E Series Boat or Ridesteady

[Wrecked Rooster]

I currently have a 2021 AR210. Only had it for one summer and we enjoyed it so much. Our family couldn't stay off the lake. With that being said, we are considering making the jump to a 212. Not sure if it's worth it as I've never seen one in person. Really getting into the water sports (the ballast and wakebooster were bought this past off season) and my kids will be soon as well. Determined to surf this summer.

In your opinion, what would make the most sense?

1. Add the ridesteady to my boat
2. go with a 212x and add ridesteady
3. go with the 212xe?

I've added the following to my AR210 so far:

• monster wakeboard/surf racks
• fat sac transom ballast - 750 lbs
• sumo ski locker ballast - 850 lbs
• sound system (six 8" kickers, kicker amp, RGB and kicker head unit)
• yamaha wakebooster

**Side note, I don't like the all white of our boat And have considered doing grey above the baby blue line, like one of the 2 photos below. I don't have photo shop so, I think it would look good, but not 100%. I'm guessing that would be a solid color wrap. Are they recommended, and what are the typical cost? Thanks for any help/guidance!

 

[SCP1]

I currently have a 2021 AR210. Only had it for one summer and we enjoyed it so much. Our family couldn't stay off the lake. With that being said, we are considering making the jump to a 212. Not sure if it's worth it as I've never seen one in person. Really getting into the water sports (the ballast and wakebooster were bought this past off season) and my kids will be soon as well. Determined to surf this summer.

In your opinion, what would make the most sense?

1. Add the ridesteady to my boat
2. go with a 212x and add ridesteady
3. go with the 212xe?

I've added the following to my AR210 so far:

• monster wakeboard/surf racks
• fat sac transom ballast - 750 lbs
• sumo ski locker ballast - 850 lbs
• sound system (six 8" kickers, kicker amp, RGB and kicker head unit)
• yamaha wakebooster

**Side note, I don't like the all white of our boat And have considered doing grey above the baby blue line, like one of the 2 photos below. I don't have photo shop so, I think it would look good, but not 100%. I'm guessing that would be a solid color wrap. Are they recommended, and what are the typical cost? Thanks for any help/guidance!

Honestly I would just buy RideSteady and be happy. If you decide to get crazy down the road buy a dedicated wake boat in my opinion. Everyone I have talk to with a 210 has no problem with adding a ton of ballast and getting up on plane. RideSteady is a game changer for water sports (especially surfing) and just cruising. It’s on my list, I have been on multiple boats with it. Honestly seems like there is less complaints with RideSteady than Yamaha’s E series especially at surfing speeds.

 

[tabbibus]

I love my 242 e series. But in your use case. Just add ride steady

 

[Wrecked Rooster]

Honestly I would just buy RideSteady and be happy. If you decide to get crazy down the road buy a dedicated wake boat in my opinion. Everyone I have talk to with a 210 has no problem with adding a ton of ballast and getting up on plane. RideSteady is a game changer for water sports (especially surfing) and just cruising. It’s on my list, I have been on multiple boats with it. Honestly seems like there is less complaints with RideSteady than Yamaha’s E series especially at surfing speeds.

Saving me thousands! Lol. Appreciate your input. Especially owning a 212.

 

[SCP1]

Saving me thousands! Lol. Appreciate your input. Especially owning a 212.

This rarely occurs on this site, lol. I like how you think buying RideSteady and saving thousands. This is definitely how I need to proceed about further upgrades to the boat, when talking to my wife.

 

[Wrecked Rooster]

This rarely occurs on this site, lol. I like how you think buying RideSteady and saving thousands. This is definitely how I need to proceed about further upgrades to the boat, when talking to my wife.

All about perspective. Pitching it this way seems to always work with the misses. Lol. Good luck!

 

[gallobg]

I second all these comments - get the RideSteady and have fun. The system is rock solid, easy to install, and made my boat so much better to operate. Honestly, I could not have surfed the Yamaha without it.

If you and the kids really get into surfing or wakeboarding, you'll eventually want a dedicated wake boat anyhow. That's what I ended up doing this year. So no need to completely overpay in today's market for a 212x, etc.

 

[Wrecked Rooster]

I second all these comments - get the RideSteady and have fun. The system is rock solid, easy to install, and made my boat so much better to operate. Honestly, I could not have surfed the Yamaha without it.

If you and the kids really get into surfing or wakeboarding, you'll eventually want a dedicated wake boat anyhow. That's what I ended up doing this year. So no need to completely overpay in today's market for a 212x, etc.

Loving the mastercraft over the yamaha? I really do enjoy my yamaha, but like you said, if we really get into it, we might have to make a switch.

 

[gallobg]

Loving the mastercraft over the yamaha? I really do enjoy my yamaha, but like you said, if we really get into it, we might have to make a switch.

I loved my Yamaha, I really I did. It excels at a lot of things and if I hadn't been bitten by the surf bug then I absolutely would have kept it. However, after a few seasons I eventually grew tired of the limitations for surfing with filling the manual bags, small surf pocket, and lack of weight capacity for crew. I never did suck up a rope but came close a few times.

Basically, it came down to this: with the AR195, I had to press it into service to become a wakesurf boat - that's not what it was designed for. I don't have a ton of extra time on the weekends and wanted something more dedicated.

The Mastercraft is a whole different animal. It is built to be a tow boat and excels at it in every regard. Auto-fill ballast and auto-launch speed control are fantastic. The v8 has so much torque it's silly. I love the ability to have a full crew of adults on board while also loaded down with ballast - its a more social experience. Fit and finish is miles above the Yamaha, but of course it costs more than double so it should be. Maintenance is more and I basically gave up trying to winterize myself, there's just too much stuff. You you only live once though, right?

Personally, I'd recommend you get the Ridesteady and see how things go for you and the family. Maybe you will love surfing, but then again maybe not. The Ridesteady is a great addition even for general boating. There's an absolute wealth of knowledge on these boards for setup recommendations to get you surfing behind the 210!

 

[Wrecked Rooster]

I loved my Yamaha, I really I did. It excels at a lot of things and if I hadn't been bitten by the surf bug then I absolutely would have kept it. However, after a few seasons I eventually grew tired of the limitations for surfing with filling the manual bags, small surf pocket, and lack of weight capacity for crew. I never did suck up a rope but came close a few times.

Basically, it came down to this: with the AR195, I had to press it into service to become a wakesurf boat - that's not what it was designed for. I don't have a ton of extra time on the weekends and wanted something more dedicated.

The Mastercraft is a whole different animal. It is built to be a tow boat and excels at it in every regard. Auto-fill ballast and auto-launch speed control are fantastic. The v8 has so much torque it's silly. I love the ability to have a full crew of adults on board while also loaded down with ballast - its a more social experience. Fit and finish is miles above the Yamaha, but of course it costs more than double so it should be. Maintenance is more and I basically gave up trying to winterize myself, there's just too much stuff. You you only live once though, right?

Personally, I'd recommend you get the Ridesteady and see how things go for you and the family. Maybe you will love surfing, but then again maybe not. The Ridesteady is a great addition even for general boating. There's an absolute wealth of knowledge on these boards for setup recommendations to get you surfing behind the 210!

Thanks! I really appreciate the thorough reply. The Yamaha seems like a Jack of all trades, master of none type of boat. I do know that we will always have a boat in the family from here on out. It was a bot or a pool for us. We have 3 close friends with pools, so we chose a boat. So glad we did. Hope you have a blast this summer!

 

[ripler]

I loved my Yamaha, I really I did. It excels at a lot of things and if I hadn't been bitten by the surf bug then I absolutely would have kept it. However, after a few seasons I eventually grew tired of the limitations for surfing with filling the manual bags, small surf pocket, and lack of weight capacity for crew. I never did suck up a rope but came close a few times.

Basically, it came down to this: with the AR195, I had to press it into service to become a wakesurf boat - that's not what it was designed for. I don't have a ton of extra time on the weekends and wanted something more dedicated.

The Mastercraft is a whole different animal. It is built to be a tow boat and excels at it in every regard. Auto-fill ballast and auto-launch speed control are fantastic. The v8 has so much torque it's silly. I love the ability to have a full crew of adults on board while also loaded down with ballast - its a more social experience. Fit and finish is miles above the Yamaha, but of course it costs more than double so it should be. Maintenance is more and I basically gave up trying to winterize myself, there's just too much stuff. You you only live once though, right?

Personally, I'd recommend you get the Ridesteady and see how things go for you and the family. Maybe you will love surfing, but then again maybe not. The Ridesteady is a great addition even for general boating. There's an absolute wealth of knowledge on these boards for setup recommendations to get you surfing behind the 210!

We wanted to get into surfing and there was no way I was going to spend money to try and make my old SX210 surfable. I didn't want to be straping bags on the swimdeck and deal with the hassle. If I didn't buy my MasterCraft I was ready to quit boating all together since we outgrew the Yamaha's capability.

I'm surprised you are finding maintenance on the MC harder. I did my own maintenance and winterizing on my NXT20 and it was a breeze, way easier than my Yamaha was.

 

[Wrecked Rooster]

@gallobg @ripler

Question on your choice to go with MasterCraft. One of the biggest selling points of the Yamaha for me is the reliability (toyota of the water imo). With both of y'all choosing MasterCraft as your replacement boat for the Yamaha, was reliability factored in? Basically, do you feel like they are the most reliable wakesurf dedicated boats out there?

Curious, because if I decide to make the change to a more wakesurf centric boat, I'd like to buy one that is mostly reliable (as close to the yamaha as I could get). There are so many options out there Axis, Tige, MasterCraft, Moomba, etc... Don't even know where to start.

 

[ripler]

MC's factory warranty is unmatched, 7 year 1000 hr for the engine and 5 year bow to stern. I went with the NXT line because of cost and I didn't want a bunch of electronics. MC is the only company that hasn't spun off their value line (NXT) to another brand and the NXT is built in the same factory as all of their more expensive boats. MC quality is top notch, I cut out a hole for a 12" sub under the helm and the fiberglass was about 1/2" thick.

 

[gallobg]

@gallobg @ripler

Question on your choice to go with MasterCraft. One of the biggest selling points of the Yamaha for me is the reliability (toyota of the water imo). With both of y'all choosing MasterCraft as your replacement boat for the Yamaha, was reliability factored in? Basically, do you feel like they are the most reliable wakesurf dedicated boats out there?

Curious, because if I decide to make the change to a more wakesurf centric boat, I'd like to buy one that is mostly reliable (as close to the yamaha as I could get). There are so many options out there Axis, Tige, MasterCraft, Moomba, etc... Don't even know where to start.

I’m fairly new to Mastercraft and owning a wake boat in general, so I’m probably not the best person to answer this. I’ll echo the comment above about warranty - it’s fantastic and my local dealer has been super easy to work with. These boats hold their resale value (even in a normal market) typically because they are extremely well built and last forever.

I don’t get the impression there are any specific wake boat manufacturers considered to be “the most reliable” as you mention. There are generally more systems and complexity on these boats than the Yamahas. Personally, I chose Mastercraft because my home lake has a strict 20-foot limit so I had a restricted selection of wake boats to choose from, and I liked the overall package and reputation of the XT20.

I’ll also let @haknslash chime in here from the Moomba side. I highly considered those too but couldn’t really find one locally (no more factory build slots available until 2023). They also have an excellent factory warranty and support network.

Lastly, the advice I was given and also give out myself is that you need to get out on the water and demo any wake boats you are considering. Any reputable dealer will take you out. Nothing replaces driving / surfing it yourself, and they all have their own characteristics (just like cars). There are so many options and customizations you can choose from its crazy - in some cases a fully spec’d boat can be nearly double the base price.

 

[Wrecked Rooster]

Thanks fellas. This definitely helps a lot. I’ll look into mastercraft and moomba more. My kids are 7 and 5. Thinking I have a couple years on the Yamaha having fun before I jump into a full wake boat. We’re tripling up on payments so should have it paid off soon. Perfect timing to look at one of those in the next few years.

 

[Betik]

Thanks fellas. This definitely helps a lot. I’ll look into mastercraft and moomba more. My kids are 7 and 5. Thinking I have a couple years on the Yamaha having fun before I jump into a full wake boat. We’re tripling up on payments so should have it paid off soon. Perfect timing to look at one of those in the next few years.

my kids are 10 and 8, you have plenty of time. They are light and will be able to get up.
This is not the time to buying a new boat, so even if RS and E series were equal I would still stick to your boat. Given RS is one ( or ten) steps about everything else, I definitely go with RS.

 

[212s]

I agree...get the Ridesteady and keep the 210 boat until you're sure the kids will want/need better surfing. We discussed it and realized that the kids won't be surfing or boarding, just tubing, so we stuck with the 212s for us. We got it with the tower as we hate pole biminis shaking in the wake - the tower is rock solid stable. Need to get one of those bimini extensions though to stay out of the sun.

 

[Wrecked Rooster]

my kids are 10 and 8, you have plenty of time. They are light and will be able to get up.
This is not the time to buying a new boat, so even if RS and E series were equal I would still stick to your boat. Given RS is one ( or ten) steps about everything else, I definitely go with RS.

RS?

 

[SCP1]

Keep in mind with 8 and 10 year olds, depending on weight they should be able to surf ropeless without ballast. I know my 11 year can on our 212, the prior year he was able to do this on our 195 without ballast as well. Holding the correct speed is the bigger problem.

 

[SCP1]

RS?

Assuming RideSteady.