Minimum lake depth needed for surfing ??

[countiemountie]

Yesterday I went down to the boat show and prior to looking at the G23s , I stopped by the Centurion boats. I was told by the salesman that the optimum depth for their Ri series was 15 - 20 feet lake depth and anything less would not produce as good a wake! Unfortunately, my lake (Lake Manistee Kalkaska Michigan) would be mostly 8 to 10 feet . I have spent my time on the lake in a tournament ski boat and the lack of depth has never been an issue. I am now in the market for a surf boat and am now very concerned that a wake boat may not be an option. One thing that I did notice is the hull design on the Centurion and the G23 is quite different, and the required draft on the G23 is only 31" .

What are your thoughts on how a G23 would perform as a surf boat in a lake 8 - 10 feet deep.

Thanks for any input

[MN Ryan]

Ugh. 10' is pushing it.

In my experience, anything less than 12' isn't worth surfing. We have a hump in the middle of our lake that abruptly comes from 20+' to about 6', and if you misjudge your location, you know instantly that it's getting shallow as the wave flattens out immediately.

I'm not sure that this is hull dependent. You need that water displacement to create a wave. It's the same result for my SV211 and my BIL's X10--granted not in the same class as the boats you're looking at, but two very different hulls.

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[charlesml3]

I'm sorry man, but 8-10' is NOT an option. I've tried it on White Lake and it's simply a no-go.

[countiemountie]

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D@MN! I was hoping that wouldn't be an issue. I guess that's going to bust my plans on a new boat.

[greggmck]

Agree. We have a very deep lake here in Seattle. But there is a section that is 12' deep. When we have wandered into that region with our G23 or Paragon, the wave all but disappears.

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[charlesml3]

Yea. You can't get around the laws of physics. I surf on Lake Gaston and know where the old riverbed ran so I can stay in 18-20' easily. There are a few spots that jump to 8' and the wave just disappears if we go over one of them.

[countiemountie]

.... well.... I think you have saved me 200k that I was about to drop on the G23 I was looking at.

[MN Ryan]

New place on a deeper lake?

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[bturner]

10' has been as shallow as I've been able get a decent run but then again I have a much smaller boat. 15' is much better. On top of that you have 3' of draft. Dang the channel on Oxbow lake is that at the deepest. You'd have a tough time with that boat on that lake, at least getting to the deep section.

[countiemountie]

I had to buy a new lift last year. So with the expectation of moving up in size from 20' boat weighing 2800 to the G23, I bought a FLOE 8000 lb. lift with a 26' deep sided canopy. So much for my plans. I now am stuck with what looks like tiny ski boat on a huge lift.

[MN Ryan]

Man, that stinks. At least you figured it out before you bought the boat.

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[shag]

Echoing what is stated above.. If it is just a couple shallow spots you could deal with it, but if the whole lake is only that deep, you wouldn't be satisfied. It even affects the wakeboard wake too.

[swatguy]

I will say this as someone who surfs , wakeboards on a river 6-10 ft deep quite frequently.


the flagships such as the g’s , RI’s . X23’ s are simply useless to surf out there. We’ve had them all out there. Spent countless hours getting things dialed as we used to host quite a few events. The boats just need so much displacement the shallow depth kills it. The only flagship we’ve had success getting a above average wave out of
is a Malibu 23LSV with the wedge and loaded up. Hands down heads and tails above any of the previous listed.

now for the caviat.


the 210 , G21 , bu 22 lsv , x10 axis A22 T21 all are decent surf rigs in the shallow water , they don’t need the big displacement to get the wakes pumping. They’re very surfable in 8ft. 6 is pretty much a no go. The g21 was the best performer with the 210 not too far behind. There is something to be said for bu’s wedge performance in the shallow depth.



with all that said I’ll echo the above. 15ft if the optimal depth for surfing.

[countiemountie]

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So, if you were in my position and had a house on my lake that is predominately 8 to 10 feet would you be shopping for a G21? Or walk away from the idea like some of the above seem to suggest? How does the 21 compare to the 23? I sat in both yesterday and wasn't disappointed.

[bturner]

I'd try to get out there with a crossover boat like mine and see where you end up. My previous boat was a 07 MasterCraft X2 and it would surf in 10' as will my 200v. Will you get the 5' wall of water like you would from a surf ship? No, so if you need that 5' wake to surf without the rope or do your patented double lindy move you'll need to adjust to what your lake will support and develop some skills or find another sport.

There are plenty of ~4000 lb. boats out there that will surf in 10' of water. Unfortunately you'll probably have to buy used as this market has been abandoned by the industry for the much more profitable 5000 lb. up surf ships.

As a fellow MI boater that is very familiar with our plentiful but typically smaller and shallower lakes, it always strikes me as odd to see one of these surf ships on a small lake such as the ones I frequent (Pontiac Lake, Oxbow Lake or West Twin Lake). I'm sorry but you might as well be out there with a 28' Searay or 32' Fountain, they just look really out of place. That and at some point you have to realize that it doesn't take much for one of these boats tear up lake. Even with our smaller boats you only need a couple boats taking runs to churn up any given area to the point where complaints are going to be coming in. I haven't been on your lake but I'm been on a ton just like it. Hate to say it but I think a G23 on that lake would be way too much boat for the lake.