 300 Yamaha. The X3 does not turn well it topped out at 42mph.


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

arrozconpollo said:


> i have been on all 3 units, the 250 KAT and 230 KAT are fantastic. We recently met up with a X3 owner and we decided to do a head-2-head run and sorry (but not sorry) the X3 peeled off and couldnt handle the 250 HDX with a 250 suzuki, and he was running a 300 Yamaha. The X3 does not turn well it topped out at 42mph.


Like I say, I PASS X3s all the time.


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## doyou (Nov 8, 2014)

i just wish i could afford one of those on the water giant Cadillacs.


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

I love the boat on the water, nest boat ever!!! BUT !!! I'M having issues trying to figure out how to load it ..
I thought I had it figure out but I don't. ..
I had a kenner,Explorer 21 TV and a 22 gulf Coast and had zero issues loading it..
I use to go fishing by myself with no need for help at the ramp... now I just don't feel comfortable going by miself...it's a big issue for me...any one that can help it would be appreciated, I'm in the tiki island area. .. fixing to go and talk to maclain trailers and explain the issue. .
I keep sliding off the bunks when trying to load it.... if I leave the trailer to far in it doesn't catch on the bunks and if I leave it out to much the bows slide of to the side..it's hard to explain. ..any of you running the hdx 230 with a maclain trailer around galveston that might give me some pointers...


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## bigfishtx (Jul 17, 2007)

:rybka:



Alman77 said:


> I love the boat on the water, nest boat ever!!! BUT !!! I'M having issues trying to figure out how to load it ..
> I thought I had it figure out but I don't. ..
> I had a kenner,Explorer 21 TV and a 22 gulf Coast and had zero issues loading it..
> I use to go fishing by myself with no need for help at the ramp... now I just don't feel comfortable going by miself...it's a big issue for me...any one that can help it would be appreciated, I'm in the tiki island area. .. fixing to go and talk to maclain trailers and explain the issue. .
> I keep sliding off the bunks when trying to load it.... if I leave the trailer to far in it doesn't catch on the bunks and if I leave it out to much the bows slide of to the side..it's hard to explain. ..any of you running the hdx 230 with a maclain trailer around galveston that might give me some pointers...


Pm me. It is not that hard.


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## Aggieross05 (Nov 1, 2011)

alman...search this forum, I want to say someone said there is a person adding bunks to the trailers to make them fuctional. 

No matter what anyone tells you it is hard and close to impossible in the wind. Not sure if it is just that trailer but the design is terrible. I doubt McClain will be much help.


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## arrozconpollo (Apr 3, 2017)

Hey Alman77 try speaking to Coastline trailers and let them know what unit you have and they can build one that is easier to load and unload off of.


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## Reel Paradise (Jun 2, 2015)

*X3*

Ok, I rarely comment on threads but this topic has great interest to me. I own an X3 so I am surely biased but here goes. First off, I want am going to grade the X3 then I will explain the grades as go we move forward

Price: C (They charge what people will pay)
Speed: B +(Not a fast boat or is it?)
Rough Water Performance: A+ (the absolute best IMO)
Shallow Water Performance: A (very good)

I want to start out by saying all these boats are great boats. I looked at most of them and I ended up buying an X3. I will attempt to explain why I came to that decision. I have owned several boats (I think 8) but the X3 is by far the best boat I have ever owned. That said, there is no such thing as a boat that can do it all. Itâ€™s just a matter of engineering and physics and there are tradeoffs that are engineered into all boats. More on this later.

Letâ€™s start with Price. The X3 is expensive. Used market is starting to come around but still very expensive.

Speed. This is the most interesting topic in my mind. On calm days I get passed all the time. So if flat out speed is what you are looking for this is not the boat for you. Earlier when I said there are tradeoffs, this is one of them. I fish pretty much every single weekend of the year. Since October I have missed one weekend of fishing. I know some of you are calling BS on that statement but it is true and to add to that I live on Aransas bay. If I want to fish I have to cross Aransas bay, no way around it because I donâ€™t trailer my boat. When I mentioned I get passed all the time on calm days, well that is true but I can tell you on rough windy days, I never have been passed. As we all know, living on the texas coast, there are many more rough days than calm days so I will take a boat that can handle rough water over a boat that is fast any day of the week.

Rough Water Performance. In my experience, the X3 stands alone in this category. I take people out in the X3 and without exception, they are amazed of how well this boat handles rough water. Having 3 hulls in the water and a boat that if nine feet wide and over 25 feet long has a advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that it cuts through waves. Disadvantage, is out right speed. I enjoy offshore fishing a great deal but did not want to buy two boats. That is one of the reason I bought this boat. I went offshore fishing this winter on a calm day, and I had short window of opportunity to get to my snapper spot and get back before the wind picked up with a front coming in. Although top end speed on my boat with 4 men and 120 gallons of fuel is about 45 MPH, we cruised in the gulf of Mexico at 38 MPH and we were all comfortable and dry. To me that is a pretty fast boatJ

Shallow Water Performance: This is the question I get asked the most. Does this boat really run as shallow as they say it does. Yea, it does. So if that is true then why did you give it an A instead of an A+ for shallow water performance. I gave it an A because I think there are boats that can go shallower than the X3. My fishing buddy has a Flats Cat and we have run it less than 5 inches. Not on purpose but we have done it. Also, if we get the Flats Cat stuck we just get out and push it off. If you get an X3 stuck you wonâ€™t be pushing it off (very heavy boat). There is a back lake that we like to fish but to get to it we have to go through some skinny water. In the winter time when the tides are down this area is approximately 5 inches deep(my guess). Getting into this area is tricky and you have to know where the water is or you will for sure get stuck. That said, boats that donâ€™t know the channel will sit outside the lake and wait for a boat to come by, when you go by them they will follow you into the creek and follow your tracks. A couple of weeks ago there was a boat waiting and when I drove by he jumped up on plain and followed me into the creek. The tides were way down and I hit bottom three or four times but the X3 did not slow down and we made it to our fishing spot without any issues. When we stopped the boat we looked back and the boat that followed us in was on top of the sand bar and all three guys were out of the boat trying to push it off the sand bar. I wonâ€™t mention the name of the boat because it will offend some folks but I will tell you it is a well-known shallow water boat. BTWâ€¦that is the second time someone has tried to follow me into that spot and got stuck.


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## cottonpicker (Jan 25, 2010)

Nice post Reel Paradise with good information.


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

Reel Paradise said:


> Ok, I rarely comment on threads but this topic has great interest to me. I own an X3 so I am surely biased but here goes. First off, I want am going to grade the X3 then I will explain the grades as go we move forward
> 
> Price: C (They charge what people will pay)
> Speed: B +(Not a fast boat or is it?)
> ...


I never been on a X3 but I bet it does what you say it does but I think when you say it's on a class on its own than you have to add the hdx to that category. ..the hdx is a fast smooth fishing machine. ..
All you said your boat does ,well the kat does it with the a little more speed..


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

Aggieross05 said:


> alman...search this forum, I want to say someone said there is a person adding bunks to the trailers to make them fuctional.
> 
> No matter what anyone tells you it is hard and close to impossible in the wind. Not sure if it is just that trailer but the design is terrible. I doubt McClain will be much help.


Aggieross I took the boat and trailer to the manufacturer yesterday and I told them to make the 2 front bunks a lot wider..
Well the going to weldo more support next to the front bunks and make the 2 bunks meet with that one next to it..
That will keep the boat from sliding off the trailer which is the main problem. . I will give an update and pictures after I test it out this weekend. ..


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

arrozconpollo said:


> Hey Alman77 try speaking to Coastline trailers and let them know what unit you have and they can build one that is easier to load and unload off of.


I will see how this turns out with the maclain trailer.. and if that doesn't work than I'll sale the trailer and have a new one built. .
I wonder if mac lain has actually tested the trailer buy loading thsee types of boats....???


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## finaddiction (Aug 8, 2005)

Alman77,
Have you tried loading your boat after the trailer modifications? How did it go?


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

Modified trailer


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

finaddiction said:


> Alman77,
> Have you tried loading your boat after the trailer modifications? How did it go?


Yes it has worked out great for me...no more issue's. ..I tried loading pics but for whatever reason they don't load..
If you anybody has questions pm me and I be glad to help.....


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

Kat 23 trailer modification
I told them to widen the very front bunks and ad another bunk next to it to feel the gap between bunks..
The boat has no chance to slide off to the side now....
McLain owes me


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

I would like to say that brit maclain is a stand up guy,had no issues getting them to modify the trailer. .thanks britt..


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## o_brother (Jul 26, 2007)

Picked up my 25' Dargel Kat about 2 months ago. I've had it on the water a hand full of times and still putting it through its paces. I ran an Illusion and a Tunnel V before this. This Kat will run as shallow as the Illusion and smoother/drier than the Tunnel V. Not sure on how shallow I can get up just yet but I'm very happy with it so far. I have the 300 G2 ETEC that pushes it mid 50's with a 4 blade 15X22 prop.


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## BigGulf (Dec 31, 2015)

o_brother said:


> Picked up my 25' Dargel Kat about 2 months ago. I've had it on the water a hand full of times and still putting it through its paces. I ran an Illusion and a Tunnel V before this. This Kat will run as shallow as the Illusion and smoother/drier than the Tunnel V. Not sure on how shallow I can get up just yet but I'm very happy with it so far. I have the 300 G2 ETEC that pushes it mid 50's with a 4 blade 15X22 prop.


That's one badass looking boat!!
Congrats. ... I fish the Galveston area and lately i seen more and more of these boats 
On the water...heck of a boat....


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## Kolltrain (Mar 15, 2011)

BigGulf said:


> Modified trailer


Thank you for posting this pic! I know it's been a while back, but I just bought a 2013 Dargel Kat with McClain trailer and am having the exact same issues. So you took the trailer to McClain and they added the additional bunks for you?


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