vride test dirve impressions

Well, I managed to sneak in a test drive of the vride before this current freeze snap hit us down here in Austin. Stuck at home looking at all the ice outside, it's hard to believe it was just a few days ago.

Anyway, here's a summary of my impressions for anyone else thinking about a vride, but may not have luxury of Texas winters (or a dry suit) to give it a spin this time of year. As background, I should mention that my current boat is a 2000 Tige 22i and that I'm an intermediate level rider that's been riding for about four years. I currently weight my boat with a 400lb sack in the locker and about 300lb of additional ballast scattered throughout the boat. Any more weight than this and my wakes start getting mushy. My typical riding crew is just 2-3 people and we all ride at about 20mph with a 65 ft line.

First, I was really impressed with the handling of the vride. It handled much better than I expected for a vdrive boat. It handled just as well as my DD Tige if not better and was definitely faster hull shot as well (with or without ballast drained). This was with the base LCR engine. I also was impressed with Malibu's speed control. I don't think you're losing anything vs. perfect pass, and in fact I think the visuals on the screen and ease of use are better.

As for the riding, overall I was a little dissappointed. I tried it with just the ballast at first (no wedge) and the driver was the only one in the boat. Riding in this configuration, the wake seemed very rampy and a little small. I was having a lot of trouble getting much pop off of the wake. Then we added the wedge and tried again. That was a very noticable improvement. The wake got a little bigger and had a bit of a lip that aided in getting more pop up into the air. If I bought this boat, it would definitely be with the wedge. Still, even with the wedge, it didn't wow me, and I still had a harder time getting air than I do with my current boat.

Before everyone tells me I'm crazy, the Malibu wake is phenominal, etc. let me say that I know this is a great boat, a great wake, and that a lot of my problems are probably just me. I'm coming to realize that my current wake is very vertical, so I'm used to hitting a hard, vertical wall of a wake that launches me straight up. If I improve my technique and get used to this wake, I'm pretty sure I could get more air off of it, but I was expected to like it instantly, so I was disappointed. I think the key thing I realized is that I would never want to buy a boat that I hadn't ridden behind at some point.

In addition to being dissappointed with the lackluster (to me) wake, the dealer is not budging at all on price. He's stuck at about 4% off of MSRP. That means the boat costs more than I was hoping to pay so, while I'm still considering the Malibu, I think I may be back to the drawing board.

On the way out to do the Malibu demo, I also stopped to check out the Supra dealer to look at the 21V. I wasn't originally considering this boat, but I must say the interior looked really nice! I also like the deeper feel and the layout of the boat. So, now I'm looking to try out a Supra 21V once we warm back up a little and see if I like that wake any better. I'm also still waiting to try out the Mastercraft X1, but I'm thinking the price on that one is probably going to be more than I want to pay as well...

Anyway, I guess that's where I'm currently at in my boat search. I'm hoping to settle down on a boat I like before the Austin boat show in mid-Jan. Am I crazy for not liking the Malibu wake or are their others that feel it is too rampy? Does anyone think my opinion about the Malibu would be likely to change with more weight in the boat? Can anyone comment on what I should expect from the Supra 21V in comparison?

I think you need to DEMO every boat b\c when it comes to the wake it is all referents.I have to agree with you that I haven't been behind a BU that made say WOW and been behind other brands like SANGER that I thought the wake was MUCH nicer tho that actual Malibu boat can't be denied....It is SUPER NICE.
The new X-1 will most likely cost you about the same as the V-ride but I also think you need to check it out b\c you might like it better.(the wake)

My opinion on the hull and wake of the v-ride is that I like it quite a bit. I currently own a supersport nautique (same hull as the 210) with 2100-2300lbs of ballast. The wake on my SS is definitely more vertical than the malibu but they are both great wakes (the malibu was my other choice when looking at boats but I found the SS first in the price I could afford). I was in a malibu last year that wowed me. Granted it had around 1800lbs of ballast and around 11 guys in the boat. The wake was huge, probably on of the bigger ones I have ridden behind. The thing I was impressed with is that all that weight just made it better. The wake never started to get soft or crumble.

The malibu as you said is more rampy and everyone likes different styles of wakes. I have been riding for 9 or so years and think it is important to ride as many boats as possible when testing them to see which suits you best. Also I never turn down an opproturnity to ride behind a differnt boat. I love trying new wakes, it makes you a better rider if you can adjust your tricks and style to different style wakes.

You don't want to try the Tige 22 or 20V? Tige changed the hulls a few years back to allow you to add a lot more weight without it getting mushy. I believe that a 20V would be about the same price as a Vride.

Thanks for your comments on the Vride

The V-ride wake gets big quick with more weight. If you really slam it you can actually ditch the wedge. This will give you a different shape. No stock ballast wake is going satisfy. The X1 and V-Ride will both take about the same amunt of weight to get the wake where you want it. Trying demoing the v-ride again, and this time fill a 600 on the floor to simulate a few more riders and a little extra ballast.

Throw some weight in it!!! I agree with J-Rod! If you are looking for a good wake with only factory ballast, you should demo the VLX. I have owned both and always added 2000lbs weight. Look at the Supra--my friend owns one--great boat, also the X1. If you are looking to get something new--demo,demo,demo. The more boats you ride behind and drive, the less likely you are to regret your purchase.

When I got my 21v last year it was between the X2 (x1 now), vride, Tige22v or 20v, and the Supra21V.

My thoughts:

21v is a great boat. You will not be disappointed. One thing I have found about the wake is it can be a bit finicky. Getting it just right can take some time, and concentration. My friends think I’m crazy when I ask them to change seats because one side is washing out…they look at me like “wtf is washing out mean?”

x2 was out because the interior felt too small. I’m tall, so I would hit my knees on the dashboard if I wasn’t sitting just right. Great wake though. Great quality.

Vride is a good wake; you just have to add some weight. Being tall though, I couldn’t get over how low the tower was. (The blade?) If I wanted a different tower I was going to have to wait too long to get one ordered.

Tige. Decent stock wake, but needs weight. I don’t believe that TAPS does it all. Also, I didn’t like the interior.

But, as everyone on here will say, Demo them all! Reasons why one boat is bad for me may not be the same thing for you. My thoughts are every one of those boats are great boats. You would expect them to be for the amount you pay, right? So a demo may be the only way to find out the "little things."

Thanks for all the feedback. Lots of good info and opinions here.

Talltigeguy, I wasn't initially considering Tige because I had it in my head that I wanted a boat from one of the 'big 3', but now I'm not sure. Also, I don't really like messing with sacks, so I don't really like the no ballast policy for Tige. However, now that I'm considering Supra as well I'm think I should at least give them a look.

Bill, sounds like you looked at all the same boats I'm interested in. I think the X1 might be too small for me as well. This is meant to be a 'family boat' as well as a hard-core wakeboard boat, so that will have to be a consideration. Size is one of the reasons (along with price) that I've pretty much ruled out getting a SAN. I'm curious how you run your Supra. I've seen other posts here where people have swapped out the stock sacks for larger ones. Are you doing that as well? If so, is that enough ballast for you without additional sacks?

Big_Ed, the Sanger is enticing, mostly because of the good things I've read in WW, but the closest dealer is in Houston which is 3 hours away. I might still go check them out, though, if I don't find what I want here.

J-rod/Chunk, the dealer mentioned that I could come back for another test ride if I want. I might do that and bring my fat sack with me if I don't find what I'm looking for elsewhere. I was hoping I'd find a wake I like without extra ballast beyond stock, but maybe that's a pipedream...

I am pretty sure that not adding any extra ballast over the stock is probably a pipe dream depending on how big of a wake you are expecting. I am not sure on the Supra's but they use to offer the gravity games bag package which was I believe close to 2000lbs. I rode one of these when I was visiting down in Dallas for work and the wake was very good.

My buddy just got an 06 vlx with all of the stock ballast possible, the rear tanks, belly tank, and nose tank. We still put two full size sacs next to the engine in the compartments and a 350lb sac in the nose. Next year he plans to plumb the rear sacs in and use lead or steel in the nose so the sac isn't taking up all the room.

David,
Good summary of you Vride experience. Short answer is to add more weight and then try it.

All boats need more ballast... period!

My 04 VLX is the same hull. I have played around with just stock ballast… and also tried it without the wedge. If you are used to a big wake and want it a bit steeper…. Sack it out and drop the wedge. If you don’t want to deal with sacks on the floor, ballast fill times, or replacing tanks with lager bags in the back… get some lead bars or more friends! I am adding more ballast all the time.

I have ridden in a heavily weighted 04 VLX without the wedge… with a HUGE wake... but having 11 people in my boat on a regular basis will never happen....

For the record… the boat handles well… until you drop the wedge…. Then not so much.

Demo Demo Demo... and bring your own sacks... dealers never do... and make sure the gas tank is full too. Good luck.

If you are up in Seattle... let me know... we always got room.

Out the gate the vRide needs at a bare minimum, 1,000 pounds of ballast. The stock ballast is only the one center tank, 300 pounds maybe, that just does not cut it. That boat with two 450's on either side of the engine, 600 in the bow, the Wedge, factory ballast and a smattering of people will make that wake stand up and never let you think you aren't getting pop.

With your Tige and its TAPs you have gotten used to a small sharp wake that doesn't have a lot of meat to it. The V-Ride or an X-1 is going to respond positively to weight and will just get biggger/firmer as you fill it. These boats need the weight (unless you get a new VLX), and then it just gets better.

3 words,

SAC IN THE NOSE!!!

you will find the wake between the old VLX (VRide) to be quite different. Not that one is better than the other, all in your preference. The old VLX (VRIDE) has a rampy wake. The Supra wake is steep and lippy. Cool thing about Supra is you can change your weight configs with different bags as you progress and never have to fill a fat sack (manually) anywhere..... You can run about 2400lbs in the Supras all at the flip of the switch. Not saying Supra is better. I had a very hard time picking between the two myself. Two of my favs..... Make sure you find a good dealer and go with your own preference. Can't go wrong with any of the boats you mentioned....
When you test drive the 21V pull the rope in some too. Go around 70' roap length... you will see why

Rich,that is 4 words.lol

Supra21v I thought had a nice shape but I didn't notice pulling in made that much of a differents....that thing is wiiide even at 65'

The Supra is sounding better and better. I like the idea of a steeper wake and the easy upgrade on the bags. For the vride, I hear what people are saying about needed more weight, but I guess I'm just surprised. The ballast tanks add 900 pounds and the wedge is meant to be the equivilent of 1000 pounds. So, that's 1900 pounds already. I was expecting that to be enough for a really big wake which is why I was dissappointed.

After we warm up down here, I'll give the Supra a test drive. If that doesn't seem to do it for me, I think I'll try the Vride again with more weight as that seems to be the consensus of what's required to get the most from the vride. I'd love to try the VLX, but that's really beyond my budget.

I still need to give the X1 a try and might pop into the Tiger dealer as well. Although, I'm not convinced at this point I want another Tige. If none of these do it for me, well that might mean a trip to Houston to check out the Sangers! That would at least be pretty unique in Austin.

David,

Can you elaborate on the Tige 'no ballast policy'? You can get stock ballast from the factory, but it does clog up some of your storage space. I have no problem adding ballast to my 24V. Most serious wakeboarders do add lots of ballast. There are rumours that the Tige pros like Josh Lyman add 4k pounds to their 24V's.

I have been impressed with most people's comments about supra as well. They definitely seem to be on the up and up. My Tige dealer is 110 miles and Supra 300 miles away. Only test drove the Tige. Don't forget that dealer support should be important in your decision too.

(Message edited by talltigeguy on December 08, 2005)

The Wedge constitutes 1,000 pounds as if you stacked it on the swim step. It clearly makes the make more "lippy" but the difference is that 1,000 pounds at the transom is different than 1,000 pounds at the center of the boat. One will suck the butt wnd down & the other will drop the entire hull into the water. All boats whether they be a Sanger, X-Star, SAN, VLX, etc needs weight to give it a pro wake. The X-Star I've ridden has had 2k in it and it was great, same with the SANs, no matter what you get you need to stack weight on top of it...

TallTigeGuy, I thought Tige said you didn't need ballast due to heavy weight of the boat and TAPS. I didn't realize they had a stock ballast system. I see it now on their website if I dig around.

For dealers, I've got quite a few options. I live in SW Austin and have the following choices:

Supra/Moomba: 3 miles
Mastercraft: 5 miles
Correct Craft 20 miles
Tige: 25 miles
Centurion: 25 miles
Malibu: 35 miles

The Supra dealer is crazy close. I just hadn't been there because I didn't know much about them and I wasn't crazy about the Moomba's. I haven't been the the Centurion dealer yet, either, but I don't know if I like the layout as well. I should probably check them out though for completeness.

David,

If the dealer is telling you that Tige's don't need more weight they are full of it. As posted previously, if you want a good wake all boats needs extra weight. We have an 04 switch V and we run over 2000 lbs. of ballast in it. I also ride behind a 2005 Tige 22V with 2,600 lbs. in it, that wake is huge. Just plan on adding extra ballast to any boat you buy.

David,
In spite of your dissing Moombas (I own one), I can tell you that South Austin Marine is a really solid dealer. One of the sales guys is Hunter who is heavily involved in the 360wakeboard group. I did not buy from him, but everyone seems to have positive things to say about him. In addition, the service department is the best.

Now about that Moomba diss - while I like my Mobius LSV, if the Supra 21V had been out I probably would have gone for it instead.

Wakeshoe, thanks for the feedback on South Austin Marine. Sorry, I didn't mean to be dissing Moomba's. I never even ridden behind one, so I couldn't comment either way on the wake. The interior didn't do it for me, but I agree that's the right place to save money if your going to find some savings for a wakeboard boat.