I am wanting to upgrade my boat in the next year or two. I live cincinnati ohio, and around me malibus are the most common. There are no centurion, or tige dealers around. So If I consider a slightly used boat, malibu will be the one I will be able to find the most of. Vlx's seem to be the most popular around here. I know the 247 is great surf boat, but haven' seen much about any of the other models..
also I should say, I am a goofy rider, and I want the ballast to be all hidden and work off switches.. I am tired of moving bags around, and filling and draining with external pump.
Also another point i would like to make is that Malibus make a great goofy wave but they put the cooler on the right side, so you dont have room to put a bag under the seat on that side. You have a bag on the seat, and your beers are stuck under the seat with the bag on top!
The cooler is removable in the malibu line. At least it is in 07 and prior years. The boat can have a great wave with no baggs showing. Malibu will be better for goofy based on prop rotation. I ride regular and my wave is great for a 21 foot boat.
That cooler is a bummer. Tige moved the cooler to that location from under the observer seat, its there on our RZ2. Much rather have sacs there. I guess in 2012 its now in the bow, so both sides open.
Do you have any pics of the VLX wake? Would love to see it.
I'm fairly pleased with my wave after putting a 1100 in place of the stock 250 and run a 400 in the bow and one in the seats depending on how light the crew is.
Here is a pick with the 750 in the corner and the stock mls belly 400 on a 02 vlx.
I don't have any pictures with the 1100 in the corner.
I'm 6'4 for reference.
This is a screen shot of my friend surfing behind his 2010 VLX, same hull as the new ones. This is regular obviously. The goofy side is even better. Stock ballast with one 550lb sack in the locker, 5 passengers, wedge in full down position. You don't really have to do much to "make" these boats surfable. They are born that way, but not in the Lady GaGa sort of way.
The beam (width) gets larger each hull change. They add different lines to the chine, basically its a totally different boat. The ride series is just the former vlx hull with not as many features of a VLX for a price point boat. The 2005-2008 Vride is the 2000-2004 VLX hull. The 2009-current Vride is the 2005-2008 VLX hull. I have no idea about drops in the degree of angle in the hull. Just look at these links to get a feel for the major changes year to year.
We honestly have only loaded the goofy side a handful of times, but its equivalent especially since the prop rotates that way. We run stock ballast surf side, middle and front full, a custom "enzo" style sac, a 450 on seat, and 450 in the bow, and wedge all the way down to a couple clicks up. Now that is only with a driver in the boat, its usually just my wife and I surfing. If you have a crew, you could easily ditch the one on the seat. I know you didnt want any sacs out, but the bow one really helps lengthen the wave. Hope that helps.
That is a nice wake, looks awesome. However, I gotta see the goofy wake. But really looks nice. There are a few malibus around here, but no real wake surfers.
I had A 09 VLX, it made a great Goofy wake, but not that great of a regular wake. I traded it for a 23lsv, and it has a longer an taller wave. It is great on both sides, A little more versitile. I think these hulls have been the same for awhile. On a small side track, I wonder If Ragboy knows how to weight a 2010 21 ft Tige. My friend got the 1100 plug and play on top of the stock ballast, and we cant get any kind of a surf wake out of it no matter what speed or taps setting, what soever?