You’re absolutely right to question the practicality of these high-horsepower setups. Beyond a certain point, especially for typical recreational use, you hit serious diminishing returns in performance versus cost, safety, and even comfort. Most recreational hulls are optimized for a certain speed and power band—push them far outside those limits and not only do you risk safety issues, but ride quality often goes downhill too. Maintenance and insurance costs can be eye-watering, and the fuel burn at WOT with 600+ hp is staggering.
For most weekend boaters, the sweet spot is usually much lower, where you get reliable performance with far fewer headaches. Unless you’re competing or have a specific need—like offshore fishing that requires fast runs out and back—these big numbers often do end up being more about status than utility. Sensible power for the hull and usage is almost always the better long-term bet.