astan Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 I realize that I am posting on a MB Sports forum and I understand that some of the answers might be a little biased... But I really need some advice. Looking to buy a 2018 Boat. $80k~ Budget My time on water = 70% wake surfing 20% relaxing 10% wakeboarding/ tubing etc.. I want a 22 foot or larger. I hear 21 foot boats tend to have a little more difficulty with wake surfing / water displacement. I have looked at every option out there and I have talked to several dealers. I have a fantastic Malibu, Supreme, Centurion and MB Sports dealer right in my area. So these brands appeal to me a little more.. I want a good out of the box wake surfing boat. I don’t want to add ballasts (like I did with my previous boats) or heavily modify my boat. I am spending a ton of money and I want for it to be right from the start. Any opinions out there on what I should look at? I am highly considering a Tomcat F22 (due to price, looks and being a local west coast company) but the other day I went and looked at a Malibu NXT22 which also looked great! The dealer told me that It would be just a matter of time before I upgraded to a Malibu... and that I would “like” my MB but not “Love” it. (I know they were trying to sell a boat but maybe they were right?) I have watched countless videos on performance and quality. I just want real owner experience. Is MB the way to go?? Please help!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ship Faced Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 I think you meant Mastercraft NXT22? For your dollar, you'll be hard pressed to beat MB. Their interior fit and finish runs with the big 3, IMO. If surfing is the majority of what you do, look at the B52. I've got an F22 and added bags in the lockers and lead in the nose to get it to hang with the new B52 off the showroom floor; its still got me beat. We did a surf clinic this summer on one and it was damn impressive. I haven't wakeboarded behind a B52, but the F22 has one of the best wakeboard wakes shy of an XStar at twice the price, IMO. Showroom stock '18 B52. F22 - Different Angle, Sorry. charvey629 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalamazoo Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 I think you meant Mastercraft NXT22? For your dollar, you'll be hard pressed to beat MB. Their interior fit and finish runs with the big 3, IMO. If surfing is the majority of what you do, look at the B52. I've got an F22 and added bags in the lockers and lead in the nose to get it to hang with the new B52 off the showroom floor; its still got me beat. We did a surf clinic this summer on one and it was damn impressive. I haven't wakeboarded behind a B52, but the F22 has one of the best wakeboard wakes shy of an XStar at twice the price, IMO. Showroom stock '18 B52. 20170817_154749.jpg F22 - Different Angle, Sorry. 20160720_190505.jpg +1 as a current F22 owner. I added bags and GSA to my '15. Wakeboard wake is great, especially at slower speeds (18.5). surf wave is really, really good but not as good as the new 23 stock wave...which I have ordered. As for features, fit and finish...it depends on what you want. For me, I don't want touchscreen tech laden dashboards. Simple works for me, and especially for this price point. Sure, Malibu, Nautique and MC make some beautiful boats but not sure I'd get 40% more enjoyment for the 40% premium in price. charvey629 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeTJ Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 All I can tell you is this - I have a 16 F22 and absolutely love it. Surf, wakeboard, tube, cruise, chill - boat does it all and does it all well. Mine has 1100 lb PNP bags in the rear lockers and I keep 250 in lead in the nose and supplement that with either buddy ballast or a 650 bow bag I keep handy. Wave is truly great! I've never been on a new B52 but I'm sure it is amazing based on all the posts. Malibus are very nice boats - a good friend of mine has a 17 LSV 23 - but for me I'm just as happy with my F22. The Bu has a bunch of cool tech stuff, but that's not really my bag. If you are into that, though, then you'll probably prefer something other than an MB. After 2 seasons I have never once had the "I wish I would have bought something else" feeling. Kalamazoo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turps73 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 i have 17 b52 and love it. cant beat it for the price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodiestcadaver Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 I just picked up a 17 b52, since its end of season I was only able to put a few hours on it. I can't vouch for the waves because my wave making skills are not good., but I can say I looked at a few different brands in the same or less price range( Malibu was way too much for me) and the quality of the boat and feel was a lot better in the MB, which Is what made my decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbag Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Same situation as you and my research led me to MB, but the analog gauges in the MB were a bonus to me. . I don’t see people mention that MB doesn’t use a chopper gun. Much better strength to weight and glass/resin ratio with fiberglass fabrics. astan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astan Posted October 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Thank you all. @Ship Faced: Yes I meant Mastercraft NXT22! I guess my biggest fear is that I will buy an MB (for example) and then I will have to modify it and add ballasts etc to get it to a wake surf size I enjoy... VS me just paying a little more now and not having to do anything to the boat. IMO If I am going to pay $80k~ for a boat, I want to make sure that it does what I want. @OrangeTJ: Do you feel like if you don’t add the ballast to the front you won’t get a surfable wake? And yes I agree with you. MB has a very solid and simple interior. I like that too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeTJ Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Absolutely surfable. I have only recently been adding bow weight and mainly just to fine tune the wave. With the hard tank and PNP ballast the boat came with, it still made a massive and powerful wave. Adding weight up front just makes it even longer and let's the engine run a bit lower RPM due to less bow rise. My boat's wave compares favorably to any other boat I have surfed, including a new Malibu 23 LSV, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeTJ Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Some wave pics for reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake (((O))) Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 Is there a boat out there that comes from the factory with ballast maximized for surfing? I don't know of any. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake (((O))) Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 I've also heard a 21' boat is not ideal for surfing due to being so small. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birddog7.62 Posted October 20, 2017 Report Share Posted October 20, 2017 I will say from experience get the biggest boat you can afford. the bigger hole you can make in the water the better surf wave its going to make. I only have 2 problems with the MB B52 23 so far. Support after the sale and I don't think the 23 is big enough. All I care about is surfing. I guarantee I'll be loading down whatever I buy with more ballast than stock as a lot of times my surf crews are only 3 guys, getting in a few sessions after work and i'm going to want to simulate a boat with 5-7 people in it. than means more bags on seats, in the companion-way etc. You need room for all that shit if you want to throw a giant wake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeTJ Posted October 21, 2017 Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 Factory ballast is 5,000+ pounds. How much do you think you need? At a certain point, bigger boats require more ballast to make a big wave, as they have more surface area that has to be sunk in order to dig a big hole. In my case, if I have more than a few people onboard, I almost never elect to fill all the ballast. More often than not, I'm running the 2800 lb hard tanks full and the PNP maybe half full (so 550 a side) + the lead I have in the nose. If we are light on people, I might run the PNP 3/4 full and put a few hundred more pounds into the bow. Jake (((O))) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbalsiger Posted October 21, 2017 Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 Thank you all. @Ship Faced: Yes I meant Mastercraft NXT22! I guess my biggest fear is that I will buy an MB (for example) and then I will have to modify it and add ballasts etc to get it to a wake surf size I enjoy... VS me just paying a little more now and not having to do anything to the boat. IMO If I am going to pay $80k~ for a boat, I want to make sure that it does what I want. @OrangeTJ: Do you feel like if you don’t add the ballast to the front you won’t get a surfable wake? And yes I agree with you. MB has a very solid and simple interior. I like that too... Pat and Bryan at NW Boat Sports will take WAAAAAAY better care of you than Stancraft, plus they know their stuff when it comes to these boats. I have a '14 B52 23 WB with one of the best surf and wb wakes out there and when I demoed an '18 B52 it convinced me that the new B52 wave is superior to mine. Just call Pat and do the deal, you will not be disappointed! BTW I live here in PDX as well and we surf year round so let me know if you ever want to go out. Birddog7.62 and Jake (((O))) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake (((O))) Posted October 21, 2017 Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 They'll sell a boat with dialed pumps and ballast for a killer deal! Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astan Posted October 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 Some wave pics for reference. Thank you OrangeTJ! That gives me hope! I appreciate the feedback and pictures! Is there a boat out there that comes from the factory with ballast maximized for surfing? I don't know of any. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk I think you are right. The more and more I read, I am finding out that any boat will need extra ballasts depending on how big you want your wake to be.. Pat and Bryan at NW Boat Sports will take WAAAAAAY better care of you than Stancraft, plus they know their stuff when it comes to these boats. I have a '14 B52 23 WB with one of the best surf and wb wakes out there and when I demoed an '18 B52 it convinced me that the new B52 wave is superior to mine. Just call Pat and do the deal, you will not be disappointed! BTW I live here in PDX as well and we surf year round so let me know if you ever want to go out. Yeah NWBS are good guys, they just took over MB so I hope they do it justice I would love to join you @mblsiger that sounds awesome! Message me if you go out anytime soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astan Posted October 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 I guess the reason for this post was mainly to get advice on what boat I should lean toward. I am finding out that MB Sports makes a quality boats with good to excellent wakes and very little marketing or sponsorship's and average warranty support. Also they offer excellent prices! Mastercraft has a good name, good re-sell value, excellent wakes, excellent warranty but sub-par build quality (as least on their "value" boats). They are higher priced even for the "value" line. Supreme is a decent build, decent wakes (you have to add quite a bit of ballasts to get it to a excellent wake), good warranty (because they are owned by a larger company) and serious marketing. Similarly priced to MB. Centurion is a good company all around but their boats are expensive (at least the ones that throw serious wakes) so therefore they are out of my search. Anything I am missing?? I am going to make a decision within the next few days. Want to order one already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrettLee3232 Posted October 21, 2017 Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 I guess the reason for this post was mainly to get advice on what boat I should lean toward. I am finding out that MB Sports makes a quality boats with good to excellent wakes and very little marketing or sponsorship's and average warranty support. Also they offer excellent prices! Mastercraft has a good name, good re-sell value, excellent wakes, excellent warranty but sub-par build quality (as least on their "value" boats). They are higher priced even for the "value" line. Supreme is a decent build, decent wakes (you have to add quite a bit of ballasts to get it to a excellent wake), good warranty (because they are owned by a larger company) and serious marketing. Similarly priced to MB. Centurion is a good company all around but their boats are expensive (at least the ones that throw serious wakes) so therefore they are out of my search. Anything I am missing?? I am going to make a decision within the next few days. Want to order one already! Test drive the Tomcat & new B52. I would never buy a budget Mastercraft. Sat in one at the boat show. It was horrible, wife wouldn’t even sit in it cause it was so ugly. Reminded her of an Axis with better vinyl lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk oldsmobiledriver 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dehauls45 Posted October 21, 2017 Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 Obviously the B52 23 is the best out of the box. If cost is an issue and you can do a 21 the B52 21 throws a nice wave also for a smaller boat. Still holds a large crew and with the factory installed PNP and GSA it’s hard to beat for a smaller package. Should be able to get one for under 80K without an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birddog7.62 Posted October 21, 2017 Report Share Posted October 21, 2017 Factory ballast is 5,000+ pounds. How much do you think you need? At a certain point, bigger boats require more ballast to make a big wave, as they have more surface area that has to be sunk in order to dig a big hole. In my case, if I have more than a few people onboard, I almost never elect to fill all the ballast. More often than not, I'm running the 2800 lb hard tanks full and the PNP maybe half full (so 550 a side) + the lead I have in the nose. If we are light on people, I might run the PNP 3/4 full and put a few hundred more pounds into the bow. dude I rock almost 5000 lbs in 21.5 sanger with half the freeboard of a MB. Id like to see what 2018 B52 wake looks like with about 7 or 8K of ballast oldsmobiledriver 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Donfather Posted October 22, 2017 Report Share Posted October 22, 2017 I have a 2018 23wb. Just full and go. It throws a great surf wave with one person in the boat. I had a few pro level wakeboarders out a few weeks ago. Fill main tanks and nose ballast and you get sent to the moon. I like the simplicity of switches. All the high tech Malibu stuff scares me in the long run. Also you won't have to train someone to drive your boat in an MB just sit and go. If you have any questions about the new 23 just hit me up. I will answer all your questions. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Birddog7.62 and meetloaf13 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birddog7.62 Posted October 26, 2017 Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 I see the WB designation. do all the 23s not have the same beam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slavoise Posted October 26, 2017 Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 I have a 16 B52 23' that is pretty damn dialed in... If I was looking to buy another boat (under 80K), I would go with a 2018 B52 without even questioning it... This is coming from the #1 douche bag on this forum. Every other post of mine is about going out and selling Tiffany and buying a new G23. MB for that price point all day! mxvet and Hondatech117 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racer808 Posted October 26, 2017 Report Share Posted October 26, 2017 I have a 16 B52 23' that is pretty damn dialed in... If I was looking to buy another boat (under 80K), I would go with a 2018 B52 without even questioning it... This is coming from the #1 douche bag on this forum. Every other post of mine is about going out and selling Tiffany and buying a new G23. MB for that price point all day! You can get a 18 B52 under 80K? I'm over 100k optioned out on their builder pager. onequicktang and oldsmobiledriver 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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