I Want REAL WORLD TESTIMONY: Z3 Rough Water Performance

[dakota4ce]

Here's the background:
1. I have 2 boats, a 24Ve and a JC Tri-toon 246 I/O.
2. The 24Ve surfs and tows, the Tritoon does afternoon family excursions and socializes.
3. West Lake Okoboji IA gets to be VERY boat-choppy on weekend afternoons--I would say 3 foot rollers at times in every direction.
4. Nothing on this planet rides better in said chop than this heavy tank of a Tri-toon. Pure heaven.
5. I am looking at a cabin purchase where I can only have one boat.
6. My wife LOVES the 'toon.
7. I am hopelessly addicted to surfing. She likes it. Kids LOVE it. Friends LOVE it.
8. So far this summer: 24Ve has amassed nearly 60 hrs; Tri-toon less than 15.

If I do this cabin--please give me as much real world rough water banter as you can muster regarding the Z3. I realize it is the king ding on surf wakes; I lust over it for that reason already. I am NOT A FAN OF WAVES OVER THE BOW AT SLOW SPEEDS! The old 24Ve has gotten me a couple times!

Can we deal with the loss of the Tri-toon and survive afternoon boating in a Z3?
What boats other than that come to mind that can deal out a STELLAR surf wave? My 24ve has spoiled me on that.

Thanks guys, always fun to hear thoughts!

[rensink]

Dakota4ce, PM your phone number or I can look back at my notes but I'll take you and your wife out on my Z3 this weekend and let you decide for yourself!

Kyle

[mnpracing]

Z3 is good in choppy water, not great, but good. Might want to check out the RZX to add a margin of error if you are really consistently dealing with 3ft rollers. Begs the question, is it enjoyable in any 20-24ft boat to be dealing with 3ft rollers?

[dakota4ce]

Z3 is good in choppy water, not great, but good. Might want to check out the RZX to add a margin of error if you are really consistently dealing with 3ft rollers. Begs the question, is it enjoyable in any 20-24ft boat to be dealing with 3ft rollers?

No. Short answer to that question! We are in survival mode during the busiest parts of the day. We are traversing the lake to get to the swimming bay, as an example. We are doing no towing or anything of the sort that requires speed. Just here to there. Before noon and after 5 you can surf, tube, whatever without dying.

If I had my druthers, the 28' and up bowrider power-turning people would go away. A 26' length limit on the lake would have made great sense at some point. Its totally a day lake, no real need for cabin boats.

[dakota4ce]

No. Short answer to that question! We are in survival mode during the busiest parts of the day. We are traversing the lake to get to the swimming bay, as an example. We are doing no towing or anything of the sort that requires speed. Just here to there. Before noon and after 5 you can surf, tube, whatever without dying.

If I had my druthers, the 28' and up bowrider power-turning people would go away. A 26' length limit on the lake would have made great sense at some point. Its totally a day lake, no real need for cabin boats.

Help me: what is an RZX? Meaning an RZ2 or 4?

[Chads972150]

Help me: what is an RZX? Meaning an RZ2 or 4?

from what i can gather its a new boat coming out in 16 that details havent been released on

[Z3CO23]

This RZX secret is driving me crazy. Can we see this rig already. Sorry to hijack.

[mnpracing]

Z3 would be an excellent choice if are in those conditions just going from point A to point B. Although I'm an enabler so take my advice with a grain of salt.....seriously though if you have empty ballast the Z3 handles the big rollers just fine.

[mnpracing]

I Want REAL WORLD TESTIMONY: Z3 Rough Water Performance

I've seen the RZX video, it looks awesome. Designed as a surf boat whereas the ASR excelled at wake boarding but only so-so surfing. Same size as ASR.

[dakota4ce]

I've seen the RZX video, it looks awesome. Designed as a surf boat whereas the ASR excelled at wake boarding but only so-so surfing. Same size as ASR.

Well, I could tell you, maybe the RZX is 2 or 3 boats from now if it is going to be a 2016 model. I have 99 problems and a super expensive financed boat outta my league ain't (gonna be) one! LOL

[mnpracing]

Well, I could tell you, maybe the RZX is 2 or 3 boats from now if it is going to be a 2016 model. I have 99 problems and a super expensive financed boat outta my league ain't (gonna be) one! LOL

I say Z3 then!

[Ryanmorgan1984]

I came from a 2007 Moomba LSV and boat at Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins Colorado. Weekends get very rough. The lake is skinny and long so a after the 10 to 15 yacht type boats go out mid morning the lake gets almost constant 2-3 foot rollers crashing together from every direction. Tubers don't help the situation any either. I can run about 15 mph only having to turn slightly into the really big ones. Any faster then that and it sounds like the tower is going to snap off. I try not to run that fast unless we are short on time.

As far as rollers over the bow, my fiancée learned to pull me surfing and I was confident enough in the boats ability to not take water over the bow that I didn't even bother to teach her to watch for other boats rollers when turning back around. She once drove into the aftermath of two other boats surf rollers with me in tow, full ballast, 12 people. I ditched the board because the waves were so big I was sure the boat was going down. Nobody even got wet. It always surprises me how well it does not taking on water.

It's way better then my Moomba, and the taps plate makes a decent difference in how it handles the chop, bouncing around vs cutting into them. It does get an odd list from time to the if you are crossing over big rollers at about 35+mph when they are almost parallel to your direction. Spooks me out but nobody else seems to get uneasy. Must just be me since I'm in the driver seat.

Hope that helps.

[Chads972150]

our lake down here gets like that because its bulkheaded and we have 12 bazillion cruisers that love to mess up the water even in the coves but ill say my 97 2150 take em like a champ as long as you up and moving if you go to slow down and one of those *** clowns come by well i hope you have a good bilge pump but i also have next to nothing as far as free board so i would guess a Z3 you would be more than fine. i see newer tiges out in conroe pretty often and they dont seem to have a problem handling them.

[dakota4ce]

Excellent summary. I really appreciate the descriptive thoughts! Yes, it helps. Thank you!

I came from a 2007 Moomba LSV and boat at Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins Colorado. Weekends get very rough. The lake is skinny and long so a after the 10 to 15 yacht type boats go out mid morning the lake gets almost constant 2-3 foot rollers crashing together from every direction. Tubers don't help the situation any either. I can run about 15 mph only having to turn slightly into the really big ones. Any faster then that and it sounds like the tower is going to snap off. I try not to run that fast unless we are short on time.

As far as rollers over the bow, my fiancée learned to pull me surfing and I was confident enough in the boats ability to not take water over the bow that I didn't even bother to teach her to watch for other boats rollers when turning back around. She once drove into the aftermath of two other boats surf rollers with me in tow, full ballast, 12 people. I ditched the board because the waves were so big I was sure the boat was going down. Nobody even got wet. It always surprises me how well it does not taking on water.

It's way better then my Moomba, and the taps plate makes a decent difference in how it handles the chop, bouncing around vs cutting into them. It does get an odd list from time to the if you are crossing over big rollers at about 35+mph when they are almost parallel to your direction. Spooks me out but nobody else seems to get uneasy. Must just be me since I'm in the driver seat.

Hope that helps.

[dakota4ce]

We all cringe when the boat slaps so hard onto the next wave after climbing a large wave--I imagine that is the moment you describe when the tower sounds like it could go. I like to run "just below" super violent hull-slapping speed. I also keeps the kids in the seats vs tumbling across the floor.

I can run about 15 mph only having to turn slightly into the really big ones. Any faster then that and it sounds like the tower is going to snap off. I try not to run that fast unless we are short on time.