Boat Test: 2026 Pursuit S 388 Sport
The S 388 Sport offers a responsive, comfortable ride in a variety of conditions.
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Overview
Pursuit’s new S 388 represents the evolution of the Sport series center-console, supplanting the S 378 model and offering more storage and features developed from customer input. It also boasts both functional and aesthetic innovations allowing its owner to pursue a variety of activities. Hop aboard.
I applaud Pursuit’s design team for balancing appearance with function. The sheer line looks aggressive, yet there’s plenty of freeboard to provide security. The top didn’t visibly wrack or vibrate despite my aggressive wake-bashing, yet it looks sleek and houses audio, rod holders, and more. Twin platform extensions enhance water access, ease service access, and make the S 388 appear longer and lower, while making the outboards appear integral.
The well-appointed helm offers a wealth of information and capabilities.
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Interior and Accessories
Of course, the hull side windows really make this Pursuit’s appearance pop. These also serve a purpose beyond aesthetics. When inside the cabin, itself fitted with large windows, the sightlines lead straight through the hullside windows. Thus, cabin occupants get a view of the water, not the washdown hose. That this detail was even considered illustrates to me Pursuit’s dedication to excellence.
Bow seating is spacious and plush.
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Other features inside the nicely decorated cabin include opposing settees that convert to a berth, and a galley that includes a microwave and two refrigerator/freezer drawers. There’s also a 24-inch smart TV, a solid-wood dining table, plus dedicated fishing rod storage. Air conditioning, powered by the generator or 50A shorepower, keeps things cool, and the private head boasts a designer vanity, a vacu-flush commode and a shower curtain. Topside, the S 388 sports 97 more cubic feet of storage—optional cold plates refrigerate some of that—and a cockpit refrigerator. Pursuit raised the cockpit sole, enabling larger fish boxes and a bigger fuel tank. Additionally, the cockpit is 8 inches longer than the old 378 and I applauded both the ability to walk from port to starboard in front of the engines and the placement of the stern cleats. Mounted high and aft, these enable cross-tying without fouling on the outboards. The wide dive door offers a low sill—easier for boating fish—and didn’t leak a drop during my sea trial.
The top houses audio, rod holders, and more.
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Service access impressed me. I could easily get my hands on the fittings. The batteries live on a slide-out shelf—a great advantage to anyone who’s installed batteries will appreciate.
Another boat with great service access (sans Pursuit’s slick battery slide), copious social benefits, and a fishier attitude is Grady-White’s 36-feet-6-inch-by-13-feet-2-inch Canyon 386. Rated for 1,350 hp, it carries a bit less fuel than the Pursuit, but hit a faster 60.3 mph in our test with triple Yamaha 450 XTO Offshore outboards. The Canyon 386 retails for $1,098,960.
A removable table creates an al fresco dining area.
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I ran the S 388 Sport with a dozen people aboard, the tanks half-full and the intent to wring out this new rig. The S 388 took off easily. At mid-range cruising speed it nearly jumped when I mashed the throttle. Such response indicates that it’ll be a good boat in confused seas and inlets with breakers. Turning was predictably sure even up to hardover at 45 mph. Note that the numbers in the performance chart (below) were collected during a separate trial with just two people onboard.
The transom features a 36-gallon, lighted livewell with a blue interior, as well as large storage box.
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Pursuit installed fishing equipment with a thoughtful mindset. Rocket launchers are positioned so the cockpit shade can deploy and so that you can easily reach rods stored in them. Twelve rod holders grace the gunwales and there’s lockable under-gunwale rod stowage, plus a rack on the underside of the hardtop. There’s a 36-gallon, lighted transom livewell with a blue interior, as well as large storage box. The fish boxes feature diaphragm pumps, which evacuate fish-bits better than more cloggable gravity drains. The tackle center provides storage, leader racks and more. The cooler lid is upholstered to form an aft-facing bench; fold down the backrests to reveal hard work surfaces for tying rigs (or serving charcuterie). It’s an ingenious solution we’ve seen on other top boats.
Opposing settees convert to a berth.
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Of course, you can step up into the space between this module and the helm seats. From there, you can face aft and rig baits atop the grill and sink lids. A removable table creates an al fresco dining area, and Pursuit provides a clever stowage space for it. Form meets function.
Our test boat featured Pursuit’s Puretech Suite Tier 1. This included Garmin electronics with custom MFD startup pages and engine diagnostics, an optimized JL Marine Audio system, and Siren Marine telematics for remote monitoring of your boat’s condition.
The private head boasts a designer vanity, a vacu-flush commode and a shower curtain.
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Puretech Suite 1 dovetails nicely with the Yamaha technology aboard, including integrated electric steering, Helm Master EX digital electronic control, Yamaha joystick control with the Full Maneuverability package (set point and autopilot), a multifunction display interface, and a manual engine-flushing system.
If you want the ride, seakeeping and layout of a center-console to pursue fishing with as much passion as your other pleasures, I suggest scheduling a sea trial aboard Pursuit’s S 388 Sport.
Read Next: Pursuit S 328 Sport
The galley includes a microwave and two refrigerator/freezer drawers.
Courtesy Pursuit Boats
How We Tested
- Engines: Triple Yamaha 5.6L V-8 450 XTO Offshore
- Drive/Prop: Outboard/16 3/8″ x 21″ XTO OS 3-blade stainless steel
- Gear Ratio: 1.79:1 Fuel Load: 500 gal. Water on Board: 0 Crew Weight: 400 lb.
- A larger genset, a bigger holding tank, and more fuel compared to competitors.
- Hullside windows in a CC? You bet!
- Mezzanine, like many other features aboard, enhances both sociability and fishability, and is unique in this size center-console.
- A Seakeeper gyrostabilizer is optional, whereas competitors offer a standard gyro.
- Competitors offer more fishing features such as more and larger livewells.
Pursuit S 388 Sport Certified Test Results
Boating Magazine
Contact Pursuit
Pursuit Boats – Fort Pierce, Florida; pursuitboats.com
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