Which Boat---G23 or GS22

[bp115]

Hi, i am new to the group. My family has decided we are ready for your first true tow boat. We have found two different boats 2016 G23 30hrs, and a 2017 GS22 16hrs and are trying to decide which would be the better move. We like to wakeboard, surf, 7yr old tubes and mamma and I like to ride a lot, on a pretty rough lake, so a smooth"er" ride is a plus. None of us a super advanced wake boarders or surfers, but sure do enjoy it.

Thank you for your advise on which would be the better boat.

[seachicken27]

G23 is a big ole boat. It’s a lot of boat for your first one. But it will have the better ride, wake, and wave. GS22 will be easier to maneuver, trailer, is more fun to drive. Can’t go wrong either way. I’d look at the colors and think about resale. Once you get one, a lot of people want something new or different in 2 years. Good luck!

[Tallredrider]

G23, no brainer. Better ride, better surf wave, better wakeboard wake, likely a better resale. If they cost the same, one of them is priced wrong, the G23 should be more. So assuming you can afford the G23, it will be a boat you can grow with. With the GS, I suspect in a short period of time, you will realize you want a G.

[steakNshake]

I had a '17 GS22 and now a 18' G23. Short version for me is, if you don't plan to ski all that often and you have the budget, go G23 100%. Its not as maneuverable as the GS22, but for rough lakes, i actually like the bigger hull and freeboard of the 23, it's more of tank that cuts right through any chop or rough water, it maneuvers just fine If you aren't advanced on surfing yet, the G23 will advance you, stock wave is incredible, no extra weight needed, but a few hundred lbs of lead always makes it more fun. I'm biased, but i love my G23 waaaay more than I did the 22.

[steakNshake]

Tallredrider agree on the short period of time statement. Reminds me of my friends that got 600cc sport bikes because they were cheaper and a month later, they are twisting the throttle and claiming nothing really happens haha. My philosophy on bikes, which can semi-translate to boats is, get the 1000cc and just don't twist the throttle as hard until you're ready

[charlesml3]

OK, as usual we have people throwing out recommendations on very, very little information. We need to ask some more questions before anyone can really offer a recommendation.

- Are you trailering or will it stay on a lift?

- If you're trailering, what's your tow vehicle?

- Where will you store the boat when you're not using it?

- Do you or any of your crew slalom ski?

- What's your budget?

- How long do you anticipate keeping the boat?

- How far away is your nearest Nautique dealer (or a solid, reputable mechanic)?

- How rough is the water you're on? Neither of these Nautiques will be as comfortable on rough water as that 24' Cobalt you have now.

-Charles

[Tallredrider]

Before you seem to put down everyone who posted already, most of your questions already have obvious answers.

He already has a 24 foot cobalt, so towing, storage, or lift are already figured out for a boat bigger than the new ones he is looking at. A G23 will slalom better than the Cobalt regardless, and why wouldn't he say he wants to slalom when he said they like to tube, surf and wakeboard?

He has looked at 2 very specific boats and cites number of hours, so we can only assume his budget is fitting for the boats he suggested.

Between those 2 boats, does it really matter how long he will keep it?

It seems clear he already understands that these boats will not handle chop like his Cobalt with his smooth"er" comment.

The only good question is if he has a Nautique dealer nearby to service one of those boats. It seems obvious, since he is enamored with Nautique boats, but maybe they are both used boats 500 miles from him being sold by private parties.

So I am thinking the post above is entirely useless.

I'm sorry, maybe it has been too long since I've been to the lake.

[bp115]

Thanks guys for all the feedback! I raced motocross for many years so the moto analogy is appreciated.

Yes, this is my first tow boat and we do have a pretty rough (really populated lake), When looking i was kinda looking of the "unicorn" of a good tow boat that road well.
My local marina is a long time Nautique dealer and very reputable!
I stays at a doc at the lake house when we are there, if not it is kept in dry storage at the marina. So i really will not be using the trailer it comes with at all really....
We do not even own ski's i would like to get one for only nostalgic reasons to pull out 1-3 times a year
As for budget, they are both good deals, and while the G23 is a bit more it fits the budget
I generally do not keep toys more than 3-4 years, however i think i could foresee us keeping this purchase a while longer
BTW color is black with silver flake white uph with tan floor....Looks sweet!

Sounds like the G23 is the way to go, from the feedback i see. Looks like this is plug and play!

[charlesml3]

Thanks guys for all the feedback! I raced motocross for many years so the moto analogy is appreciated.

Yes, this is my first tow boat and we do have a pretty rough (really populated lake), When looking i was kinda looking of the "unicorn" of a good tow boat that road well.
My local marina is a long time Nautique dealer and very reputable!
I stays at a doc at the lake house when we are there, if not it is kept in dry storage at the marina. So i really will not be using the trailer it comes with at all really....
We do not even own ski's i would like to get one for only nostalgic reasons to pull out 1-3 times a year
As for budget, they are both good deals, and while the G23 is a bit more it fits the budget
I generally do not keep toys more than 3-4 years, however i think i could foresee us keeping this purchase a while longer
BTW color is black with silver flake white uph with tan floor....Looks sweet!

Sounds like the G23 is the way to go, from the feedback i see. Looks like this is plug and play!

OK, sounds good. DO NOT buy anything until you've done an extensive test drive. And really, you should wakeboard and surf behind it as well. Now I realize it's still January and you're in Alabama. It's gonna be chilly unless you delay until spring.

And as I pointed out before, your Cobalt is going to handle rough water FAR better than any Nautique. They're just wildly different and there are tradeoffs.

In addition, these surf boats will handle very different than your Cobalt. They don't respond well to the rudder at slow speeds, at least not "well" compared to your current stern-drive. Reverse takes a lot of practice. No matter what you do with the steering wheel, it's going to back to the right. It's due to the prop rotation. It's one of those things you just have to learn to live with on these boats. If possible, have someone from the local dealership go out with you for a couple of hours and provide a bit of training. It'll prevent a lot of frustration for you.

-Charles

[ClearAz]

Hi, i am new to the group. My family has decided we are ready for your first true tow boat. We have found two different boats 2016 G23 30hrs, and a 2017 GS22 16hrs and are trying to decide which would be the better move. We like to wakeboard, surf, 7yr old tubes and mamma and I like to ride a lot, on a pretty rough lake, so a smooth"er" ride is a plus. None of us a super advanced wake boarders or surfers, but sure do enjoy it.

Thank you for your advise on which would be the better boat.

I’m still trying to figure out who had a 2016 G and only put 30 hours on it!

Good Luck. I’ve been somewhat in the same scenario however I’ve been looking at a year old G23 vs a 2019 GS24. The 2019 GS made a hull design improvement and the surf wave has gotten a lot better from what I understand. ( I rode the 2019 but have not ridden on any prior years)

[ScooterMcgavin]

I’m still trying to figure out who had a 2016 G and only put 30 hours on it!

Good Luck. I’ve been somewhat in the same scenario however I’ve been looking at a year old G23 vs a 2019 GS24. The 2019 GS made a hull design improvement and the surf wave has gotten a lot better from what I understand. ( I rode the 2019 but have not ridden on any prior years)

Have they tweaked the hulls on the GS line to improve surf wave? If so when did they do this and was it done on all GS boat? 20,22,24?
I'm surprised this hasn't come up in this forum if that did happen. Is there a link to this information?

[charlesml3]

Agreed. This is the first I've heard of any hull change for the GS line. I really would think if there had been any changes at all this forum would be talking about it.

-Charles

[Adrenaline1]

I have not heard of a hull change either, but they did add the pro ballast option on the GS22 for 2019.

[72Miles]

Here's the great news bp115, you and your family are in for a GREAT summer with either of those boats.

[bp115]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate everyone's imput! The 23 hrs.....well lets just say the prior owner had several other toys he spent a good bit of time on


yes, i was also told by my dealer that there had been hull changes from 2017-2019 on the GS