The G23 is just oh so right

[BoatGuy2019]

Hola. For my very first boat I was blessed to of been able to acquired a then new 2017 230. Then as many of us wave chaser/addicts discover, we want better, faster, more so to speak.... so I upgraded to a then new 2018 GS22.

Then last week we were blessed to of taken delivery of a 2019 G23. Feeling like I generally knew what to expect from a Nautique, I figured it would just be bigger in most directions and a better surf wave.

But what it is, is this.... it’s just SO right.

I really struggle to put it into words, but basically it comes down to this... Nautique simply knows how to build a quality product, that is packaged SO well in SO many categories that it hardly leaves you wanting for more. Personally the only thing I wish I had ordered is the thruster as I’d like a bit more control in cross wind situations around the marina and dock’s, but wow.... the G23 really is something else.

Any questions that you have from a new G owner? I’d be happy to answer them as I have fresh or new perspective. Otherwise just know this... the G23 is just SO right in so many ways.

PS - in the last 6 months we’ve also demo’ed the assortments from Malibu, Mastercraft, Supra and Tige with the Tige ZX5 leaving us a very memorable ride, so if asked I’d have to say the ZX5 was a close one for capturing our money. And for a fun side note, any day now Tige will be releasing the 23’ version of their ZX line that will obviously be called the ZX3. I spoke with the president of Tige’s son and he let the cat out of the bag.


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[cptotr]

Glad your happy with your purchase! It’ll be a nice boat for you no doubt. Lot of fun times to come! Out of curiosity, what were the pros and cons of the zx5 and what ultimately led you back to Nautique? The zx5 did catch my attention at the boat show. I like A LOT about it or as much as you possibly can from a boat show. However, I lack dealer support and have always heard the Tige wave can be a touch finicky so I never really gave it a serious thought. What was your thoughts on your demo?


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[BoatGuy2019]

Glad your happy with your purchase! It’ll be a nice boat for you no doubt. Lot of fun times to come! Out of curiosity, what were the pros and cons of the zx5 and what ultimately led you back to Nautique? The zx5 did catch my attention at the boat show. I like A LOT about it or as much as you possibly can from a boat show. However, I lack dealer support and have always heard the Tige wave can be a touch finicky so I never really gave it a serious thought. What was your thoughts on your demo?


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Cons of the ZX5:
- When surfing it rode bow high. I mean real high. Wife had to constantly get out of the boosted drivers seat to make sure she was driving in a clear and safe direction. This was the main deal breaker.
- On our demo, the steering was ridiculously tight/heavy when underway. Felt like something had not been adjusted.... likely the case as it only had 2 hours on it. If that’s the way it is always then no thanks.
- Tear platform when at full ballast was like 4” under water. Not a huge deal, but it was just weird. It also seemed to have more flex in it than I was comfortable with. With 2 people back there and a little movement it seemed like it might break.
- Tige support. Some say they’re great, others can’t stand them. Hard to leave Nautique and Buxton.

Pro’s:
- You seem to get a lot more features for the money.
- Storage was great for my family even with the PNP sacs that were needed to make the great wave.
- Rear transom seats a nice plus.
- Rear transom surf locker was A+
- The surf wave was very nice.
- The interior oozes luxury and the bow area was super big/nice.
- RGB lighting package is awesome with basically lights everywhere.
- Wet sounds sounded great
- Great looking tower and windshield



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[BoatGuy2019]

Glad your happy with your purchase! It’ll be a nice boat for you no doubt. Lot of fun times to come! Out of curiosity, what were the pros and cons of the zx5 and what ultimately led you back to Nautique? The zx5 did catch my attention at the boat show. I like A LOT about it or as much as you possibly can from a boat show. However, I lack dealer support and have always heard the Tige wave can be a touch finicky so I never really gave it a serious thought. What was your thoughts on your demo?


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And also meant to mention as far as pro’s.... 1) they really tout that the bot will not brow wash out. They encouraged me to try to make it happen with full ballast and I couldn’t get it to do it so that seemed impressive. 2) I think it’s one of the best looking hull designs out there when it’s sitting in the water.


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[FPCC]

Did you demo the x24?

[ITSJAC]

What lake your ride and post a pic of your boat.

[kylant]

did your gs22 have pro ballast?
did you add any weight to the 22?

please do a direct comparison of the 22 to the 23.

if my wife and i stop waterskiing, i will be buying a G. this gs is a pretty amazing do it all boat though.

[BoatGuy2019]

Did you demo the x24?

Yup. Killer wave! Beautiful boat.

Super tall wave, but we felt one would surf so high on the wave that any new surfers would feel like they were falling off a small mountain. Seriously. Also The positioning of the wave compared to the boat, we also felt like new riders would be slamming the boards into the back of the boat when the fell backwards.

Steering was crazy hard/heavy and this bit also likes to ride very high in the bow which my wife didn’t like.

And lastly, the flip up, rear facing center seat.... it’s heavy and extremely Ackward to open and my wife didn’t have the strength to open it, so we said no thank you.


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[BoatGuy2019]

What lake your ride and post a pic of your boat.

Grapevine. Can’t figure out how to post pics yet from my phone.


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[BoatGuy2019]

did your gs22 have pro ballast?
did you add any weight to the 22?

please do a direct comparison of the 22 to the 23.

if my wife and i stop waterskiing, i will be buying a G. this gs is a pretty amazing do it all boat though.

No pro ballast in my GS22. Only lead. 550#. Call me at 832-233-0265 if you wanna tall comparison. Too much to type!


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[SoCal G-Man]

But what it is, is this.... it’s just SO right.

Like you, I tested every possible G23 contender. I thought that the X24 would be my favorite, but the surf wake on the G23 with 300# of lead under the observer seat is just a better wake for my family and me. After thinking about it for awhile, the X24 was the only true close-second for us for surfing. However, we did not like the rear facing seats either. (A quick way to get pulled-over here in California anyway.) The G23 rear storage, the cooler location, lack of bow rise compared to others, and the easy steering are all pretty big conveniences for us. I did notice more bow rise on the X24 than I would have imagined. Also, the Mastercraft tower just feels flimsy and looks very dated. The X24 interior was definitely eye-catching. The M235 was a let-down. Surprisingly, the LSV 23 had the best surf wake out of all four Malibus. (M235, 25LSV, 23LSV & 24MXZ) That was our #3 choice and all had PNP maxed. My kids liked the Tiges, but I felt that they were too heavy-feeling on the steering wheel, and I was not as impressed with the surf wake even on the ZX5 with PNP and some lead.

My kids wakeboard and surf and, after days of cold (for us) testing this winter, we ended up with another G23.

[BoatGuy2019]

Like you, I tested every possible G23 contender. I thought that the X24 would be my favorite, but the surf wake on the G23 with 300# of lead under the observer seat is just a better wake for my family and me. After thinking about it for awhile, the X24 was the only true close-second for us for surfing. However, we did not like the rear facing seats either. (A quick way to get pulled-over here in California anyway.) The G23 rear storage, the cooler location, lack of bow rise compared to others, and the easy steering are all pretty big conveniences for us. I did notice more bow rise on the X24 than I would have imagined. Also, the Mastercraft tower just feels flimsy and looks very dated. The X24 interior was definitely eye-catching. The M235 was a let-down. Surprisingly, the LSV 23 had the best surf wake out of all four Malibus. (M235, 25LSV, 23LSV & 24MXZ) That was our #3 choice and all had PNP maxed. My kids liked the Tiges, but I felt that they were too heavy-feeling on the steering wheel, and I was not as impressed with the surf wake even on the ZX5 with PNP and some lead.

My kids wakeboard and surf and, after days of cold (for us) testing this winter, we ended up with another G23.

Very similar experiences we shared. Glad to stay in the Nautique family!



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[StagNW]

Can you explain why the GS22 was an upgrade over the 230?

[markj]

Can you explain why the GS22 was an upgrade over the 230?

Don't worry. That's either a misprint or someone clearly left a crack pipe in the GS22's glove box.......

[Adrenaline1]

did your gs22 have pro ballast?
did you add any weight to the 22?

please do a direct comparison of the 22 to the 23.

if my wife and i stop waterskiing, i will be buying a G. this gs is a pretty amazing do it all boat though.

I am also interested in an in depth comparison of the two from someone who has actually owned them both. I have very little experience surfing (just this year). The GS22 with pro ballast seems plenty tall but I seem to want more length. I would not say I have it dialed in at this point after just 5 hours and a broadcast beginner board. I did not like how the G drove at all, and I really enjoy the handling of the GS. I also ski, so the GS has been great for us so far.