2018 Supra SL
 

Saw that Supra just posted their new boat on social media. Judging by their website it has replaced the SG. Looks like it has some cool features that are new to them like subfloor ballast, storage container in the floor, dual sub, etc. I personally love the look of the new tower as well. Thoughts?

https://www.supraboats.com/models/supra-sl

Tower looks pretty cool. I hate the ones that mount super far back like on the recent Sangers. Ugh.

So can anyone make sense of the Supra naming scheme for me now? The numbers used to at least correlate with engine options right? But not anymore d/t new Raptor specs. Letters just a crap shoot?

Doesn't make too much sense to me either. Sanger has an "SL" as well. So weird.

The letters do seem a bit random haha. The numbers still correlate with the engines loosely though, just not exactly.

400=400 ft/lbs
450=440 ft/lbs
550=575 ft/lbs

Ehh not sure where you're reading that. On the SL site they list:

400=403
440=427
575=580

They are all fine except that 440... why only 427 ft/lbs?

Saw this boat in TN a few weeks ago. It's a homerun by Supra. Along with the Subfloor ballast, center floor cooler, surfboard trunk, dual subwoofers, and new power folding tower, it also has double the ballast pumps, and the new Autowake is legit. I was very impressed with this boat. Didn't get to ride it but the wake/wave looked really good. Can't wait till we get one here to actually ride behind it!!

Its like they combined the Nautique tower base, Malibu Tower legs, and MC power tower concept made it look awful. Like the direction Supra is going......:banghead:

Where are all the people complaining about the cost of a Supra, $124,900 starting price.... I always read people bashing MC/CC for cost, this boat is on par with all of these.

Haha I'm not complaining about the price because I'll never spend that much money on a boat. Still looks cool, though. (although after seeing the side shot of the boat with the tower up, and almost vertical, I'm having second thoughts about it)

Tower is mucho weirdo. Agree but Sangers new Apollo tower has decent lines. I fear we're about to see alot of people going into Sanger/Supreme due to the extreme value they present and the performance of their boats. Think Camry vs. Ferrari. I for one will be looking closely at the Sanger and Supreme's for my next boat (though to honest, a used G23 isn't going to be ruled out).

Didn't even know such a thing existed. I don't use facebook but it looks like that's now the primary way Sanger gets info out on its products. It's web site is super old and has useless information. That tower doesn't look too bad, I just wish it was mounted farther forward!

I might "Surf Left" better than the other boats....

This is an idea behind the letters. SR, SA, SL, SE, "SY in the future." R A L E Y probably wildly incorrect but fun to think about.

Good looking ride. I'd hit it!

I'm honestly shocked you guys are not digging this new tower? I love it. The look is great and the function is even better. Tower speakers out of the way unless you are 6'5" or taller, bigger bimini that actually goes into a boot, power tower will get your boat into an 8' garage, lighting is great too. Oh and you can customize the colors!

Proof positive that everyone has differing ideas of what looks good. I find the boat and tower as fugly as the G23 if not more so. But it is definitely the way things are going.

Did you see the new 2018 Axis?

Agreed. I like the look a lot and it seems like it should be very functional. I would bet that the look of the tower will grow on people over time. I've always liked the idea of being able to tow long distances with the tower down as well, which will now be possible. Overall seems like a big upgrade over the old Pro Edge tower.

Anybody been able to find videos of the tower going up & down?

Found one - not the best.

https://youtu.be/CvPaodHrylM

Supra's video on the tower from their website

https://vimeo.com/230176756

I like everything about the tower, except the fact that it is so straight up and down. Takes away from lines of the boat, IMO.

Tower is super nice and very good looking in person. The "tire kickers" are always going to complain about something.

Yikes. Tower is awful, but I like the boat.I do really like being able to tow with my tower down on my MC though.

Thanks for the vid!

SO what do you do if your not tall enough to reach the location to put the tower down while it is moving? that is a terrible design....

It was funny how when the power tower came out on MC everyone said that was pointless and dumb, but Supra copies it and its AWESOME!!!!!!

This is in part why it is awesome. Your kids can't reach it! Anyone button mashing the dash on an MC could put the tower down directly on someone, where this requires an adult to press and hold the button all the way down. 90% of adults will be able to reach it, those that can't can stand on the flip seat.

There were also a bunch of reported problems with the MC power tower not working right. Maybe this one will be more reliable?

Ffs you have to put ropes up there, and deal with the bimini, and most store boards. Who isn't reaching the top of their tower? Unless you only pull tubes from the pylon.
Supra is attracting more new Ibuyers than ever, just look around here, and in about a year will have another all new (redesigned) huge boat so pretty sure they'll continue to pull buyers from other "better" brands. Lol.

had a power tower on my previous MC and never had one problem. It was a great looking tower and functioned really well.

I agree, no rake on the tower make's it fugly. I don't care if it's canted 22 degress to the east, that straight up and down looks like something I would have sketched in chemistry in grade 10. It kinda looks like they smashed a couple malibu towers together.

New SL on Lake Powell with a quick surf session...
https://www.facebook.com/romoboco/vi...4841247968202/

Those slow spins look nutty.

I really like this new boat. I've had two Supra boats (and currently have a Supra) though I was set on a G for my next boat due to the subfloor ballast, loads of storage, and of course the wake. I looked at every boat available locally while deciding on my next boat and nothing compared to the G for my purposes. We go out with 2 slalom skis, 2 wakebords, 2 surfboards, and a set of beginner skis. The boat is packed with stuff so I need more storage. This new Supra SL looks to be a great option though I need to see the boat and wake in person. I'm a little skeptical of the surf tabs since convergence devices seem to yield a better wake. I'm hoping the wakeboard wake is great too. Personally love the tower and color combos and glad to have something that seems to tick all the boxes for me like the G. Auto Wake is very interesting and something no other boat has - I'm hoping it works well.

I got a chance to dig through the same SL in the video link that I posted above. IMO the SL is the best Supra made to date. With the sub floor ballast the storage is out of control and finally opens your boat up for all that gear you don't really need, LOL. The space inside is perfect and finally has the storage in the floor for that cooler and no need to move anyone to access it. The tower is crazy sturdy and the new way the racks bolt in is super clean. The shade top is perfect sized and easy to figure out the folding/unfolding pattern to get it up quickly. Helm of course is my favorite part since I'm always driving. Driving a regular surfer and no problem seeing over the bow at anytime during the sessions. The wave is fantastic and just as incredible as the promo shots. The surfer would get so far back I was ready to cut throttle and he would recover with ease. I never got a chance to test or see the wakeboard wake. This is a home run by Skiers Choice.

Skiers choice put a lot of work into this one! It's a bad boy when you actually get to see it and the tower is smooth moving and solid. Love the new windshield design with the backlit piece of glass added.

The SL wakeboarding wake looks awesome, surf too. If you were to buy one I would think the 440 upgrade would be a must?

Would you upgrade to the 15"x12.5 acme 2775?
Or is the stock one the way to go?

Would you get the JL 8.8 tower speakers? Not wanting a massive stereo on this boat, but will they do the job for a wakeboarder to hear at a decent volume level. There doesn't seem to be a ton of feed back on those 8.8 speakers.

Yes go 440 and the 15x12.5

The JL 8.8s will get
He job done and look the best on that tower.

I ordered mine with the 440 and the 2775 prop. I am pretty sure the Jls will be fine.

I have some great video, will try to have out by wednesday. Supra made some amazing changes that effect all boats, on top of what the SL is doing. I can tell you that I love our SE wake, regular and goofy. But the 2018 updates to the swell system, the goofy wake is now SOOO clean as well as the regular and requires less list. The SE goofy has a bit of a rooster tail on it and you have to list to 7 degrees of list to clean it up, and then its fantastic. On the SL, it is clean at 3-4 degrees. This means, you don't need as much weight, so the SL is more efficient than our SE, because if you need less list, you can have more opposite weight and have more power with less ballast.

So I personally actually rode the boat stock, no problem, and at my size I need tons of push. We added 600 lbs of lead, NOTHING else and I liked the wave, push, everything as good or better than our SE with almost 2000 lbs of extra weight.

Thomas felt that the lip on the SL was also more defined the the SE/SG and also loved it.

Hoping to have one in the spring, can't wait. We demoed the SL and the CRAZ in TN, working on the video...

Where did you put the lead? Just bought a SL , I can't wait until we get it .

Can't wait to see the video ragboy.

I crawled all thru an new SL last week and plan to demo one in the Spring. Have a friend who is a pro and that is the boat he rides. Very nice package and I like that it has "backup" knobs to the computer screen...don't like having to go into the screen for every single option, gets old. Only thing I was not extremely impressed with was the seats. Vinyl seemed nice, seats just seemed a bit flat...but maybe they will hold up better that way since they don't stretch seams when stepping on them?

Personally I like to get 2 tower speakers on outside so i don't hit my head on center ones....and I love adding 2) Corson Piper board racks in the center, under the tower where the other tower speakers would go if optioned that way. Best rack for custom boards on the market IMO and a fraction of "clamping racks" with way more protection ($700 all in for 2 racks with pads and mounts). Tower is nice and tall like my current boat so I don't hit my head on the boards or fins either. Good looking boat, definitely on my "top 3" list if I cannot pony up the funds for the Centurion I plan to upgrade to next.
The one thing I forgot to check was if it has 2:1 trans....cause I think the 400 would be under powered...its a big boat! The downside to Raptor IMO is that you gotta run premium and it can be harder to find in my area. PCM ZR409 engine I have is timed for 87 octane (non-ethanol of course), runs like a champ and have never struggled for power even with 5k of ballast and 6-8 people. Never a single issue in 3 years with that engine. I know Raptor has been a good engine too, beside the issues with knock sensors.

You don't have to run premium in any Raptor besides the supercharged Roush 550, to my knowledge.

You are correct, but I believe that running premium will help fuel efficiency and performance.

You're probably right, but not "needed" for the engine to run capably.

The 550 calls for premium, 400 and 450 call for 89 or higher. I run premium in the 450 anyways

No 2:1 transmission on any of the Supras. They utilize the surf plates and center plate to drop the nose down when planing. Saves a ton of fuel over using a 2:1. The 400 is actually surprising capable in that boat when not at altitude. It will pull stock ballast and a boat full of people up to wakeboard speeds with relative ease. If you only surfed and cruised with a bit of wakeboarding mixed in the 400 would be plenty. If you were adding additional weight over the 3500 lbs stock and wakeboarding consistently, the 450 or 550 would be the way to go.

The surf plates or “swell” are only available and utilized while a surf profile is activated on the Supra’s screen as far as my experience.

The dual pair of 8.8” coaxials do a ok job at wakeboard range.

Dealers have told me it requires 91 octane for 400/440 tho I did see that sticker says 89 minimum (looked at Tige and Supra with those engines)...would not matter if 89/91 for me since 89 is not sold here anywhere, so 91 would be my only option and unless buying at marina's its hard to find ethenol free in 91...difference in cost at my normal station for the 87 ethenol free VS the 91 ethenol free at marina is $1.50 gallon...pretty big spread and easily an extra $1000 per year. When spending that much money on a boat, you need to be able to afford the fuel anyway....but it does raise the cost of ownership for sure. At least for me it would.
In my boat I have tested running premium for several tanks to see if any difference over the 87. No difference whatsoever, including GPH efficiency.

I believe you only need cruise control active on the new Supras for the plates to deploy. It's a newer feature as far as I know.

The swell system deploys when planing any time speed control is set, whether you're in a profile or not.

Just ordered up an SL..... Debated back and forth on the SL and the SA. Finally made a decision and super stoked on all the things I have heard from people that have seen it and rode it. She should be here in a few months. Did a little Yin Yang role reversal... Another big step for me.. Maybe I am getting old....

My new SE came in yesterday. Love it.. Sure wish it was May instead of October :(

Very nice!

New feature on 2018’s then I wasn’t aware. 2017 they only work for surfing, they do not work otherwise. Mine have never moved together to help plain the boat, only the center wake plate moves when launch mode is active with or without cruise set.

^Your 2017 should deploy all three plates when wakeboarding with cruise on.

All 3 tabs have deployed when zero off is set since 2016. You can turn it off in your settings, so if yours aren't deploying I would check your ballast and smartplate settings and make sure the Autolaunch box is checked

Pictures please.
Of the wakeboard wake. How does it compare to the SA?

Supra sl
 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hjueuwEC6qc

This a wakeboard review from the The wake dude. I rode the SA and really liked it, I heard from a few guys that the SL wakeboard wake is amazing.

That is the way we went, it was a though desiscion between a SL ,SA and a G23. We went with the SL , it has some features that nautique doesn't have plus the Fit and finish is on par with nautique, for less money.

I am interested to hear what features the SL had that G does not. I also was inbetween these two models and went G.

However I hear the same thing when it comes to performance behind the boat. Great things!!!!!!

It’s gonna be hard to ignore a holdover SL when it comes time to swap out the SE. Love traditional bow look.

Steering wheel controls, dual rear facing cameras, power tower, 6 pump ballast system, launch system that allows you to keep a more efficient gear ratio (saves a TON of fuel over the G). I'm probably forgetting a few, but that's what comes to mind first.

Don’t leave out autowake and the $20k still in your bank account.

Huh, the g has had the "launch system" from day one of the g (2013) it is called ncrs by nautique. but i agree on the rest of the stuff on the post above. the 6 pump ballast system would be nice...

Also has a surf locker as well as the surf Bimini (which the g has)

Yes, they both technically have a launch system, but Nautique has built their surf system such that it cannot be used to push the nose of the boat down. Supra's system uses the center plate and both surf plates to push the boat on plane, and it makes a huge difference. It's honestly the only reason you can buy this boat with the base motor (400) and still not be underpowered. I believe MC and Centurion also use the same system.

I am still confused. I own one. And it absolutely helps you get on plane and then the ncrs retracts and settles the back of the boat into the water. We are not talking about the surf system which is nss and has flaps on each side. We are talking about the ncrs nautique configurable running surface which absolutely raises and lowers the bow automatically to get you on plane.

Your point was that supra has something that gets you on plane to save gas...And yeah, ncrs by nautique has that. I am not a fan boy for nautique but this does work. I can get on plane with full ballast and never go over 3,700 rpm, with stock prop with 409.

Definitely not saying it does nothing, just that it can't do nearly as much. There is a reason Nautique is using a 2:1 transmission. It improves power greatly, but sucks down gas like crazy in comparison. My point wasn't that the system alone saves gas, but that having all 3 tabs go down to get you on plane allows you to use a more efficient gear ratio, which saves you fuel. For reference:

I see your point that is 3 plates can do more than one. I can't disagree with that logic. And may work better than nautique. I don't know. But you are very wrong on the 2:1 v-drive causing more gas use. It allows the engine to spin slower compared to old vdrive for same speed at the prop. Slower engine in rpms, saves gas.

Nautique does a lot wrong, but not this...Everyone going to the 2:1 v-drive for that reason. axis, for example.

I can tell you my G gets better fuel economy than my SA400 and SE450 did when you compare loaded riding on all three boats.

My SE450 loaded gets crazy good fuel economy loaded. Absolutely destroys my old MB, seems to get around 4.5-5.5 GPH surfing slammed. 3400 rpm at 1100’ elevation. I️ was amazed when I got it.

That G must really sip fuel!

When I say loaded we surfed SE with #1000 pound Sac in floor, but I was more speaking of Wakeboarding. Obviously we didn’t use sac for wakeboarding.

SE and G are probably about the same surfing.

How in the world do you calculate gas mileage and compare? So many variables...Every time a rider falls, body weight in the boat, accuracy of the gas gauge even. I see this stuff on gas mileage and guess I don’t understand it.

Gas mileage is another factor and every boat is different. Even with the same motor and displacing same weight, you will see a difference. Our RZX had the Indmar 550 and I averaged 8-9 GPH, and with the SE, a bit more displacement, rode the same way, and we get a while 1 GPH less, around 7.

Only way to do it on boat is to average like Ragboy's numbers. I fill up on way to lake.....calculate the hours once done and then fill up again and get my GPH. When I go out, if boat is not moving, its not running (which means if we are out on lake for 6hrs, engine may only run for 4). But yes, half surfing and half idling to pick up surfer....its never just one or the other but that is real world anyway and only thing that matters IMO.... my ZR409 averages 4.5GPH in my SV244 with 5k lbs of ballast. I run at 3400rpm @ 800ft elevation at 10.8-11mph with suck gate.

We keep detailed fuel logs for at least a full month on a new boat:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

Slick work Ragboy! Now I want to do this to see how 450 in SE does.

Scottb, you have this wrong. First number is engine inout end of transmission/vdrive, second is output end. So, 1:1 engine and prop rpm are the same. 1.5:1 engine rpm is 1.5 times that of prop rpm. 2:1 and engine is 2 times rpm of prop. a 2:1 trans ratio allows the engine to get up to a higher rpm at a lower boat speed so that it can reach peak torque at roll over speed. 2:1 also allows for larger diameter props such as the 17" props used with that gear ratio. Why? Prop turns slower so diameter can increase and not exceed blade tip speed limits.

A buddy of mine has a wake school in Orlando. He ran a 2013 G23 for about a year there. Part of the time with the 450PCM and part of the time with a 440Raptor test engine. Since he is a commercial operation, he is concerned with fuel use. The 440 Raptor used significantly less fuel and would plane about 1000lb more load in that boat compared to the 450. Since it was the same boat and same transmission ratio, the engine was the only difference. The point is, comparing fuel burn and assigning that difference to the engine is not accurate if not the exact same boat or at least the same model and configuration.

Funny that all the guys now going to the 2:1 tranny are having issues with there props falling off. I guess the increase tourque is causing to much strain on the shaft. Sometimes it is nice being able to go 30 mph with out your motor screaming at you.

Huh? Haven’t heard of this. Do tell!

How does a prop “fall off?”