Loyal Tige owner looking at an S211

[Jetter 1]

Long story short.  Have a 2008 (1st generation) Tige Z1.  Looking at getting into something newer.  A 2019 S211 has come up at a reasonable price locally.  I like the look of the S211 and the fit and finish are fine by me.  My concern is from what I have been reading, even with the sub floor quickfill and the plug and play bags and the bow tank, the boat still has trouble producing a wave that has much push.  This is my number one factor.  All my Tige buddies have what I would consider to be excellent surf waves.  We are all serious surfers and have been tweaking our waves for years.  I would argue they are among the best in the industry.  What can a person expect out of a 2019 S211?  It's my understanding it only has 100lbs less ballast potential that the 238?

Any advice/intel would be appreciated.

 

[Guppydriver 2]

I've never surfed one, but I walked around one the other day pretty thoroughly. It's small, so make sure you don't run a large crew often.

2019 is a good year though, it got a larger diameter prop shaft that allows you to put on a nice big prop for surfing. Like any boat in its class, you're going to have fine tune the wave with additional lead and probably upgrade the PNP. It does only have 100 pounds less ballast than a much bigger S238 so it's probably much easier to sink into the water at less than 21 feet and 400 pounds lighter dry. I bet it throws a nice wave. If you try it out, let us know what your thoughts are.

[lake dweller 9]

I have a 16' S211 I run 850's in the rear lockers 320lb side bag under seat and 600lbs of lead. Run starboard side bag at 60% the wave rivals any 23 footer I put it up against.

[Jetter 1]

So if you are running a 320lb side bag under seat and 600lbs of lead where do you put your gear?  In a 21 ft boat I know first hand space is at a premium.  I have a storage issue in my Z1 with no bags under the seats.

[Troy. R 198]

I used to run a similar setup as @lake dweller in my Avalanche. We would put the majority of the gear, etc. under the observer seat and soft ice chest under the bow filler cushion.

If storage is a big consideration and you want to stay in the 21' range, you may want to consider a ZS212.
It has the vast majority of the ballast sub-floor (PnP in the lockers and bow) and requires no extra weight. There is even storage for boards, etc. above the engine.

[Jetter 1]

Ok Supreme owners.  I had a chance to get behind this little S211 today.  Please keep in mind this review is coming from a die hard Tige guy.  I am practically a brand ambassador for Tige.  I have given little thought to changing brands.  My buddy bought himself a 2016 S226 last summer.  I liked the boat but it surfed like garbage.  Zero push.  Literally the day before he sold it (because he made 6 grand on it) he discovered his starboard quickfill valve was in the manual open position.  He rode it like that all summer.  Idiot - I know.  Another buddy I went to the dealership with today made a deal on trading his Tige R21 in on a 2019 Tige ZX1.  I wanted to hitch a ride and look at this little Supreme for interest sake.

Ok so back to my honest review of the S211.  It is small.  The bow is nice and big though for a 21 foot boat.  The fit and finish are plain jane but rock solid.  The vinyl seems thick and durable.  The bimini is not great but ok.  The stereo was way better than expected.  I don't like those wetsounds grills but that's just my preference.   Stereo was more than adequate.   The controls and dash are simple and functional.  Only thing I didn't like there was the little "signal light" stick that moves the stinger plate but I can overlook that.  On to the meat and potatoes.  What did it do in the water?  After reading several reviews on this very forum I was not expecting much.  I was expecting an ok wave with not much push unless the boat had larger pnps and lead added.  You guys are not great ambassadors for your brand!  For a little 21 foot boat the wave is freaking awesome.  We surfed it in 12 to 20 inch chop.  It was windy as all get out and the water here in Canada is now a lovely 61 degrees.  That boat's ability to cut the chop with zero spray is nothing short of remarkable for it's size.  The wave was long and had tons of push!  Anyone who says they can't surf that wave ropeless needs to hone their skills.  I am 6'4" and 230lbs and had zero issues back there.  The boat was also very quite.  Very impressed by the engine noise level.  If the dealer gives me good value on my 08 Tige I may just leave the family and join yours.  Here is a video clip of a minute of my run:  

 

In the end I think would likely still throw a couple hundred pounds up front and maybe in each locker but that would be it.  Add an FAE (an absolute MUST on ANY boat) and I think she'd be ready to go!  I will let you know.

[Guppydriver 2]

4 hours ago, Jetter said:

Ok Supreme owners.  I had a chance to get behind this little S211 today.  Please keep in mind this review is coming from a die hard Tige guy.  I am practically a brand ambassador for Tige.  I have given little thought to changing brands.  My buddy bought himself a 2016 S226 last summer.  I liked the boat but it surfed like garbage.  Zero push.  Literally the day before he sold it (because he made 6 grand on it) he discovered his starboard quickfill valve was in the manual open position.  He rode it like that all summer.  Idiot - I know.  Another buddy I went to the dealership with today made a deal on trading his Tige R21 in on a 2019 Tige ZX1.  I wanted to hitch a ride and look at this little Supreme for interest sake.

Ok so back to my honest review of the S211.  It is small.  The bow is nice and big though for a 21 foot boat.  The fit and finish are plain jane but rock solid.  The vinyl seems thick and durable.  The bimini is not great but ok.  The stereo was way better than expected.  I don't like those wetsounds grills but that's just my preference.   Stereo was more than adequate.   The controls and dash are simple and functional.  Only thing I didn't like there was the little "signal light" stick that moves the stinger plate but I can overlook that.  On to the meat and potatoes.  What did it do in the water?  After reading several reviews on this very forum I was not expecting much.  I was expecting an ok wave with not much push unless the boat had larger pnps and lead added.  You guys are not great ambassadors for your brand!  For a little 21 foot boat the wave is freaking awesome.  We surfed it in 12 to 20 inch chop.  It was windy as all get out and the water here in Canada is now a lovely 61 degrees.  That boat's ability to cut the chop with zero spray is nothing short of remarkable for it's size.  The wave was long and had tons of push!  Anyone who says they can't surf that wave ropeless needs to hone their skills.  I am 6'4" and 230lbs and had zero issues back there.  The boat was also very quite.  Very impressed by the engine noise level.  If the dealer gives me good value on my 08 Tige I may just leave the family and join yours.  Here is a video clip of a minute of my run:  

 

In the end I think would likely still throw a couple hundred pounds up front and maybe in each locker but that would be it.  Add an FAE (an absolute MUST on ANY boat) and I think she'd be ready to go!  I will let you know.

I'm impressed.

That's totally stock with the original PNP's?  I'm not a huge fan of aftermarket FAE due to stress cracks in the welds, but that boat looks good on you!!

[Jetter 1]

Yes that was stock 2019.  It did have the factory 750lb pnps though which I think is an upgrade.  I'll upload some pics from my PC later when I can reduce file size.

[Troy. R 198]

That’s awesome @Jetter! I’m glad you liked it. That wave looked pretty good for factory! Hopefully it works out for you. Keep us posted!

[Jetter 1]

I decided to extend the budget and go big!  The 2021s have so many upgrades I love I just had to do it.  I ordered a 2021 ZS212.  The bigger screen, rider profiles, forward facing tower, closed loop cooling system were all things that sold me.  Now can't wait until it shows up in April!

[Troy. R 198]

I’m certain you will not be disappointed in your decision! Welcome to the family!

[Troy. R 198]

@Jetter out of curiosity, did you ride behind the ZS212 before placing your order?

Full transparency, I bought my ZS232 without riding behind it. I had done enough research that I was comfortable with it. I am more than happy with my decision...

[Guppydriver 2]

On 11/7/2020 at 4:02 PM, Jetter said:

I decided to extend the budget and go big!  The 2021s have so many upgrades I love I just had to do it.  I ordered a 2021 ZS212.  The bigger screen, rider profiles, forward facing tower, closed loop cooling system were all things that sold me.  Now can't wait until it shows up in April!

"Man, I wish I would have gone with the cheaper,  less deep, much lighter boat"

Said no one ever...

Congrats....The ZS is so damn thick, it's going to be a beast for you.  I have an April delivery as well (not a zeus), so I feel your pain.

Edited November 13, 2020 by Guppydriver