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F24 V’s B52 Alpha: debate and build recommendations


jcole21

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Evening all!

im looking at ordering a ‘22. First up is 24 vs 23. I might not have a choice, wifey wants the bigger seats in the back, but assuming I do, here’s the things I’m considering  all black with gold on most of the powder coat, and will black out the rub rail as well. Mocha and brown with black accents interior, diamond gator step  

1) about a 40k delta between the two. I like the bigger motor and increased size / storage on the 24. any comment on the motor (sound / decibels / pickup of the 400 23 vs 575 24), and storage between the two?

2) I generally hear the surf wave of the 23 is superior - is that something newer surfers would notice, or more advanced levels that matters? We’re newer to surfing, but getting into it and excited for a surf system. Need to maintain a rookie friendly wake. 

3) surf racks - I like the aesthetics and function of the skylok racks, but am debating there. I could stick with the basics almost, we don’t generally have more than 2 boards and could go into the Bimini to store a couple. 

4) how’d you guys size up audio? I’m leaning 4 towers, 8.8’s, but saving the sub money and getting another sub installed and having the system tuned up post delivery. Does the 12 considerably juice the bump?

5) any must haves or trailer considerations / general things you wish you did or didn’t do?

6) debating a little gold paint finish vs all black  probably go all black on the body, except maybe the swim platform  

 

attached the skittles joint my kid did and the one I’m looking at. 

E535DE8F-5314-4CBC-9204-B77BFC0D8C3E.png

537202E1-3259-432E-8581-1272211D6487.png

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22 hours ago, jcole21 said:

Evening all!

im looking at ordering a ‘22. First up is 24 vs 23. I might not have a choice, wifey wants the bigger seats in the back, but assuming I do, here’s the things I’m considering  all black with gold on most of the powder coat, and will black out the rub rail as well. Mocha and brown with black accents interior, diamond gator step  

1) about a 40k delta between the two. I like the bigger motor and increased size / storage on the 24. any comment on the motor (sound / decibels / pickup of the 400 23 vs 575 24), and storage between the two?

2) I generally hear the surf wave of the 23 is superior - is that something newer surfers would notice, or more advanced levels that matters? We’re newer to surfing, but getting into it and excited for a surf system. Need to maintain a rookie friendly wake. 

3) surf racks - I like the aesthetics and function of the skylok racks, but am debating there. I could stick with the basics almost, we don’t generally have more than 2 boards and could go into the Bimini to store a couple. 

4) how’d you guys size up audio? I’m leaning 4 towers, 8.8’s, but saving the sub money and getting another sub installed and having the system tuned up post delivery. Does the 12 considerably juice the bump?

5) any must haves or trailer considerations / general things you wish you did or didn’t do?

6) debating a little gold paint finish vs all black  probably go all black on the body, except maybe the swim platform  

 

attached the skittles joint my kid did and the one I’m looking at. 

E535DE8F-5314-4CBC-9204-B77BFC0D8C3E.png

537202E1-3259-432E-8581-1272211D6487.png

First up - the 23 has a world class surf wave, and the 24 will surf very well.

You have to decide how you will use your boat - cruising with occasional surf, or all in watersports. 

The 24 with the big prop and grunt will cruise at lower RPM making it quieter, it'll be faster and obviously have more room.

The 23 is a surf machine. Period. You should definitely consider it if you plan on doing it a lot. With surfing, (I'm simplifying greatly) the larger the wave, the more push it has, therefore easier for beginners, and more fun for advanced riders.

Racks, skylock are awesome, especially if you are not hanging over people trying to strap boards. Money well spent in my opinion.

Stereo- we have the 4 towers with standard subwoofer. System is extremely loud. Except for the base ... I don't know how much better is the upgrade but for $1800 you can install a helluva second unit. I would go that route. 

Trailer - the base trailer is all you need. Most options will be simple bling.

Colors - both all black and black with gold look awesome in my opinion. 

Anyway,  here's my 20 cents :-). Let us know what you end up with 

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Wait for the 25’ It will essentially be a stretched b52

 

The 24’ seems to end up pre owned back in the showroom after a few months for a reason.  I’m an MB “fanboy”, but the 24’ has just been disappointing for many (although for a cruiser with ramp presence its awesome). 

 

They are both pretty boats, but they are essentially “surf boats”, and one doesn’t surf well (although it has an amazing wakeboard wave) and one has one of the best waves in the industry at any price point. 

If surf wave was not important to you, I’d probably be looking at some premium stern drive models like Chap or Cobalt. 

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Also….

 

I’m a bit “economically challenged” and I really debated the Skylocks since they were not a “need”. 

Get them. You don’t want a 120-150k boat with bungees, powder coat them and people with 300K Paragons will be jealous. They allow even the smallest of kids to easily access ands secure boards, which would be relegated to dad duty otherwise. Plus, they have vest holders, flag holders, and a locking mechanism to secure your boards short term if you need to leave your boat slipped for a bit.

 

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Good looking out, gents. Appreciate the perspective. Anybody know when the 25’ is coming? That would be my preferred option, and I’m not looking to take delivery until q2 anyways (dealer said they’re running 3-4 months out from order to delivery). 
 

skylocks 💯

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I'm thinking rather than hearing from the natty crowd who "seems" to know everything about the 24's (see a couple of the pontifications above), you'd like to hear from an actual F24 Alpha owner.  PM me, and I can give you the full skinny. 

But in short, we actual owners have spent the time to dial in the surf wave on the F24, and while it's not quite as easy to produce the same wave as is the 23', once you get it figured out it produces a mountain of water for a wave.  You surf a little faster than the other models, but there's plenty of push, and if you're looking for a lip to play on the top of the crest, it will shock you how tall the wave can be.  Don't want it that tall, simply drain back to in floor ballast only, and off you go!

The 575 is as absolute beast which will put you on plane nearly as soon as you hammer down. 

The storage is big enough to nearly store a full B52 in the rear lockers.  I'm still shocked at how big that boat really is.

As for the rest of your thoughts, pick what works for you, and you won't go wrong.

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44 minutes ago, ProvoMB52 said:

I'm thinking rather than hearing from the natty crowd who "seems" to know everything about the 24's (see a couple of the pontifications above), you'd like to hear from an actual F24 Alpha owner.  PM me, and I can give you the full skinny. 

But in short, we actual owners have spent the time to dial in the surf wave on the F24, and while it's not quite as easy to produce the same wave as is the 23', once you get it figured out it produces a mountain of water for a wave.  You surf a little faster than the other models, but there's plenty of push, and if you're looking for a lip to play on the top of the crest, it will shock you how tall the wave can be.  Don't want it that tall, simply drain back to in floor ballast only, and off you go!

The 575 is as absolute beast which will put you on plane nearly as soon as you hammer down. 

The storage is big enough to nearly store a full B52 in the rear lockers.  I'm still shocked at how big that boat really is.

As for the rest of your thoughts, pick what works for you, and you won't go wrong.

Great post. I’m sorry for being one of the natty crowd. I fully admit that everything I hear about the 24’ is here say. The only thing is what I have heard comes from people who know MB in general very well. Great to know that with a little work, you can dial in a great wave. 
 

One thing I will say is that it has a commanding presence similar to what a 250k competitor boat has. 
 

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Hold up - is the natty crowd the crowd that drinks natural light? If so, 23, 24, 25, or pavati- I’m still gonna be in the natty crowd at core 😉
 

Thanks Provo and crew, again. Aesthetically, I’m partial to the traditional bow (doesn’t take away from how gorgeous the 24 is - just what my eyes slightly more attracted to generally).  Going to see one in person - I’ve seen a few on the lake and they’re absolutely stunning / gorgeous. 
 

Add a wall of water, the storage (local sales guy said the 24 is like 3x the 23 storage space in his assessment), plus a 25’ slip… and here I come Provo…

5199A776-504E-4FA9-B557-A43ECCC118E4.png

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Seeing an F24 Alpha in person, and absolutely taking it out for a test ride, will be the best option for your research. 

You can read about it, and hear about it, but until you actually see the size, the storage, and experience the wakeboard wake, and the surf wave, you won't appreciate what that boat is about.

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