Is there a specific type of boat/hull design that needs to be used with a surface drive motor, or will just about any Jon boat run a surface drive motor? I’ve been thinking about getting a 14’-16’ boat with a surface drive or maybe even a long tail for duck hunting, every big manufacturer (prodigy, excel, havoc etc) seems like they have a specific hull design for surface drives but I can find any info on the difference between them and say a Lowe or tracker boat besides maybe hull thickness. I don’t plan on jumping beaver dams or anything like that I just want to be able to get into and hunt skinny water.

A Jon boat and a surface drive are completely different beast. Yes you can chunk and old beat up sd rig in a job boat but you’ll tear up the hull around timber. They also don’t perform the same as the transoms have a different pitch.

Weight displacement and transom angle are very important with a surface drive. Big difference between a surface drive boat and “Jon” boat is bracing, Jon boats have horizontal bracing and v-hulls with ribs which kill SD performance.

Surface drives boats are heavier aluminum bottoms that are flat with longitudal/vertical bracing with stronger transoms made to handle heavier mud motors.

Can you put an old surface drive on a Jon boat and get to your spot, sure you can, the boat is just a tool.
You can do the same with a kayak, you get the point?

Thirty year ago I killed ducks from a 17 feet Bass Tracker, it can be done, but do you think I would trade my surface drive rig for that today?

If your going to buy a SD motor, buy a boat it is designed for.

I have an Excel with a mud buddy for sale. Look in the for sale section for details