Should I buy 2013 G25 550 HP

[6billionthman]

I’ve done a fair amount of searching and reading on the subject but I’d still like advice from those of you with knowledge on these boats. From what I can gather the early G series had bow spray issues and they added the 2 to 1 gear reduction because the 2013 boats were under powered. I found a 2013 G 25 with less than 300 hours and it has the 550 hp engine.

Is this a good boat for wake surfing on a big lake.

1) Does the 550 hp engine have enough power to push the G 25 without the need for the 2 to 1 transmission?

2) Is the bow spray issue just as bad in the G25 as I’ve read about in the G 23’s.

3) Can I add ballast bags to the rear lockers and lead to the front to achieve a wave on par with the newer G series 25 /23. It will be used primarily for surfing.

4) Can the G25 handle heavy chop created by other wake boats and 50 foot cruisers without taking waves over the bow on a regular basis? (I have no experience with inboard boats.)

5) Will my wife hate the ride of the boat compared to our 27 foot see Ray? We will need to cruise a few miles at a time in medium to heavy chop to get gas or meet friends.

6) Can I pull a tube or a knee board without issue? I understand that skiing is mostly out of the question.

7) Can an experienced boater maneuver this boat in and out of a slip easily? Compared to an inboard outboard 27 foot boat.

Currently we have friends with a Cobalt R7 surf and a Cobalt R3 surf. These boats are fun and allow us to do some beginning to intermediate wake surfing and wake boarding. They also function as a runabout when we need to get across the Large lake comfortably.

My thought is to buy the G25 which is presumably a superior water sports boat. And while I’m willing to give up some of the cruising ability I’d still like to be able to get across our large like when necessary. Hopefully this post is not too long-winded. I look forward to your input.


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[Mike Fenton]

You can't go wrong with a G. It will be harder to maneuver in tight spots for sure but you will learn quick. The 550 has plenty power!

[6billionthman]

To be clear. You’re saying the 2013 G25 with the 550 has plenty of power WITHOUT the 2:1 transmission.


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[NautiqueJeff]

I had a 2013 with a 550. It had plenty of power. You won't regret it.

Now, a 2013 with any other engine would be a no for me.

[6billionthman]

Jeff. You really think there’s no way I would regret it? Because that’s what I’m worried about. In a nutshell I guess I am concerned about the usability of the boat when I’m not wake surfing.


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[NautiqueJeff]

I had a 550 in my 2013 G23. We used it for all sorts of water sports, including skiing. Top speed was 42ish, if I remember correctly. I don't think you'll get a G with a 2:1 up above 40.

Let me go down your list of questions and provide my experience. Maybe others will chime in too with their thoughts.




1) Does the 550 hp engine have enough power to push the G 25 without the need for the 2 to 1 transmission?

If you're just concerned because of the 2:1 gear reduction in the v-drive, keep in mind that all 550 G-series boats all the way from 2013 through 2015 kept the 1.48:1. The only G-series boats that got the 2:1 for 2014 and 2015 were the 409 and 450 engines. The 550 boats never had an issue with that gear ratio, so it wasn't changed until the hull was tweaked in 2016. 2016 was the first year that the 550 boats (as well as the ones with the smaller engines) got the 2:1, and honestly, I would probably prefer a 1.48:1 with a 550, even after 2016.

2) Is the bow spray issue just as bad in the G25 as I’ve read about in the G 23’s.

I do not have too much experience in the G25, so I will leave this one to others to answer.

3) Can I add ballast bags to the rear lockers and lead to the front to achieve a wave on par with the newer G series 25 /23. It will be used primarily for surfing.

A 2013 G25 may not have had NSS from the factory. NSS wasn't released until later that year. Be sure the boat you're looking at has it, or budget the money to have it installed. Also, be careful how much weight you add. On the original G-series boats, the NSS plates are not super tall, and if you weight the boat so that water flows overtop of the plates, your wave will wash out. That said, the G25 will need more weight than a G23 to produce the same wave. That's because there is more surface area on a G25 to sink before the wave will form.

Be careful adding water ballast in the back and lead in the front. Lead will always be there, so when you empty the rear bags, the front of the boat may ride nose-down, which can be dangerous. I suggest either bags everywhere or lead everywhere, and be sure to spread it evenly.

4) Can the G25 handle heavy chop created by other wake boats and 50 foot cruisers without taking waves over the bow on a regular basis? (I have no experience with inboard boats.)

Yes. There should be no problem there, especially if the boat is weighted properly. See above.

5) Will my wife hate the ride of the boat compared to our 27 foot see Ray? We will need to cruise a few miles at a time in medium to heavy chop to get gas or meet friends.

I doubt she'll hate the ride, but it will be different. These are watersports boats first, and cruisers second. They are made to produce big wakes/waves. The G25 is a heavy boat though, and will be a comfortable ride for a watersports boat. I live on Lake Norman, which can get pretty busy during the summer, and we are always comfortable in our G23.

6) Can I pull a tube or a knee board without issue? I understand that skiing is mostly out of the question.

Yes. There will be no problem there. I pull my son on the kneeboard all the time. We have a dedicated ski boat too now, so we don't ski behind the G anymore, but we used to. It certainly is doable, but the wake crossing can be, um, fun. You can mellow out the wake somewhat with the NCRS setting. The lower the setting, the higher the stern will ride, and the flatter the wake will be.

7) Can an experienced boater maneuver this boat in and out of a slip easily? Compared to an inboard outboard 27 foot boat.

The key here is experience. You WILL need practice to master this if you have never driven an inboard.

The G25 is a heavy boat. I will make some suggestions that may help you.

First, make the boat as light as possible when docking. Empty the ballast as much as possible.

Second, GO SLOWLY. There is no need to rush.

Third, try to approach a dock with the bow pointed toward the dock on the driver's side. Going slowly (see above), get the bow almost to the dock, with the stern sticking out toward open water at roughly a 45-degree angle or so. Put the boat in reverse and give a little throttle. The rear end will pull in toward the dock. You will need to practice this to get the feel for it and to know how much throttle to apply in reverse. The stern will always pull to the driver's side when in reverse. Steering input from the steering wheel will do nothing in reverse because very little water flows over the rudder in reverse. This is one of the hardest things for new inboard operators to understand. Practice, practice, practice. You might try going into open water and tossing a life vest overboard, and then practice pulling up to it as if it is a dock.

If you're going into a true slip, with dock fingers on both sides, just pull into the slip in forward SLOWLY, and know that the back on the boat will pull to the driver's side when you hit reverse.

[6billionthman]

I do thank you for this detailed response.


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[surfnjosh]

The only thing you will regret is the Bow spray. Yes the spray is just as bad in the 25 as the 23. if you ride on a lake that always has a bit of headwind when you surf id look for a deal on a 2016+