Sea-Rod 520 side console review

BIG, beamy and Aussie built were a few things that first came to mind when I saw the Sea-Rod 520, made by Formosa Marine sitting on the trailer.
Even though the 520 Offshore Side Console is actually the baby of the pack, it is by no means a small boat.
With an overall length of 5.35m and a massive 2.4m beam, you have the basis of a boat well suited to a number of different fishing situations obviously including offshore.

I’ve always been a fan of side console boats as I believe it gives you additional fishing area and Sea-Rod 520 is typical of this with its massive amount of deck space.
The clean, uncluttered layout provides more than enough room to freely move about.
At the bow a slightly raised casting platform partially segments the boat into two main fishing sections. And while the casting platform is a reasonable distance from the gunwales, it still gives a good vantage point for casting or retrieving the anchor.
In fact the depth of the sides provides an added feeling of security, which would be favourable in more open waters where this boat would come into its own.
Alternatively, you could easily lean against the gunwales of the main section if fishing offshore, knowing there is increased stability with Sea-Rod’s unique four chamber ballast system.

Stability is important, but particularly so when you are able to virtually walk anywhere around the boat, which is the case with this model.
The four chamber ballast is basically sections built into the hull that fill with water while the boat is at rest, giving extra weight in the centre where needed.
This extra central weight down low keeps the boat level while at rest and allows you to move around more freely and steadily.
Water then escapes from the open chambers as you take off and jump on the plane, providing an efficient and smooth ride.

Other features I also like are the self-draining deck, which gets the water away quickly if it does happen to come over the side or stern and makes cleaning easier.
There are a variety of seating positions as well, so it can double as a family and a fishing boat.
The size of the side console is adequate with enough room to fit your choice of electronics, yet not encroaching on fishing room.
It is situated well towards the stern, but you still have very good vision over the high-swept bow.

Since you are seated a long way back and the bow is so high, I was initially concerned about visibility but this was not a problem, even when launching on to the plane.
The test boat was fitted with a 90hp Yamaha 2-stroke that was more than adequate for the boat (I tested it with both one and two people on board), however there is still a little room to manoeuvre if you want to option up to a larger engine, with maximum horsepower rating set at 115.
How you intend to use this big fishing platform will ultimately determine what you put on the back.