Z3 and Taps 3 review.

[Wakeman22]

So during the Lake Mead tige reunion I spent the day on the new Tige Z3 with Taps 3 along with Emily Agate the pro rider at the event. Thank you to Germaine Marine for providing the boat. Starting off the boat is real nice. Fit and finish is fantastic. Tige has done a great job and quality is top notch. Now we all know that the Z3 surfs well. But we all are interested in the Taps 3 system. Does it work? Yes! We all know that some list in a boat with surf systems still produce a better wave with a little list. But that is what the taps 3 system does. Adds list to the boat upon acceleration. So does this one need some list before deploying the Taps 3 plates? That depends on amount of weight that is in the boat. When there was 5 or more people in the boat no one needed to move around. No listing of the boat was needed. The wave was great. The transfer from side to side was fast. 3 seconds or so. The wave had a lot of push. The height was easily controlled by the center plate. The length of the wave was long at 11.2 mph and again could be controlled and set to a personal preference. The remote batteries were dead so we could not use the remote and control parameters from the riders point. The only down side I saw was when there were only 3 onboard. We did need to move to the surf side to get the transfer quick and to clean up the wave. However that can be remedied by having more weight in the boat in the form of ballast.

So as a summary the Taps 3 system does work. The transfers were quick while on the go. The real advantage is a boat without list at rest. The ability to not have to change ballast from one side to the other to accommodate different style riders. The wave is very controllable for different desires of each rider. I believe with some more time behind the helm the wave could be even better. The addition of more weight with either ballast or bodies improves the wake with out the need for moving around side to side. if you are looking for a boat that does not need list at rest to produce a fantastic wave then this is one to be considered. I have ridden behind other surf system boats and this one compares if not better to the others. If you are considering a new purchase by all means try this one out. Try the other Tige models that offer the Taps 3. If I could retrofit Taps 3 to my boat I would in a heart beat. Tige you...

I hope others will offer up their options in this thread as time goes on.

[Coop]

Thanks for the review, Wakeman. Very helpful.

What ballast system did the boat have -- the factory Surf XL? If so, did you notice whether the boat had room for larger sacs (all hidden - under the seats and in the lockers)?

[BCRider]

mmmmmm....Emily Agate. She's purdy!

[xpjim1]

My daughter and my friends son went out on the Z3 with Emily. Here is what my daughter said when I went up to the z3 to retrieve her. I quote " Dad, you have to buy this boat".

[Bad05]

My daughter and my friends son went out on the Z3 with Emily. Here is what my daughter said when I went up to the z3 to retrieve her. I quote " Dad, you have to buy this boat".

I agree, let me know what color you want to order so I can get it started!

[JohnnieMo]

How does the fuel usage compare to an AVX boat?

[Jwolfe]

If you just wanted to surf on one side could you empty out the non surf side to list the boat to get a better surf wave if you didn't have the people in it? Still trying to decide between AVX and Taps3 for my new boat.

[007]

As an AVX owner, I'd love to surf a real world comparison between the two systems. The AVX has a stellar wave once you get it setup, but having a goofy rider for a wife in a boat full of predominately standard riders makes me eye the quick switch. My guess would be the wave is just slightly better/more adjustable on the AVX and the gas mileage is slightly better too, but I am biased and willing to see for myself if I get the chance.

[Bad05]

As an AVX owner, I'd love to surf a real world comparison between the two systems. The AVX has a stellar wave once you get it setup, but having a goofy rider for a wife in a boat full of predominately standard riders makes me eye the quick switch. My guess would be the wave is just slightly better/more adjustable on the AVX and the gas mileage is slightly better too, but I am biased and willing to see for myself if I get the chance.

I think your assumption is fairly accurate after having been around both. Running a full boat with Taps3 does seem to burn more fuel than a listed boat. Crew size also seems to impact the "quick switch" as stated above but that can be offset with additional weight like lead if you typically run a small crew. Overall, we were very impressed and for those with a goofy wife, I mean goofy rider, it is a great option!

[brodee42]

I'd like to see a real world comparison between the TAP3 and AVX (videos, etc.). I think the wave in a listed Z3 with the AVX (I have the VX) is one of the best!

[talltigeguy]

The general consensus on the Malibu website is that listed boats have greater potential size and length compared to surf system boats. But the vast majority of surfers are not good enough to be held back by a surf system boat, because those waves can be more than adequate to have a great time on.

I would be willing to bet that despite the hull differences in a Tige, the principle is still true for Tige boats also.

So the RZX really never got wet?

[TeamAllen]

So the RZX really never got wet?

I'm not sure? I never even saw it until that picture.

[boatwakes]

We saw it in the water and out on the lake once. All of us wanted to ride behind the purple flake but with so many boats out all the time we just rode until we got jelly legs, drank more beer and then rode more waves. It looked like it could shove some water around pretty well but we never really got to see it drive.

[Wakeman22]

Yes there was more room to put larger sacs in. Not a lot but definitely room. I use lead in my boat to help and it speeds up the switching side to side. As far as adjustability I believe the taps 3 has a lot a variables to play with. We just did not play with it too much because someone was surfing the whole time. As for fuel burn comparisons that would be nice to know what it really is. But I can honestly say it is super nice to switch sides in a transfer and even better to have the opposite side ready to surf before the next rider can put on a life jacket.