I believe they switched to the SV2 in '92
I just got back from a ride on G8RDave's 228, which was my first ride in an SV2 hull. I previously owned a 1986 226 Seafarer with the older hull design.
The difference in the ride characteristics is quite distinctive. The SV2 hull feels like a much heaver boat (which it is) and cuts through a short chop a lot better than the older design. The splash point, where the spray comes from, is actually located just forward of the helm station on the SV2. It was right under your feet on the older design. The SV2 transmits less of a shock to your feet and knees as the result of both the sharper entry and the forward splash point. The spray is deflected out to the side more on the SV2 hull. While we weren't in anything over 2 ft this morning, I could tell that the SV2 is a drier running hull when we ran through a barge wake. Unlike a true deep V, the SV2 boat had no tendency to roll at all when running in the trough .
The non-SV2 hull had one advantage, however. I could keep my 226 with a 200 hp 2-stroke on plane at 18 mph. After adding a hydrofoil, I could even do this in heavy seas. When the hull would start to pound in seas much over 2ft, being able to slog along slowly would let me get out to fish in much bigger seas. The SV2 hull got knocked off plane at about 24 mph and really wasn't happy unless it was running close to 30. This may well have been the effect of the transom bracket on the 228 model. The boat also had tendency to porpoise with running with a following sea. Again, that my be a characteristic of the bracket mounted engine rather than the SV2 hull design. My next test ride is going to be in a 226 with the SV2.
Is a non-SV2 hull a deal breaker? Well, an older Grady without any transom or stringer rot is a bargain if you can find one. They are very seaworthy hulls but they will pound more if you try to run them too fast in rough water. But if you slow down, you will never feel unsafe. The SV2, at least in the 228 model, rides smoother in a chop, but it needs to go faster to keep on plane. That can beat you up as much as the older hull design if the seas are steep enough. Remember that every hull is a compromise.
