Supra owners: some questions for you, considering Launch purchase

I'd like some feedback and advice/suggestions from any Supra Launch owner because my wife and I are considering purchasing a used Launch, either 21v or 22SSV model years 2004-2008 (that all depends on price, hours, condition, options, etc.). This will be our first boat that we've owned ourselves however I don't want anyone to think that we're brand new to the sport and lifestyle since we've grown up around boats our entire lives.

I'd like to get your opinions on these two boats from anyone that owns one or has owned one. I've never driven a Supra, but I really love the looks of the boat and have read about what a great boat they are many times on this board. I have experience driving a Malibu VLX, SANTE, X-1, X-Star, Moomba Outback, and a Bu' VTX. From what I have read the wake on a 21v/22SSV/Supra overall is awesome, nice rampy transition with a lip at the top for boost. So I've never ridden behind one either.

I live in a crappy part of the country where Supra dealers are not popular (NJ/Northeast) and from looking on Craigslist I''m going to need to go MidWest or West in order to even get one (used that is, not new). There's a dealer in MD and VA I believe.

So just give me your opinions on the boats I've asked about. What do you like? Not like, what should I look for, what is considered a good number of hours (I know this depends on year, but how many hours on avg. do people put on in a season?) You know, all of the things that helped you when you were looking.

I appreciate any feedback,. Please don't reply with you should look into a Sanger, Centurion, etc. I've looked at the VLX (a little pricey for me) as well as Moomba Mobius LSV, but I'm really looking to find people's experiences with the Supra.

Thanks.

Post this on the Supra forum there is a good chance you can get a ride with a owner not too far from you. You will also get any questions you have about Supras answered. I have a 89 its been a great boat but I dont know first hand about the newed boats.

Good luck on your find. I have owned both the 21V and the 22SSV. It will really come down to your taste and how you will use it.
The 21V - Actually came out in 05, so you won't find an 04. Very solid boat and pretty much the same boat it is today. I think newer models may handle a bit better due to some rudder changes, but pretty much the same. You can load the heck out of them with weight and always be happy with the wake.

The 22SSV - A new hull came out in 07, so the hulls previous to 07 were a bit smaller and sleeker. Less storage, but in my opnion one of the best looking boats when it is sitting on the water cause of the low profile. It will feel significantly smaller than the 07 and newer. They got much deeper and tons more storage. Check out the seating configurations and make sure you like them. You will love the boat. It is a bit harder to tweak the wake the way you want it, but once you get it dialed it is a big steep wake.

Post any specific questions, but you can't make a wrong decision with either of the boats. Just find a good one that has been cared for.

Just like diggs said. We have an 05 22ssv I love the boat. No complaints. It has more storage then our 99 launch dd had. It seems like the more room you have the more stuff you bring. We started to notice we were bringing stuff we really did not need. We cut back on the stuff we take out now.

I have an '08 22V Sunsport, exact same hull design as the Launch, the Sunsport has the walk thru bow and only a 400 lb front center ballast bag, instead of the playpen bow and 600/1100 lb bag. Other than this the boat is identical. I put 150 hours on my Supra last year and it has been a great boat. I have three kids, and many times a full load of people on my boat and my upholstry looks as good as new. However, There are a couple items in the '08 and older models that need to be addressed:

In '09 they went to the JABSCO ballast puppies which is a MUCH better design for filling bags, the '08 and older boats use the RULE 20GPM pump fed into sprinkler valves which is junk. Good news is, you can replace this setup for about $400 with Tsunami's, I did this on my '08 and it now works great. I can fill 1900 lbs of ballast in about 8-9 minutes. I upgraded to the larger 750lb rear bags.

The '08 and older boats use the Roswell push-button swivel racks which start to loosen up. Good news is, for $100 you can get a much better pin style replacement from Roswell. Roswell has great customer service and will send you a set right out. Direct bolt-on, very easy to swap out.

Supra does have the easiest ballast system to expand, simply buy the larger fly-hi sacs and plug in and your good to go. I have never riden in a 21V so I cant give much feedback on that boat.

Supra makes a very nice high end wakeboard boat. The Z-5 rack, hull design, driveability, tower design, creature comforts, and overall look of the boat are great. I have ridden behind other boats (X-15's, Malibu LSV's, etc...) and Supra will definitely compete with these lines. I am not a shredder, intermediate rider, and the wake is more than sufficient for people that ride behind my boat.

Supra also put there boats on nice trailers (boxed in, 4 wheel disc, etc..) and have good warranties (4 years on the '08 models). The Indmar power plants with the 14.25 x 14 wakeboard prop are top of the line and perform great.

Hope this helps a little, I would not hesitate for a second to buy another Supra. I wish I could afford a new 2010 with the new Vision dash, which is a great upgrade.

Ride in all the boats you look at to compare for yourself. The Supra's have a lot of features for the money. The Z-5 cargo rack like Travis mentions is awesome. It's so big that you can get plenty of shade and still use it to carry all your crap.

If it's got the sprinkler valve ballast, just plan on ripping it out and starting over. It's junk... All of that is coming out of my boat right now.

Having a GOOD dealer close makes a difference. I believe the dealers can make or break the brand.

I have had a 07 & 09 22SSV. Both have had the bigger bags @ 2600lbs. Both boats paddlewheel setting=80 & KDW=180 with 3 people in boat. Add 10 to 20KDW for each 1000lbs of passangers when you are really loaded. Dialing in your boat may or may not be exactly these values but it should close. The feel you will be looking for is when the KDW is too high you will always run hot or overspeed on the set point. When you find that value back off KDW about 20 and you will see the speed settle right in.

Sweet! Seems like a good rule of thumb. Thanks, Chris. I'll give it a shot. Sounds like you didn't need to adjust the filtering regardless of weight. I know that I've played with this but maybe didn't have it set right to begin with.