2024 Boat Show impressions

[kstateskier1]

56 minutes ago, Sixer said:

They seem to be priced nicely on used boats as well.  On the website I see four 2023 23 LSVs for $120k.  They all have M5s, but otherwise look very nice.  Local dealer here is at $165k on similar models, but with the M6.   At least from a distance this looks like fair pricing on some 1 year old boats.

I haven't bought anything from them, but had communication on a 23 last year and the price was really good and they seemed to be good people to work with.

[The Hulk]

On 2/14/2024 at 10:11 AM, dshack said:

The S21 makes Heydeys look good lol

 

I think its growing on me, the G was hideous to me when it came out. Still interested to see how the S25 surf's though.. 

 

[cowwboy]

I am kind of interested in the fact we have 2 new wake based brand Varatti and Kyra.

Given I can't find much info on Kyra besides their website is horrible.

The Varatti seems to be a quality offering. 

Just seems interesting as the market is cooling we have two new brands trying to break into the market. 

[Sixer]

2 hours ago, cowwboy said:

I am kind of interested in the fact we have 2 new wake based brand Varatti and Kyra.

Given I can't find much info on Kyra besides their website is horrible.

The Varatti seems to be a quality offering. 

Just seems interesting as the market is cooling we have two new brands trying to break into the market. 

Varatti has been around for a few years.  They are made by the same company that owns Floe (docks and lifts).  They've been at the MN boat show for the past 4-5 years and really have not caught much traction locally.  I've looked at them in the past and they always look a little stripped down and basic, but now they are asking a premium price.  They've always been a few years behind the bigger boat brands as far as technology and features, but they've slowly caught up as they copy a lot of the larger brands. For some reason they've always felt like a Sanger to me.  Not that these aren't nice boats, but they didn't have a lot of freeboard, and felt a little cheap on the interior.  Maybe they're a great boat, I don't know, but they aren't really proven, at least not in the local market.

[cowwboy]

5 hours ago, Sixer said:

Varatti has been around for a few years.  They are made by the same company that owns Floe (docks and lifts).  They've been at the MN boat show for the past 4-5 years and really have not caught much traction locally.  I've looked at them in the past and they always look a little stripped down and basic, but now they are asking a premium price.  They've always been a few years behind the bigger boat brands as far as technology and features, but they've slowly caught up as they copy a lot of the larger brands. For some reason they've always felt like a Sanger to me.  Not that these aren't nice boats, but they didn't have a lot of freeboard, and felt a little cheap on the interior.  Maybe they're a great boat, I don't know, but they aren't really proven, at least not in the local market.

Didn't know that, this is the first year they have been in Oklahoma. 

[The Hulk]

Jet surf ????

[The Hulk]

Just not enough HP!

[The Hulk]

EV surf

[Sixer]

@The Hulk Did you see a price tag on that Supra EV??

[dalt1]

1 hour ago, Sixer said:

@The Hulk Did you see a price tag on that Supra EV??

Strictly prototype, no $$$$. It is a secondary company using the Supra for test bed.

Edited February 17 by dalt1

[The Hulk]

Very very few boats anywhere have pricing.. if ya have to ask u can't afford..

A Paragon would be a peasant boat 

Awesome show lots to see and do and gawk at.. it's more of an Event IMO. 

6 locations , shuttles between locations, VIP tickets and services and ridiculously loaded people from all around the globe. It's a must do show/bucket list if ya haven't been.

 

 

 

 

[dalt1]

14 minutes ago, dalt1 said:

Strictly prototype, no $$$$. It is a secondary company using the Supra for test bed.

Look just in front of the EV logo you can see the knock out for original fuel fill.

[BlindSquirrel]

We went to the KC show this weekend. The Montara is giving heyday a run for the most unique look…. The one at the kc show was the surf boss 25, looked kind of funny on a triple trailer.
Because of @dalt1 we checked out the Supra SL they had…. Man, that’s a nice boat. My wife is ready to rip down the Malibu flag in the garage and switch. It looked really well built, and they seemed to have thought of everything.
There were only two malibus there, a 26 footer and the 21lx r. Our first impression of the 26 was walking up you could easily notice the 5 ballast drain holes on the port side rear were very out of alignment. Other than that, it showed pretty well… huge boat. Master craft only had one boat there, not sure the model. 
Similar to other shows, there were tons of $100k pontoons and lots of jetskis.

Place was busy, as usual, but not sure if anyone purchased anything.

[The Hulk]

Grand rapids show today was swamped! Lots of beer drinking for sure! Initial reports were good and bad so mixed results across small lake and GREAT lake boats. 

The surf pontoon AKA "I'm NOT a pontoon" is on full display up here as well man they spent some money on boat shows across the country this year! 

Wake boats are taking the majority of the hit so I'd be really curious to know how these expensive surf tunes are actually doing..

 MB25 for 170k

[dalt1]

15 hours ago, BlindSquirrel said:

We went to the KC show this weekend. The Montara is giving heyday a run for the most unique look…. The one at the kc show was the surf boss 25, looked kind of funny on a triple trailer.
Because of @dalt1 we checked out the Supra SL they had…. Man, that’s a nice boat. My wife is ready to rip down the Malibu flag in the garage and switch. It looked really well built, and they seemed to have thought of everything.
There were only two malibus there, a 26 footer and the 21lx r. Our first impression of the 26 was walking up you could easily notice the 5 ballast drain holes on the port side rear were very out of alignment. Other than that, it showed pretty well… huge boat. Master craft only had one boat there, not sure the model. 
Similar to other shows, there were tons of $100k pontoons and lots of jetskis.

Place was busy, as usual, but not sure if anyone purchased anything.

I have a hard time holding back on this site about the plusses vs minuses between Malibu/Supra. I have been on this forum for probably 15+ years. Love the site and people are great. That being said, it would be hard for Malibu to get my $$$ on next boat at this point. Supra does not have an active forum, it's all Facebook based.  Went to the Huntsville show this year and still spend about as much time in Malibu booth as Supra because friends with boats still in Malibu. Boats.

 

Edited February 18 by dalt1

[hethj7]

 

@dalt1 Did you ever completely update the off topic thread on your purchase with all the plusses and minuses?  I'm sure most here would be interested.  I do like how clean their amp board and install looks, and the footwell space when the passenger seat is flipped up, similar to what Nautique does (Malibu leaves that as storage area).  The vinyl/floor patters on the show boats we saw were a bit busy for our taste and at first glance, the screen looked busy and intimidating.  But, we didn't stay long to see how intuitive it may be.   

 

@The Hulk KC show typically has most prices listed, including the $1.5MM Invictus yacht they had on the show floor.  

$299,230 for a 2023 X26, $189,987 for the 2024 Montara 25, $226,900 for a 2024 Barletta toon with a 400 HP Merc on it, 

 

Like @BlindSquirrel I was at the KC show as well.    My observations - traffic was heavier than I recall.  Lots of people on the floor.   We didn't stay long but a few dealers we talked to seemed to be happy with sales thus far and we heard the bell ring during our time there.   

Lots of $100K and several $200K pontoons.  Lots of large open type center consoles and go-fast boats - this show is actually sponsored by the Lake of the Ozarks Dealers and these days you need an ocean going vessel on the weekends there.   

Honestly in the wake boat category - my wife and I just kind of went "meh".   Nothing drastically different year to year from most.  Perhaps we got all caught up on the surf craze and how the last 10 years there seemed to be more "gamechangers" from all brands.  It has leveled off now in terms of innovation from what we see, and not just from Malibu.   I'm sure we'll upgrade again soon, but there isn't quite the itch we've had in year's past when we look at current offerings.

The big I/Os all have surf systems now.   I can see the appeal of these for mass markets.  Chaparral has huge swim platforms, huge swim steps, and surf systems all the way up to their 30 footer at least.  

[hethj7]

Oh, if I was in the mood to drop $160K at the boat show, the best thing we saw there wasn’t even a boat. Diesel power Mega Raptor.  The lift companies have done pretty well the last few years   
 

[Sixer]

5 hours ago, dalt1 said:

I have a hard time holding back on this site about the plusses vs minuses between Malibu/Supra. I have been on this forum for probably 15+ years. Love the site and people are great. That being said, it would be hard for Malibu to get my $$$ on next boat at this point. Supra does not have an active forum, it's all Facebook based.  Went to the Huntsville show this year and still spend about as much time in Malibu booth as Supra because friends with boats still in Malibu. Boats.

 

I'd like to hear your plus/minus list.  I tried to look back and find the thread but didn't have any luck.  I made my own list of Supra vs Malibu, and had a couple of things that seemed better in the Supra as opposed to Malibu. (I'm probably still biased).  I know you foil more than surf, and one of my Supra complaints was with autowake when surfing.  I suppose it's nice when used for other purposes.  

I know Supra has a nice interior too.  What are your thoughts on the dual screens they use?  Similar?  More options?  I'd be interested to hear your take on it @dalt1

[The Hulk]

6 hours ago, hethj7 said:

 

@The Hulk$226,900 for a 2024 Barletta toon with a 400 HP Merc on it, 

Was it their top line Reserve with the hardtop?

Or was it actually with twin 400 HP?

Attached with twin 400s but not their fiberglass reserve series

 

They won an innovation award with the twin motors in the middle instead of on the outside from what I saw up in Minnesota. Essentially they don't have to drop the motors so deep because the props are now between the toons so they don't need to get below em

Edited February 19 by The Hulk

[Sixer]

Did you ask them what's so special about it and remind them that they are selling a PONTOON?!?  (yes, I see the motors)

[dalt1]

8 hours ago, hethj7 said:

@dalt1 Did you ever completely update the off topic thread on your purchase with all the plusses and minuses?  I'm sure most here would be interested.  I do like how clean their amp board and install looks, and the footwell space when the passenger seat is flipped up, similar to what Nautique does (Malibu leaves that as storage area).  The vinyl/floor patters on the show boats we saw were a bit busy for our taste and at first glance, the screen looked busy and intimidating.  But, we didn't stay long to see how intuitive it may be.   

 

@hethj7 Just did an update in this thread.

 

[BlindSquirrel]

Here is that Montara I mentioned…..

 

[Cole2001]

Believe it or not those montara’s actually sell. What was the price on it? They surprisingly don’t surf terribly. Majority of the people buying them are getting out of entry level v drives, so the surf wave and technology will be an upgrade and they’re getting a huge boat. 

[hethj7]

9 hours ago, The Hulk said:

Was it their top line Reserve with the hardtop?

Or was it actually with twin 400 HP?

 

It was a reserve series.  Reserve Leggera R26UCA. I don’t recall a hardtop but maybe it had it.  Definitely a single engine.     

[The Hulk]

13 hours ago, Sixer said:

Did you ask them what's so special about it and remind them that they are selling a PONTOON?!?  (yes, I see the motors)

Yes.. 

Less draft on the props.. 

The props can chew water better as the natural flow of the water cups between the toons.. instead of the prop having to be fully below the outside toons. That was always a common problem with twin motor tris he really had to get those motors down below so they didn't turn air at speed 

The motors mounted closer to the center allow a little bit better of a banking turn due to the more Center CG.

I can't decide if I actually like it or not.. it does kind of take up a lot of the center space and does reduce the left and right space on the back a little bit.. when the motors are on the outside tunes it feels like you have the whole Center open similar total empty space but hard to decide... 

I would be skeptical on the joystick operation and parallel parking as it would have much less leverage with the motors closer together..

One thing I've noticed about twins.. they sent so back in heavy in the water it's ridiculous the tunes are almost underwater only like five or six inches above water and on some of these boats 2/3 of the seating is in the rear of the boat or towards the rear.. these manufacturers need to really consider changing from a wood top deck to starboard or something composite.. they all have had to resort to full aluminum under bodies to keep the water off the decks.. but they sure don't dry out nearly as quick..

Is it game changer? I don't know.. awards in our industry are all about organization fees and politics... 

Edited February 19 by The Hulk