2018 Supra SL & 2018 Malibu 23LSV

[Capdoogie]

 Well Pic’s do lie!   Here’s the quick skinny.  ri237/257 great wave,  a little better but very close to Malibu if your fully sac’d out.  But cockpit area not so good, seat bolster very skinny and your butt hangs over and the armrest is not even close to the throttle. My wife hated the cockpit ergonomics its not designed for a women at all. Seats not hinged. Otherwise good boat.   Tigre wave was ok not as much push for surf  style riders, interior was top notch on their new models. The floor hatch areas flexed a ton which I didn’t like and step up from platform was like climbing up a cliff.  MC. I tried a couple models but just couldn’t get used to their wave.  G23 best interior, floor cooler trash can easy access.  Very little bow rise when surfing.  Just a couple hundred pounds of lead and your off to the races.  Now, here’s were some Bu surfers have a difficult time. The standard side wave is a steeper angle than the Bu. You know how we all wish our standard looked like the goofy. Well the G23 is that. if you like to air it out,  etc I think it’s better. But with the steepness you loose a little push. But I’m sure if I owned one I could figure out how to get that back. Moomba not even in the running, wave ok but interior lacking. 2018 23lsv not much different to my lsv, still have to pnp the heck out of it.  It did have a weird step out in the flats coming from the edge of the hull about an inch high.  Also at altitude the 450hp motor struggled a little with full ballast and pnp.  2018 24mxz l liked this boat a lot my favorite of the Bu line, but for me I’m just not a pickle fork guy.  Supra SL next up! Now this is just my opinion and experience, I don’t want this to get IFXE talking in the third person.  Lol

Edited October 16, 2017 by Capdoogie

[IXFE]

41 minutes ago, Capdoogie said:

 Well Pic’s do lie!   Here’s the quick skinny.  ri237/257 great wave,  a little better but very close to Malibu if your fully sac’d out.  But cockpit area not so good, seat bolster very skinny and your butt hangs over and the armrest is not even close to the throttle. My wife hated the cockpit ergonomics its not designed for a women at all. Seats not hinged. Otherwise good boat.   Tigre wave was ok not as much push for surf  style riders, interior was top notch on their new models. The floor hatch areas flexed a ton which I didn’t like and step up from platform was like climbing up a cliff.  MC. I tried a couple models but just couldn’t get used to their wave.  G23 best interior, floor cooler trash can easy access.  Very little bow rise when surfing.  Just a couple hundred pounds of lead and your off to the races.  Now, here’s were some Bu surfers have a difficult time. The standard side wave is a steeper angle than the Bu. You know how we all wish our standard looked like the goofy. Well the G23 is that. if you like to air it out,  etc I think it’s better. But with the steepness you loose a little push. But I’m sure if I owned one I could figure out how to get that back. Moomba not even in the running, wave ok but interior lacking. 2018 23lsv not much different to my lsv, still have to pnp the heck out of it.  It did have a weird step out in the flats coming from the edge of the hull about an inch high.  Also at altitude the 450hp motor struggled a little with full ballast and pnp.  2018 24mxz l liked this boat a lot my favorite of the Bu line, but for me I’m just not a pickle fork guy.  Supra SL next up! Now this is just my opinion and experience, I don’t want this to get IFXE talking in the third person.  Lol

@IXFE can speak in the third person and still remain calm.  LOL

So I'll give you a serious response, like two adults have a chat over lunch... 

I actually appreciate this post a lot, and much if it resonates with my experience.  I posted reviews / comments about the RI's last year.  Folks think I'm a homer, but if you go back and read what I wrote (can't remember what thread they're in), I was actually quite complimentary of the wave, especially the push at the back of the wave.  That said, I didn't like the crazy high RPM's those boats run, and like you I was not a fan of the interior of the boats, particularly the helm (same as you just posted).  Also, having demo'd both of the new MXZ's and the new 23 LSV since those Ri demos, I do believe the new Bu's have greatly improved push at the back of the wave also.  IMHO, they have closed that gap.  That's the biggest difference I noticed between the '14, '15, and '16 23 LSV's that I owned and the '18 LSV that I demo'd last week.  That plus I felt like you could easily get away without a bow bag.  That said, when I get my new 23 I may experiment with some lead in the nose.  Not sure yet.   I'm super intrigued my @NAW's comments about the boat surfing best with less weight, not more.  

Totally agree that the G23 is an amazing "in cabin" experience.  I think it's the quietest of the bunch, and you're right... bow rise is minimal.  Loaded down the boat handles really well, which kinda surprised me as I was expecting it to be like a big whale.  I really like the studio elite audio package, or whatever they call it.  The cockpit controls confuse me, but I'm sure if I owned one I'd get the hang of it.  The first time I demo's the new G23 I could not get the hang of the goofy wave.  I almost NEVER bury my nose when surfing.  It's a mistake that's been almost completely eliminated.  But the G23 wave is very steep with a very abrupt transition.  I had to work hard not to bury the nose each time I surfed down the wave.  All three of my runs on that first demo ended with my nose under water.  I was so confused.  I wrote it off as just "different" and another thing I'd adapt to if it was my everyday boat.  Then I had the chance to spend more time on a '16 G23 this past year and was anxious to give it another go.  We had my 25 LSV with us as well.  The first day I surfed the G23 and boom... same exact experience.  I was either burying the nose or working very hard not to (like always in the back of my mind and I gingerly surfed down the wave apply extra weight to the tail as I came down into the transition).  It just wasn't fun for me.  I felt like I was "on eggshells" the entire run.  I spent the rest of the week behind the 25 LSV.  I thought to myself, "Why am I punishing myself?  Just stick to what you already know and love."  And that pretty much sums up how I feel about the G23.  Great boat, but why spend $20K more to then have to relearn how to surf?  

I know you have another boat to demo, but what are you thinking at this point?  What does your head say?  What does your heart say?  What does your wallet say?  

 

[Capdoogie]

Wallet says sell my boat, haha.  I’m thinking G23. But I reserve the right to change my mind a hundred times. Wish I had the room for the 25lsv😢

Edited October 16, 2017 by Capdoogie

[ConnollyCrew]

IMG_2889.mov

[IXFE]

Screen capture from @ConnollyCrew's video...

 

[Chrisjjbrown]

5 hours ago, IXFE said:

Screen capture from @ConnollyCrew's video...

 

That wave looks very Similar to your 25 wave w the hobbit....that's impressive 

 

Edited October 17, 2017 by Chrisjjbrown

[bamaboy]

On 10/15/2017 at 1:19 AM, IXFE said:

I like everything about the G23 except three things...

1) the surf wave... not as big or long as my 25 and I just can't get used to the shape... very steep

2) the screen / controls are confusing to me

3) the price

I actually think that point 3 is the most valid.  50% of the people at the gathering preferred the G23 wave to the 25 LSV.  So YOU like it better but is it better?  That depends on who you ask.  I prefer the G23 wave slightly more.  

The controls have a learning curve for sure.  Once you get the hang of them, they are great.  Even my wife loves them if that tells you anything

The price is obscene.  There is no way in hell a wakeboat is worth 140K.  I don't care what it does.

 

Then again, so is the price of the 25 LSV.  I'm guessing average guy pays 140K for a new G23 and 120K for a 25 LSV.  Is the new G23 price MORE obscene than a 25 LSV. Yes.  20K more in my neck of the woods.  And I agree it is not 20K better than the 25 LSV.  

 

FWIW, I don't own a G23 anymore.  I sold it and bought a used G21.  I also love it 98% as much as the G23 especially the price

Edited October 17, 2017 by bamaboy

[granddaddy55]

On 10/16/2017 at 9:57 AM, IXFE said:

@IXFE can speak in the third person and still remain calm.  LOL

So I'll give you a serious response, like two adults have a chat over lunch... 

I actually appreciate this post a lot, and much if it resonates with my experience.  I posted reviews / comments about the RI's last year.  Folks think I'm a homer, but if you go back and read what I wrote (can't remember what thread they're in), I was actually quite complimentary of the wave, especially the push at the back of the wave.  That said, I didn't like the crazy high RPM's those boats run, and like you I was not a fan of the interior of the boats, particularly the helm (same as you just posted).  Also, having demo'd both of the new MXZ's and the new 23 LSV since those Ri demos, I do believe the new Bu's have greatly improved push at the back of the wave also.  IMHO, they have closed that gap.  That's the biggest difference I noticed between the '14, '15, and '16 23 LSV's that I owned and the '18 LSV that I demo'd last week.  That plus I felt like you could easily get away without a bow bag.  That said, when I get my new 23 I may experiment with some lead in the nose.  Not sure yet.   I'm super intrigued my @NAW's comments about the boat surfing best with less weight, not more.  

Totally agree that the G23 is an amazing "in cabin" experience.  I think it's the quietest of the bunch, and you're right... bow rise is minimal.  Loaded down the boat handles really well, which kinda surprised me as I was expecting it to be like a big whale.  I really like the studio elite audio package, or whatever they call it.  The cockpit controls confuse me, but I'm sure if I owned one I'd get the hang of it.  The first time I demo's the new G23 I could not get the hang of the goofy wave.  I almost NEVER bury my nose when surfing.  It's a mistake that's been almost completely eliminated.  But the G23 wave is very steep with a very abrupt transition.  I had to work hard not to bury the nose each time I surfed down the wave.  All three of my runs on that first demo ended with my nose under water.  I was so confused.  I wrote it off as just "different" and another thing I'd adapt to if it was my everyday boat.  Then I had the chance to spend more time on a '16 G23 this past year and was anxious to give it another go.  We had my 25 LSV with us as well.  The first day I surfed the G23 and boom... same exact experience.  I was either burying the nose or working very hard not to (like always in the back of my mind and I gingerly surfed down the wave apply extra weight to the tail as I came down into the transition).  It just wasn't fun for me.  I felt like I was "on eggshells" the entire run.  I spent the rest of the week behind the 25 LSV.  I thought to myself, "Why am I punishing myself?  Just stick to what you already know and love."  And that pretty much sums up how I feel about the G23.  Great boat, but why spend $20K more to then have to relearn how to surf?  

I know you have another boat to demo, but what are you thinking at this point?  What does your head say?  What does your heart say?  What does your wallet say?  

 

I don't know, I rip all four ways on the G wave( that wave really refined my surfing and attack on the wave) and the 2013 I surfed for a year was 2800 stock sacs only , we changed the ramp to 3 on regular snd I think 0 on goofy, the transfers were insane(18-20 back to back while attacking the wave even backside) I loved surfing the m, MXZ , Ri but a G23(at least a 2013) was surf out the box, ( my experience was not quite the same with a 2017 G at surfest) no mods nevesssry except people ballast to make it a tsunami with 8 or more 

Against the wind with an empty boat snd sacs only all I had to do was move my front foot forward which should have had me dunking, but it rarely happened foot forward or foot back

nevet mind that as a boat it's kick a** snd was a dream except for the wash over if you didn't turn to stop snd go back to rider when wakeboarding 

Edited October 17, 2017 by granddaddy55

[IXFE]

52 minutes ago, granddaddy55 said:

I don't know, I rip all four ways on the G wave( that wave really refined my surfing and attack on the wave) and the 2013 I surfed for a year was 2800 stock sacs only , we changed the ramp to 3 on regular snd I think 0 on goofy, the transfers were insane(18-20 back to back while attacking the wave even backside) I loved surfing the m, MXZ , Ri but a G23(at least a 2013) was surf out the box, ( my experience was not quite the same with a 2017 G at surfest) no mods nevesssry except people ballast to make it a tsunami with 8 or more 

Against the wind with an empty boat snd sacs only all I had to do was move my front foot forward which should have had me dunking, but it rarely happened foot forward or foot back

nevet mind that as a boat it's kick a** snd was a dream except for the wash over if you didn't turn to stop snd go back to rider when wakeboarding 

Never surfed a pre-2016 G23, so I can't relate. 

[Jason L]

This is the year we're going to be upgrading.  Our current boat is a 2006 23 LSV.  We love the boat and it has been great for our family but the surf gates and faster ballast fill times would be really nice with the newer boats. We had a demo on a new 22MXZ and did not care for the size of it in comparison to our LSV.  And, I wasn't really impressed with the surf wave either.  I was ready to order a 2018 LSV until my fiberglass guy told me to check out the Supra SL.  We had a demo on the Supra on Saturday and now I'm really unsure about the Malibu.  My wife LOVES the Supra.  She likes the fact that all of the ballast is sub-floor, the cooler in the floor, the abundant storage, the roomy bow, faster ballast fill time, and the bimini set up.  I was more interested in the dash set-up, the surf wave, wakeboard wave and the tower set-up.  Our local Supra dealer did an incredible job and spent 3 hours with us out on the water.  

The demo boat had the 400 in it ( keep in mind I'm coming from the 383 Hammerhead) and a 15 in. prop.  I was really impressed how well the 400 did with such a heavy boat.  Top speed 37.7 mph.  Was very quick to get to plane.  All ballast (3500 lbs) filled in 6:50.  My 10 year old son wakeboarded, and surfed.  I surfed and free skied the HO tx behind it.  The surf wave was so much better than I'm used to from my '06.  It really was an incredible boat!!

Has anyone been on the wave of the new 23 LSV with no PNP ballast?  And, what was it like?  What are some thoughts on engine options too?  Is the 400 enough?  It certainly did a great job on Saturday.  I have not been on the new 23 LSV yet, none of the local dealers have one in.

[dalt1]

On 9/15/2017 at 10:27 AM, NorrisMike said:

I'll be buying a new boat in the future and checked out the 2018 23Lsv and 2018 Supra SL yesterday.  Both very nice boats but the Supra may have my eye...   A demo of both boats is definitely in order.  Anyone else cross compare the 2 boats?  They seem to be in the same general price range and of similar size.  

 

 

Hey mike, I will be shopping also this off season. Stay in touch and we can do a 2 for one deal somewhere!

[ConnollyCrew]

On 10/17/2017 at 7:44 PM, Jason L said:

This is the year we're going to be upgrading.  Our current boat is a 2006 23 LSV.  We love the boat and it has been great for our family but the surf gates and faster ballast fill times would be really nice with the newer boats. We had a demo on a new 22MXZ and did not care for the size of it in comparison to our LSV.  And, I wasn't really impressed with the surf wave either.  I was ready to order a 2018 LSV until my fiberglass guy told me to check out the Supra SL.  We had a demo on the Supra on Saturday and now I'm really unsure about the Malibu.  My wife LOVES the Supra.  She likes the fact that all of the ballast is sub-floor, the cooler in the floor, the abundant storage, the roomy bow, faster ballast fill time, and the bimini set up.  I was more interested in the dash set-up, the surf wave, wakeboard wave and the tower set-up.  Our local Supra dealer did an incredible job and spent 3 hours with us out on the water.  

The demo boat had the 400 in it ( keep in mind I'm coming from the 383 Hammerhead) and a 15 in. prop.  I was really impressed how well the 400 did with such a heavy boat.  Top speed 37.7 mph.  Was very quick to get to plane.  All ballast (3500 lbs) filled in 6:50.  My 10 year old son wakeboarded, and surfed.  I surfed and free skied the HO tx behind it.  The surf wave was so much better than I'm used to from my '06.  It really was an incredible boat!!

Has anyone been on the wave of the new 23 LSV with no PNP ballast?  And, what was it like?  What are some thoughts on engine options too?  Is the 400 enough?  It certainly did a great job on Saturday.  I have not been on the new 23 LSV yet, none of the local dealers have one in.

I ran my 18' 23 last weekend with hard tanks and 475 pnp in the rear lockers and the wake was fantastic.  

This boat has the base 410 Raptor and with the 2247 prop, it is fantastic. Everyone on the boat LOVED the new LSV model and really liked the surf wake. The guy surfing sells Mastercraft and Supra, he had nothing but compliments for the boat. Most all brands have their strengths and shortcomings, choose what's best for you. I personally like the Malibu  because they surf and wakeboard very well. I don't know anyone that owns a boat that does anything better than mine, and mine sells easily. 

IMG_2889.mov

Edited November 9, 2017 by ConnollyCrew

[Jason L]

That's a really good wave.  Thanks for the info.  What is the ballast fill time like?

 

[ConnollyCrew]

11 hours ago, Jason L said:

That's a really good wave.  Thanks for the info.  What is the ballast fill time like?

 

If i recall correctly, it took maybe 7, 7.5 minutes to fill ballast

Edited October 19, 2017 by ConnollyCrew

[Stevo]

12 minutes ago, ConnollyCrew said:

If i recall correctly, it took maybe 7 7.5 minutes to fill ballast

Pshhhhh. What’s that like... 2 beers 

Edited October 19, 2017 by Stevo

[Wakesetter67]

30 minutes ago, ConnollyCrew said:

If i recall correctly, it took maybe 7 7.5 minutes to fill ballast

Plenty of time to warm the engine up to operating temp! 

[Stevo]

38 minutes ago, Wakesetter67 said:

Plenty of time to warm the engine up to operating temp! 

Don’t you mean Amplifiers ??

[Capdoogie]

I have to disagree.  The wave on the 2018 23lsv box stock standard port side is not good for surf style comp. types.  Possible for skim boards.  The wave was slightly better than my lsv no xtra ballast due to just a little more internal and slightly heavier boat.   Don’t be fooled Malibu’s love and need a lot of xtra weight.  IMO

Edited October 19, 2017 by Capdoogie

[Wakesetter67]

5 hours ago, Capdoogie said:

I have to disagree.  The wave on the 2018 23lsv box stock standard port side is not good for surf style comp. types.  Possible for skim boards.  The wave was slightly better than my lsv no xtra ballast due to just a little more internal and slightly heavier boat.   Don’t be fooled Malibu’s love and need a lot of xtra weight.  IMO

I have no issue running locker bags, I kinda expect to, But I'm just glad it does not require a bow bag, That to me is more important the the rear PNP And to be honest another brand not having to use any PNP  is awesome but it would not be enough to switch, There are to many other things I love about Malibu, Now if Malibu eventually can come up with this in a future LSV even better! 

[Afun]

Now everyone has and wants PB interior....

[ahopkins22LSV]

Hey, @NorrisMike! Don't leave us hanging. What did you decide on?!

[BadgerBoater55]

On 10/19/2017 at 3:42 PM, Wakesetter67 said:

I have no issue running locker bags, I kinda expect to, But I'm just glad it does not require a bow bag, That to me is more important the the rear PNP And to be honest another brand not having to use any PNP  is awesome but it would not be enough to switch, There are to many other things I love about Malibu, Now if Malibu eventually can come up with this in a future LSV even better! 

I thought this was your last boat? lol

[ahopkins22LSV]

42 minutes ago, BadgerBoater55 said:

I thought this was your last boat? lol

Everyone owns their last boat. Until they want a new one. 

[dalt1]

On 11/5/2017 at 7:07 PM, ahopkinsTXi said:

Hey, @NorrisMike! Don't leave us hanging. What did you decide on?!

Talked to him yesterday and it sounds like his new boat has 4 wheels.

[ahopkins22LSV]

7 hours ago, dalt1 said:

Talked to him yesterday and it sounds like his new boat has 4 wheels.

Well I still want to know....