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Decisions, Decisions - Opinions
I'm sure most of you who own a Caymas have gone through the decision making process of what boat to purchase. I have been reading threads and looking on the websites and think I have narrowed it down to either a Phoenix Elite or Caymas CX Pro both in a 21. Leaning toward the Caymas but what were the deciding factors in your purchase. I don't need to be the fastest boat and I'm more about the stability, durability, and fit and finish. I'm about 6 -8 months away form ordering so there will be plenty of time to change my mind. Thanks.
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I came out of Phoenix , have cx 21– to me it’s better fit finish ride quality and about everything else but Phoenix was a very good boat as well. Since u have so much time till purchase see if u can get to drive them and go over each from bow to stern
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Thank you for the input. I like the idea of test driving one.
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I came out of a Triton 20 into a CX21. The reason I purchased a Caymas is because of Mr Benz (expert bas boat guy) and really liked the updated and well thought out layout and options. I have friends that have Phoenix's and they like as well...just personal preference..but did like that Caymas is a new line and updated.
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I can’t speak to Phoenix because I have never owned one. They look like great boats and I see a lot of them. I chose the Caymas based on my experience with Triton, Ranger and Stratos. It came down to ride and customer service(both Earl’s reputation and the dealer’s). I had issues with my Stratos years ago and Earl’s team took care of it quickly and to my satisfaction. He has a great reputation in the industry and that is why I went from Stratos to Ranger, then back to Earl with a Triton. I rode in the Caymas on a rough day on the water and loved the ride. I ended up going with CX21 Pro over the 20ft because the ride that day was a little better to me. I don’t have to be the fastest boat on the water. I have 250SHO and run mid 60’s and that is fast enough for me. I did test ride in a Phoenix, Falcon and a few tin boats. If Caymas wasn’t in business, I would’ve probably went Phoenix. It really came down to the man behind the company, his reputation and my past history owning a Couple of Stratos boats and a Triton. In the end, you would probably be happy with either because both seem like quality boats. I hope that helps some.
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Came out of a skeeter 21i. Was looking at the same boats as you. At the end it came down to fit and finish and quality of contsruction. do not regret that decsion. If skeeter still made the 21I it would have been a tough decision.+ With all that said, the cx21 I have is a joy to drive and handles big water well. It took a few hours to get it setup and dialed in to the ride I was looking for. Love it now.
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I came out of a 20 trx to a cx 20 pro. To me it's a night and day difference. Nothing wrong with the Triton, but I really like almost everything better on my Caymas.
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Ken Smith Fishing on YouTube has some great review videos on both of these boats. Very informative.
Test drove Phoenix 921proXP, 921 Elite, CX20, and CX21 after narrowing search to Phoenix or Caymas. (Coming from a 21 ft. Skeeter)
​Phoenix:
SOLID boats. Period. No question in my mind their hulls and the rough water ride are the best. They also corner on $@#&ing rails... it’s impressive.
however... the finishes are sub par for the price tag. They seem built with tournament angling as the only use, which is great if that is all you want. One Example is the control switch panel is the same one as the 1998 model year Skeeter... the argument being that if a switch fails, it is cheap and easy to replace, but makes the boat feel cheap. When driving or as passenger, the boat feels “tight”. Can’t really explain it, but the Caymas’s are more like skeeter, no claustrophobia. The finishes also seem dated, save for the slam latches available on Elite and PHX models I believe.
​Caymas:
​Best looking bass boat IMO. Rides well enough in the chop (that I didn’t buy a Phoenix instead) and corners well. The cx20 at speed needs to be “driven”, but the 21 feels much less squirrelly. Coming from a Skeeter that you can drive 70 mph with one knee at speed, it is an adjustment.
After riding in both, I ordered the CX21. Main factor was simply how it felt and looked. Recommend you skip the “pro” package and customize your choices on everything. For what these cost, I didn’t want anything on it “packaged”, I wanted it to be mine. Put a HDS16 flush mount on bow and hds12 flush at console. Skipped the power poles, I have no need for em.
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