BoardCo

We are the largest Centurion dealership in the world and haven't had a single customer of ours hydrolock a boat. I have heard it is possible to hydrolock one if you are just running stock ballast, but I imagine we would have seen it if that were the case. Every hydrolock issue I have heard of is from guys running additional weight AND having people sitting at the transom which sinks it even deeper in the water. If you aren't running additional lead you shouldn't have a problem, though I wouldn't let the boat sit for a couple hours fully ballasted. If you are running lead it's simple - just dump Ramfill or PNP at the rear before going swimming and you will be fine. Welcome to the only downside to a boat that can pack 5,000+ lbs of ballast.

If you are saying low speed for wakeboarding it is awesome - the wake will clean up with zero ballast as low as 17 mph on both sides. Lower speed than that you can easily clean up the wake on one side. If you are asking about lower speeds for skiing it is ok (better than your SL) but the ski wake does get better the faster you go. It is simple physics here - the faster you are going the higher the boat sits out of the water and the less water it displaces. Over the weekend we released a video comparing a Fi23 to a Nautique GS22 and you can get a much closer look at the ski wake, wakeboard wake and surf wave on the Fi23: http://www.mmwatersports.com/boat-performance/centurion-fi23-vs-nautique-gs22/ In this video, we DID NOT have a transom bag in the Fi23 so the surf wave and wakeboard wake can actually get better than what we show here - even without more people / lead.

The ski wake on the Fi23 should definitely be superior to the SL. I haven't skied behind the SL but Supra wakes are pretty brutal and if the SL is like any others I'm guessing it is pretty bad. Full disclosure the XT22 does probably produce a superior ski wake, but it will be a significant downgrade surfing compared to your SL, where the Fi23 will be an upgrade. If wakeboarding is a factor at all the XT22 will also be a downgrade from your SL where the Fi23 is probably almost a straight trade - both wakeboard great. Skiing is difficult to determine because it is entirely based on what you are used to skiing behind and how you ski (length, speed, aggresiveness, etc.) along with what ski you are on. As far as V-Drive boats go the Fi23 is pretty good overall and quite good if you are skiing recreationally. If you are skiing at tournament level it isn't great, but then again no V-Drive out there is.

Another vote for the Phase 5 Scamp. https://www.boardco.com/phase-5-scamp-wakesurf-board (shameless plug)

It is the same hull as an Avalanche. Great wakeboard wake if you dial it in right and one of the best surf waves for the price you can possibly get. Definitely a solid boat and that price isn't bad at all on it.

Couple things I will throw in here on the Opti-V hull vs. the original Ri hull - this would also include the FS and SV hulls as well: The surf wave is pretty similar, just easier to dial in. The wave is not a big reason to go with the Opti-V hull compared to a 16/17 Ri237. The benefits of the Opti-V hull compared to a 16/17 Ri are the following: Wakeboard wake - if you wakeboard this one is HUUUUGE. The old Ri hull is decent, the Opti-V hull dishes out one of the best wakeboard wakes at any ability level on the planet. Fuel economy - A definite improvement Power - Not a huge impact, but there is a noticeable improvement in hole shot on the Opti-V hull Driveability - The new hull drives and handles significantly better at both higher and lower speeds. Ski Wake - Once again, if you ski, the ski wake is noticeably improved. Things that are just as good on the 16/17 Ri237 compared to the Opti-V Hull: Rough Water Ride Hydrofoiling Tubing Partying Barefooting - both are equally terrible for barefooting Pissing off fishermen

The question of a 2018 Ri237 vs. a 2016-2017 is one we have gotten a fair bit. The 50% improvement in fuel efficiency that the factory is stating I believe is a 2018 Ri237 vs. a 2016 Ri237. In 2017 they changed the shaft angle which improved the fuel efficiency by probably 25% (because of the new propeller options) and then another 25% improvement with Opti-V. If the current Ri237 / Ri257 has Opti-V 2.0 then the Ri217 (all years) is basically Opti-V 1.5. The 217 is more fuel efficient than previous Ri237 hulls though not quite as efficient as the 2018 Opti-V hull on the Ri237 and Ri257. Though we haven't hooked a Diacom up to a 2016 or 2017 Ri237 I can state from personal experience at Surf Events that it is still definitely more fuel efficient than a Nautique G series or Malibu MXZ. When we ran a 2016 Ri237 at the Utah Surf Fest it was the only boat that could get through the whole day on a single tank of fuel and all of the other boats had to refuel about 2/3 through the day despite having a similar size gas tank.

Part 2 of our video series comparing a Centurion Ri25, Nautique G23 and Malibu 24MXZ - this time we hit on fuel economy for wakeboarding, 0-23mph speed when loaded and the difference between a Centurion Ri257 w/ a H6 and a Nautique G23 w/ XR7 when it comes to power. Hope you fellas enjoy! http://www.mmwatersports.com/boat-performance/centurion-vs-malibu-vs-nautique-power-and-performance/

We got a chance to take out a Centurion Ri257, Nautique G23 and Malibu 24MXZ so we decided to hook a diagnostic computer up to them and see how they compare when it comes to fuel consumption. Does the Opti-V hull live up to the hype? http://www.mmwatersports.com/boat-performance/centurion-vs-malibu-vs-nautique-wakesurf-fuel-economy/

I can give some feedback on this: It is a bit harder to keep clean as it shows dirt and such more than grey and quite a bit more than Whiskey Barrel / Toffee. If you keep shoes out of the boat and keep your boat really clean it isn't too bad, but it is harder to maintain than the other colors. That said, it doesn't get hot and it looks really good.

The Fi is impacted less by shallow water than any boats I have ever been in - definitely impacted less than a SV and slightly less than a Ri. If you use Quicksurf that does change things though - a boat that is listed in shallow water will perform better than one using Quicksurf. I am not saying that the FS will surf better than the Ri in shallow water, I am just saying it will be impacted less than a Ri. The Ri still puts out the best wave of any boat I have been on - even in shallow water, but the impact on it is a bit more than what we see on a FS44. I have heard that using a surf system attachment like a Wakesurf Shaper creates a better wave in shallow water, but I haven't tested it personally. Typically these systems don't work nearly as well as Quicksurf on Ri and FS models, but I have heard they make a big difference in shallow water (13 feet and under). It is also important to keep in mind that when it comes to shallow water the changes are exponential, meaning you will notice a much bigger difference between 10 feet and 12 feet vs. 12 feet and 14 feet. The difference between 15 and 20 is barely noticeable where the difference between 9 and 10 is significant.

Any of the Ri series, FS Series, etc. will surf great in over 15 feet and ideally over 20 feet. They will surf decently as low as 10 feet of depth, however you need to slow the boat down. As an example, you can get a respectable surf wave on a Ri257 w/ stock ballast in 10 feet of depth but you are going around 9.8MPH. Typically you would surf on a Ri257 at 11.2mph. At 8 feet the waves become essentially impossible to clean up. Any decrease in depth below 20 feet needs to be met with a decrease in speed. Your wave will be shorter, but you can keep the power and mass.

The surf wave is improved, though not dramatically. The biggest difference is the wave is easier to set up and doesn't require as much tweaking to be absolutely insane. If you are comparing a totally dialed 17 to an 18 you will notice a wave with a bit of an increase in power and length but overall not a huge difference.

Ski Speed - 34 mph Wakeboard Speed - 22.5 mph Surf Speed - 11.0 mph The Fi23 and Ri237 has a clean beginner wakeboard wake at 18mph w/ zero ballast (great shape too!). If you add more ballast you just need to speed up a bit to clean it up but with Ramfill full the wakeboard wake is clean at 20-21mph, maybe slower - I haven't played around with the speed when the boat is loaded up.

We have a demo 2017 Ri217 that is white and silver - new, full warranty. Message me if you are interested in more info, pricing, etc.