What we think: Ebbtide boats are dialed for maximum performance and nimble handling while satisfying the critical eye for quality and good looks.
Three editors jumped on this rig at once and managed to accomplish their testing strategies without elbowing the others out of the way. In fact, we noted the huge vacancy in the wide-open cockpit and wondered why we hadn’t grabbed a handful more passengers for the test.
They could have stepped on easily, either at the bow boarding platform or the portside boarding step. Once on board, we noticed how comfortable conversation is with the single-console design. Without the windshield separating bow seating from cockpit, the Ebbtide 2400 offered one large oval seating area interrupted only by another handy feature — the head compartment. Roomy enough to be comfortable to enter, the area is ideal for changing from sports clothes to swimsuits.
The helm station is optimally equipped, with full instrumentation, a depth finder and a compass. With the tilt wheel and adjustable helm bucket seat, we found that the helm fit the smaller and shorter editors comfortably and easily.
The Yamaha F250 motor adds some benefits for coastal anglers too. It self-drains and has an easy-to-use freshwater flushing port. With double the normal test load, our rig stepped onto plane so quickly that even the most unimpressionable editors raised an eyebrow. A top speed of 50 also widened our eyes. Then we started cranking the wheel hard from side to side and noticed how well the boat came around, holding its bite in extremely tight turns — that’s just one more trademark quality we normally find in Ebbtide boats.
Who should buy it: When performance and hull style are as important as crowd-pleasing passenger capacity, few boats can accommodate like an outboard deck boat. The 2400 SS is one that will handle a crew but with runabout style.
Vital Stats * Length: 23’7″ * Beam: 8’6″ * Dry Weight: 3,850 lb. * Seating/Weight Capacity: 12/1,800 lb. * Fuel Capacity: 68 gal. * Max HP: 250 * MSRP: (w/ Yamaha F250): $57,115 * NMMA certified: Yes
Power Picks
* Yamaha F200 — $54,730
* Yamaha F250 — $57,115
Also consider…
2500 SS Single Console FC I/O** **
Length: 25′
Beam: 8’6″
Max HP: 320
This stern-drive version drops the engine under a sun pad and clears the transom for a bolt-on extended swim platform.
2100 Single Console FC OB
Length: 21′
Beam: 8’6″
Max HP: 200
A downsized and easily trailerable outboard version of the 2400 gives the same great deck-boat performance Ebbtide is known for but it still hosts a crew of 12.
- Test Drive
- Test Engine: Yamaha F250
- Test Prop: 15.25 x 19 Saltwater Series II
- Test Load: People (600 lb.); Fuel (43 gal.)
- Top Speed: 48.8 MPH @ 6,000 RPM
- Time to Plane: 4.1 sec.
- Time to 30 mph: 7.7 sec.
