Birddog

Now that the S238 has been out for a couple of years I would really like to hear feedback from the owners of the 238 on this site. I'm in the market for a bigger boat and my main focus is Surfing. I want a nice long pocket. I don't mind adding weight in the form of larger bags and or lead. Id really like to avoid having bags in seats etc like I do now with my Sanger. I'm looking at a 2016 S238 possibly an MB B52. Talk to me.

dude, take em off and stow em when under way.

what speed are you guys at?

thanks for this! this site is light on pics and videos, that wake looks big and long! very encouraging. what motor do you have?

thanks for the info, touchscreen is low on my list of needed items. Do you run the surfsystem or listed?

Lake Wa is not the best lake for water-sports generally. especially weekends. I usually put in at Newport yacht basin if im going to do that lake.

oh yeah? would love to get your take on the S238. You trading it in at NWBS?

I hate getting in and out of magnuson on a weekend! serious Charlie Foxtrot.

is that a 238?

that looks like the boat ramp at Magnuson park

you might be the only person I have ever heard say that. The B52 Surf wake by all accounts, is superior especially with the 2018, it surfs amazing right from the factory with literally zero messing around. The fit and finish isn't even close. MB is head and shoulders in terms of interior looks and quality. One visit to the MB boat owners site and you can find tons of pics and videos of amazing MB wakes. On here I haven't seen more than 1 or two that make me think the S238 can hold candle to either the Tomcat or the B52. The things I have observed that I like better on the Supreme are, the interior is deeper, noticeably which is odd because it looks to have significantly less free board than either the tomcat or the B52. The S238 also seems to have more room than the B52. The S238 looks better sitting in the water. I'm not a fan of either dashboard, but I hate the MB less. The S238 looks like someone stuffed some gauges in a nylon backpack and shoved it up against the windshield. My local dealer assures me its a surf monster and I like it enough to demo it before I make a move on my next boat but the marginal interior, the lack of free board and the absence of verifiable big surf waves definitely has me leaning MB... for now.

how much weight are you running? where is it located? your wave looks not only small but appears to have a pretty short pocket

ah you must be in Bend then eh?

XJ, you mentioned some sort of demo program for sufboards? never heard of this. Please elaborate.

I've been shopping for a new MB Tomcat 24 and looking at the S238 as well. I found a new 24 tomcat for $82K, After looking at both boats I would take the MB so far, i will need to surf both before I choose. MB definitely has a much nicer fit and finish. I really don't care for Supreme's squared off interior. The supreme also seems to have significantly less freeboard. The both are good looking boats in the water. Different boats, Once is a mass produced, one is from a manufacturer that makes 300-400 boats a year. I would say that the dealer could make a big difference but both dealers I'm working with have terrible reputations for service.

I learned too late that a 21 foot boat is way too small for my needs, looks nice though. If you want to surf get the biggest boat you can. I wish someone would have talked me into buying a 23 or 24 foot. you will need more weight than 1500 lbs. I have a 21.5 foot boat and run 3800lbs. Why is that tower so far back?

Thanks for sharing your S238 experience. Your issues are symptomatic of mass produced boats IMHO. You get some value from a mass producer in the form of more features but QC almost always suffers. I bought a new Sanger in 2015 and have had some irritating little issues but nothing like what you are experiencing. I want a bigger boat and a bigger wake and have been looking hard at the S238, MB Tomcat/B52 and used Malibu's. Your experience has me a little Leary. Would love to hear from others on the QC of the S238. The dealer I'm talking with swears it throws a massive wake, long with lots of push. One thing I would like to know is how does the boat handle when sacked out? Super piggish and hard to steer? How about Freeboard? this looks like it could be an issue with this boat Oh, one more observation, try the Ronix Koal Powertail. amazing all around board, very forgiving yet performs very well. The Thruster is a much more advanced board and not forgiving, fast as hell though!