2006 Tige's

[johnbandrews]

Wrangler,

We're usually way out on a lake, and the only fuel available is 91, so for us, the octane isn't an issue ... filling 87 gallons obviously is! Our 01 23V only carries 40, and we can go through 3/4 of that in a day which means daily trips to the marina from the houseboat or cove for gas. I'd love that bigger tank.

You make a good point about the walk through ... one of the things I DID like about the Tige was the reversible seat cushions where you had carpet on one side and vinyl on the other ... a nice touch for that one area that everyone always steps on.

And, yes the 24 LSV is more money ... but unfortunately, for us, the 23 LSV isn't in the running.

I'll be interested to hear about your demo ... please keep us posted!

[wrangler]

I will... This is a new experience for us...we are coming from the deck boat world into the tow boat arena...all new for us. We have friends with a Malibu and the husband has lobbied us hard to head that direction...but as I mentioned, so far my wife and kids have really leaned the direction of the Tige... It is interesting, the space in the 24Ve and for that matter, in the 23 Malibu is in many ways more functional and roomier than our 24 foot deck boat. More storage, much better lay-out...more comfortable in that respect... I think no matter where we land, they are both great boats and we'll have a great time boarding and cruising on either one of them...

Sounds like you must go to Mead or Powell from your discussion of a house boat? We spend at least one 4 our 5 day weekend each month during the summer in Havasu and then at least a weekend in may, september and October as well... The new boat will likely convince us to do some more local boarding here in SoCal in the shoulder months as well when the boat and motorhome are home... We have been thinking of giving Mead a try as Havasu gets more and more busy...

[cmb22V]

Originally posted by spenchey2
i want an 06 22v and want a chance to look at and drive one but i suppose there can't be much difference in the wake from 20-22. or is there?

There is a pretty big difference. The 20v has a better wake than the 22. It also drives better than the 22 does. All 3 wakes are different. I am now fully adjusted to the 24 so I prefer it to the 20, but even though I had a 22 for a year, I never liked the wake or how it drove in comparison to the other two boats.

A properly loaded 20v is very X2/Nauti 210 like... and I think the 210 is the best wake in the industry.

[johnbandrews]

Wrangler,

You're right ... we're Lake Mead people. We just can't handle the crowds of most So Cal Lakes, so we make the trek through the desert to find solace.

Whichever boat you decide on, I know that you'll love the experience of a true tow boat ... there's no comparison when pulling bodies on boards, surfboards, tubes, whatever. You'll just have to get used to the fact that they don't turn too well at slow speeds, so be sure to get some tips from your dealer on trailering the boat and manuvering in tight quarters.

I have a demo ride set for Saturday the 22nd in the Malibu. I'll let you know what we think.

[xpjim1]

I had a 20V and now am in a 24V. I liked the wake on the 20V better than the 24V. It was easier to dial in a wake at slower speeds than the 24V. I will be adding weight next year to get our perfect wake. I boat at Havasu every weekend. I upgraded to the 24V due to the chop. We are ussually the 1st boat out saturday and sunday morning so we get a few good hours of boarding in before the tubing begins. The 20V was thrown around too much in the afternoons. The 24V handles that well.

[wrangler]

Originally posted by johnbandrews
Wrangler,

You'll just have to get used to the fact that they don't turn too well at slow speeds, so be sure to get some tips from your dealer on trailering the boat and manuvering in tight quarters.

I have a demo ride set for Saturday the 22nd in the Malibu. I'll let you know what we think.

I have had the good fortune to drag my good friend around in his Malibu so have gained some good experience over the past several years learning some of the "quirks" of a tow boat as opposed to our deck boat. I think the funniest experience was realizing that the boat only "drifts" one direction in reverse...that was a learning experience to be sure!

XPJim...I am sure we have seen you out at Havasu over the last summer... Your boat is sweet looking... On the weekends we get out early and get out of the way of the masses by 10 or so...and back to the Islander where everybody else is out and we have the cove and beach pretty much to ourselves!

We are excited about doing our demos on Friday...should be a good time...

[wrangler]

Head to Head Demo

We had our head to head demo on friday with the Malibu wakesetter 23 VLX and the Tige 24Ve. Both boats are very nice and rank very high for pretty much every catagory. Both drove nice with the 340 horse 5.7 motors and performed amazingly in the turns and starts. Some observations...

The Malibu probably had a slightly better looking wake...just a little larger with all the ballast full and the wedge down. But it was marginal...not a huge difference... The Malibu probably wins by a slight margin on comfort inside the boat. The bottom of the side seat benches are three inches wider which gives you the feel that you can slouch down in the seat a little more without sitting quite so upright. The Tige seats are also considerably harder to start...I know, this is done on purpose so they last longer and don't break down so fast...

On the other hand, the Tige had a better ride in choppy water which we really encountered on our windy friday afternoon ride. The Ve seemed to cut through the chop much better and it wasn't quite as jarring a ride. The place where the Ve clearly shines is storage...storage and more storage! The Malibu looses all the front storage to the ballast tank and one side of the bench seats is cooler so you loose a fair amount there as well.

We really liked the little bench seat on the swim step to put your gear on and store your gloves, soap or whatever in the back compartments. We thought that was a pretty cool innovation. We also liked the room in the Tige... There is much more room side to side and front to back in the bow and the main seating area. My wife and I both sat up in the bow at one point and it was very comfortable...

I would say the Malibu speed control system seems more sophisticated and the LED readout is visible even with polorized glasses on. The Tige LED readouts for water and air temp and whatever else is contained in the small LED readouts is far less readable than in the Malibu.

There was less bow rise in the Tige. More room in the Tige. Better wakeboarding wake and nicer dash/readout/speed control in the Malibu.

The Tige is slightly less money and my wife and kids all seem to be leaning pretty hard core for the Tige. I am still a bit undecided...but in the end know that they are both really nice boats and either way we go will be a good decission with lots of fun and enjoyment ahead.

I will post some pictures tomorrow.

I would be glad to hear any thoughts anybody has... These are both really nice boats with small strengths and weakness differences between them.

Thanks...wrangler

[TeamAllen]

Great report, Wrangler! Thanks for sharing. Was there any ballast in the 24Ve? I would think the wedge is a pain to operate compared to TAPS? How about warranty?

[rushin]

Are the dealers the same distance from you? How are the dealers to deal with? That could help in the decesion also.

[Lucky 275]

Did you notice if one was quieter than the other? Did the Ve have any ballast, as the taps really doesn't give you a bigger wake?

Thanks
Lucky275

[johnbandrews]

Thanks, Wrangler ... a great post with good details. I'll be driving the Wakesetter 247 LSV on the 22nd and will try to do as well with the report back ... buying a boat is always a series of compromises. They each have their own positives and negatives, but as you say, both Tige and Malibu make a very good product.

[wrangler]

Good afternoon all... To answer some of the questions:

The Tige 24Ve did not have any ballast in it. It was only using the TAPS system to produce the difference in wakes at slalom, cruise or wake speeds. The Tige wake was very nice...good shape and substantial.

The Malibu is quieter by a pretty good factor. You could still talk in the Tige...not something we are used to...but the Malibu with their "silent drive" system was clearly a little quieter. Here again, it wasn't like night and day...

The Tige dealer is about 35 miles closer to us than the Malibu. This is factoring into the decission substantially. When I need to take it in for service etc...it won't be a 90 minute plus ride just to take the boat in.

The wedge that was on the demo boat was the power wedge...so it's a little like having TAPS in terms of ease of use. The difference is that it's an additional 1800 or so to get the power wedge over the manual wedge. I didn't price it out with that option...just a manual wedge on the Malibu.

In terms of warranty, both are pretty much a three year stem to stern everything is included warranty. The Tige of course has the lifetime hull warranty as well.

I will attach some pictures in the following posts... Thanks...wrangler

[wrangler]

Pictures of the Tige just unwrapped that morning...

[wrangler]

Another view... Hmmmm...who is that with the cowboy hat shadow!

[Wake Havasu]

To me rough water handling is paramount and after a lot of research lead me to go with a Tige.

I boat in Parker, Havi, Meade and Powell.

I will give up the LEDs legibility with sun glasses, and a litlle wake ( although highly subjective) on to be safer.

I pulled the trigger on a 24ve at the Boat Show in Long Beach thru Tige Water Sports Corona.

If I have problems I'll get even with you all!

LOL!