Hovers can be easily outrun and -gunned with microed corvettes. And as soon as the sea player goes t2 (which you can't do with hovers) and deploys a few cruisers hovers won't be able to kill him if he doesn't make stupid mistakes (seaplane gunships used to work too as hover counter since hover doesn't have very good aa, i haven't tested it with the new "t 1.5" seaplanes yet though). Stumpies might be better cost for cost then hovers but they are also slower and can't drive happily through the seas.
And yes it's too late now, Sleksa will come and get you with evil posts of doom
