Boat Opinions...

I currently have a Sea Ray bow rider and am looking into getting a wakeboarding/ slalom boat in the near future so I can learn some new stuff. I have looked at several boats and am having a tough time deciding where to go from here.

Tomorrow I am checking out a Tige 21V for 25k. I know people like to bash Tige, but does anyone have any personal experience with this boat? As an intermediate rider, do I need a boat that heavy? Would I be better off looking at a smaller boat like a Moomba Outback? My price range is $20-$25k and I live in Chicagoland. Any help is greatly appreciated.

MC 205V or older Vdrive XStar. Same hull the 205V will be cheaper.

that Tige is a nice boat, with the taps you can get a deasent wake for both solom and wake. It drives good also, its a good pick for the $.

I don't think just becasue a boat is heavier it will produce a better wake. I was just down at Shasta for Memorial day and saw many many boats. MC Bu's Calabrias MB Tige Moomba Supra Nautiques Centurian man they were all there. I was watching as people would go by and checking out the wakes. The Tige had a great wake it was a 24v. Saw an X star with a great wake and of course the Naughty had a great one. Just take the boats out and demo before you buy...with 20-25 grand you could get a good deal on something you will really like. JUST KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN>

What year is it? Tige's have some really nice boats and I am sure that boat is no different. You are doing the right thing by checking it out. Are you test driving it?

Oh ya, it's a 2000 with 312 hours. If I like it enough to buy it I'll for sure test drive it. I had previously looked at a '98 Moomba Mobius that was beat to hell, a '00 Malibu LXi that was beat up and overpriced, and a cherry '01 Moomba Outback that I was seriously considering, but then the original owner ended up not trading it in. All of the Mastercrafts that I have seen are either too expensive or have tons of hours on them.

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/5/0/89032950.htm

If you want, tigeowners.com has a few members that have that year and make. You will have to register to ask questions but from what I can see, no one really has been disappointed after they have bought a Tige. Yes, they get slammed on WW. Tiges are know for their dual activities and that boat is no different. Good choice in brands IMO, but be careful as you have already been so far. Good luck.

I have been behind a 2000 Tige 21V and it has a great wake. The towers weren't the best and watch the interior stiching. The wakes not the biggest but it is super fun. The boat doesn't respond to extra weight like a 205V or Nauti 210 hull. The tiges wake will get a little bit bigger with weight then at a point will just go to crap.

Thanks for the input. By "towers not the best" do you mean it might fall apart on me?

That was a good year for Tiges. That hull is a really good all arounder. It's not going to have the worlds greatest wakeboard wake in history, but with a little tweaking, it can hold it's own. It will be more than enough to go out and break your ass. The slalom wake is pretty damn nice for what is basically a wake boat. It will have a decent size bump, but it really lays down nice @ 34mph. The surf wake on the older Tiges really kicks ass. The design of the hull resulted in one of the better surf hulls around. It won't take much to get it to a really decent size with perfect shape. It's also a great cruiser. It will easily handle whatever chop gets thrown at it. They drive great and ride better.

The factory Metcraft tower (affectionately known as the Metcrap by long time Tige owners) would be the one weak point of that boat. You will need to stay on top of keeping all the bolts tight. Pretty much everybody switches it out. Towers on boats at that time were a new deal for every builder. The only decent one of that era was the Titan. New towers are light years ahead of what was available at the time. Hell, Metcraft (I believe) builds towers for Malibu these days and that forward arch is as strong as anything. That old one they built for Tige was not their crowning achievement by any stretch of the imagination. Don't let that scare you away from what is a fantastic boat underneath it. A lot of people negotiate the cost of a new tower into the price. Well worth your time. Got any pics of it? We can tell you which one it is.

(Message edited by Nickypoo on May 31, 2007)

I can't figure out how to post pictures but here is the link...

http://www.boatreeds.com/usedboats.html

Well, one thing for sure, that isn't the Metcrap tower. that is good.

Good to go. That's a Monster tower. No worries there.