I have just over 25 hours on my 257. So far the boat is AMAZING! I moved to the Centurion from back to back 24 MXZ's. So I still have some learning to do, and am not an expert on ALL things CENTURION. I did tour the factory while it was being built, and am convinced this thing is a TANK!
The obvious thing is it is big, really big, and heavy. I would not consider one if you do not have an HD truck.
Favorite things.
The wave. The wave is incredible, so much push, along the entire length of the wave. The lip is very firm, and defined.
Adjustibilty- this is where my newness comes in. So far I can create giant barrels, or long glassy waves, and most things in between. I have not been able to create a super flat skim wave yet. I am sure it's possible, I just haven't got there yet. I also ride surf style so very low on the priority list.
Quiet - I have the silent stinger, this is the exhaust feeding into center waveplate, it is by far the quietest boat we have ever owned.
Dry ride - this boat has crazy amounts of freeboard and observer is tucked nicely behind the windshield. So it is a very dry ride. Additionally even bad driving does not take water over the bow, I have tried ruining intentionally into my own wave, and still dry!
Interior- vinyl is top notch, it cleans up well, and looks great. It does get HOT in the sun. Gatorstep, this is my first boat with gatorstep and I love it, I added it to the seat bases as well and the finished look is fantastic. The quality of materials is great, the amount of billet finishing touches is very nice witjout being over done.
Stereo - this is an all or nothing option, because downfire ties cabin into the tower, etc. You either get a stereo or you don't. Good news is factory stereo is REALLY good (after you remove the stickers and adjust your amps). Everything, sub, tower speakers, LED, zone control works very well, and sound quality will please 95%. It's night and day better than factory Rockford I was used to.
Dash - The side by side is very nice, having on board diagnostics is great, (I hope I never need them). GPS mapping is standard, the nice thing here is maps are up high, so it's easier to follow, before they were down low and not easy to read. Everything is fairly intuitive, and simple. The only downside is the software is not great, although there is an update coming soon that will address some of the idiosyncrasies.
Ballast - The 257 is the undisputed heavyweight. She has a dry weight of 6150, and max ballast of 6250! (Documentation says 5650) The factory just upgraded all 3 rear bags by 200 pounds each for an extra 600 pounds!
So you get transom bag, rear locker bags, center bag/tank (sunfloor), and bow bag. Each location has it's very own dedicated reversible pump. So fill/drain time is 5 minutes! Except for the greatest thing ever, RAM FILL, Centurion quotes 45 seconds, it's really sub 30 on the 257 due to larger vents, and 21MPH fill.
Bimini and sliding seat. I ordered the XL sewlong bimini, this thing is HUGE, it covers almost the entire cabin area. I am in AZ so on 115 degree days bimini coverage is a must. This is also where the sliding seat is awesome. Instead of simply flipping the rear seat and staying in the back. This seat will be able to move back towards the driver, and into the shade. Additionally you can order the seats as modules. So you can have rear facing seat AND full bench! I ordered a second bench but it is not here yet.
On to some pics.... last photo is comparison to 24 MXZ wave
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