Hydra-Sports 2000 WA

By Captain Steve Larivee

There are only a handful of companies which build walk around boats in the 20-foot class. These are ideal boats for a number of purposes, most prominent of which is fishing. But they also make good utility boats and can be used for day cruising and water sports of all types. The cuddy broadens the appeal to women because of the self-contained head below and privacy for changing cloths. By having a place where guests can get out of the rain or sun, or where dad can take a nap, the walk around concept offers a lot of practicality. Dollar-for-dollar, this 20’ walk around gives you a return on investment that’s hard to beat.



Note the high freeboard.

At the Console

Let’s start at the helm: the seats move fore and aft as well as pivot, but there’s no up and down adjustment. Before you buy, make sure the height of the helm seat is right for you and your eye level is not right into the windshield frame. If it is, ask the Hydra-Sports dealer to raise or lower the seat pedestal to fit you. He will be glad to do it.

I found the layout of the helm comfortable, with plenty of real estate for a nav package, VHF radio, and other controls. The throttle was comfortable for my arm, which is another thing you want to make sure fits you before you buy.

A feature I like at a helm is the two-position foot rest -- one for standing and one for sitting. When standing there was ample room between the wheel and my body and the back of my legs and the seat. This is a critical dimension on any boat because you will do a lot of your steering standing up. If you are like some people we know on the BoatTEST staff (who are pushing 250 lbs.) you will want definitely check these clearances because if you are not comfortable, you won’t be happy with the boat.



The 2000 WA offers a lot of utility and fun for the money.

Fishing Features

Hydra-Sports is known for being one of the fishiest brands on the market, and the 2000 WA is no exception. You’ll notice four rod holders in the usual spots.

If you want more, ask your dealer to install them, but you will probably need outriggers, too, in that case. There are two fish boxes under the aft facing seats. At the stern, the port seat houses the battery and the starboard side seat contains a lighted, circulating bait well. They’re very comfortable seats, and I like the stainless grab rails right at your side.

There are rod racks in the gunwales and places for tackle and tools. There are padded bolsters all around so when you are leaning into the gunwales, you’ll be comfortable.



Perhaps the most important aspect of the boat is the cockpit design.

A Deep Cockpit

Another aspect of the 2000 WA that I like most, along with the cut out transom, is the deep cockpit. It is 29” deep, one of the deepest I have tested in a 20’ boat. (I have been on 25’ center consoles with cockpit coamings as low as 22”.) The deep cockpit along with the boat’s 35” of freeboard in the cockpit area means you have a seaworthy vessel in 20.’ The cockpit sole is 6” above the waterline which is very positive and is as much as we have seen on some boats 10’ longer.

These design dimensions are important and you should check them out on any boat you buy which you plan to take offshore. The height of the cockpit bulwarks makes the boat safer for small children as well as clumsy adults. Because the cockpit sole is 6” above the waterline it should be nicely self-draining.



At 4000 rpm she goes 25 mph and gets 3.47 mpg giving her a range of 328 miles.

Pump Room

A classic feature on Hydra-Sports boats is what I call the “pump room.” It’s right in the middle of the stern section of the cockpit and it has a gasketed lid with gas assist shock support. Because it’s recessed, they builder thoughtfully put in two overboard drains. Inside the pump room itself, you’ll see the bilge pump, recirculating pump for the bait well, and the fuel filter -- all within easy reach.

Layout and Bow Features

As we move forward on the side decks we see that there is not a lot of room for your feet – just enough for one foot at a time. That’s not unusual for an 8’6” beam walk around boat. But what you do have to make going forward more secure is the raised coaming to keep your foot from sliding off the deck and the SS bow rails that are an adequate height. I like the one piece rails, because no riveted joints means no rust stains running down to the deck and they won’t come lose from the stanchions with time.

There’s a roomy anchor locker, but it doesn’t come equipped with drains, so you’ll have to add this little area to your regular cleaning list or your rode will start to smell a little funky after a while. Or, you could ask the dealer to drill a hole in the bottom of the compartment to drain water into the bilge, or drill a hull through the hull to drain overboard. Again, because Hydra-Sports is an up-market brand its dealers will be happy to accommodate little tweaks like this to make your new boat perfect.



A place for privacy and rest.

Below Deck

The cabin area is roomy enough to sleep two, and there’s a portable head underneath. A stove with a gas bottle would be a nice touch. The sink is basically a static basin. It wouldn’t hurt to put a faucet there; the boat has an option for 9 gallons of fresh water. But remember this is only a 20’ boat, if you want to make it into the Queen Mary II, you’ll have to add some options.

So it turns out that Hydra-Sports did a good thing when they made the 2000 WA. It’s a very family friendly boat that’s a lot of fun to operate. But don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself-- you’ll be glad you did.

• Top speed for the Hydra-Sports 2000 WA (2009-) is 41.2 MPH (66.3 KPH), burning 16.6 gallons per hour (GPH) or 62.83 liters per hour (LPH).


• Best cruise for the Hydra-Sports 2000 WA (2009-) is 25.0 MPH (40.2 KPH), and the boat gets 3.47 miles per gallon (MPG) or 1.48 kilometers per liter (KPL), giving the boat a cruising range of 328 miles (527.86 kilometers).


• Tested power is 1 x 150-hp Yamaha 4-Stroke.

Hydra-Sports 2000 WA (2009-) Standard and Optional Equipment

Marine Electronics
Fishfinder
GPS/Chart
VHF Radio
Systems
Battery Charger/Converter
CD Stereo
Head: Portable
Trim Tabs
Washdown: Fresh Water
Washdown: Raw Water
Windlass
Exterior Features
Carpet: Cockpit
Hardtop
Outlet: 12-Volt Acc
Swim Ladder
Swim Platform
Canvas
Bimini Top

= Standard = Optional

Test Results   (Printer Friendly Page)

Test Power: 1 x 150-hp Yamaha 4-Stroke

						Range
RPM	MPH	Knots	Total GPH	MPG	NMPG	Stat. Mile	NM	KM	KPH	LPH	KPL	dBA
600	2.5	2.1	0.4	6.13	5.33	579	503	932	4.02	1.5	2.61	77
1000	4.2	3.7	0.7	6.07	2.28	574	499	924	6.76	2.6	2.58	78
1500	5.9	5.1	1.2	5.13	4.46	485	422	781	9.5	4.5	2.18	87
2000	7.2	6.2	1.4	5.11	4.44	483	420	777	11.59	5.3	2.17	85
2500	8.4	7.3	3.3	2.57	2.23	243	211	391	13.52	12.5	1.09	85
3000	10.1	8.8	4.7	2.15	1.87	203	177	327	16.25	17.8	0.91	85
3500	18.2	15.8	5.9	3.11	2.71	294	256	473	29.29	22.3	1.32	93
4000	25.0	21.7	7.2	3.47	3.02	328	285	528	40.23	27.3	1.48	94
4500	29.8	25.9	9.2	3.25	2.83	307	267	494	47.96	34.8	1.38	96
5000	34.5	30.0	11.1	3.12	2.71	295	257	475	55.52	42	1.33	96
5500	38.9	33.8	15.1	2.58	2.24	244	212	393	62.6	57.2	1.1	106
5800	41.2	35.8	16.6	2.49	2.16	235	205	378	66.3	62.8	1.06	107

Speeds measured with Stalker ProSports radar gun. Fuel consumption (gallons per hour) measured with Floscan digital fuel-flow meter on gas inboards, sterndrives, and outboards, TechMate electronic scan tool on gas EFI inboards, Caterpillar digital fuel-flow meter on diesel engines, or permanently installed fuel-monitoring equipment. Range is based on 90% of published fuel capacity. Sound levels determined using Radio Shack digital decibel meter on A scale. 68 dBA is the level of normal conversation.

Performance Chart

Test Conditions

Test Power: 1 x 150-hp Yamaha 4-Stroke

Time To Plane	5.7 sec.
0 to 30	10.8 sec.
Test Power	1 x 150-hp Yamaha 4-Stroke
Transmission	Outboard
Ratio	2.00 : 1
Props	17'' 3-blade SS
Load	2 persons, 1/2 fuel, 0 water, 0 lbs. of gear
Climate	74 deg., 71% humid.; wind: 0-5 mph; seas: calm