About to pull trigger on G23. Option help

[santelee]

I have a sante 230. Love it. Strongly considering buying g23. Help me w options. So far: heater, black hull, battery maintainer, filler cushion, cover, nss, rev rear seat all opinions welcome and can try to convince me to keep 230, still love this boat.

[gride]

z-5 bimini, trailer with disc brakes, 550 engine, air dam(not sure if that comes with it), best pitch prop for that boat. good luck. i'm pretty sure you won't be upset regardless of what options you choose.

[NautiqueJeff]

On mine, I REALLY like the pocket door air dam.

I would NOT recommend the Z5, simply because the factory bimini is so awesome! I love the design, it folds down easily, and comes off completely with two hand knobs and two pins. There is so much storage in the boat that the Z5 just isn't necessary. Plus, the Z5 blocks the interior lights and sits really low under the tower.

The factory cover is AWESOME. I love that you can use it with the tower up or down. I just drove over 800 miles from Florida to Virginia with the factory cover on with the tower down. It stayed in place perfectly, not moving a bit. LOVE this cover!

I have the 550, and it is an incredible engine! If you can swing it, go for it!

NSS for sure if you surf. I spent the day on three boats with the NSS on Tuesday, and it is the real deal. Get it for sure if you surf!

[biggator]

Pocket door definitely.. factory bimini over z5. 450 or 550.

I opted for an aftermarket cover - the factory one doesn't cover the platform (separate piece) and my boat is on a lift all the time, so I need it all covered. I didn't bother with the heater (never used my old one) or the underwater lights.

Don't bother with the carpet.. the nautek is awesome.

[santelee]

Anyone have pix of standard vs z-5? I live in Texas not sure I'd use air dam

[NautiqueJeff]

Z5 on the blue one. That's Murray under the Z5. He's not tall and even he has to bend down to get under it.

[santelee]

Z5 way low! I'm over 6 ft tall. That would not b too great

[robertsmcfarland]

just to give you all pros and cons on the z5. In my opinion if you you do not have to take the tower down (boat stays on lift) the z5 is great , yes it is lower but that means less sun coming in ,also its like having a attic , you can store your big item on top out of the way and not take up floor or locker space, the z5 is so strong you sit on top. another good thing , experience with z5 on and off ( 4 pins and lift off, 50% easier than the 230 z5) at first I was disappointed that the down lights on the factory speakers, on the tower were block by the z5, but with it off its like 4 flood lights illuminating the boat ,all the led lights though out the boat give all lights needed. second another good extra, the permanent air door that pulls in and pushes back in ,does not get in the way like on the 230 trash . my 2 cents but what works for me .

[AllianceBJJ]

I just went with the slide in/out air dam. The "pocket door" variety was not worth the extra money to me.

[V8 Killer]

I'm very close to ordering a G23 myself so I've been going over the options, been to the local dealer twice, trying to make sure I make all the right choices. Here's where I'm at:

I wasn't offered disc brakes on my trailer. I probably wouldn't pay extra for them though as my boat will not be towed often.
Z-5 is awesome in terms of looks and extra storage, but its way too short. I'm 6'2" and there's no way I would get it, I'd have to turn my head sideways the entire time I was standing.
Air dam is the way to go if you ever plan to use a door. I'm used to MasterCraft's way of doing it and this default (whatever its called / non-aid-dam) door on the G23 is cheesy and inconvenient. No where NEAR as cheesy as the bungee cords used to hold the wakeboards, but still.
Skip bow seat arm rests. The installation / placement is not well thought out. They are going to get ripped off by your drunk friend who stands up too quickly with a sideways motion. Bow filler cushion is awesome if you have people that like to lounge and/or typically a full boat.
Battery maintainer is a $371 option, the exact same part goes on Amazon all day for $129. Thanks, but for $242 I'll install it, especially since there really isn't an "install". If you aren't comfortable installing it yourself, you could have your local dealer install it for a half hour of labor, just take them the part and ask them to do it before you even pick up the boat.
For the motor, I'm getting the 450. The 550 is ridiculously expensive and requires 93 octane, the best on my lake is 87. The 550 is also very unnecessary IMHO. I took a test drive/ride on a G23 with the 450 and it planed in a few seconds with full ballasts and 9 people on board.
Definitely getting NSS (even though we don't surf much, its super cool and may make us surf more).
Definitely getting heater and heated driver seat, we expand our season in Texas from March thru December so its nice.
The stern reversible seat is a must, I can't imagine a G without it (but **** its an expensive option for a seat that moves...).
I'm also getting the transom stereo remote. Its quite convenient to change songs/volume while hanging out in the water.
Getting premium mirror with extension. Pretty expensive upgrade but we put almost 200 hours a season driving, so if you consider the extra vision it provides it seems worthwhile.
Mooring cover and platform cover. No carpet. I skipped the action cam as we bring GoPro's, HD cameras, and a Canon SLR all the time anyhow. Also skipped tower speakers as I'll be installing 2 x WetSound 485 + 4 x Pro80, among several amps, batteries, and a JL 13W7.

Good luck choosing your options, and congrats!

Dusty

[santelee]

Z-5 really low

Climbed around in g23 w z-5. Super low. Definitely a no go for me. Anyone have review of stock stereo. I'm assuming its pretty bad like my stock 230 was.

[santelee]

After all my research and investigation only thing i can say negative about G23 is the stereo, so poor

[NautiqueJeff]

Here's the factory bimini on mine. You can see the height in this shot.

[northwestwater]

Wakevideo makes a top mount video tracker that works really great. i have used go pro's (hero 2 and 3). but, it's so hard to see the rider. i still love using my video camera and zooming in on the rider. the tracking is smooth and it fits on the G23 tower. there are other people who make the tracking devices and i have tried them all. I still have gone back to the one by wake video.

i don't care for the stereo either. i use the entire wetsounds system on my 230 except for speakers inside the boat. This next time, i am putting 100% wetsounds in the boat. i love the EQ with the bullhorn. it's fun to use and harrass your friends on the lake!

[biggator]

Wakevideo makes a top mount video tracker that works really great. i have used go pro's (hero 2 and 3). but, it's so hard to see the rider. i still love using my video camera and zooming in on the rider. the tracking is smooth and it fits on the G23 tower. there are other people who make the tracking devices and i have tried them all. I still have gone back to the one by wake video.

i don't care for the stereo either. i use the entire wetsounds system on my 230 except for speakers inside the boat. This next time, i am putting 100% wetsounds in the boat. i love the EQ with the bullhorn. it's fun to use and harrass your friends on the lake!

Be careful with the Wetsounds on the G.. because of the placement of the racks - they'll get in the way because they're round rather than more rectangular like the Roswell's. You can spin the rack in - but not with a board in it.