Troy. R

My 2 cents, the “plunger” requires no modification and works just fine.

Ok. Gotcha. I wasn’t sure if you were referring to this type of device, or adding a tee with a hose bib on the inlet line.

@Schnboo on the drain plugs, there were a few options on the tech info link. Mine had the blue plastic plugs which made it a little easier. Mine even has hoses coming off of the exhaust manifolds similar to the block, which made them easier to access once I found them. I use something similar to this for running out of water: Inboard Engine Motor Flusher Fake a Lake Ski Boat Mastercraft Malibu Nautique https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H93R2IO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Ya4dGbYJHQS31 I did time out my ballast, but I need to do it again. I was distracted and didn’t get them quite right. When draining, I like to drive slow enough to not plane out pushing all of the water to the rear of the tanks. That way you can get all of the water out.

You’re right. As long as all of the plugs are in, hoses are connected, and impeller is installed (I’ve heard of people removing the impeller for the winter, but I never have) the only other thing to look for is, there’s also a shutoff valve near the raw water inlet on the starboard side. Double check and make sure it is open. For extra piece of mind, you could run it on the trailer using a fake-a-lake before heading out. On the plugs/hoses, I can’t imagine they wouldn’t be in. I always reinstall mine as soon as all of the water drains out of each location. It might be worth a call to NWBS to find out exactly what they do when winterizing and what they recommend for de-winterizing.

Thanks for the input!

Thanks for the input @Jmoore15. It's good to hear from someone with first hand experience on both. On the IS website I was a little confused by the description on the 142 G-Ride and it made me a little nervous. It says that it's 4'6", but 142cm is 4'8". 4'6" would be too small for me at 6'2" 220lbs. I just tried to go back and double check and their website seems to be having issues. Have you ever ridden a Neo? if so, how does it compare? It seems to be very similar to the Nubstep, but with a blunt nose, but it's hard to tell until you get it under your feet.

I got a chance to play with a 2017 Z3 with taps 3 for a weekend a few years back when my brother-in-law first got one. They’re nice boats, but we couldn’t figure out how to dial the wave. To be honest, the Avalanche I had at the time had a much better wave. Like you, I’ve seen the videos so I know it can be done. After doing some research he ended up getting like 800+ lbs of lead and from what I understand it helped quite a bit, but I never went out on it with the extra weight. I’m sure you can find good wave setup advice on the Tige forum if you end up going that route. The Z3 is the lightest because of the hull design. It’s a modified-v which means it flattens in the back. The Centurions are deep-v hulls which means they carry their v shape all the way back. The deep-v requires more fiberglass which of course means more weight. The deep-v is also easier to lean which is why the Centurions tend to throw great waves easier. Final note on the deep-v... they handle rough water much better than modified-v’s, but tend to be more weight sensitive side to side. I wouldn’t count out the S238 either. They have a similar hull design as the Enzo and will be a little bigger in terms of interior room and I believe freeboard than the 233 and Z3 (also newer). From what I’ve read, they do require a little more weight than what comes stock. I believe most replace the stock 750 PnP sacs with 1100s and piggyback sacs under the port/starboard seats. That said, I’ve never ridden behind one. Hope this all helps! Let us know what you decide.

I would think that the limitation on towing capacity is more of a suspension issue than power issue. Braking of course is also a factor, but from my experience, these newer trailers brake very well. For example, I could feel my 2007 Centurion Avalanche (4000lbs dry + trailer, fuel, gear, etc.) push my 2005 Ram 1500 when breaking pretty bad. With my current Supreme ZS232 (5450lbs dry + trailer, fuel, gear, etc.) I can hardly feel it when normal braking in my 2018 Ram 1500. With that said, and considering you’ll be close to the launch, you could simply add some air springs to assist the suspension and go for the FS44 or SV244...

They’re all very impressive boats with great waves. I’d recommend at least going and climbing around the ones that are available at the local dealer. Considering they’ll all throw an amazing wave, see if the differences are worth the extra cost.

They're all running the same opti-v hull. The 237 (23' 7") was the first in the RI series, then came the 257 (25' 7"). The 245 (24' 6") and 265 (26' 6") just came out this year. Being the latest in the line, the 245 and 265 have some extra frills like different body lines, pop-up backrests on the sun pad, etc. They will all throw a killer surf wave with great adjustability to accommodate the rider's preference/riding style. The bigger the boat the heavier it will be, the more ballast it will have, and the more water it will displace. Here are some good walkthrough videos to give you an idea of what you'll find in a 237/257 and what you'll find in the 245/265:

I intended to say, "would prefer NOT to spend the $ on a custom..."

Full disclosure, I am not very familiar with this boat. A buddy used to have a T5 which I believe is the same hull, but I never saw anyone ski behind it. By looking at pics I would say it’s more ski than wake, but intended to be a crossover or sorts. It’s a direct drive which is certainly a ski feature, but also has just a little bit of a vee at the stern which would be more of a wake feature. A true comp ski boat would be flat at the stern like the Centurion Carbor Pro.

I’m looking for a new surf style board that I can advance my riding on, but would prefer Tony to spend the $ on a custom. I recently have been looking at the Doomswell Nubstep, Doimswell Neo, and IS G-Ride. The G-Ride is essential the same as the old Flyboy which I really like, but would need the larger 142 (I ride the smaller version semi-regularly). Any opinions or thoughts on these boards?

I should also add, the fiberglass is pretty substantial on these boats. It takes a lot to crack.

That would make me look in a different direction. There could be underlying issues that will arise even if you have them repaired. Then you’ve just bought yourself a headache... Now that’s not necessarily the case, but a possibility.