Luxury Power Boat Challenged by Navy Patrol Boat in a Wake Wave Contest

Of course, having both boats handy does help a lot, and owning them is only so much better. Armed with confidence, curiosity, horse-power, and determination, and assisted by a team of buddies, the well-known YouTuber carried on. The two watercraft are the wake wave-making purpose-built top-of-the-range Pavati AL26 and a heavily modified military-surplus-bought Riverine Patrol Boat of the Navy SEALS.

The AL26 is Pavati's ultimate offer when it comes to wake boats. Filled with high-tech and luxurious comfort, it is the weapon of choice for many landlocked surfers with slim to no chances to get to the ocean to ride the tide.

The yacht-certified all-aluminum watercraft is an adrenaline-boosting extravaganza. Twenty-seven feet long (9 meters), 8.6 feet wide (2.7 meters), this 8.000-lb (3.6 tons) 575 HP billet aluminum-hulled vehicle cruises at a steady 22 mph (35 kph).

Its two ballast tanks take in 717 gallons (2,7 tons) of water to sink the craft deep enough to make four feet tall wake waves. With the complete options package, the power boat's wallet displacement is around $590k. That amount of money gets a lot of amenities, from a freezer to heated/cooled seats and chilled cup holders to a full trailer to tow the boat.

On the other hand, we have the SafeBoats SAFE Riverine Patrol Boat (RPB). Dubbed to be virtually unsinkable, the fast, lightweight vessel serves with the Navy SEALS. Not the boat in the video, obviously – this particular craft has been decommissioned by the special forces and then auctioned.

The 40-ft, 1,000 HP combat boat has two diesel Yanmar engines, which yield their power to the dual Hamilton jet-propulsion drives. More than enough to launch the 14k lb (6,3 tons) vessel at 39 knots (55 mph, or 88 kph.). Its 24-inch (0.6 meters) shallow draft hull design is perfectly adapted for easy operation in river and seashore scenarios.

Not exactly what the thrills-seeking YouTubers need, since to make waves, the war machine needs to do the opposite of what it was designed to do. Namely, it has to sit as low in the water as possible. To achieve this, the YouTubers threw in 1.500 lb (0.7 tons) of water (safely enclosed in two watertight sacks!).

It is worth mentioning that the boat had undergone a complete overhaul when the wake wavers bought it (see the second video for details). It is much lighter than the original design. All the more challenges to overcome in search of the perfect wake wave.

The wake-waving AL26 Pavati is made ready for action with one button push. As simple as that, as the ballast tanks' enormous four-inch valves open. Ninety seconds and 700 gallons of water later, the luxury water plow is ready to split the surface. Put in cruise mode, set the speed, and ride the barrel. That easy.

With the RPB, though, things are a bit different. No cruise control, a lot of power, and extra buoyancy are not the tools to juice the soup. As the video reveals, the boat needs to ride leaning on its side (this is where friends come in very handy!) and with its bow turned slightly inwards of its heading.

One viewer commented, "No way can your military boat produce the same surf wake. It's a jet drive, meaning it comes on a plane immediately. It's meant to float higher in the water, without drag, which doesn't produce wake." Fair point, considering the RPBs agility, raw power, and small draft (see the last video at the bottom for insight on its original purpose.)

However, the super maneuverable powerboat will get the job done with practice. The versatile twin-engine boat, capable of doing a 180 within its own length space, can also blow a small tube behind it. Enough to surf on, even if not as good as the Pavati's.

Built for hot troops insertions and extractions under live fire, the RPB can turn, twist, swirl, sway, and deliver massive fire support in the blink of an eye. All while riding in two feet of water. However, the wake waving test took its toll on the boat, as one of its engines gave up mid-way through the experiment.

To make the Safeboat RPB leave a wave in its wake, the engines ran at different RPMs to keep the boat's bow off track and the hull slightly listed. Check the video to see what came out of this challenge (and the RPBs radiators.)