I’ve followed Regulator boats since the very first model hit the water in 1988. The enthusiastic folks that started the company have created not only a recognizable brand, but also a line of products focused on quality, fishing and family fun.
The new 30XO is no exception. It is a hybrid of sorts but all Regulator, with superb fit-and-finish and an abundance of seating and fishing conveniences. I tested it on a beautiful February day in Florida’s Biscayne Bay. Our test boat had just about every option imaginable to fit the needs of fishermen from Maine to Louisiana and Key West to California.
With a length of 30 feet, 7 inches and a beam of 10 feet, 2 inches, the 30XO offers platforms forward and aft. The forward area of the boat is functional, with a molded anchor locker and lid on the gunwale deck. The test boat had an optional 96-inch trolling motor with dedicated batteries and a 15-amp charger. The integral U-shaped bow seating/casting platform has 187 quarts of storage on the centerline under the seat. Each side has flip-up backrest seating. In-deck is a 294-quart insulated and macerated fish box.
The center console features a forward lounge with plush seating and folding armrests and handholds, with a 218-quart storage bin below. Our test boat had the optional half-tower, sliding sunroof access, and a second station with full controls, a Garmin display, a helm seat and cup holders. The fully molded hardtop features composite windshield supports for the three-sided tempered glass and ventilated windshield.
The entrance to the console is on the starboard side. Its interior has a full stand-up head with a holding tank and pump-out. Access to the back of the electronics panel is made easy with large upper and lower opening door panels.
The 30XO has an ergonomically appointed helm. The optional jack-plate control is slightly offset to port, with the binnacle to starboard. Outside of that is a glove-box compartment with a light. To port is an optional inductive cellphone charger as well as the trim-tab control switches.
The dash also featured two 16-inch Garmin 8616xsv multifunction displays. There’s also a Garmin VHF and a remote mic. Regulator also has a proprietary user interface called MyHelm with easy-to-use functions on the touchscreen. The system even has its own key fob for controlling the Power-Poles, jack plate, spreader lights, light bar and deck lights. There are also lighted buttons to manually operate the horn, bilge pumps, lights and wipers when the screens are being used for navigating and fish-finding. Our test boat had the Yamaha engine display on the dash and the optional Yamaha Helm Master EX joystick control.
The leaning post has a pair of plush helm seats with fold-up bolsters and armrests. The aft legs of the hardtop tie into the leaning post and offer 10 rod holders. On the starboard side of the leaning post is an upper pullout storage drawer with a pullout waste basket underneath. On the port side are three good-size drawers for more gear and tackle. The aft side of the leaning post has a Corian top and three rows of drawers. The top row features two open storage drawers and a center drop-down with a freshwater coil hose. The second row includes two drawers that each hold six Plano 3700-size tackle organizer
boxes. The bottom drawer is full-width and features a removable cutting board.
The aft deck has a host of features, including three flush-mounted flip-up seats with a pair of stainless-steel drink holders between them. There is a 29-gallon livewell in the starboard transom corner, and another 116 quarts of storage that can be used as a livewell in the port transom corner. Bilge access is via the lift-up hatch under the center seat. The bilge is neatly finished and easy to reach, with all components laid out for simple maintenance.
Our test boat had a pair of Yamaha F300 four-stroke outboard engines. The 30XO performed well and was incredibly stable, even while walking around the gunwales. We tested with a half-load of fuel. The boat easily came up on plane, tracked well, and turned smoothly with no sliding. It handled the wakes we encountered with ease.
We conducted the test with two people aboard, no jack-plate trim, and no tabs at first. We found this load’s sweet spot at 3,500 rpm, making 31.6 mph while burning 17.4 gph, giving us 1.82 mpg. At wide-open throttle and trimmed for speed, we reached a top speed of 56.4 mph, burning 53.2 gph and making 1.06 mpg.
The Regulator 30XO checks a lot of boxes on the potential use categories without sacrificing functionality while keeping the user-friendly aspects of the platform pertinent for so many applications. The inshore, nearshore and offshore capabilities of this boat are many, and the folks at Regulator have done a bang-up job of executing the build. I’m a big fan of these hybrid boats because they have such wide-use appeal.
The 30XO is an excellent platform with ample room for a few fishing buddies to hit the bay or the rip. Next, load up the floats and beach gear, and bring the family to the sandbar. There is no doubt this rig can do all of it well and in fine style.
| Length: | 30’7″ |
| Beam: | 10’2″ |
| Draft: | 1’9″ (engines up) |
| Weight: | 9,525 lb. (w/ power) |
| Fuel: | 222 gal. |
| Max HP: | 600 |
| MSRP: | Starts at $370,995 w/ twin Yamaha F300s |
Regulator Marine – regulatormarine.com
