Tige? why dont you ever hear about them?

i never see anybody posting about them online, owners, or wanting to buy.
i never see any on the lake.
i never see any pulling comps.
i dont hear about any sponsored riders.

ive ridden two. an older one with no built in ballast, and the wake was near impossible to clean up. all wash. and i rode a new one 09 at billy garcias camp in austin. also didnt have built in ballast.

they make such a nice looking boat, why dont you ever hear/see anything about them?

I see and hear about them all the time. My lake probably has more Tiges than any other wakeboat. Up till this year I rode behind one all the time. Also I notice they are getting much larger amongst the surfing community.

i just never see anything about them on the wake forums.

I've seen quite a bit here lately. I think they kind of got a bad name with the whole no ballast needed thing, but now they come with a ton of ballast. The local tige dealer in CO is about 5-10 miles from my lake, so that's why I see so many I suppose

hmm i dont see any here or wb.com on the first few pages, nor do i even remember the last time i saw a tige thread. on either forum.

Here's one from the first page
http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showt...highlight=tige

I see one in my garage every morning!

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=779606
here is one form the surf forum. Like I said I think they've grabbed a good market share amongst surfers

Originally Posted by 0klahoma_Breakdown

I see one in my garage every morning!

X2.. well at my storage unit

Tigeowners.com

Love our Tige, and all we do is surf. Sometimes we bring a wakeskate for my friend.

Love my Tige as well. Whenever we get the crew out on it nobody ever has any complaints about the wake with 1/2 the weight we run in the other boats. I know they catch a lot of flack about the no ballast needed thing, but who cares. Also as noted above, our surf wake is waaaay nicer than my buddy's old MC was, haven't got to try out his BU, so we'll see how it compares then. All in all, I love the boat and will definately be looking at them when we go to trade up.

TAPS is awesome and lets you clean up your surf wave, tiges are the best for surfing!!

i have a tige 22ve with no ballast i am 50 years old . with no ballast i can get 8 foot of air and clear the wake easily on a 85 foot rope. then i have 2100 lbs of ballst bags i fill and i have n't seen a better wake .i've ridden behind seriously weighted mastercraft malibus and mbs. tige has pro riders.daniel watkins,adam errington tino santori,scotty broome,eric ruck to name a few. they also sponser the tige pro am and have their own owners forum tigeowners.com.check one out you will be impressed.value for the dollar is awesome!

Ever since that dude posted up his Tige tramp stamp, everyone has been kind of scared to talk about them in the event he might come back.

corey their factory is in abeliene tx go on up and demo one you will be impressed!

i actually love the way they look. and have been in several at boat shows and rode the two i mentioned. seem quality. not knocking the boat at all, like i said as ive always loved there styling. just curious why i never see any posts about them. (in comparison) i never go to the surf specific subforums, maybe thats why.

cory no offense taken. i just wanted to get across the point to get you to try out a newer one 2005 or newer.they have a awesome wake. i can ride at 75 foot full taps=steepest wake and its clean at 21.5 mph.

Cory

I have been here for a while. Since you have joined we ironically haven't had another big Tige debate in this section. However, they do come up quite regular but there hasn't been the traffic on here as usual either it seems.

gotcha. yeah didnt mean to strike a cord with ya. just dont see them represented of the forums like MC, Mal, SAN, etc. or even moombas, MBs, and sangers. the newest one i rode was a full option 09 at Billy Garcias wake camp. wake seemed decent on it even with no ballast. but the lake we were on (lake austin) was a joke, solid rollers all morning no matter how far north we went (45 minutes) so left a bad taste in my mouth not the boats fault, the water.

i honestly think the Tiges have THE best looking boat on the market, for sure top 2-3.

I live by chris aka cjh1669 and the lake by us is absolutely filled with tige's. Their newer boats are definitely some of the best looking boats on the market.

They sponsor the site you're reading....

Just a few guesses as to why......
- Metcraft towers suck. And their support was worse. We had a situation here where the tower broke in several places. Metcraft refused to do anything about it. Charlie P stepped in & made it right after some Texas riders called in a favor. Hopefully they are using a different make of tower now.
- Not sure what happened with their dealer network around here. The dealer in Hayden also reps CC. And seems like they don't sell many of the Tige's as a result.
- The Seattle dealer passed away a couple years ago. Not sure if he's been replaced or not.
- The "no wake needed" philosophy didn't help much.
- And dude's tramp stamp sure didn't help.

I've riden behind a couple of them. Nice boats overall. Just seems like they made some marketing mistakes that might be haunting them.

Any more rumors of the RZ1 or the pickel fork 20ft boat? I know the A20 is coming what about tige something to compete in that garage friendly space with the X2 and VTX.

The Tige dealer here in CO has sold a ton of them! You can't go to a lake here in CO without seeing at least 1 unless it's a really slow day. There are 20+ on the private lake that I am on as well. I love my '07 RZ2 and the local dealer here is hands down the best boat dealership I have ever dealt with. The "no ballast needed" issue and a few years of crappy interiors and bad towers drug them down a little bit but now they have Illusion towers, better interior, PCM engines, touch screen displays and a few different ballast options including a surf option. They have listened to what the people want and have stepped up their game to try and survive the economy.

As for the RZ1, I have heard rumor that they are working on a 20' RZ and it was already molded. Pure rumor though, have not seen any pics or anything to back it up.

I remember the good old days of Doug Hansen. Fun times

marketing i would say is their downfall. i've been in and rode behind all the top name(biggest ad money spent)boats and when you compare the value for the dollar and quality for the dollar. tige is tops for me.just like my tiffin motorhome over 100000 less than the competition.but all the same features and quality.i make smart investments because every boat ,motorhome, car ect. is a depreciating asset. p.s. i could have afforded to buy any boat i wanted i chose a TIGE!

Love my Tige and would deffinately buy another. Bang for the buck. Quality and service. Tige has stepped up and in my opinion make one of the best boats out there. Customers speak and they listen. Metcraft is out of business so the tower issues are gone. The hull design with the TAPS is just awesome for shaping the wake. I guess that is why others are now offering wake plates. I have been on all the other boat manufacturer specific forums and have to say that Tigeowners.com is the best. I guess that is why there are owners of all the other makes on there too.

I love mine, older one ( 1998) plan on upgrading to the RZ2 in the next 3 or so years.

Oh and I mostly only post over on tigeowners.com And I am sure a lot of other are the same way... I see a few every time I am out on the lake.

Nice boats.... They should spend the extra $$$ and use a 3-piece windshield.

And for those of you who haven't looked at Tige lately.
http://tige.com/
Enough said.

I too love my Tige(03 22v riders edition). It has a factory ballast sys. all the talk about tige and that fact they didnt push ballast is fine but that being said if you wanted ballast it was avalible.The wake without ballast is fine for beginner-Int. and like any boat gets better with weight.Over the last few years Tige has really been making some great strides IMPO.The metcraft tower that had the problems was 02 and earlier. My 03 has a metcraft and I have not had any problems. it was just really that 1 design metcraft that had the issues. The 2010's withe the 2k ballast system produces one of the most insane wakes I have seen. Surfing is not really my thing but the surf wave on this thing was NUTZ! I work in the ski/wake boat industry I am in and out of every brand on a dialy basis, I have not found a boat that handles better rides better or has the versatility of a Tige. Sure mines an 03 and not a flashy as the new ones but she is one solid built/ fun/comfortable/reliable machine and I love it! Do yourself a favor and demo one.

If you wakesurf,than you know they are the awesome.

We'll be surfin one all day tomorrow.

Originally Posted by cwb4me

icheck one out you will be impressed.value for the dollar is awesome!

Unfortunately, when I was shopping for my boat this year, the Tige boats were ridicously priced. I believe it was an RZ2 for 70k. That sticker shock would make most boat shoppers cringe. Granted that is my opinion, there was another Tige on the lot that was a touch under 100k.

I don't want to start a "price flame war", but there are other boat manufacturers that come in at a much less price point and are still killer boats (wake/surf etc).

Mario-

Originally Posted by mdaijogo

Unfortunately, when I was shopping for my boat this year, the Tige boats were ridicously priced. I believe it was an RZ2 for 70k. That sticker shock would make most boat shoppers cringe. Granted that is my opinion, there was another Tige on the lot that was a touch under 100k.

I don't want to start a "price flame war", but there are other boat manufacturers that come in at a much less price point and are still killer boats (wake/surf etc).

Mario-

That depends on what you are comparing the prices for. The RZ line is the top of the line. They have many other models with a much lower price tag.

Originally Posted by mdaijogo

Unfortunately, when I was shopping for my boat this year, the Tige boats were ridicously priced. I believe it was an RZ2 for 70k. That sticker shock would make most boat shoppers cringe.

Mario-

Do yourself a favor, if your shopping for a new wakeboat try not to pay sticker price. You can get a good deal if you educate yourself. No matter what brand.

They all want your money. Make them earn it!!!!!(price,value,options....etc)

I got an 09 Z1 in October and am up to 27 hours now. It has been a slow starting spring to get on the water, but for the time we have in, we love our Tige' and it is the best purchase we have made in a long time. Researched and shopped all the name brands, Mastercraft, Malibu, Epic, Sanger, Supra, Moomba, Nautique etc. for a long time and now are very happy with our decision! Everyone has their reasons for thier boat purchase and our reasons led us to a Tige'. I will never lookback and more then likely never buy anything other then a Tige' again!

Originally Posted by jimmy_z

Do yourself a favor, if your shopping for a new wakeboat try not to pay sticker price. You can get a good deal if you educate yourself. No matter what brand.

They all want your money. Make them earn it!!!!!(price,value,options....etc)

Thanks for the "advice". I did myself a favor already by not paying sticker. I was just making a comment about "sticker" shock for the casual shopper. The dealership I was at had wakeboats from 40s-50s (Sanger/Supreme) and the big sticker boat: Tige.

Again, not trying to start a "price" war thread. Top of the line or not, 70k for any boat in that size is a "bit" much.

m-

"Ever since that dude posted up his Tige tramp stamp, everyone has been kind of scared to talk about them in the event he might come back."

Truest statement ever.

Somehow I missed this thread... Can someone post it up? I need a good laugh

ya, second that posting it up...

my cousin has an '06 22ve. having never been behind a wakeboat, he made a huge deal my first time about the taps and that too much would kick me off the wake(he took me out for my very first outing and sold me on getting a boat). now that I am a little older and much smarter, the taps and no ballast was kind of a joke. good wake, but not pro level imo with no ballast. solid, just not pro level(not that I need it) that being said, if I was in the market for a new boat, I would love to shop them, as their boats look great now, but our dealer went belly up last summer and none of the other boat dealers seem to be jumping at the opportunity to pick them up(nautique was the other brand and they were snapped up less than 6 months after the other dealer closed). have also heard that they are going after the mastercraft/nautique market, having upped the ante on the build quality and options, but also have a soaring sticker to go with it..

Yea but everyone thats quiality, has that high sticker its not just tige. its just how it is.

Cory,

If you ever feel like coming up to Abilene to see the factory, I would be glad to spend as much time as you want explaining our build process. I also keep a 24ve and a RZ2 on a private lake, so you are more than welcome to take a pull on either boat (as long as you are willing to give one also).

- Ben Pigeon

Originally Posted by mdaijogo

Unfortunately, when I was shopping for my boat this year, the Tige boats were ridicously priced. I believe it was an RZ2 for 70k. That sticker shock would make most boat shoppers cringe. Granted that is my opinion, there was another Tige on the lot that was a touch under 100k.

I don't want to start a "price flame war", but there are other boat manufacturers that come in at a much less price point and are still killer boats (wake/surf etc).

Mario-

i shopped mastercraft, supra , correct craft,{my previous boat}mb and malibu the tige 22ve i got loaded was 10,000.00 less than any others list to list.i paid cash and got another 8000.00 off.

ben thanks for the invite. ill be ready for a new boat in another year or so. really interested in that rumored Axis A20. but may just take you up on your offer. i was going threw the tige website and built me a boat . im more interested in the 20'-21' like i have now for towing and storage reasons. i wish the Z1 was picklefork.

They never said the TAPS would give you a pro level wake only for beginners and intermediate riders. Hell if you ever go to a tourney or watch pro's ride there is not a boat made that creates a pro level wake. They all add sacks all over the boat. 2k is not even enough. So keep in mind you want a pro level wake make sure you save some cash for extra sacks and pumps. Most ride around 4000lbs.

Originally Posted by stang_killa_ss

ben thanks for the invite. ill be ready for a new boat in another year or so. really interested in that rumored Axis A20. but may just take you up on your offer. i was going threw the tige website and built me a boat . im more interested in the 20'-21' like i have now for towing and storage reasons. i wish the Z1 was picklefork.

I don't know if we can get Ben to confirm this but, I have heard rumors of the 20v getting redesigned with a picklefork.

i wonder how many real pro level riders are in the thread.i know there are plenty of BS level riders,who want to talk smack even though they are still wearing diapers and couldn't even but a toy boat. but we get the pleasure of their 2 cents!

well seems Tige is quite freindly..., ive got two offers from them on a pull. including a PM to bring a loaded RZ2 to MY lake for a pull THIS weekend. if we are able to make it happen ill definatly post up my thoughts on the boat. im kinda intriguged now.

Originally Posted by stang_killa_ss

well seems Tige is quite freindly..., ive got two offers from them on a pull. including a PM to bring a loaded RZ2 to MY lake for a pull THIS weekend. if we are able to make it happen ill definatly post up my thoughts on the boat. im kinda intriguged now.

Might just be me, but does that fact not seem fishy? Hurting too much for a sale? Strange that they have enough stock and time on their hands to even do that?

Dealers that cant keep stock because their product is the best on the water would be what I would look for. An economic or quality indicator if you will.

In the last few years here in Nashville we have lost (gone out of business) Centurion, Supra/Moomba, Tige' and most recently our Mastercraft dealership. The only one in business, selling boats out of control is the Nautique, Malibu/Axis dealer. I've ridden behind and driven pretty much every make of inboard boat and strongly advise that you drive and ride behind everything you are considering before giving buying a thought. Also keep in mind that the best wakes in the world can be found in something that has a year or more of age on it too to keep your price down. Doesn't have to come new from the showroom. Let someone else take that roll off the lot depreciation.

heading to the lake this friday for some surfing. a guy I work with just bought a dd tige, supposed to be 3-4 years old. anxious to see the boat and see how she rides.

it's always fun to get into a different boat that you have not been in before and look at the overall picture......

Brandon must be you because our BU,MC, and Tige dealers all do this. Malibu had an entire day dedicated to it. Its called bad economy I own my own business trust me I sell great products but we go the extra mile to sell them now. Luxury items are much harder sells now as well as the people that can get financing for it. So trust me its not indication of an inferior product of course unless you consider MC, BU and Tige inferior products. We don't have a CC dealer in our area. Keep in mind I own an MC just not a brand snob.

Originally Posted by bhyatt_ohp

Might just be me, but does that fact not seem fishy? Hurting too much for a sale? Strange that they have enough stock and time on their hands to even do that?

Dealers that cant keep stock because their product is the best on the water would be what I would look for. An economic or quality indicator if you will.

Just so you know, Ben Pigeon is not a dealer. Ben and his father Charlie owne Tige boats. I think this speaks great for Tige. I don't see any of the other inboard manufacturer owners on WakeWorld offering pulls or even commenting on forums. It shows how in tune Tige is with the customer.

brandon didn't listen i owned a correct craft for15 trouble free years and got an excellent return on my investment. but like i said i'm not even an advanced intermediate rider.i shopped all the boats.i bought a tige because of quality and the best value for the dollar.i was treated well at all the dealers but the only one that would guarantee to replace my boat with a brand new boat for life if any defect in the hull was tige. the others would repair your boat.i also felt the interior had better quality materials.

Just so you guys know, my family owned a Tige'. My friends have owned Tige's (notice the past tense). I know the Pigeons own Tige', I'm not an idiot. I've been in this for 10 years now. I learned my first backroll behind a 21v that Cobe Mikacich and Chris Bischoff were touring with doing clinics. I have ridden with Charley Patterson, Daniel Watkins, Eric Ruck. I was locally sponsored by a Tige' dealership for 3 years.

Lets take the dealer and boat stock comment I made and throw it out the window. It could possibly be an isolated situation, but that IS the way its going here locally in Nashville. The Pigeons decide to post on the forums on WakeWorld (probably from a tip from someone), while other boat company owners do not. That doesn't indicate that they are any more "in tune" with the customer. The original post author is a mere lead looking to buy in the next year or so. Nice that they have the time to post offers for pulls, good for them. And hull replacement...seriously? All inboard wake/ski boat hulls have to be built solid, or they wouldn't be able to sell them. The only way a hull is going to fail is if you run into something which would be covered by boat owners insurance.

I could go on about mine and all my friend's experience with Tige', but I wont waste my time. Its nothing any of you will want to hear anyway. I'm done with this but lastly, I want to reiterate the fact to Cory that you need to do yourself a favor and drive, research, ask owners about their experience after a few years of ownership and ride behind everything you are considering before giving buying a thought. You will see, feel, know the differences and feel good about your choice in the long run. Please, whatever you do, don't settle or buy something because someone else thinks you need to or you feel pressured by good customer service to buy. After all, your looking for the best machine for the job, not a dealer or company friendship out of the deal.

Brandon, when was your last year of of experience with Tige? What years were you sponsored by Tige from? What about your friends? What year were their boats? Not doubting you, just curious if you have experience with 2007+ boats.

Originally Posted by timmyb

Brandon, when was your last year of of experience with Tige? What years were you sponsored by Tige from? What about your friends? What year were their boats? Not doubting you, just curious if you have experience with 2007+ boats.

Last model boat I rode behind was a 2009 RZ2.

I was sponsored by a local shop that carried Tige', not by Tige' directly, but that was 2001-2004.

Friends had a 2006 22v, 2006 20v, 2002 21v, 2002 22ir, 2000 20i, our family had a 2000 21i for about a year that they bought new.

I love mine. Bought it new in 01 and it's going strong. In the beginning, Tige really touted the "no Ballast BS" - but I do have to say, back then, Tige was one of the heaviest boats out there. I looked at MC/Malibu/MB and Tige and Tige's 21 ft boat outweighed all others by a minimum of 500-600 lbs, so yes you could get a decent wake for a beginner without filling ballast. It also makes a reasonable slalom wake - which i wanted when i got mine- with the TAPS on 1.

We now run with 1300 lbs ( 600 walkway) 350 each side of the motor - and it's one of the best riding wakes I've seen/ridden. ( taps on 4-5) . For surfing we put 700 in the rear locker and keep the 600 in the walkway and it's the best surf wake i have ever seen.

sounds like brandon is speaking from recent experience. boats are like ice cream some people can't believe you like one flavor when they love another. he has his opinion and i RESPECT it .that shows passion about your beliefs. thats a good trait. happy boarding.

Nice Brandon! Sounds like you started off at a very early age! What did you think of the '09 compared to the older models? Do you think they are making progress as far as design and features compared to MC and Bu? For me, the Ve series is when Tige's looks really started to come around, I don't like the windshield "lines" on the V and I didn't like the dashes or interiors until the '07 model year. Knock on wood, I have had really good luck with my RZ2 and it was only at the dealer 1 time in 3 years for a gelcoat issue.

I don't bash any of the boat brands, each one has something that I like or wish I had in mine.

brandon. not gonna get pressured at all. #1 i dont take anything i own to the stealerships. i hate them and the prices and BS. i do all my own work. always have. dont even have a dealership close for my moomba or for tige. after buying a boat its the last time i will ever return there.
i definatly always do my research, being an engineer im very spec oriented, not only researching what models "work" but knowing WHY they work. as well as owners long term thoughts and experiences. money is tighter than most on this forum, so i cant afford to make a mistake or just an OK purchase.
like you said, i could careless about making a friend or great customer service. i have no use for either.
i want the #1 best boat for wake and reliabilty/build quality for the money i can afford. im looking out for me and the gf only.
i have probly 18 months of payments left on my LSV. at the top of my list is a new moomba and the new rumor axis A20. if the tige meets my needs and expectations, and unbiased owners say they are holding up too. then i will add it to my list.

i got a text at lunch today and he said he can bring the RZ2 by sunday afternoon. im very anxious to see a newer tige in person, partaining to the wake and build of the boat.
for a fair comparison i will probly demo ride it just the same way i ride my LSV, ski locker only filled. and only half way up on the trim plate.

this thread seems to keep taking death spirals. not my intition. i was just posting a personal observation. but i know how brand passionate we all are so it was kindeling to the fire.

NOTE not one of the tige owners bashed another manufacturers boat. they just stated they looked at other boats and liked what tige offered. cory i have had my tige for 3 years with no problems other than the bilge pump failing due to debris clogging the screen.i agree with your process of looking at everything then YOU can make YOUR own mind up and be happy with YOUR decision whatever it may be . good luck with your research.

Cory,

I know you're in Texas but I'm not sure what lakes you go out on. I'm always in Lake Austin and the Perd. I just just as many Tiges' out there as anything else. I have the LSV as well and looked at the Tige before I bought it. The Tige was a little more than I wanted to spend and I got a killer deal on the LSV so it was a no brainer. I'm surprised you aren't seeing more of them, they are everywhere here. Great boat and easily one of the better looking boats on the market.

I hear Tige is really hurting for business. Stopped paying some of their pros and pretty much closed the doors this past winter. But most are hurting right now. Personally, never rode in a Tige.

PLEASE..... thats straight bs... I own a Tige and I gotta say that its top notch...

I'VE never seen such jealousy of one little company [because of owner loyalty] in my life. Sounds like someones scared!

Originally Posted by cwb4me

I'VE never seen such jealousy of one little company [because of owner loyalty] in my life. Sounds like someones scared!

I don't see anyone getting jealous here bud and what is there to be scared of? I don't understand that. This is just people giving different opinions and some can't take getting their toes stepped on a little bit. Also, I have seen no bashing here, just straight facts. Everyone has just given their opinion and/or experience and that is what this is all about. I thought you were respecting that fact? Cory needs to hear every side of the story, not just Tige' owner's.

Here is my main thought on almost ALL new boats that are coming out right now, FACT: Almost ALL of them require WAY too much weight to produce a decent wake. Take the beloved x-star, the Nautique 220, Tige' RZ2, any of the flagship wake boat models from any manufacturer - fill the stock ballast, put a driver in them, one observer and 95% of the boats have a TINY, horrible wake that even intermediate riders will laugh at. Its ridiculous that you have to pay $40k - $100k for a new wakeboard boat and it doesn't come with what you need to produce huge wakes right out of the box. Its pathetic. The last thing I wanted to do after dropping a ton of money on a new boat was spend another $2k+ plumbing in an aftermarket ballast system and lose performance/handling and all storage/room in the boat.

I haven't had experience with MB or Epic's huge factory ballast, so I can not speak on those, but in my experience, the rest of the wake boat market lacks wake size. Since introduction of the power wedge (adjustable) from Malibu back in 2006, I haven't been able to find another boat where you can fill factory tanks only and have an incredible wake. That is why I own a Malibu. Yeah, I put a little extra sand/lead in mine (850lbs), but I neglected to order the factory front tank (350lbs). The extra weight is definitely not a necessity and nothing compared to what most of you, my friends and others on this forum run in their boats. That's my main issue there, besides the fact I could not find something that drove and handled decently as well.

There's something for you guys to chew on for a bit and I look forward to the responses. Good day to all.

BACK IN THE DAY! thats when real riders like darrin shapiro did tricks without these crutch wakes you newbies use. BACK IN THE DAY! THATS WHEN PEOPLE WHO WERE SPONSORED RESPECTED THEIR SPONSORS AND DIDN'T BASH THEM. i respect the fact that you like whatever boat. but you don't see me cutting down malibus. i know plenty of people who have had their troubles with them. one day if we are lucky you will grow up [mature] and learn that respect is EARNED.

Did you guys ever see the episode of Pull! where they did a way back episode and rode behind a Prostar 190 with no tower and an old skool skurfer? They threw just about every trick off of that wake and it was tiny! It was very impressive!

On another note, my buddy has an Epic and the wake is ridiculous, it's way too much for this intermediate rider.

Originally Posted by bhyatt_ohp

I don't see anyone getting jealous here bud and what is there to be scared of? I don't understand that. This is just people giving different opinions and some can't take getting their toes stepped on a little bit. Also, I have seen no bashing here, just straight facts. Everyone has just given their opinion and/or experience and that is what this is all about. I thought you were respecting that fact? Cory needs to hear every side of the story, not just Tige' owner's.

Here is my main thought on almost ALL new boats that are coming out right now, FACT: Almost ALL of them require WAY too much weight to produce a decent wake. Take the beloved x-star, the Nautique 220, Tige' RZ2, any of the flagship wake boat models from any manufacturer - fill the stock ballast, put a driver in them, one observer and 95% of the boats have a TINY, horrible wake that even intermediate riders will laugh at. Its ridiculous that you have to pay $40k - $100k for a new wakeboard boat and it doesn't come with what you need to produce huge wakes right out of the box. Its pathetic. The last thing I wanted to do after dropping a ton of money on a new boat was spend another $2k+ plumbing in an aftermarket ballast system and lose performance/handling and all storage/room in the boat.

I haven't had experience with MB or Epic's huge factory ballast, so I can not speak on those, but in my experience, the rest of the wake boat market lacks wake size. Since introduction of the power wedge (adjustable) from Malibu back in 2006, I haven't been able to find another boat where you can fill factory tanks only and have an incredible wake. That is why I own a Malibu. Yeah, I put a little extra sand/lead in mine (850lbs), but I neglected to order the factory front tank (350lbs). The extra weight is definitely not a necessity and nothing compared to what most of you, my friends and others on this forum run in their boats. That's my main issue there, besides the fact I could not find something that drove and handled decently as well.

There's something for you guys to chew on for a bit and I look forward to the responses. Good day to all.

Since we are dealing in facts, here is one. The 2010 Tige 22 and 24 ft models have a 1500lb Surf and 2000 Lb Pro Ballast option available.

Originally Posted by cwb4me

BACK IN THE DAY! thats when real riders like darrin shapiro did tricks without these crutch wakes you newbies use. BACK IN THE DAY! THATS WHEN PEOPLE WHO WERE SPONSORED RESPECTED THEIR SPONSORS AND DIDN'T BASH THEM. i respect the fact that you like whatever boat. but you don't see me cutting down malibus. i know plenty of people who have had their troubles with them. one day if we are lucky you will grow up [mature] and learn that respect is EARNED.

Man, you are a riot.... Well said that "back in the day" pros did and can still do insane stuff off of tiny wakes. But that's not the point. We are taking about 2010 - not 1996. An era of mass production of wakeboard specific machines and pro's using said "crutch" wakes to take tricks up 10ft+. Why would you pay so much for a boat that has to have 4,000lbs of ballast installed after production to get a good wake? Hell, if I'm a pro, I don't care what boat I get if its free or on promo deal, but we on this forum are the consumer and we have a choice. I'm sure everyone reading this would love or loved not spending the dough on extra ballast for your boat. Or no?

Plus, I still haven't made a specific "cut down" to Tige', I've been very generic, offering advice to the original post author. I don't post on here looking for respect and do not need yours sir.

Chalk one up for Epic for nice factory wakes as well.

Speaking of Mr. Speedball himself, let's see what he has to say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UPFRN0zqAo

Robert is right, in most cases huge wakes are over rated and a crutch. Most people should focus on their form.

The god father. Check it.

http://www.fuel.tv/erikjernberg/videos/view/14701

that's right an outboard barefoot boat.

Originally Posted by chpthril

Since we are dealing in facts, here is one. The 2010 Tige 22 and 24 ft models have a 1500lb Surf and 2000 Lb Pro Ballast option available.

I'm sure all the pro's only run 2000lbs of ballast in their 22 or 24ft boats... That does next to nothing to displace the hull in a boat that big.

Cory your doing things right and if you can service your own boat even better. There is a boat for every arse. Pick the one you like the most. Remember we are just a bunch of people with opinions behind computers that may or may not be full of shizit. Take what everyone says at face value. I will say the Tige owners seem to be the most honest when it comes to issues and non issues with their chosen brand. Also keep in mind I have an MC it was the right boat at the right time for me. That being said MC,BU,CC, and Tige were all in the running just waiting on the right thing to hit at the right time. It happened to be a MC. If you go into your search with no goggles on when you do purchase you will be happy with whatever you get. Good luck and ride the crap out of any boat someone will let you ride and drive I did. Oh yeah they are ridiculously expensive have fun shopping!!!

this forum reminds me of a FORD, CHEVY, DODGE debate everyone has their points .i own a ford a chevy and a honda sounds like i'm pretty biased.just like the car debate all boats have their strong points and weak points. i haven't seen a perfect boat yet.but one thing i do agree on that has come up time and time again. they are all too expensive for what you get.