Need a little help, possibly would like to buy an RI

[andrewdonald1 0]

Hello everyone, first time posting here.  Although I research a lot I just can't seem to find the answers.

We are thinking about selling our 2011 Malibu VLX to upgrade for a better surf wave but we have to be able to keep on wakeboarding. 

My wife loves to wakeboard and I enjoy it (not like her though).  BTW We like to wakeboard around the 17 mph range to minimize the impact damage if you crash. Our VLX wake is great at that speed.  

My wife and I are 49, so you'll understand that if I make the wrong decision here and go for the nasty surf wave boat and she's out back wakeboarding consistently pointing down at a white wash on top of the wake that I can't adjust out via Cats or ballast or tabs...my but is grass...considering the money the upgrade is to the new boat...

I'd like to keep the budget at a max of $100K.   I'd love to get a 2018 Ri237 or Fi23, but that appears to be over the budget at the moment - I refuse to take it above this already silly amount.

I can get a 2017 Ri237 that barely will squeak under my budget.. but I am just not comfortable that the wake can be nice at 17 mph.. meaning not washed out etc even using CATS. 

Comments on that?  

It seems that I can push the budget to the limit and pick up a 2017 Ri217 with the old modified deep v hull.

100 million dollar question here on the Ri217... can you get the wake nice and clean down to 17 mph?  

I've watched the video on youtube from centurion on the 217 setup, but everything I've seen people are wakeboarding at 22+ mph.  

That isn't going to fly in this situation.  So hopefully you see my delima.

Maybe I need to wait another year for the Opti-V hulls to come down to just under $100K..  

Or can the Ri217 do it for wakeboarding at 17 mph?  Need real life guidance here folks.. anyone have experience on this?  

Otherwise maybe I go Moomba Max or Supra SL... I might have to wait a year on the SL.. but the mad MAX is a steal at their prices for their apparent performance (ie. I have NOT tested them nor any of the RI/Fi's).  I could also sneak in with a Tige RZX2, but they seem like more of a boutique brand and I worry a bit about ease of resale and depreciation.  

 

Thanks everyone - Andrew

[Troy 234]

Welcome to the crew. Sorry I can't answer any of your questions but someone should be able to shortly. The Ri and Fi waves are awesome!

[EliteV 1]

you can get a fi21 for under 100k if that helps at all. They come with optiV hulls

[h20king 794]

You will not get the wakeboard wake you are looking for with the 217 .step up to the opti v hull and you are good