Ride Quality on Super Air 230 and G23 boats?

[Noahsark]

First off let me say I'm completely new to this forum and Nautique Boats.

I have owned a Seadoo jet drive boat, and then had a Glastron 20' V-8 boat that I had installed a Monster Wakeboarding Tower on.

My entire family goes on two, week long vacations at a Big lake on the VA/NC border. During these two different weeks I pull my son, his wife, my nephews and nieces, and some of their friends Tubing, Water skiing, and Wakeboarding.

I've noticed Wakesurfing is really growing in popularity so I'm thinking that might be big by the time my grandkids get a few more years on them.

Here's my question/problem. On those vacation outings and then the other times just my immediate family go to the lake, we mainly just cruise around the lake listening to music and hanging out. Maybe still do some wakeboarding and tubing, but more of crusing and beaching up in a cove and hanging out.

Being that my old I/O rode so nice in rougher waters, as at times the lake can "kick up" and get a little rough, and you have to drive over to the other side of the lake to get away from the rough water, I figured I should stick with an I/O. Also the ability to "beach" the boat in a cove and not worry about the prop being so low was a plus to.

So this made me think that the Chaparral Xtreme series boat is what I was going to buy and almost did here a couple of months ago, but missed a good deal on one and now decided to "step back" and look at all of my options.

A few people have told me the V-Drive boats in the 20 plus feet range actually ride much better than they used to in rough water, so that is my question.

I know the Chaparral isn't going to put out as "big"of a wave as a true wakeboarding boat will, but then again none of us are "pros" so we don't need a hugh wake, but I'm thinking the Chaparral might be better on gas and the ride when we are just cruising?

Even though Chaparral says you can Surf behind their xtreme series, I'm not sure it would be a good idea? I talked to a guy who has a 24" xtreme and he says they Surf behind it fine, only they are about 10 feet back and hold the rope the entire time.

So my main question are how are the Nautique's in rougher water? If I drained the ballast tanks and ran "empty" how is the gas mileage for cruising? and finally how are these boats for pulling tubers? are the wakes too big to pull a tuber?

I have quite a few tubes and most of them are three person tubes. My nephews would enjoy getting thrown over some bigger waves, but I also pull some woman whom just want a nice safe tube ride.

I'll appreciate any and all opinions!! Thanks

[NautiqueJeff]

First of all, absolutely DO NOT surf behind anything except an inboard boat. PERIOD. Surfing behind an I/O or outboard is not in any way safe. If you fall forward, you will go right into the prop. Inboard boats have the prop way up under the boat, so it is virtually impossible to come in contact with the prop on an inboard boat while surfing.

Surfing behind either boat (G23 or 230) is great! The Nautique Surf System is the real deal, and you can surf either side of the wake easily while keeping the boat evenly-weighted. Wakeboarding behind the 230 and especially the G23 will be night and day better than behind an I/O. Cleaner wakes, adjustable wake size with ballast, NCRS/Hydro-Gate, Zero-Off cruise control, etc. all make the wakeboarding experience way better.

The rough-water ride in a 230 or a G23 will be pretty good compared to the V-drives of a few years ago. The G23 will have a smoother ride than the 230 due to the weight of the boat and the design of the NCRS and the shovelnose bow. The G25 will have an even better ride. Whether that ride will be better than an I/O is debatable.

Most people would not beach these boats, however some do. Just know that you may damage the gelcoat on the underside of the boat when you do this, but that's true of an I/O as well. You need to be aware of the prop and the shaft, but generally speaking, they stay deep enough so that it isn't a major issue.

They'll both pull all towed watersports with ease, however the ski wakes behind both of these boats will be bigger than behind an I/O. The nice thing is that you can change the size and shape of the wakes on both boats easily. The 230 uses the hydro-gate (manual system) and the G23 uses the NCRS (automatic system).

I have a 2015 G23, and I am down on Lake Norman. I would be more than happy to take you out on my lake on my G23 anytime you like. That way you could get a feel for the G23 and see if you like it. If you're interested, let me know. My G has a heater and heated seats, so we even go out this time of year.

[Noahsark]

Yeah I've heard all of that before, but honestly I would agree and disagree with that. A lot of the I/O do not have swim platforms and yes I would agree they wouldn't be too safe. The Chaparral boat has a hugh built in platform and if you are Surfing 10 feet behind the boat I really doubt if it would be dangerous.

But please do not turn this in to an I/O bash, or what an I/O wil or will not do. Like I said I'm leaning more now to a true wakeboard boat and I would love to hear some real stories on the ride quality and other questions I asked.'

Thanks Guys and Gals

[NautiqueJeff]

The issue is, when you're surfing, you're not just riding 10' behind the boat. Your position is dynamic, based on many factors. Swim platforms are WAY out of the water while underway. They certainly will not keep a surfer away from the outdrive. Wakesurfers hit the back of boats (inboards included) with their boards all the time while doing tricks, pumping to stay in the wave, or even losing their balance. Please, please take this seriously. I am not bashing I/O boats. They have their strong points. It is simply not safe to surf behind them.

[Noahsark]

Again FORGET the Surfing aspect. I have not, nor do I intend to Surf behind an I/O. This is NOT what this post is about.

I hope somebody can chime in on the real questions I have asked before this turns into a post it was never intended for!

Thanks

[NautiqueJeff]

Walking away... I have owned five of the boats in question (230/236 & G23), and answered your questions in my first response, as well as offered you some safety advice from a rider with almost 30 years of experience with these boats and towed watersports, even offering you a day on the water in a G23, but I guess that wasn't enough. I hope you find what you're looking for.

[nyryan2001]

Noah- you are all over the map with the boats you are considering.

reccomend you contact a dealer or make friends and spend at least a full day on each so you can begin to narrow your search.

youve gotta narrow your criteria. I/Os and inboards are entirely different Boats with for different purposes. You won't get good feedback here till you get more specific.

[vision]

Noah,

I have owned several inboards and I/Os. Here are my opinions, but again just my opinions:

- Inboards are superior to I/Os for any tow sport. They tend to handle and track better due to the prop position, and hold speed better. This combined with the stated safety (just in general safety of the prop being under the boat) makes them better for tow sports. They often have much less bow rise as well giving better visibility.

- Ride comfort is more related to hull shape and not related to method of propulsion. Deep V hulls ride better than flat hulls in rough water. Many I/Os are deep V hulls and they therefore ride well in choppy water. Many I/Os have high gunwales as well which gives less spray into the boat. Traditional ski boats have relatively flat hulls and flat hulls gives them a rougher ride in choppy water. Classic ski boats have low gunwales as well and more spray enters the boat on rough days. Having said this, some of the newer tow sport boats have moderately deep V designs, ride better in deep water, have higher gunwales, and there less spray in the boat. The Nautique G series will rider better than a 210/230 in rough water IMHO, but not as good as deeper V models offered by other manufacturers.

- Gas mileage is comparable with equal engines. Inboard/ski/tow boats often have larger and higher horsepower engines. They therefore use more fuel. They are often propped for pull and not cruising speed which also uses more fuel. But if you compare I/Os and inboards with the same motor, and relatively same size, the fuel economy is quite similar.

- Docking. Many new boat drivers find it easier to drive an I/O or outboard in tight spaces as you you change directions while going in reverse. Inboards drift to one side in reverse but you can not alter this motion with the wheel. Once you are use to an inboard however, I find they actually are easier to drive in tight spaces due to the more central prop location. You did not mention this but it is another area of difference you would notice changing types of propulsion.

As stated, your best bet is to ride in a newer wakeboard boat and the I/O of your interest, preferably on a rough day. I think you will find that a higher end I/O will ride better in rough water than most Nautiques. The difference is not as dramatic as compared to traditional ski boats of 15 years ago, but the deep V I/O will still likely cut the chop better than a new Nautique.

If safety and handling while towing is more important, get a Nautique or other inboard. If less bounce and spray on the rough days is more important, get a high end I/O.

[Noahsark]

NautiqueJeff my apologies! Somehow when I read your first post it just had the first part of your post and not the full post.

That is good info and if I was close to Lake Norman I'd hit you up on that offer.

I appreciate all of the responses.

Let me clear myself up a bit. I'm not really looking to compare an I/O vs a V-Drive. Maybe I should have never mentioned what I had first looked at.

I'm honestly thinking a V-Drive might be my way to go with these grandkids coming up and things. When the lake gets real rough I didn't take my old boat out either, so I'm not looking for something to ride in real rough water.

I am just trying to see how these boats handle normal chop and things. Also are the newer boats as noisy as the older ones? Ive been on some older inboard boats and the engine noise was quite loud

Thanks again

[JoeA]

Noah--

Here's an idea for you. Put together a list of features that are important to you, like interior noise while driving and much more. Then assign a value to each category. Then the search begins for what make and model boat will be best for you.

Nautique has one of the best reputations in the industry for fit, finish, quality of materials and low warranty claims. There are several people on here that have a ton of years experience so ask questions and consume the advice.

Visit the local dealer so you can ask lost of questions, crawl over one and even go on a test drive. I also encourage you to look at other brands of boats so you can compare the likes and dislikes of each. In the end I think you'll see that Nautique puts together the best boat in the towboat industry.

There's also a section on here for used boats so take a peek at that too. Shipping a boat is a lot less than you might expect so don't limit the distance you're willing to search. It's east to get the warranty transferred or pull the trigger and design the boat of your dreams.

Good luck on the search.

[SkiTower]

Ride Quality on Super Air 230 and G23 boats?

Mt suggestion would be to take Jeff up on his offer. Sounds like you vacation on Kerr Lake (though it could be Gaston) so I'm guessing you're not that far away? If that's the case it would be well worth your time to visit Jeff, I guarantee you'll have all you questions answered. He's the site moderator and works with Nautique extensively to show off the boats.

And the one topic that hasn't been brought up: cost. Assuming you've checked the prices and no problem? Just asking because there is usually a big step up to get into an inboard...don't want you to make a decision and then get sticker shock.


2007 SV211 SE

[Noahsark]

Thanks for the responses. SkiTower, you hit it on the head! Kerr Lake is where we do most of our boating, but I'm actually 4-5 hours away from there where I live in Winchester VA.

There's my main problem as I'm living in an area that has no boat dealers close. Nearest ones are down around D.C. which is an hour or so away, and there are mainly big cruisers and things that way, or travel down around Richmond and look which is 2 plus hours away.

I've done a lot of research and already know I will most likely travel to get what I want. I'm aware of what these boats cost and I leaning more to finding a good used 2012-2014 model, but I haven't completely ruled out a new boat.

SkiTower, if your familiar with Kerr Lake how do you think these Nautiques would do on it? It gets quite rough at times when the wind gets up, but if you drive to the other side of the lake or to one of it's many coves you can always find smoother water.

One thing we always do at least once those weeks, is after a day or to of watersports with the family, everyone piles into our boats and we make the 20 plus mile trip over to a little town called Clarksville, where we get out and let the women shop, and have lunch and then cruise back.

We cruise over there at about 30mph, with the music playing and everyone just enjoying a nice boat ride.

There is where my main concern is...... I'm sure the I/O is most likely going to ride better in that senario, but will it be that much better of a ride?

I know the Nautique is going to be much better at Watersports, but is it enough better for "novices" to give up the ride?

To explain a little better I was all set to pull the trigger on the Chaparral Xtreme series 24' boat. It has a ballast tank in the bow, comes with a Tower, and perfect pass, so it's set up to be a "happy medium" between a regular I/O, and a wakeboarding boat.

Two things I wasn't high on that boat is it comes with a sink, where I would rather have more seating and then it has an enclosed bathroom, that to me will be more trouble than it's worth, so this started make me "wonder" if I should look a little more.

I was first looking at a MasterCraft series, then was fairly impressed with the Malibu LSV with their "surf tabs", but then really started reading and looking at the Nautique line and have really been impressed, so that is pretty much how I narrowed it down and joined this forum.

Plus I'm looking at a 2012 Super Air 230 that's in good shape but it doesn't have the NSS system, but it does have the digital dash like the newer ones. I called Nautique and left a message " could the NSS system be added to this boat?" In less than an hour Nautique called me back and said "Yes it could be added and that the software would judt have to be updated."

I have to say that really impressed me that a company would call me back that quick, and it was about a used boat !!

Thanks again for all of youe opinions and imputs

[kopp210]

Ride Quality on Super Air 230 and G23 boats?

If your novices are kids, things can get advanced pretty quick. Often in a season or two.

Again check out the new boats, All the concerns you mentioned will be solved with a test ride.


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[SkiTower]

I have very dated and limited experience with I/O's, so it's hard for me to compare. But I have little doubt the G23 or G25 would handle Kerr (and I agree, it's pretty bad). Jeff can help you there too since he's very familiar with Kerr. He travels a lot with the boat for Whitelake Marine so if you don't need the answer now, in the Spring he'll probably end up closer at some point. But if you find yourself in the area Lake Norman would give you a good comparison to Kerr once boat traffic picks up. Price is pretty much the only limitation for some people...if that isn't a factor I doubt you'll ever regret getting a G23 or 25 (capacity 19?). As small as it is, Whitelake on Saturday afternoon after Memorial day will give you some good chop too (and incredibly convenient to the dealership). They do a demo day early Spring if you're interested, though the chop won't be present that time of year. But would be a great time to easily see the boat (and a great place to buy from).


2007 SV211 SE

[SkiTower]

And we agree, Nautique (Correct Craft) is a great company, as are the dealer network and Jeff does a great job with this forum.


2007 SV211 SE