Tige RZ2 or Z3 for surfing ?
 

Hey guys I am looking to finally pull the trigger on a new boat and the local tige dealer has two 2012's left in stock.

The RZ2 is a demo with 50hrs and the Z3 is a brand new 2012. The RZ2 has the pro ballast system and the Z3 has the Surf ballast. We will mostly only surf behind the boat and I am leaning towards the Z3 but want to hear from you guys which way I should go.

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks,

Travis.

Post a pic of the Z3's transom, then I'll let you know.

i think the z3 is going to be the best option from tige. search wake 9 here and you will have more info than you will know what to do with. both killer boats. congrats.

That is definetely not a 1st-run Z3 so you are good to go with it for a surf boat. Depending on your surf skills and expectations of the wake you will more then likely end up wanting more weight then what the factory pro and surf options offer for the rear. On the Z3, you may also find it needs more in the bow then the surf option offers.

Both have proven surf wakes and are all around awesome boats. The RZ2 is fairly simple to weight and dial in. Both handle well and have a great ride, offer lots of storage. The Z3 is a little larger in the main cabin but has a smaller bow.

For a primary surf boat, both are great choices.

My friend is heavily into surfing and went with the Z3.. I haven't personally ridden behind it, but he loves it.

Well the RZ2 is $5000.00 cheaper than the Z3 but the RZ2 was a demo and has 50hrs on it.

I am so torn on which one to buy. This will be my first boat of this kind and we are fairly new to surfing etc...

The Z3 has the 409 and the RZ2 has the 343 engine.

for brand new and what looks like a good color combo id go z3. its the newest hull and a bit bigger, you wont grow out of it or see it get replaced anytime soon

Travis,

Both of those boats will be awesome surf machines. I would suggest demoing both and see which one you like the best. This will allow you to compare what each model offers based on your needs and wants, then you can weigh pros and cons of a new boats bigger and cost a little more and a slightly smaller (in length) boat that's got some demo hours.

The Z3 has the 409 and the RZ2 has the 343 engine.

I can't demo them unfortunatley because its winter up here where we are. I need to decide as the deals are pretty good right now.

Where are you located? Unless the lakes are frozen over, id ask for a sea trial, period.

nuff said :D

I am in Alberta, Canada and yes the lakes are frozen over LOL

Unless you just hate the colors of the Z3, I think it's a no brainier. The Z3 is new and no hours, has the bigger motor, will probably surf a little better and prob has a higher MSRP and potentially a higher resale value.

I think the $5K difference is definitely worth it.

Whats the difference in terms of options between the 2? 5K is small potatoes with out knowing more details. The Z3 is new, bigger and has the larger engine. Thats about 15K in my book. What the RZ2 got, or the the Z3 is missing, that has them apart by only 5K.

The reason they are only 5k apart is the Z3 is a 2012 they have and like I said its winter here and the 2013's will be here by spring.

The RZ2 has bolt on board racks, the fancy floor (can't remember the name) and it was a demo and has 50 hours on it.

I think that is the only difference in options.

Z3 options;

Options

- Carlotta Steering Wheel
- Alpha Z Tower
- Rev 10 Tower of Power
- Rev 10 LED lights
- Surf Bimini
- 409 C.U.
- Surf Ballast Pkg
- Dual Batteries
- Heater
- Surf Racks
- Flex Paint Pkg
- Stainless Rub Rail
- Transom Remote
- 18" Black Alloy Wheels
- Transom Straps

RZ2 Options;

Options
- Flex Paint Pkg
- Pearl Metallic Custom Colors
- White Pearl Metallic Alpha Z Tower
- Rev 10 Tower Power
- Wetsounds Tower LED's
- Clamping Board Racks
- 5.7L PCM
- 18 Gear Wheels
- Runway load lights
- Poseidon floor
- Carlotta Steering wheel
- Mirror & Billet Bracket
- Surf Bimini
- Pro Ballast System
- Heater
- Transom Remote
- Stainless/White Rub rail
- Dual Batteries

Yup, definitely will want more ballast :D btw, hey mike, been a while!

I want to see a pic of the RZ2.

Well, i just so happened to put about 10 hours on an RZ2 and a Z3 this summer. The RZ2 surf wake was better out of the box IMO. It seemed easier to dial with little to no extra. I think i added about 500 in lead bags and the RZ2 surf wave was LEGIT. So, for me if i was going to buy another boat for surfing only and it was between those, i'd get the RZ2 without a doubt.

Thanks for all the input guys !! I am going to make a decision today !

Here is a picture of each boat. I love the looks of both of them !!

http://www.gtperform.com/inventory/1...7-12%20012.JPG

http://www.gtperform.com/inventory/1...7-12%20008.JPG

I guess another thing to throw in the mix would be which one will hold its value better if a decide to sell it down the road ?

I have surfed behind both. The Z3 wave has more push farther back than the RZ2. I have the clamping board racks they are really nice if you wakeboard and surf. I also have the 140 degree mirror which is also the bomb for excellent rear view.The poseidon flooring is great if you have lots of peeps with you as water drains right through it and it dries quickly.The RZ2 makes a excellent surf wave on either side and with extra weight you can extend the pocket.With all the options the RZ2 has i'd go with it.I'm kind of partial to the RZ2 since i own one though.Really you can't go wrong either way,but the RZ2 is much better equipped.Good Luck!

Can I ask what you are determining that off of? I know they changed the hull to improve surfing, how many of the original design were produced?

If their both 2012 the RZ2 has more options but the Z3 has the bigger motor.They should be within the 5k difference down the road though.

The early ones had a slight angle on the rear hull. I can't say how many were produced,but it wasn't alot.

This thread has a pic of the prototype hull and current production hull. The pic shows it much better then an explanation. If you do not have a tigeowners.com login and cant see the pics, let me know and I will copy them here.

I do not how many but a few dealers took early orders and a few did go out. The prototype Z3 we demo'd on Lake Mead back Sept of 2011 struggled to make a good wake, especially when weight was added above the stock. The new production hull has addressed this and the results are clear.

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...light=z3+chine

I have never had a such a tough decision when purchasing something. I wish the RZ2 had the bigger engine !!

What is the biggest difference I will notice in the between the two as far as the engine size compares ? Will the RZ2 be lacking power with the 5.7 ? compared to the Z3 409 ?

The 343 is a great engine in the RZ2. If it has the typical ACME 537 prop, you will reach the limits of that prop once weighted, long before the engine runs out of ballz.

I've never had any problem with my RZ2 with Pro Ballast and the 343.Even with 8 passengers to boot it still gets on plane no problem.We have 252 hours on ours so far.

it was explained to me by the rep that the "first run" say z3 1.0 will have an unchanged wakeboard wake, but that the surf suffered and lost some shape due to an aggressive chine

The RZ2 has more options which makes it appealing but the 409 in the Z3 kind of evens that out. We have an RZ2 with the 343 in Denver so at 5k feet of elevation. We had always purchased boats with the upgraded engine but after demoing an RZ2 with the full 2k lbs of ballast that you can get from the factory and the 343 we determined the engine upgrade wasn't necessary. Sure it would be nice to have those extra 66hp but it isn't necessary. If you are mainly surfing it isn't going to matter at all as either engine is going to get up to 11mph no matter what you do. If you go with the RZ2 tell the dealer up front you want an Acme 1235 prop on the boat. Don't go with the 537 as it sucks IMHO for that boat. I managed to hit our 1235 on a sandbar at lake powell and only had a 537 as a replacement and man the difference was huge. It didn't matter as much for surfing but made a HUGE difference when wakeboarding.

Z3 ;)

For what you listed I would take the Z3 for 5K more. Also I was warned about buying "demo" boats as Tige has strict guidelines about them including hours. I believe that might be over and if so you will lose alot of the warranty. Shoot me a PM if you want and I can hook you up with someone to give you specifics as to the guidelines. I just bought a Tige so I'm referring specifically to the Tige brand and not boats in general.

The Tige Warranty referring to demo hours is not any king of secret, so an up an up dealer should be more than willing to disclose the policy. It used to be anything over 40 dealer hours was considered used, but that may have changed in the past couple of years as Tiges has changed their overall warranty.

I think I would go z3 as well based on engine updrade. See if you can get a decent price on the clamping rack upgrade as well. Both boats look sweet.

Mike that is what i was told was the standard. Not all dealers are up front. Thats why I put it out there. If the dealer was upfront the OP probably would have posted there wasn't new warranty as the boat would be considered used.

No brainer here, Z3 for sure. Bigger engine is biggest factor, not to mention sounds like alot of WW'ders having nothing but respect for the wakeboard and surf wake.

i would check to see if that hull is the prototype, if it is, get the rz2. i think the z3 is a killer boat, but dont get stuck with a hull that suffers, also, i am not sure if you can purchase in the states, but some markets struggle to sell tige, so there are really good deals out there if you are willing to put the effort into it. hope this helps

I like the rz2 but I am biased as that is a boat I'm considering myself, style wise looks way better to me

Same here Mike.I really prefer the RZ2 styling.The Z3 is a awesome performing and a great looking boat that is really Spacious inside.It will be a tough choice.

I'd go Z3. The big motor is not a replaceable feature. You can add some other things and most of them aren't resale type features anyways. The boat is larger inside/out and with the 50 less hours - thats a half of a season or more of riding already added to the boat depending on how you use it. The $5k for the motor upgrade is good enough to make the difference but putting all of the hours on yourself, less wear, etc is a nice piece of mind.

Well guys I went ahead and pulled the Trigger on the Z3. I got 3 surf boards with it and a bunch of other accessories. I am having them install 3 Shadow Caster SC-10 Led light bars on the back of the transom as well as some other odds and ends.

I can't wait for spring now !!!

Any tips or tricks for when I do get it on the water and setting it up for surfing ? (My friends and I are pretty new to surfing so any tips are greatly appreciated)

Congratulations on your new boat. I know you will enjoy it. The surf set-up i've had the best luck with is front ballast full. Rear surf side full.Off surf side rear 50% full. Taps on 4 and start at 11mph and adjust between 10.8 to 11.8 to get the wave to your liking.Good Luck!!

^^ What he said^^ Have fun!

Robert, why do you fill up the non surf side 50% full? what does that do to the wave?

Congrats! For only $5k more I would have gone with that Z3 as well since it is brand new and has the bigger engine.

Makes it bigger.The Z3 requires less angle of list [about 8*] than other Tige's, The RZ2 and the VE series require 12 to 15* degrees to make a excellent wave.

do you recommend doing that for other boats or just for the z3?

Seems to work best on the Z3.My RZ2 likes 50% off side front and rear and full ballast surf side front and rear.

robert, your boat is sick dude, propably best looking rz2 to date that i have seen, love it, u arent thinking about selling anytime soon are you

Congrats on the Z3.

Good job right choice!

No, it's a keeper for sure.

Good choice, the Z3 is sick! Those shadow casters should also be awesome!!! Congrats on the new boat

Sparing no expense on the brightest transom LEDs I see ;) excellent choice along with the z3 choice.. Congrats!

Hows the wakeboard wake on rz2 since we have established the surf wave is good

In my opinion all a amateur would ever need and good enough for most Pro's.It's not going to clean up under 20 mph though and when weighted you will have to go at least 23 mph.

RZ2 wakeboarding wake is very nice. I consistently ride behind an RZ2, MB 23 TWB, OG X Star, Bu VTX, and we had an Axis A22 before the MB. There isn't a single trick that has been thrown down by anyone in our crew behind any of those boats that can't easily be thrown down behind the RZ2. If you add the full 2000lbs they offer with the pro ballast it gets plenty damn big. Not as big as the MB with the 2300lbs or the Axis we ran with 2600lbs but plenty damn big for any amateur rider.

i think alot of people struggle with the tige wake cause that taps adds an extra variable and they can be tricky to weight

Can I ask what you were quoted on the RZ2? PM me if possible.

I second the price question, if u don't want to post it pm me as well, thanks

They are looking for 80k for the Demo RZ2. Remember this is canadian prices.

If your looking for an RZ2 my dealer has a 12 with like 70 hours, Mint, loaded with less than 70 hours. I've seen it and its as new. Loaded!!! Every option I know. Wetsounds amps, 4 rev 10's, bimini and more. It was a sweet boat. Came in a week after we bought our RZR or I'd own it!! Well under 70.

Congrats on the new boat....bet you can't wait for May to roll around