SoundEncounters

Left FineLine for a couple years and decided to make a return as I have 2 of the best dealers in the country within a few hours drive (Fresno and Clearlake) and now thinking I will invest in what is likely going to be a new Ri series. Looking for a couple recommendations from the guys who own or have ridden both... Is the Ri257 wave that much better? There is a hefty increase from a 237 to the 257 and while I love the extra 2' of space it is not required and there is a couple things I like better about the 237 then the 257 like the rear lockers being notched to fit surf boards in the back sides and the cushioned side panel behind the captains chair. But the drop in ice chest in the 257 is sweet! Would others agree the Ri237 is better bang for the buck over the Fi25? They are almost identical priced but I like the cleaner fit and finish, grab handles, deeper hull and rear facing flip up seat the Ri has but that bigger boat and better graphic choices outside for the Fi is making that hard to decide. Is CATS worth the investment? My local dealer says not needed any more and he never uses them, but I was thinking of adding for resale value later as that is a feature I feel future buyers may want if looking at Centurion. In the 257 are you actually able to store surf boards in that rear transom locker without the plug-n-play bag in there? Any other educated opinions on the 237 vs 257 or Fi25 are appreciated! Thanks in advance for the help.

I have spent a fair amount of time on my buddies Fi23 and it is a nice boat, but feels too small coming from my last boat so I definitely want to size up. The Ri237 feels a "bit" bigger inside but I think more so just laid out better maybe? That deep hull might give that illusion I don't know. But the wave is sweet for sure, and wake board wake was easy to dial in. I got to go out on the Fi21 from Watersports Marine in Fresno, CA last week and it was impressive! That little boat had such a wave! Obviously too small for me but I was shocked at how clean a small boat's wave can be. When the Fi25 dropped I decided at that moment to sell my boat and I wanted one. But after spending some time climbing back and forth between the Fi25 and Ri237 at the dealer I really liked the feel of the Ri better. And that day said no way I can do the 257 because of the added expense. I have to wait a few weeks to order, which has since given me time to really contemplate the 257 and lean more and more towards that. I joined the Facebook group and asked getting same answer over and over the 257 was the way to go. The financial difference HURTS compared to other brands for the extra 2' but man its such a monster boat. I will demo an Ri237 before I buy, but I already know it's impressive. Would love to try the Fi25 and 257 before committing so I can really feel out the difference but I wouldn't want to put a dealer through that kind of torture.

Thanks for the input guys! I will order CATS with whatever model I finally decide on.

The new ZS232 should be intresting. Theres a couple pics floating around social media, surprised Supreme didn't do a bigger unveiling with a live video and etc. like they did for the Fi. Heard good things for an "affordable" 23' boat with 4400lb ballast, was told similar free-board as an Ri237 and has the Opti hull. It is great to see all these guys like Moomba and such stepping their game up at that sub $100k price point.

First off I apologize as I know this has been "touched" on previously. But after reading lots of forums I don't have a solid answer I suppose. I am looking for input from anyone who has owned or ridden both the 238 and 226 weighted properly for surfing (regular side if that matters). I have been told by dealers and reps that the 226 is the "go to" for the nice wave. Decent when using quick surf, better yet when listed. Tried and proven as being a great surf boat. I did have an opportunity to ride behind one that had all factory options full plus 1200 lbs center on seat and rear floor, wave was decent (I'd want more as my old v232 with my advanced ghetto gate and lots of weight was better) but seemed like a great platform to build off with the right sacs and etc. My question is I like the extra room of the 238 a lot. As well as some of the minor differences in the interior and gelcoat design. But I wanna make sure that with the extra weight the 238 can do what everyone tells me the 226 can do? And how much extra weight? Will it surf decent without listing and using the quick surf like the 226 for those goofy footers on the boat? The extra room is GREAT, but the surf wave potential is the most important for me as that's all we do with ours. Thanks in advance for any shared knowledge

Do you guys experience the porpoising in the 238? That was annoying with the way they had weight placement in the 226 I ran, about 25 mph it would start porpoising. They only had rear weight though, no bow so bow.

Thank you for info and link H20. Yah I have a 23' now and have needed the room, just a couple weeks ago there was 9 adults and 2 kids and we never felt on top of each other. The 226 isn't much shorter but even an extra 12" feels like a lot. I felt out an A24 today, allllll that room sure was nice! This weekend hopefully going to check out Moomba and couple others in this "entry" price point.

Thanks H20. Are you using up all that extra under seat you gain on the 238 with ballast to sink it? May sound dumb but the lack of ice chest in a 238 kills me, what are you using for a cooler?