2013 Z1 information.

[Kidder22]

Hey forum members.

Looking at a 13 Z1, but I am unaware of the pros and cons of the boat. Can anyone out there give me some information on it. A few specs.

Vx hull extension
450 engine
271 hours.
Fully loaded

Any insight is appreciated.

Richard.


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[D&P Powell]

Welcome to the site. We owned a 2014 Z1 for a few years, so I can provide some information to include the pros and cons. Before I begin, I will say we loved the boat when we had it. We have since upgraded twice, staying in Tige boats both times.

Pros;

• The VX Hull extension only existed for a couple of years before Tige switched to the TAPS3 plates. It produced a nice wave when used correctly. I believe many gave up too early on it and remove it before really getting everything out of it.
• It's a solid boat for the size. We went from a Tige 22i to the Tige Z1. There was very little difference in seating capacity.
• It will produce a SOLID surf wake with some upgrades. Specifically, recommend at least 800 pounds of lead and upgraded ballast bags in the lockers (see Mikes Liguid Audio, or CHPTHRIL on here for the upgraded ballast bags, Lead Wake for the lead). You will probably need to upgrade props if you go that direction as well.
• Good (not great) boat to ski and wakeboard behind.
• The 21' size fits nicely with the trailer tongue folded in most regular size garages

Cons;

• Although the VX was great at the time, most people who have had them removed them and upgraded to TAPS3 plates or better yet, Go Surf Assist (GSA tabs). Some in here still swear by the VX, but I am a firm believer that if they were truly great, Tige wouldn't have stopped producing them.
• The biggest con from my perspective is it's sensitivity to weight distribution in the boat. You will need to constantly move people around to level it out, or add ballast in areas. It was not the main reason we upgraded, but it did contribute.
• Depending on how many people you have in the boat on a regular basis, it can get cramped very quickly. We were comfortable with 6 adults and 2 kids, more than that and it gets tight.

271 Hours is very reasonable in my opinion for that year. "Fully loaded" is a subjective term in my opinion. It's usually used in boat advertising, but rarely true (my experience). For example, does it have a Fresh Air Exhaust (FAE), tinted windows, 4 tower speakers, upgraded amps and subs, clamp racks (probably not), surf bimini (probably not)? I am not saying the seller is lying or misinformed, just saying it's a subjective, often stretched term when it comes to used boats. A couple of other things to look for, other than a lake test to make sure everything is running smooth... look for any cracks in the tower. They have been known to fail on a few older Tige boats. Look for any bubbles in the screen when it's on, and play with it. The technology has come a long way since 2013. Those screens are not cheap to replace. The steering (when in the water) should be easy to turn in both directions with 1 finger. Ask for maintenance records.

If the price is right, and you are willing to absorb some of the future inevitable expenses to get the boat where you want it... it's a good boat. Hope this helps.

[brentc]

Just wrapping up the 2nd season in my '13 Z1 - similar number of hours as the one you listed but with the PCM EX343 engine. I agree with what D&P said above and really like the boat overall. I've had no major issues other than ballast bag leaks and am starting to see some vinyl issues (which I understand is a common issue with this generation). I wanted upgraded ballast bags in the back anyway and will second the chpthril recommendation. I still use the Vx extension along with a wake shaper (aka no more listing) and am happy with the wave on both regular and goofy sides. We rarely have more than 6 on board at any time so space is not a concern. I agree that the boat likes bow weight, but I haven't felt the need for a prop upgrade at this point. That might change if I added lead. My Tige Touch panel still looks and functions well, but I know that is a $2k replacement should it fail. Any specific questions feel free to PM me.

[sandm]

have had a '12 22ve and a '14 z3 that share a lot of common components but not the z1 model. d&p hit the nail on the head but here's my .02 fwiw....

-tower is one of the best looking out there imo but if it cracks you are looking at a different replacement. Justin stated parts are almost impossible to find anymore. once the paint/powdercoat starts coming off it'll continue to chip and peel. we tried touchup paint on the z3 to no avail. our 22ve had black and it looked good when we sold. z3 was white and showed every chip.
-tigetouch. our 12 worked flawlessly to the day we sold in 17. the z3 had bubbles in '18 when we bought it and it started to have issues. brent is right at about 2k to replace. we sold the boat rather than replace.
-we liked the wave listed with the convex vx. we didn't really play around with a suckgate long enough before selling the z3 but I think we would have eventually just settled on listing. it's easier. convex vx does mean you can't remove the platform easily for garage fitting. it takes wrenches, 30 minutes and 2 to remove it. had we kept the z3 I wanted to do gsa and ditch the vx.
-pcm 343 in the 22ve was quite a bit quieter than the indmar in the z3. it was noticeable. pcm is the quietest engine we have owned in 4 boats. I believe this is the vdrive, not the engine noise. but either way indmar engines seem louder than pcm. all subjective.
-d&p is spot on with how touchy the wakes are from side to side especially boarding. we only surf but the few times I had a boarder behind we had to adjust people regularly. surfing if you list isn't as weight sensitive.
our '12 never spent a day in the shop. was bulletproof to the day we sold it and only warranty issue were the graphics on the side coming off in the 3rd month. z3 had a few issues but I believe they were due to the prior owners neglect as it was a party cove boat. I'd have no issues with a 250hr boat from tige IF doing an inspection.

we are in our 3rd tige now(2020 r23) and love the brand. '13 z1 would be a good boat to own.....

[bsreid]

A z1 with the 450 will be an absolute beast and that is pretty low hours for a 13. Overall the z1 is a great boat to get into for surfing, just keep in mind you might want to swap out the ballast bags for larger ones and change out the vx.
The one thing I would be cautious about is the condition of the vinyl, the 13s were known to have issues with cracking and seams coming apart.

[Kidder22]

Thank you everyone for your insight. Amazing stuff. I will be looking into it a bit more, but with all this great information I will be looking at it with a fine tooth comb.

Awesome stuff guys. Thanks again

Richard.


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