Centurion Avalanche

What is everyone's opionion about the 2002 centurion avalaqnche? Im thinking about purchasing one.

I don't know anything about Centurion, but I read a discussion posted a long time ago about them and to put it mildly nobody had any good things to say. As a matter of fact, nobody had any NICE things to say either... catch my drift? Anyway, just something to think about, maybe call some people that your dealer has worked with before and see what they have to say. Good luck

Actaully, there are many people that have great things to say about Centurion, though I do agree that not many of them are on this board.

Stay Away form Centurion, the warranty service sucks, nothing but lip service, email me directly and I will provide you with a continued lsit of problems on my new boat and the repeated attempts to have someone call me back. . . Stay away from fineline IMO

The need a new Marketing VP - those boat names suck!

We occasionally ride behind a friend's '01 or '02 Centurion, and he loves the boat. He bought it new and has dealt with Centurion's warranty people (directly, since the local dealer closed up shop after he got his boat)

Send me an email if you want to contact him directly.

We have a 2003 Ski Supreme V-208(SKY), which is almost the same as the avalanche, and we love it. Yet, it doesnt ride LOUD in the water due to the snap-out carpets. It is also made at the same factory but have no problems with warranty items. The only thing that had happened though was a gauge fogged up, but supreme has a lifetime warranty so they replaced it--free of charge. But most of your service centers also depict the warranty claims that pass/dont pass also.

You need to go back and re read the post. Contrary to belief there are a lot of happy Centurion owners. I am very happy with my boat, Centurion and my dealer handled warranty issues with out any problems. People do have bad experiences, I understand that. I had a bad experience with a brand new '88 Chevy Beretta. I have not owned a Chevy product since and don't have plans on every purchasing one. I do know others that love GM products and won't buy anything else.

If you like the Centurion and the dealer, buy it. They do make a good boat in my opinion...notice...my opinion...everyone has one.

man this has got to stop. centurion boats are great, and they are going to get better. ya their were some unhappy people. HOWEVER the company made a posted on this site, and said."they were very sorry and were going to take notice."Anyway back to the question? I have a 02 avalanche and I dare anybody to match weight in a AVE next to a SAN. I mean same amount of weitht, O.K. I'm not kidding ITS THE FUTURE OF OUR SPORT NO JOKE. hope that helps.

I was defending Centurion, I do think they make a nice boat .. for the price. But I don't think they stack up against a CC, MC, or BU for quality and performance.

As I said, a good friend has one, and he likes it. Personally, I think it drives like a farm tractor compared to the way our Nautique handles.

Before you buy any boat, arrange to drive it, AND something to compare it with on the same day. Then make up your own mind.

Remember, free advice is worth every penny.

if centurion is "the future or our sport", iris, then I gotta get a new hobby. what the heck are you even talking about. comparing that to SAN is like comparing a Kia to BMW and i am a MC owner.

I don't mean the BLING BLING factor Im talking to core wakboarders that care more about wake shape and riding then electric locks and keyless ignition. those things just seem nice but at a cost. I cant justify 50,000 + . Anyway the hull of the AVE is designed to get the job done with less weight so in the long run your boat will last longer. we started seeing pics of this boat in the last summer of 01. now its 03 and big names HAVE FOLLOWED the new MC X star is a deep V boat and the reason is the same as centurion. more wake less weight. and YES they do perform DIFFERENT not bad. deep v boats relate more to runabout hulls and perform kinda like them too. ITS JUST DIFFERENT. ski boats were flat bottom giving them that sports car like handling and thats great but its not wakeboard technology. bigger wakes come from putting more of the boat in the water deep v can do this. by the way If i had that kind of money maybe some of those extra perks and BLING BLING would more appeal to me. but for now I gonna take today off of work and go wakeboarding. love you guys.

2 posts - both backing centurion and there huge wakes and great warranty service, hmmmmm????

Heres an e-mail form Kal Kustoms ( does all warranty work for fineline ), Vicky stating my check is in the mail for warranty repairs - this e-mail was dated 10-21-02 AND I STILL TO THIS DAY HAVE NOT RECIEVED A CALL BACK NOR ANY CHECK IN THE MAIL - STAY AWAY IMO


dear aaron,

good morning. I believe that the fuel pump problem is out for payment at mercruiser.

sincerely,
vicky


You guys make your own decisions, I will never ever own any finline product again!!!

(Message edited by lzyboy on February 05, 2003)

but aaron, they are the future!!!!

Iris,

"get a life loser"
"ITS THE FUTURE OF OUR SPORT NO JOKE"
"I dare anybody to match weight in a AVE next to a SAN"

Nice to see we can all act like adults here, wow am I impressed with your name calling!

"they were very sorry and were going to take notice."

WERE being the key word, they still have yet to step up to the plate. Unlike the mysterious poster you are I simply state my case and hope to inform future buyers of NOT making the smae mistakes I have.

The future Aaron, the future!

I don't know, maybe that means, they'll get to it one day.

Years ago, travelling in Mexico, we learned that the local common use of the word "manana" does not mean tomorrow, as your high school spanish teacher might have told you, but rather, "not today."

I wasn't talking about niceties "like electric locks and keyless ignition," I mean the boat's much harder to drive, and that means it's harder to find people that can drive it. So, if you're the only one that can keep the boat going in a straight line at a constant speed, than you're not going to like riding behind it with your girlfriend's cousin at the wheel racing up to 30 and dropping back down to 12 mph all day. So, everyone will have a nice ride but you.

And quality, someone cuts out behind the nautique, and you glance up at the mirror to see him edging back into the wake, he cuts out on the Centurion, and you duck your head, cause the tower might be coming down on your head at any moment.

And yeah, you might as well put a monster stereo in your Centurion, but I can still hear mine when the engine's running.

Ok, as I said before, for the money, if it's what you can afford, it's a good compromise that will get you out on the water. But if they want to compete with the higher quality boats, they're going to have to improve their product. Of course, when they do, they won't be affordable anymore either.

;)

Very well put Dan IMO ~

Is "before their time" another way of saying "not yet ready?"

Aaron,

Kal Kustoms only handles warrantly service for Fineline West, NOT Fineline East or any boats built in NC.

im sorry for the name calling. but im just tired of one man's crusade to let every single person know his story, and that was last year get over it! you must understand that their are more happy customers then unhappy ones. I glad I did not go through the problems you did but please just stop. STOP telling your very rare story. its so depressing and way over done. nothing man made is perfect. no matter how much you spend. so what's the point in telling the same story. if you want we could pool all of our efforts and take down a real enemy like microsoft or something.now there is a company that puts out products with problems over and over again. all these boat companys try really hard, and what they are selling is fun. so have some , by the way my mid day set was great. it is a sunny beutiful day out here one for riding no matter what you got pulling you. I still want someone to take my weight to weight challange. and see what i mean. one more thing don't cut and paste my post no more.

Nick - thnx for the heads up - I wish you the very best back east!

Iris- Get over it? I would if my boat ran, I would if my paint wouldnt keep fading, I would if I had a check in my hand and not "in the mail".

Just as you have your opinion, I have mine.

As for your weight to weight challenge. PLEASE post a new thread and challenge the various CC, MC, or BU owners. I am sure you would have your fair share of WakeWorlders reay to take the challenge.

Iris, It is a good day to be riding, no matter what you have pulling you, YES it is, as long as what u have pulling you runs. =)

Best of luck to you wiht your boat~

Aaron, I'm with Iris. You have told enough people of your story. At first people feel sorry for you but the more you lay it on, the less people care. It's ok to say, "hey, I had problems with them and won't buy another one", but to tell everyone who asks to stay away is just overdone.

Now, for Rod. You should check out the new Avalanche with the side exhaust for wakesurfing. It is a pretty cool system that keeps exhaust away from the rider.

one more thing don't cut and paste my post no more
SORRY-HAD TO DO THAT>
what the h*** are you talking about iris. aaron and dan can talk about theie experience all they want to, just as you can. the only difference is your story makes no sense and the comparisons are absurd. we have seen an AVE wake and it had more wash then a used kenmore. maybe that is what you should use to compare.

Is the exhaust a big problem that we should worry about when wake surfing for long periods of time? I have heard something about that, but I've also wakesurfed behind my boat for almost entire days at a time and not noticed any problems. Is this a concern?

In regards to the new exhaust system for wakesurfing, I agree it is a great idea, esp. if is there a concern about exhaust being toxic for loong periods of exposure?

Jerry Price, the owner of Shred Stix wake/surfboards is my nextdoor neighboor and is doing another photo shoot with Centurion this weekend on there new avalanche model.

Why should he stop offering his opinion? Just because it's negative? He seems to offer it when someone asks. It's not as though he's posting daily "My Centurion Sucks!!" posts.

Would you ask him to stop if he had nothing but positive things to say? I can just hear it now: "Jeez, Aaron, I'm really tired of hearing about how much you like your boat. Stop already!"

Ya'll must know what he really wanted. Rod, apparently, this is what you really meant: "If you wanna stroke me and tell me what a fabulous idea it would be to buy a Centurion, I'd love to hear from you. If you have contrary opinions, I'm not interested." Please adjust your subject accordingly.

Brad,

I'm not sure what the risk is with surfing. I know with Teak surfing there have been numerous deaths, but that is the stupidest thing I have ever seen. Of course it's dangerous. The new system is pretty cool, a dash switch flips between the rear exhaust and side exhaust. Centurion is going to be making some noise in the next 2-3 years. They are starting to spend some #'s. They probably have one of the best lake/plant setups of any company in Woodland, NC.

For the record.... I am for anyone posting their negative experience with boat companies as often as possible. People can choose to read it and use the information as they see fit.

The information should be out there and Wakeworld is a perfect forum for that practice.

Just my $.02...

E.J.

EJ, Swass,

I'm all for someone stating there problems, but telling someone not to buy a boat is something else. Just happen to put a list of problems, and as EJ said, let them decide for themselves.

It astonishes me anybody would take advice from another on 'what boat should I buy.' It has got to be the most prevelant and dumbest question asked on this board or any other board. I am not slam'n Rod at all. The intent of the question is not to make a purchase mistake, thats fine. But, it is a personal purchase. It all depends on how you plan on using the boat, how often, how much cash you have, or want to spend, features, feel, comfort, appeal, dealer strength, ALL of it personal. So, go drive'em all. After you do that I guarantee 1 will stand out. Then you can decide for yourself. Every boat has a niche for every buyer.

Maybe saying something about a Supreme got turned into the wrong Idea. I was just "plugging" supreme boats beacause I drove a SAN, Centurion and a Malibu and was fully impressed with the V208 Supreme. But as EVERYONE said, "TEST DRIVE".

My impression of the Avalanche was that the wake is wide and rounded with no lip. It reminds me of a mid 90's MC Maristar wake. I don't particularly like that style of wake but it is great for surfing at 10 mph.

My past experience with Ski Centuion is that they are not the best quailty but they may be getting better. I wouldn't say they are the future of wakeboarding by any means.

I personally never get tired of hearing about the problems people have with certain manufacturers. If they were treated poorly then that is their experience and I understand how they feel. I can take that infomation and judge for myself. I have had my own experiences and had others tell me to get over it. Sorry, it won't happen.

Last of all, the new exhaust system from Ski Centurion is pointless. If your surfing, your are not just behind the boat, you are behind and to the side of the boat. The exhaust will get back there either way but it's not enough to bother you. Sounds like another gimmic to me.

I'll take the challenge! I can't imagine a better wake than that of my SAN but I would love to see it!

L-A-R,
The exhaust can be switched away from the rider, depending on what side of the boat they are on. Could be pointless, but better safe than sorry.

Iris, How many happy vs. unhappy Centurion customers are there? Seems that you are pretty well informed.

Nick, I think Aaron saying "don't buy one" is merely the degree of his opinion based on his experience. Honestly do you think someone on this board will do something just because another person on the board says it? Not Likely.

Sometimes I wonder

Question: why would anyone name a boat "avalanche"?

we will never agree, and that is fine you are all cool peeps im sure. regardless the industry cant support all these boat builders much longer. it will implode on itself in due time. and time will tell who will be here in five, or ten years. i ride behind different boats regularly, yes they are all pretty sweet, some sweeter than others.one thing i know to be a fact. every boat factory for every manufacure has had a few "lemons" go out every year and guess what? that is just how it is. no matter what you buy it could happen to you. so why not just see it for what it is. and if you have a problem with your boat and your dealer is not helping or closed their doors that is the problem. PEOPLE PLEASE DO AS MUCH RESEARCH ON YOU DEALER AS YOU DO IN THE PRODUCT. boat dealers are not like car dealers if you by a new car you can take it anywhere in the country that sells that type of car and you taken care of. In boat dealer that is far from the case. you see car dealers are busy year round. most boat dealers have a good amount of down time in their industry witch make servicing boats not purchased from them in a busy time of year a problem because they have customers who got their boats form them and they want to service those customers first. that was a little long but please understand that alot of this stuff can be prevented by buying from a really good dealer. that it, beyond that it is good to give feed back both good and bad, that is what this board is for. I think i have just heard aaron's story one to many times. later

Who would name a boat X-Star? Who would make a wakeboard boat look like a tri-hull?

Just messin with ya Dane. I agree, they need a little work. We've got a promo and to tell you the truth, the only Storm Series boat I can identify is the Avalanche.

It seems fitting that they would name it after a natural disaster! ;)

Iris, no offense, but your posts are really hard to read.

seewhenyoudontuseanypunctuationitbecomesverydiffic ulttodistinguishbetweensentencesevenwhenyouuseaper iodandaspace

Board - good points -

1 Question though - Iris ?

You've heard my story 1 too many times last year??? Yet your profile is brand new, Feb 4th, 2003, there is no no relevant info in it, and All your posts back Centurion?

maybe he's really from the future????

I just wanted to point out that I think Aaron is right to warn off customers from Centurion due to his experiences. I would do the same if I was in that position. What I believe is happening here is that those of us looking to get a boat, unless we know the dealer well, will think twice NOT due to the possibility of getting a lemon, but the customer service recieved if a lemon was bought. Of course, other things are considered as well.

Iris, I agree that all manufacturers bring out lemons, those companys that will last past 5-10 years, will be the ones that take care of the customers who recieve that lemon.

I HOPE that the wakeboarding industry takes notice that Wakeworld has a 6000+ registered users and they WILL lose business for poor customer service.

On the other hand, Nick, I am glad that you like your Centurion. It is cool that Centurion promotes the Collegiate ski teams and KSU is one of the best! I know, I was beaten over there at a tournament. I think I got like second or third. Whoever got first must not have been hung-over!! NO FAIR!! I remember sleeping in tents on the left side of the lake and getting up (after partying all night in their little gazebo looking thing) to go skiing, ah the good days! Say Hi to the guys at SIUC for me if you ever go to a DuQuoin tournament!
Michael- I am also glad you like your Centurion, and that you recieved good service from your dealer, which is a big point, the question is, did you have to deal with Centurion directly?

Personally, I have limited experience with Centurion, and really have no basis for opinion, but I do like to hear both good and bad as I hope this will keep the manufacturers and dealers responsible for what they do!

(Message edited by eljefepequeno on February 06, 2003)

Here we go again.
I can predict where this is going, now everyone will start pointing fingers stating that Iris is somehow affiliated with Centurion because of the positive comments made. I know all to well how this game plays out, right E.J.

Okay Buck....whatever you say.....I'm with ya.

Boat show this evening. I'll buy you a beer...

E.J.

"Last of all, the new exhaust system from Ski Centurion is pointless. If your surfing, your are not just behind the boat, you are behind and to the side of the boat. The exhaust will get back there either way but it's not enough to bother you. Sounds like another gimmic to me."

lakeaustinrider, you could not be more wrong! When they tested the exhaust level back there the meter was off the charts. Once the side swipe was used the readings ware at a safe level. You should have some facts before posting a dangerous statement like that!

eljefepequeno,

I have been to my last tournament up at DuQuoin unfortunately, 4 years of good times up there. Nothing like the party on the fairgrounds. The were some SIU guys last weekend at Winter Conference I think.

I'm sure they were hungover too. I almost ran into the back of the ramp on a trick pass at Duquoin in '00 thanks to partying until 5 and skiing at 7

"lakeaustinrider, you could not be more wrong! When they tested the exhaust level back there the meter was off the charts. Once the side swipe was used the readings ware at a safe level. You should have some facts before posting a dangerous statement like that!"

Jeff, Who is "THEY" that you talk about??? Show me the study you are speaking of! I have yet to your "FACTS"!

It's funny how of all the people I know that have surfed behind the boat, none of them have had any health issues from exhaust. You probably get more fumes sitting on the back of the boat with the engine running.

So would you not surf unless the boat was equiped with the "special" exhaust?

I also ride a motorcycle through rush hour traffic. Will all that car exhaust kill me too?

Do you ride your bike 10' away from the exhaust of the cars? Are you riding your bike 12 mph? Do boats run as clean as cars. do boats have caddilatic (sp) converters? Do you hear about poisining with boats?(yes) Do you here about poisining riding motorcycles in rush hour traffic?(no)

taken from
Open-air CO-related morbidity and mortality has been reported to occur with exposure to exhaust from gasoline-powered electricity generators on houseboats (3). However, this report describes CO poisoning resulting from direct exposure to CO in the exhaust of a ski boat. Ambient CO concentrations have been measured as high as 27,000 parts per million (ppm) in the stern of boats involved in CO-poisoning fatalities (5). In comparison, the World Health Organization has set a ceiling limit on a person's exposure to CO at 87 ppm during a 15-minute interval (6). Although the introduction of the catalytic converter to automobiles reduced CO concentrations in automobile exhaust by >90% (7), emissions-control devices have not been introduced to the propulsion engines of recreational boats.

Since 1990, a case listing compiled by an interagency working group consisting of the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the U.S. Coast Guard has documented 17 fatalities and 37 nonfatal poisonings on U.S. waters resulting from exposure to the propulsion engine exhaust of ski boats and cabin cruisers (5). Although many poisoning victims were exposed while on or near the swim platform, several fatalities also occurred among persons seated in the stern of the boat. This case listing was compiled from media reports and probably underrepresents the national burden of these incidents. In addition, because COHb measurements are obtained infrequently from victims of unwitnessed drownings (8), the actual number of drownings resulting from CO poisoning remains unknown.

On inhalation, CO binds to hemoglobin with a binding affinity 200--270 times greater than that of oxygen. At COHb concentrations of 10%--20%, symptoms of CO poisoning might resemble those of motion sickness or heat exhaustion and can include headache, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. Although seizures, coma, and death might occur at COHb concentrations >30% (9), COHb concentrations of >50% have been found after minutes of outdoor exposure to boat exhaust (5). Health-care providers should consider immediate COHb measurements any time a drowning occurs near a boat or boat occupants present with signs and symptoms consistent with CO poisoning.

Recreational boaters should be aware that boat exhaust can flow back into the rear of the boat and that CO in the exhaust is undetectable because it is odorless and colorless. In addition, they should avoid swimming or body surfing near the exhaust system while the boat or generator is running. Studies of CO concentrations in the air around boats and of COHb levels in recreational boaters are needed to determine the extent of boat-related CO poisonings, and public health campaigns to warn of the danger of boat-related CO poisonings require further evaluation. The use of emissions-control devices in recreational boats can reduce CO emissions and the risk for CO poisoning.

So is it dangerous to surf behind my boat OR NOT?

Why can't we get a straight answer out of somebody?

If nobody has died doing it yet, then I'm going to keep on keepin on!

On our old boat, whenever we shut the engine down, we had to warn the skier/wakeboarder in the water to hold their breath till they made it past the initial black cloud from starting up the 2 stroke outboard. *That* couldn't have been healthy.... ah, the good old days.

You know, I really like that some people on this board can give an honest opinion of their boat. Most of the people on this board cannot seem to describe their own boat without putting down every other craft out there. I think that Aaron is doing a great service to people by relating factual information on a craft that he owns when he is asked to do so. The vast majority of insecure boat owners seem incapable of admitting to a problem their boat has.
Did he by a lemon, or is this a common situation?
I would be willing to bet that he has had an unfortunately bad experience, as opposed to this being the norm, but how can we know unless it is discussed by multiple owners?
As far as some people are concerned, I am glad that they own the penultimate wakeboard boat, good for you. keep your opinions civil when dealing with us mere mortals.

Rod,
There are way more unhappy Centurion, Hupturion as I call them, owners then there are happy ones. My first wakeboard boat was a hupturions air warrior. It was cool for about a month until the interior fell apart and the tranny went out. I have a lot of friends who either have or have owned Centurions and 4 out of 5 hate the boat. However we ride everyday and put a ton of wear and tear on our boats. If you are a weekend warrior I do not think it is a bad choice. The best thing to do is test drive as many boats as you can and base your decision on that. Good luck bro!