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Surfgate Review- 23LSV w/ 350 vs 247


nyryan2001

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I thought I would post up, of what I saw the surfgate can do, as compared to one of the newer, larger boats thats really dialed in, in this case as compared to a dialed in 2011 247. Also, I'll ry to provide a couple different perspectives of describing it besides awesome or huge.

Ive been wakesurfing for over 5 yrs, not pro, great or super stud or anything, but have put in a decent amount of time behind the boat. I have had direct experience on malibu 23s, Mastercraft Xstars and of course the 247, about 65hrs this season on what most consider is an outstanding wave(waist high, 11.2-11.6 and you can ride 15-20ft back if you want to).

I got 6 pulls this weekend behind a 23LSV surgate with the 350 motor. 8 adults on board, front and center tanks full, rear tanks EMPTY but 400lb sacs in each trunk. wedge varied 60-100% down. Wedge IS much more effective with the level boat vs the gangsta lean. he didnt fill the rear tank because he thought it would be too much for the 350.

Bottom line take aways: Thw 23 with the 350 is nearly AS capable of throwing a quality monster surfwake as my 247 completely sac'd out as it stands with the 350 and OEM prop. What I saw sunday was about 75-80% of the max wake my 247 could produce. Very very impressed. If you were to prop it down to a higher torque prop, I think it could certainly exceed what a max sac'd 247 is capable of.... on the 350 motor.

Put all that chatter about rounded waves and wave quality to rest. Its a GREAT wave, if you see a looming rounded wave, the boat is going too slow. Speed up and play with the wedge, it'll be great. I have no doubts on wave quality.

If I were getting a 22, 23, or 247 surfgate, you still def want the bigger motor. 6.0L would have been a perfect match on that 23. Buying an 85k or so surfboat and then being limited to not filling all your tanks is a downer. You could get around that by propping it down, but then you have a 35MPH max boat. one of these larger boats, with the 6.0L or larger, WILL def take wake surfing to the next level. I can certainly imagine seeing a shoulder high wave behind the 24MXZ fully dialed in. i have no doubt thats going to be possible when folks get time to dial them in. VLX wih 350 would match just fine IMO.

Other thoughts. A lot of the monster waves we are seeing are SLOW 10-10.8. Yep huge towering chest high wave but with tiny short packet = blah. top pic is at about 10.8. Bottom pic is at 11.6 to 11.8. Time to speed up some and get some better water pressure under the board for better tricks, and longer pockets to race down towards the boat and generate speed.... really nice for some of the bigger 190lb+ guys. with this increased wave quality, speed and potential, new tricks and possibilities are def going to result.

Now... would I trade in my 247 on a new surfgate? Not yet. If you have a 22, 23, or 247 with the bigger motors, you can already throw this wake NOW, and be at 85%+ or better of what the surfgate is capable of if you know how to dial your boat in. Is that extra 15-20% of wave height, quality and simplicity worth the 10-15k or however much upgrade? Not quite yet IMO. BUT, if you are in the the market anyhow for a new boat, and you like to surf... you'd be a dummy to pass this up. Not really sure else how to describe how MUCH better it is than whats already out there now with how we have leaned the boats up to this point.

IMO the surgate is going to EXPLODE wakesurfing and open it up to tons of more folks because it is SOOO easy and quick. Push button, P&P = huge advantage. Also, no insane huge bow rise when surfing like on my boat, the driver was sitting level and comfy the whole time. VERY nice.

For aspect on these pics, I am nearly 6'2" at 200lbs, bottom pic I am 15-20ft behind the boat = LONG pocket... and that boat still wasnt tanks filled or really dialed in.

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so the wave looked pretty sweet behind the lsv surf gate but how would u think the 247 lsv would be with the 450 hp motor all tanks full plus 2 750# bags in the locker? and with surf gate or should a guy put 1100# bags in the lockers to really get the boat in the water? i do like the bigger boat but also want the one that surfs the best

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Jeff it depends on what you are after.

whats thrills most folks is a huge long wave that is fast 11.2+, that they dont have to be in survival mode the entire time trying to stay on in a tiny surfable pocket. The bigger the wave, the faster you can go, generally the funner it is..... for MOST folks. Again, it depends what you are after. Bigger guys need more speed to stay on and have fun. 10.4 doesnt cut it for me or the larger guys in my crew, all 200lb range.

If I was to buy a new surfgate... no doubt... 1100s in EACH rear locker maxed out, AND 750 tubes under the seats on both sides. + 6-8 folks, + all factory ballast 4 tanks filled and 65-75% wedge.

THAT in the 22, 23, 247 with enough engine to push it would certainly get you into the chest high, 11.4-11.8mph, 15-20ft+ ridable wave category. I would drive 4hrs to get behind and demo that wave.

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Isn't there a point of diminishing returns with the surfgate, where you have sunk your boat past the point where the gates can be effective?

It seems like we have already seen vids where water is coming over the SG and shooting across the platform.

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That wave looks pretty nice but when you say "chest high" do you call the part of your leg between your knee and your waist the "chest"? That wave looks thigh high at best (which is pretty massive from a boat).

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My bad but neither of those pics looks waist high. Mid thigh? yes! Waist (like at/above your board shorts)? no. That first pic you are leaned in with knees bent. Stand up tall, and that wave comes about mid thigh.

Which again is no small feat, but this whole "chest high" thing is a pet peeve of mine.

Actually, have any video? That would make it pretty clear what I'm trying to say, I think.

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Shawn, no video.... also on that 1st pic, see that I am not yet at the bottom of the wave. for your average guy, that a solid waist high wave.

the point here in that comparison I was trying to convey, is that this surfgate with 350 is at about 80% of what the max max max on my 247 is using over 4000lbs ballast. it is impressive. wave height is not everything... I'd rather have a thigh high at 11.6 than a belly high at 10.4.

Talking about the 22s-247s with surgate... fully sac'd and dialed in, big motors, I have no doubts you"ll see that wave grow another 1-2ft and still be 15-20ft back running mid to high 11's .

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on the ocean that wave would be called 2-3' (2' realistically). There is no way in a million years that we will see a 5' or even 4' wave from the current generation of wakeboats, surfgate or not. It takes exponentially more displacement to grow the wave bigger, so the last 500 lbs isn't worth nearly as much as the first 500.

Maybe if surfgate were added to a macked out cabin cruiser tho.

None of which is a dig on surfgate. I sold my bu and bought my current boat for the very reason surfgate exists -- easy, fast changes between goofy and regular. Had this been around last summer... who knows.

Edited by shawndoggy
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Nice evaluation, Nyry. I think this supports everything else that I read about it.

The DIY options here are many as well. I smell a potential add on to my boat once I see enough of them done.

I think what you are saying about lengthening the surf pocket is often missed. I would much rather surf a smaller wave that has a very long usable pocket. Surfgate may not create a gigantic wave...but if it lengthens that pocket, I would still be happier.

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Nice write up, great information. The SG seems to be getting some very favorable reviews from everyone. Some of the wakes look great, others not so impressive to me, must be how you weight the boat.

Its tempting to put my '11 up for sale, but will be at least a $10k hit or more for me to order a 2013 with comparable upgrades (ie: stereo, Jabsco ballast system, etc...). We surf about 20% of the time, those would be very expensive surf sessions! I am waiting for a better seating configuration, hopefully more rear facing seats in the 2014 models.... that has to be coming! IMO, Malibu has fallen behind in the seating arrangements, time to reconfigure and get with Correct Craft and Mastercraft.

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  • 2 weeks later...

At this point I am wondering if the spray coming over the tops of the surfgate is an issue with the 247s....

Why else would they not demo with the big guns??

Perhaps best surfgate results are with the smaller boats with the current design.

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