Tiges In Rough Water

[Tigebert]

We are considering a family multi-sport boat (wake,surf,ski) and I was thinking of a 2003 21i b/c the hull was redesigned and the bow rides higher. What are the older Tiges like in rough water? The lake we boat on is large and can get quite rough on occasion. I don't want to be caught out with the kids if the bow is going to be going under. Are the pre 2003 Tiges safe in rough water? The deals on those seem to be so much better. We just want a good boat to do all 3 sports with, we're not experts on any but want to be able to do all with the family.

Help is appreciated.

Thank you.

[giers]

I have a 2002 20i and we boat on a open river, where the winds can change or come up with out notice. I have been in 4-6 foot swells and have not taken on much water. In fact I have taken on more water accidently submarining the nose of the boat.

Others will weigh in but I have not found it to be an issue yet for me.

[laserfish]

Have the 21v and it handles rough water better than any boat I have ever owned. Better than any comprable MC or Malibu I have been in.

[somebodyelse5]

We are considering a family multi-sport boat (wake,surf,ski) and I was thinking of a 2003 21i b/c the hull was redesigned and the bow rides higher. What are the older Tiges like in rough water? The lake we boat on is large and can get quite rough on occasion. I don't want to be caught out with the kids if the bow is going to be going under. Are the pre 2003 Tiges safe in rough water? The deals on those seem to be so much better. We just want a good boat to do all 3 sports with, we're not experts on any but want to be able to do all with the family.

Help is appreciated.

Thank you.

most of handling the rough water will come down to how close your watching whats going on around you and your ability to get the nose up, keep the nose up, and run the correct diriction into the water. if your going to be in rough water i would definitely add 2 more high gph bilge pumps to help get rid of the water.

[whitlock87]

We boat at Lake Mojave a lot.
Most of the time the swells only get up to 10”. At that height, I just drive through them at about 30.
One day they got to be about 20”. If I stopped, they came over the bow. I drove at about 15mph with taps at 6 and had no issue except some spray on the windshield. (Next time I am going to wait it out in a cove )

[Oklahoma Breakdown]

We have a 99 21i and absolutely love it. Handles great, and looks good too. That being said I do not think it is a boat for the faint of heart when it comes to swells. Not that it is a huge deal but it is not a boat you run carelessly through rough water at slow speeds.
We have taken water over the bow several times throughout the 4 yrs of owning it. Honestly it looks more dramatic than it really is. I have never felt like we were going to be in any kind of trouble but it can set your passengers on edge if they have never seeen a wave break over your bow.

We now run with a lot of ballast in the back and have no problems whatsoever. Just sack it out 60/40 rear to front and go have fun

[NICKYPOO]

I've had mine out on Almanor on a few really bad days, Pyramid on a few really bad afternoons (the same lake that ate Rushin's boat) and Tahoe on 4th of July. The 4th on Tahoe is always a bad day for water conditions. 12" slop chop everywhere which ends up combining into 2' rogue chop which has no direction, no warning. It'll just jump up (or down) right in front of you. It can really test your skills behind the wheel. That being said, I've never been worried about the boat. Now, I don't go out and try and go as fast as I can through it, I just cruise around the 10-15mph range and just roll with it. I've been in a few boats of my boats vintage (22' Bu, two 21' Nautweeks and a 21' Elan) and none of them have ever come close to riding as well as my Tige. Even though it's a flat bottom, the old Tiges are built REALLY strong. The old wood stringers have great vibration absorbtion and the sheer weight and stoutness of the hulls make a huge difference compared to other makes. Don't be scared. If your looking for a boat that will perform better than the rest in the worst of conditions, you're looking for a Tige, even and older one.

[Ewok]

My boat is newer but it handles rough water better than the other wake boats i test drove. I came from an I/O with a modified deep v hull. I have to go a little slower but I just cruised about 12-14 mph and the ride was pretty smooth. The best thing about tiges is the taps plate and being able to adjust your bow up and down like trim on an I/O.

[KonaKing]

My 04 22v handles the rough water very well and x2 on the taps. It has saved my butt before in the huge chop. All in all the best inboard I have been in on rough water. Cant speak for the Tige I drives though.