Chaparral 277 SSX Review

The Chaparral 277 SSX is a brilliant day boat with an irresistible recipe for fun on the water. This bowrider his all the right marks.

Chaparral has made a real splash with its all-new 277 SSX, and it’s easy to see why.

Boats are all about choices, and to a buyer, the decision of what to get isn’t always clear. For some buyers it’s all about comfort. Other buyers just want to enjoy the sunshine and spend afternoons on the sandbar with friends. Still other boat buyers put an emphasis on performance. But what do you do if a person wants to have it all?

By neatly combining the comforts of a cruiser with the seating capacity of a pontoon and the sporty handling of a jet boat, the Chaparral 277 SSX checks a lot of boxes boat owners are looking for.

The 277 SSX rides on the company’s extended V-Plane hull for impressive performance and greater interior space.

Riding on the company’s extended V-Plane hull, the Chaparral 277 SSX provides a sporty ride that remains comfortable, dry and secure in even heavy seas. A big part of that comes from its sharp bow entry, which leads back to the stern in a deep V with a full 22 degrees of deadrise for a super comfortable ride in even choppy conditions. The deep V hull makes the 277 SSX an ideal choice for boaters who spend their time on large inland lakes or coastal waters, but there’s more to the design beyond its ability to handle big water.

For starters, that deep hull profile provides a lot of added interior space. It’s apparent in the bow, where the twin forward-facing lounge seats are nestled deep within the boat for an added sense of security and comfort. That’s further enhanced by fold-down arm rests, and the deeply upholstered coaming extending up each side of the boat. Up top at deck level, a low-rise stainless steel railing provides yet another level of security for those riding up front when underway. Thanks to the boat’s sharp entry and hull profile, riders here stay dry, even out in the rough stuff.

Twin bow lounge seats feature fold-down arm rests and deep coaming for added comfort and security when riding up front.

Moving aft, you pass through a sporty walk-through windshield into the main cabin. This is where Chaparral’s attention to detail really becomes apparent since apart from being able to close off the windshield to keep out the cold breeze, you can also close off a bow door to seal the main cabin completely, providing much greater comfort when boating in cool weather early or late in the season. It’s a small thing, but it makes a world of difference.

What’s also really cool on the 277 SSX is that the two licking tabs for the walk-through windshield are linked, so flipping one tab opens or closes them both. That’s a really nice touch.

Ther ability to close off the bow with the walk-through windshield and a welcome bow gate provides much greater comfort when boating in cool weather.

The Chaparral 277 SSX boasts some nifty engineering in its twin consoles. The passenger console, for example, houses a surprisingly spacious head compartment with LED lighting, an opening port light with screen, and a Porta-potti which can be swapped out for an electric head as a worthwhile upgrade. A tray up top holds small items, while a second small tray by the left arm rest contains sunglasses, sunscreen and other compact necessities. There’s also a stainless steel drink holder to ensure hydration is never far away.

A spacious head compartment is an unexpected bonus.

The driver is spoiled in equal comfort. The helm console houses a massive storage locker in its base, complete with a thoughtful pull-out drawer for smaller items that you’ll want to access on short notice, like binoculars.

The brilliantly designed helm console features a massive storage space in its base, complete with a useful pull-out drawer for essentials like binoculars.

The helm itself is a work of art, with a custom hand-wrapped console featuring stainless steel accents and a custom leather steering wheel. Up on the dash, twin Simrad NSS7 EVO3 chartplotter multifunction touch-screen displays come as standard equipment. A beefy chrome-on-black tilt steering wheel is positioned perfectly for comfort regardless of how the seat is positioned, while weatherproof push-button switches fanning out on either side control electrical accessories. Of course, the Chaparral 277 SSX comes with a premium sound system with Bluetooth streaming. Interior LED courtesy lights are a nice touch, and provide added safety on evening cruises.

In-floor storage accommodates bulky gear – including a removable cockpit table.

Look carefully between the sumptuously comfortable driver and passenger seats and you’ll spot an opening in the floor that reveals a large storage space for bulky gear like wake boards. A gas ram holds the lid open so you can stow and retrieve gear with both hands, while a sliding tray to the port side provides the ideal space for storing the removable cockpit table, which includes two integrated drink holders.

The table fits a side-mounted base to preserve legroom in the cockpit.

More often than not that table will be clipped into its little receptacle and put into full use. It mounts to the side of the large L-shaped lounge that dominates the boat’s cockpit, preserving legroom for occupants. As with the twin bow lounges, there’s a ton of storage space available in the seat base. Facing it is an equally inviting starboard-side seat, with dedicated storage for a 36-quart removable cooler in its lower section.

It’s the standard multi-position Oasis lounge seating that’s the main cockpit attraction, however. With its adjustable back rest, the double-wide seat offers tremendous versatility, with forward-facing or aft-facing options. It also folds flat to create an inviting sun pad.

Chaparral’s Oasis multi-position lounge offers forward-facing or aft-facing seating, or can fold flat to create a large sun pad.

Overhead, a standard Bimini top provides an escape from the mid-day sun while an available arch, complete with a ski tow pylon, is available as an appealing upgrade.

Out back, a large extended swim platform and starboard side transom gate invites guests aboard. There’s also a retractable boarding ladder that fits neatly into a starboard-side compartment.

The extended aft swim platform includes a thoughtful boarding ladder.

With its versatile layout, capable deep-V hull and thoughtful appointments, the Chaparral 277 SSX really does blend all the comforts of a cruiser with the seating capacity of a deck boat and the sporty handling of a Jet Ski – little wonder it’s made such a splash with buyers this year.