Hustler Powerboats 344 CC: Center of Attention

Hustler Powerboats launched its first true center console, the 344 CC

By Gregg Mansfield

Hustler Powerboats owner Joe LoGiudice is a performance-boat loyalist at heart. As the market for traditional go-fast boats has shifted, LoGiudice knew the company needed a center console in its lineup.

Hustler 344 CC — The Hustler 344 Center Console offers abundant cockpit seating including a molded two-seat lounger.

The wait was over in the summer of 2025 as Hustler Powerboats introduced its first true center console, the 344 CC. Based on the venerable 34 Cheetah, the 344 CC is a twin-engine center console built for performance and plenty of company.

LoGiudice says he was reluctant to build a center console until the late Joe Imprescia, an offshore racing great, helped change his mind. As a builder of V-bottoms and catamarans, LoGiudice could see the market shifting toward center consoles.

“I wasn’t the biggest fan of making a center console,” LoGiudice said. “The only thing I could use as an example is when you go down the highway, and you see all these SUVs, but you don’t see many sedans. That’s where the performance-boat market has gone.”

Hustler 344 CC helm — Hustler offers the 344 CC with electronics from Simrad.

The 344 CC uses the same proven multistep-bottom hull as the 34 Cheetah. Hustler extended the transom by 2 feet and created a new deck for the 344 CC. Since LoGiudice sees the center console as a family boat, he wanted the 344 CC to have higher freeboard.

The bow features comfortable U-shaped seating, and with the table in place, guests can enjoy a meal or play a board game. Just aft of the bow seating are stainless steel cupholders to port and starboard on risers that double as step pads.

The sculpted lounge in front of the console seats two and has cupholders tucked away in the armrest. Under the lounge, there is a large draining cooler and stowage for fenders and lines.

With an 8’ 6” beam, Hustler had to be creative to maximize space such as the door to the head compartment. Too often, builders offer a bifolding console door or one that only opens halfway, so LoGiudice designed a proprietary hinge. The hinge allows the door to pivot and slide open, providing clear access to the head.

The compartment has 5’ 5” headroom and includes a portable toilet, a sink with a shower nozzle that comes standard. Two panels provide access for the wiring at the helm.

For the first 344 CC out of the mold, the customer fully equipped the boat with a Sionyx night vision camera, a radar and dual Simrad 16” multifunction displays. The center console comes standard with a single 12” Simrad display.

Protecting the electronics is a hardtop and an integrated windshield. The 344 CC has a locking box above the helm to stash valuables, and Hustler added cupholders. “We built the lid of the compartment with the cupholders right into it,” he said.

The 344 CC has room for four standup bolsters with electric drop-down bottoms, and its first model showcased Alcantara upholstery that gave the cockpit a premium feel. Along the transom, Hustler included a three-person bench seat and a starboard walk-through.

The speakers and cupholders are inset into the freeboard with the boat’s purple paint scheme carried through to the interior panels. Owners can upgrade the stereo system to a Fusion package that includes additional amps, four premium speakers and a subwoofer.

For power, the 344 CC comes standard with twin Mercury Racing 300R Verado outboards. The stock power delivers a 55-mph cruising speed, and the 180-gallon fuel tank provides plenty of range for a full day on the water.

Hustler also offers the 344 CC with Mercury Racing 400R or 500R outboards as well as Mercury 400 Verado outboards. When initially testing the boat with 800 horsepower on the transom, LoGiudice was already seeing speeds in the low 80s. The 344 CC with the base power package starts at $455,705.

“After a couple of passes in our testing, we knew we had something,” LoGiudice said.

LoGiudice said the 344 CC is built to the same standards as its offshore boats. The fiberglass hull and deck are hand-laid with five full-length stringers and transverse bulkheads. Hustler uses Baltek cores, carbon fiber and Kevlar for added strength, while vacuum bagging reduces weight.