Making the move to V-Drive

[ar240owner]

Yea I do agree the dedicated boats do rock the wave , it's like a yamaha is a Swiss awmy knife that has a screw driver attachment , it can screw stuff in , but grabing a regular screwdriver is eazyer lol

 

[Master-Spud]

Lol this wasn't supposed to turn into a pissing match, I fully agree that a yamaha setup properly can give a really nice wave. But I will say a dedicated v-drive will have more of a convenience to it for switching sides back and forth. Single hit a button and go aspect... I still love my yamaha but if I want a surf machine I'm going to pick a boat that was designed for it, not as an after thought.


What I really need is some help deciding how to spend my money... Centurion ri237 for 150,000, mastercraft X23 for 160,000 or a 2016 tige rzx for 160,000.... Or the interesting one of a used super air nautique g23 for 165,000... Trying to stay under 150 but will spend more if it's going to be better in the long run...

Please note prices are listed in canadian dollars before you yell I'm getting ripped off lol

 

[haknslash]

if I were shopping for a wake boat I would go with an Axis. Something like an A22 or A24. Yea you don't get all sorts of electronic do-dad tech but that's why they are far cheaper than a Malibu, MB, Tige, MC, Centurion, Supra, etc and still put out a good wave. They are quality hand built boats by Malibu. No way I could justify spending 100+k on a dedicated wake boat. The money you would save could be used on mods. Don't get me wrong I was just at the boat show yesterday and the big name wake boats are badass but no way would I surf enough to justify the cost. One of my big issues with all these surf boats is how most of them have a top speed in the high 30's to low 40's. I understand they are propped to get the most out of the torque to push the boat and ballast but it would drive me crazy always having to creep around the lake when sometimes you just want to let the boat rip.

 

[Master-Spud]

Yep I debated the more budget brands and decided I didn't want to get the upgrade itch again in a few years and be back in the same situation and taking a large hit on trade... So decided I'm going all in and getting exactly what I want to no compromise and hope to keep it for a long time lol but yes it's an obscene amount and no real good way to justify the expense besides that I want it lol

 

[octavio3311]

Holy Shit - those prices are just nuts. Unless my kids are part of the Red Bull Tour - no way I could justify that, nor would I want to.
Is there any way you can purchase in the US and bring it in? Probably not due to some import tariff law bullshit.

If I had to choose between those - I'd go MasterCraft.
The G would be my next choice, depending on year and motor option.
Centurion next - Tige' last.
Just ain't crazy about Tige' - no offense to all the Tige' owners here.
What about Malibu? Supra makes a bad ass beast too.

Oh poor you. To have such problems.

 

[Master-Spud]

Lol, with the exchange rate right now it doesn't make sense to bring one up for the states, already looked at pricing there. The G would be a 2016 with the new H6 direct injection motor with 450hp... And between it and the MC would probably have the best resale down the road. The MC is really nice but really lacks storage in the boat. Like anywhere, front cubby and one bench seat is all you get, rest is cooler or ballast bags, but the rear loungers on the back are awesome. I'd say take a look at the rzx it is a heck of a boat and in the same dimensions as the G... But if they end up pricing out the same it would be hard to pick the tige

Only problem with the G is I hit my head everywhere on it, tower, speakers, Bimini... If it was 6 inches taller I'd be sold lol

 

[octavio3311]

I agree - the G is simply "da bomb". That motor with the 2:1 tranny is perfect. No need for the 550hp. The 16's also have the full JL Audio package. Nice! It just doesn't handle as sharply as the X. The X handles incredibly for it's size.

Have you demoed any of them? Which wave do you prefer? I know each of those hull choices have unique wave sizes and features - sometimes it comes down to wave preference.
Those choices are all so bad ass - for me - it would come down to the better deal, or maybe - the better dealer support.

 

[swatski]

I will say a dedicated v-drive will have more of a convenience to it for switching sides back and forth.

This is about to change with the invention of the amazing new custom 240 trim/surf tabs! LOL. No, it won't.
No way anything will work 100% like a dedicated wake system, but will help switching sides with a remote.
https://jetboaters.net/threads/trim-tabs-options-wake-surfing-and-cruising.12031/page-2

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[Master-Spud]

I agree - the G is simply "da bomb". That motor with the 2:1 tranny is perfect. No need for the 550hp. The 16's also have the full JL Audio package. Nice! It just doesn't handle as sharply as the X. The X handles incredibly for it's size.

Have you demoed any of them? Which wave do you prefer? I know each of those hull choices have unique wave sizes and features - sometimes it comes down to wave preference.
Those choices are all so bad ass - for me - it would come down to the better deal, or maybe - the better dealer support.

Sadly haven't got to demo any of them, tige is going to fly me to Texas in late Feb to demo one, but the rest I'm just going off what I can read in forums... All deals I make will be condition to water test, and plan on trying out all 4 before I buy. But looking to put a deposit down on the top contender before spring so I can at least lock one down.

And that's where I'm struggling now, they are all really nice boats, and each have their ups and downs.

Centurion, massive ballast and ramfill
Mastercraft, awesome rear seats
Tige, all subfloor ballast, lots of storage, big 575hp engine and full wetsounds system
Nautique, amazing fit and finish, all sub floor, lots of storage and has been my dream boat for years

 

[octavio3311]

On my lake - I have Nautique, MC, Cobalt, Bryant dealer literally within walking distance. They are incredible to deal with. They give you a loaner if your boat is down for a couple of days. I go there for misc. crap like ropes and stuff. I'm there for and hour or 2 roaming thru the boats. And if they have demo weekends - I'm gone for the afternoon.

The Malibu, Centurion, Supreme, Crownline , BayLiner dealer up the road from them - not so much. 1 would think we see more of the cheaper boats in the lake - nope. I firmly believe That the main reason we see so many more high end boats comes down to dealer support.

 

[swatski]

the MC would probably have the best resale down the road

Buying anything 25ft open bow for 15ok... resale value becomes a bit of a mute point.
With ski/wake boats of late -- one of the things that made me look the other way - an explosion in dedicated wake boat manufacturing.
Reminds me of Harley Davidson from a few years back.

I still would love to have one, don't get me wrong, so I AM insanely envious.

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[OrangeTJ]

All very nice selections. Are you considering the Malibu 23LSV? Buddy of mine has one and I have to say, it's a very nice overall package. For that matter, you could probably go 25LSV and be in your price range. NO shortage of space or storage on that boat! From a build quality/f&f standpoint, I've not seen anything nicer than the Nautique offerings but they are really all pretty close when you're looking at this top tier.

 

[Master-Spud]

Or do the smart move and pick up a dealer demo 2016 Centurion ri237 for 130,000 save myself 20-30g and call it a day lol

 

[Master-Spud]

Sadly we lost the closest Malibu dealer to me last year... The closest one now is 7 hrs away which basically have killed off any thought of the Malibu

 

[OrangeTJ]

I've heard nothing but good about the ri237 as a surf boat. Seems like Centurion wasn't previously considered as "high end" as the MC/Nautique/Malibu in the past but I don't really know why (haven't been on one).

 

[Master-Spud]

The fit and finish isn't quite as nice in the Centurion, exposed wires and vents and such in the storage compartments, ballast bags in the bow and rear lockers... Nautique is pristine everywhere, all subfloor ballast... But 30g nicer...not sure, still debating that lol

 

[OrangeTJ]

I hear that. When I think about price differences like that, I always ask myself "will I have $x more fun"? Sometimes the answer is yes...usually not. This is one reason I went with my MB as opposed to a Malibu. I could have afforded the Malibu but honestly I didn't feel like the $30K more for the 22VLX or MXZ would have been well spent for me. Especially since I prefer the simplicity of the more "analog" user interface of the MB to the all touch screen setup of the Malibu (very cool, but makes me nervous over the long haul). If you can't move around in the Nautique without hitting your head, well that makes that decision pretty easy. No matter what you are going to end up with an awesome boat!

 

[swatski]

Or do the smart move and pick up a dealer demo 2016 Centurion ri237 for 130,000 save myself 20-30g and call it a day lol

One of my friends here in STL just brought home a 2016 MC X30 he paid 103k OTD for, a week ago. It was a dealer demo - I forgot the name, it is a small dealer close to Shelbyville, IL -- LOADED with every option available (and then some). Ridiculously nice.
Basically, the dealer got a special break from MC mother-ship to move things around, and my friend was there -- waiting with a wad of cash to take advantage of it.

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[jcyamaharider]

If I was looking atvthe kind of numbers I wonder what a Pavati surf wave is like???

 

[Master-Spud]

Wouldn't go pavati even if I could afford it... More money than the big 3, very small dealer network, and personally I just trust the wave more from companies that have been in it for the long haul. But Ya would be fun to get behind one lol