CATs on ri237

[Berner710 0]

I’m looking into a new Ri237 and was wondering about getting CATs. I have no problem spending the extra money for it for the extra adjustability but talking to the dealer and folks at centurion they are really pushing against it even though I don’t mind the added cost. Is there something I’m missing like service wise or warranty issues. It’s just odd why they’re so against this option.

[InfinitySurf 302]

Nothing on service or warranty I know of, I have a 2014 SV244 and the CATS has been solid. Its actually designed so if you hit something underwater, it will shear a key that can easily be replaced and worst case (short of grounding boat or really hitting something hard and/or at a crazy angle) should just break the actuator end so you don't have crazy repairs required. We have seen that happen a couple times on here due to log strikes, etc.

@BoardCo is a top notch Centurion dealer who could likely best explain if he sees this.

You will get different opinions on this question, would guess this is likely a 50/50 topic. I believe the main premise for the factory saying CATS is no longer needed is based on the Opti-V Hull changes (FYI.... on the Centurion-Supreme FB page there is a lot more activity if you want a broader response to this question...the majority of the answers there seem to be that CATS "is nice to have but is not necessary). 

Based on my limited experience/knowledge, without a doubt CATS made a big difference when listing boat to surf since by adjusting it you could change or clean up the face profile of the wave. Its also useful when dialing wave for wakeboarding and if cruising down lake and boat is listed over due to more people on one side, a CATS adjustment will get the boat running level without anyone moving. My non-technical/non-scientific way to explain this is that CATS will basically adjust the way that water flows off the back of the hull and helps "crab" the angle of the boat depending on the setting you are running. Others will have different experiences, but for me since I am 95% surfing when on the boat....when listing the boat for surf wave you can easily see and appreciate how CATS adjustments can improve the wave. In 2017/2018 I started weighting more level (slightly listed only by couple hundred pounds) and using a Nauticurl suckgate and in that configuration I did not see the wave face change much when adjusting it. Spring 2019 I added an InfinityWave surf tab system and I also did not find it made much difference to wave face when adjusting CAT so I have really stopped using it. Keep in mind of course that my hull is different than the RI or FI models and CATS could still be beneficial in more areas than just surfing (like cruising or wakeboarding adjustments), so I think it really depends on your main uses of the boat. Personally if I bought a new boat I probably would not opt for CATS, some people would not buy a Centurion without it. I think if you are good with spending the extra money then you should probably do it since it may also be beneficial for resale when that time comes. Some of that will depend on how edjucated the buyer is.

Congrats on the upcoming boat purchase, Centurion is where its at!

[WaveBroker 1]

I have heard they have to pay royalties too Malibu for the CATS technology and will be phasing it out. This could be why A LOT of dealers don't order boats with it anymore. Honestly when you compare pennies to pennies its not that expensive option for an actual increase in performance ability/adjustability. I mean, you can get literally change some seating options/trailer options and have CATS. 

 

Also if re-sale is important it seems to me like centurion guys are a niche group of boat owners and CATS has been a important option in the past so I could see why people would value that option in the aftermarket. 

 

I am also a new owner so take everything I say with a grain of salt. But I searched for the answer to that exact question for about two weeks and thats what I took from it. Happy boating! 

 

(P.S. I took a boat with CATS over a boat with the H6 and some other options at the same price after taking some advice on the Facebook group) 

 

[InfinitySurf 302]

Good point on the royalties, I had forgotten about that 

[Berner710 0]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the info.