April 2, 2026
Sea Ray SLX 310: The Sterndrive Dayboat That Still Makes the Case
The SLX 310 is the 31-footer for the owner who wants a clean swim platform, a wet bar within reach of the helm, and drives instead of transo…
Read the articleSea Ray SLX 310
Expert Review, Technical Specifications & Market Analysis
The Essentials
| Feature | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Overall Length | 31'6" |
| Beam | 10'3" (3.12 m) |
| Draft | 38" drives down / 28" drives up |
| Displacement | 11,252 lb (5,104 kg) dry weight |
| Engines | Twin Mercury MerCruiser 4.5L MPI ECT, Bravo Three drives, Joystick Piloting (T-250 hp) standard; 6.2L options to T-350 hp, SeaCore available |
| Fuel Capacity | 130 gal (492 L) |
| Water Capacity | 24 gal (91 L) |
| Cabins / Heads | Open bowrider layout with a head compartment; 20 gal holding tank. Sea Ray publishes no berth count for this model |
| Max Speed | 44–50 mph (Sea Ray's published wide-open throttle range) |
Source: Spec & Photos courtesy of Sea Ray. Specs verified by Tony Smith, USCG 100 Ton Master, on August 11, 2026.
Part of the Sea Ray SLX series — see how owners step up through the lineup.
Quick Verdict
- Sterndrives buy you a clean transom: no motors to walk around, a full-width swim platform, and weight carried low and inboard rather than hung off the back
- Sea Ray publishes a 44–50 mph wide-open throttle band and a 21° deadrise, but no cruising speed and no range for this model — plan your sea trial to fill that gap yourself
- Five-year SURPA5S+ bow-to-stern cover plus a Limited Lifetime Structural Hull/Deck warranty to the original owner, which the SLX 400 and 400 Outboard do not get
Our Take
Everyone will tell you outboards have won, and in the 31-foot bracket they mostly have. The SLX 310 is worth your time anyway, for one reason you can feel the moment you step aboard: the transom is clear. No brackets, no cowlings to squeeze past, a swim platform that runs the full width of the boat. If your day ends with four people in the water and a ladder that actually gets used, that layout is not nostalgia. It is the whole point of the boat.
The standard engine is the 4.5L at 250 hp a side, and the option list runs up through the 6.2L to 350 hp. Sea Ray quotes 44 to 50 mph wide open. What it does not quote — and this is the honest gap on this boat — is a cruising speed or a range. So take the sea trial seriously. Run it at the speed you would actually hold for forty minutes, watch the fuel flow on the VesselView screen, and do the arithmetic against 130 gallons yourself. Nobody is going to hand you that number.
The trade you are making is maintenance. Bellows, gimbal bearings and drive service are real line items that outboard owners simply do not have, and if you keep the boat in salt water the SeaCore option stops being optional in my view. What you get back is the five-year SURPA5S+ warranty, which is genuinely longer than most of this class, and a boat that carries its weight where a 31-footer should. Go in knowing both halves of that trade and the SLX 310 is an easy boat to own.
Official Sea Ray Premiere: Inside the Sea Ray SLX 310
Video courtesy of Sea Ray.
Sea Ray SLX 310 Photo Gallery
Photos courtesy of Sea Ray.
Sea Ray SLX 310 Articles & Guides
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does Joystick Piloting do on the SLX 310?
It lets you move the boat sideways, spin it in its own length and hold position against wind and current, using a single joystick instead of throttles and a wheel. On the SLX 310 it comes as part of the standard propulsion package rather than as an upgrade, working with the counter-rotating Bravo Three drives and Mercury's SmartCraft Digital Throttle and Shift system. The practical effect is that docking a 31-footer in a crowded marina stops being the stressful part of the day, which matters on a boat designed to be run by its owner.
What is the Sea Ray SLX 310's top speed?
Sea Ray publishes a wide-open-throttle range of 44 to 50 mph for the SLX 310. That is the builder's own figure and the only speed it publishes for this boat — there is no published cruising speed and no published range. Standard power is twin Mercury MerCruiser 4.5L MPI engines at 250 hp each on Bravo Three drives, with 6.2L options running up to 350 hp a side. If you need a cruising figure, hold your real cruise speed on the sea trial and read the fuel flow off the VesselView screen against the 130-gallon tank. That will give you a better number than any estimate in circulation.
Does the Sea Ray SLX 310 have a cabin?
No, and Sea Ray does not claim one. The SLX 310 is an open bowrider with a head compartment and a 20-gallon holding tank, and the builder publishes no berth count and no Sleeps row for it. The layout puts everything into the cockpit instead: an expansive social area with a standard wet bar, an aft-facing lounger that converts to a sunpad, and deep bow seating with optional filler cushions. If you want berths on a boat this size in the Sea Ray range, the Sundancer 320 is the answer — it is only sixteen inches longer and sleeps four.