Thinking about getting an RC boat? Whether you’re contemplating getting a scale model or a straight up racing boat, I will help you figure out what’s the best option for you.
First things first, what are you looking for in a remote controlled boat? Is speed the most important thing, or are you looking for a replica of a famous boat or ship? Also, are you looking for a boat powered by a propellor or a wind powered sailboat?
A scale replica RC boat, like one of the Titanic, Olympic, or Britannic will look amazing on the water, especially if you put sound fx with a small speaker on board for a really cool show.
The great thing about replicas is that they double up as display models. Just give your model ship a quick wipe down after use and put it back in its display case for continued enjoyment.
However, if you are looking for a speed demon, a racing boat like an Oxidean Marine RC boat is one of the best choices you can make. They are built tough!
Their hulls are made out of carbon and some models are covered with kevlar. All the components are made of very strong materials and this manufacturer is very meticulous when constructing these high performance machines.
These boats are powered with electric motors, which is faster than nitro or gas powered. If speed is your need, then go with Oxidean Marine.
See the Mini Dom Carbon Fiber Self Righting Mono ARTR RC Boat product page here.
Wind powered sailboats are very interesting to me. To be able to sail a boat and control the sails by remote is fascinating to me. It takes a different type of skill that is fun to practice. A remote sailboat is a must have in your collection. They are easy to maintain and have long running times compared to their prop powered cousins.
Finally, the subject of Ready to Run (RTR) vs Almost Ready to Run (ARR) comes up.
If it’s your first rc boat, just get the RTRs, because you can enjoy it and see how a working model operates.
Later on, then ARR’s will make more sense for you. For instance, maybe the hull of your first RC model breaks, but the motor and prop works fine, you can just buy another hull, or an ARR model.
Likewise, if the prop or motor breaks, you can just replace the damaged parts and upgrade your RC boats.
The bottom line is that you should go with an RTR and then later on down the road, you can experiment with ARRs and different parts if that’s something that interests you.
To recap:
- Do you want a replica, a speed demon, or a wind powered sailboat?
- Is this your first RC boat? Go with an RTR
Check out all of our RC models here.