what to buy,,,z1 or z3

[braydenp]

hello,
I'm new to this site and joined just to get opinions on which model of tige to buy.....I've been surfing for a while using a moomba lsv that I have just sold...when i was on holidays i rode behind my brother in laws 2013 z3 and fell in love! I have been trying to sell my boat ever since. now the question is...
1) can you get just as good of a wave out of the Z1 with the vx..as the z3....is it underpowered with the 343 as I am assuming i will upgrade from the pro ballast?
2) is the z3 underpowered with the 343...and can you upgrade from the 1600lbs surf ballast easily?

I couldn't believe that we surfed all day on my brothers z3 with a 409...and the fuel gauge hardly moved from the full mark...

sorry, another question ... if i build a boat through my dealer can a still haggle price?

thanks
wes

[boardman74]

1. In my experience no. It just doesn't take weight like the Z3. Plus I always feel like the Z1 feels sluggish. Not power wise, turning and handling. You are talking outdated engines. So that question only matters if you are buying 2013 or older. The Z1 does great with the 343.

2. Again you are talking 13 and older boats. My dealer sold a ton of Z3's with 343s and they do just fine for surfing. Do not buy a boat with the 1600(surf) ballast. Get the Pro which is 2000, but has 800 in the from where its tough to upgrade. The rears are the same and easy to upgrade. 14's come standard with the Indmar 350 hp which is fine and 15's have the 400 hp Raptor which is more than fine.

409 is a great engine and isn't to bad on fuel. Surfing in general uses way less fuel than wake boarding.

Even if you order you can still negotiate price. Many on here are buying in that 15-20% off MSRP range. Thats what I would shoot for.

Hope that helps.

[trace]

In regards to 1. Wood and I and others who have owned the latest version of the Z1 would probably have to disagree with boardman74. You can build an incredible wake on the Z1, I always felt like a comparably equipped Z3 felt sluggish compared to the Z1 especially when turning.

The Z3 has more room and will take more weight, but it also needs more weight because it is a bigger boat. Depending on the size of your normal crew the Z1 may be enough.

The local dealer had a midwest reunion in August and ran clinics held by Chris Kinsey, they used a '14 Z1 as the mule with nothing but pro ballast plus one additional ~600lb sac under the surf side seat plus bodies ~6. Chris had no trouble pulling off his whole bag of tricks including a really sweet surf style big spin.

You really cant go wrong with either one, but you won't be disappointed with the Z1 if it fits your needs better.

[gibbs114]

I have a 2014 Z1 and it makes a great wake. I tested the Z3 as well before buying and the wakes are very similar when weighted correctly. I have pro ballast + 1000lbs surf sacs in the rear.ImageUploadedByTapatalk1410395263.449696.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1410395276.514159.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1410395298.663953.jpg


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[JohnnieMo]

My only real complaint with the Z1 is that it tips from side to side at speed VERY easily. My 30lb son will change the list just by walking around. Not sure if this is an issue on the Z3.

Once you load the ballast it's not as noticeable.

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[IDBoating]

"I've never wished for a smaller boat."

[gibbs114]

I think it's all about what fits your needs and how much you want to spend you want go wrong which ever boat you get they both have great wakes.


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[Duncan]

"I've never wished for a smaller boat."

"... or a smaller engine."

[IDBoating]

"... or a smaller engine."

Yeah, I swear I've read that quote somewhere before.

[JohnnieMo]

I like the extra room in the Z3, but I asked myself, do I want to pay more to buy it, pay more to operate it, pay more to tow it, and pay more to store it, on a recurring basis, for the next 10 years? How many times do I need to put 14 people on my boat?

In the end, I've taken 12 people on mine, and never had issue. I would have preferred a Z3, but I can instead put the money elsewhere.

[braydenp]

thanks for all the feed back....what I am getting is I can get a great wake off both models....does that hold true if it's just my wife driving and 2 kids in the boat?

[Dandy]

You can for sure get a solid wave out of either. It really breaks down to the amount and placement of ballast. Due to the size of the Z3, it will require more weight to get the same wave, which will simply take a little more time to fill. With stock factory ballast, based upon the current posted ballast (not the new Surf X option) I would bet thet the Z1 would give you a more consistant/solid wake with just your family. As you woudl see in the link below, the pro ballast between the Z1 and Z3 is in the front weight. If you upgrade bags, the extra front weight on the Z3 seems to be very benificial as that is the hardest location to upgrade.
http://www.tige.com/features/ballast-options

The only way to know is get out and demo. When we demoed boats last, we had a dealer that allowed us to tow a boat out and they towed one out, allowing back to back water demos to really compare the boats and it was fresh, not trying to remember something from a demo on a different day.

[Stingreye]

hello,
I'm new to this site and joined just to get opinions on which model of tige to buy.....I've been surfing for a while using a moomba lsv that I have just sold...when i was on holidays i rode behind my brother in laws 2013 z3 and fell in love! I have been trying to sell my boat ever since. now the question is...
1) can you get just as good of a wave out of the Z1 with the vx..as the z3....is it underpowered with the 343 as I am assuming i will upgrade from the pro ballast?
2) is the z3 underpowered with the 343...and can you upgrade from the 1600lbs surf ballast easily?

I couldn't believe that we surfed all day on my brothers z3 with a 409...and the fuel gauge hardly moved from the full mark...

sorry, another question ... if i build a boat through my dealer can a still haggle price?

thanks
wes

MANY debate the merits of the 409 below 3k RPM. I have the older version of that PCM motor.

If you are really that happy with your brothers Z3, don't risk not loving it as much not too mention the added benefit of you can then share setups, where you store stuff, etc.

And for what its worth, I have never regretted getting the 24V vs 22V. The extra space is nice even if you have a small crew.

[cday76]

hello,
I'm new to this site and joined just to get opinions on which model of tige to buy.....I've been surfing for a while using a moomba lsv that I have just sold...when i was on holidays i rode behind my brother in laws 2013 z3 and fell in love! I have been trying to sell my boat ever since. now the question is...
1) can you get just as good of a wave out of the Z1 with the vx..as the z3....is it underpowered with the 343 as I am assuming i will upgrade from the pro ballast?
2) is the z3 underpowered with the 343...and can you upgrade from the 1600lbs surf ballast easily?

I couldn't believe that we surfed all day on my brothers z3 with a 409...and the fuel gauge hardly moved from the full mark...

sorry, another question ... if i build a boat through my dealer can a still haggle price?

thanks
wes

Hey Wes,
We'll I had the same battle going on about the Z1 and Z3. I chose the Z3 when it was all said and done.

The Z1 with the hull extensions wake is just as good as the Z3. The Z1 actually has a little more hook at the end of the wave and will help you once you fall back. The only downside to the Z1 wave compared to the Z3 is the sensitivity to people in the boat. You have to be more careful about where people sit compared to the Z3.

I have driven both the Z3 and Z1 with the 343 engine. Both drove felt exactly the same when it came to surfing in regards to power. Neither felt under powered in the least bit. However I will say that a Z1 loaded down is a bit trickier to drive while surfing. With the Z3 sunk on the regular side I can kill the power and it doesn't turn right as abruptly as the Z1. I can also make a left turn with ease in the Z3 and with the Z1 it doesn't like to turn as easily in the direction of the sunk side. This is when you REALLY load it down though. With the free board height on the Z1 making a turn in the opposite direction of the sunk side really sin't an issue though. However I would rate the Z3 better in the maneuverability when surfing category.

The main reason I went with the Z3 was space. The Z1 was too cramped for my taste and too sensitize to where people where located while surfing. I also wanted to be able to seat more people and a better ride in rougher water.

[JohnnieMo]

As a tidbit, my Z1 has the 343, and it has never felt remotely under powered. After a season of use, I calculated my fuel usage to be 4.5 gallons per hour. That is with mixed use.