2016 Tige RZ2 Help and advice

[gfunk208]

I have been looking for a boat about the last month and I have narrowed it down to a brand new Tige RZ2 or waiting for the perfect used malibu 23 LSV or nautique 230. I know the advantages of going with a new boat E.G. Warranty, no hours, financing options. But i am having a hard time finding much info on the RZ2. I use the boat 50% for family cruising, pulling kids in tubes, 40% surfing, and 10% wakeboarding. I love the look of the Tige and have a test drive scheduled for this afternoon. I was just wondering if any owners here could give me their likes/dislikes. any info is appreciated. Thanks

[Robmc9]

4 of my neighbours have 2009-2012 LSV's and I have a 2014 RZ2. Obviously I'm a bit biased as well but we ride a lot in all 5 boats. Surf wave, not even close RZ2 is much steeper & longer (do know I've put MLA bags in both rears) and they've tried external bags, lead, after market Surf Gates (which has helped their waves for sure) but wave aside here are my thoughts:
1 - everyone loves the look of the RZ2
2 - being able to make the best surf wave on the lake is priceless (oops said I wouldn't talk about the wave anymore)
3 - the kids love being in the front of the boat and from what I can see Tige gives you a bigger front area so when people say the Malibu feels like there is more room in the rear I'd agree until you go to the front of the boat and see why

4 - fit and finish for sure is better in the Malibu but thats not saying the Tige is bad its kind of like comparing Honda vs BMW both nice but you not the smaller details of the BMW
5 - the front cooler is a hug bonus, seems like small thing but its built in a great place that doesn't take up space
6 - the transom storage units (2 of them) are perfect for storing glasses, hats etc for the people who ar going surfing or tubing (vs forgetting and lost to the lake gods)
7 - we have the poisiden floor which is the best but I'm not sure its available anymore. If it is, make sure its added to your boat. Everyone loves it!
8 - nothing better then knowing no one has driven or been in the boat
9 - fantastic swim platform with a hug handle makes it super easy to get up on. I'd say the Malibu's swim deck is super slippy and tough to get up on (but that may be different per boat and year)
Sorry no one on our lake has a Nautique

If you are like us, surfing % will go from 40% to 80%

[Dandy]

One thing to note is that most, if not all Malibu's have bolt in seat bases. In the current day and age, this drives me crazy. The Tige will have the seat bases molded into the top deck which helps to strengthen it and minimize twisting in the structure of the boat. I disagree with Robmc9 about the interior fit and finish, I think that Tige is better than Malibu. That said, I do think that Nautique puts together great interiors, with attention to the functionality of the layout and quality of materials...they do tend to be a bit more "blocky" and squared off, but the fit and finish is fantastic.

Alot of people seem to have a loyalty to the Malibu brand and I believe it dates back to the days of the ski boats and when Malibu was a privately held company...they built...past tense superior boats. It seems that there was a time when they really began to cut corners and I think they realize it and are starting to make improvements.

There really is something about the Tige hull and the surf wave that it puts out. They just tend to be nice waves with minimal effort. I think you posted on WW as well and noticed that someone was beating up the Z3 and how it doesn't put out a nice wakeboard wake. Keep in mind the RZ2 and Z3 are different...the Z1/Z3 hulls are sensitive from side to side because of the DEEP V which does make them difficult to balance out for a GREAT wake on BOTH sides (same can be said for Centurion...DEEP V).

Get out on a demo, bring with your family and if possible some friends and your gear. Use the boat during the demo like you would if you own it and see how the layout works for you. As mentioned, the cooler placement in the newer Tige's is well thought out.

I would also dig around on hear and search for peoples ballast setups for the RZ2 and if possible TAPS3. In some cases, dealers do not know how to properly set up the boat which does not represent the boat correctly.

Good Luck

[Surf406]

I have a completely tricked out 2014 rz2 over the top with options ,stereo ballast ect. It's for sale and n perfect shape

[Booms]

Gfunk - what did you think after the test drive?

We had a RZ2. Loved the boat. Surfed great, pull the kids on the tube all day, cruised the lake like a champ, and was a sexy beast.
You will enjoy it.

[gfunk208]

Gfunk - what did you think after the test drive?

We had a RZ2. Loved the boat. Surfed great, pull the kids on the tube all day, cruised the lake like a champ, and was a sexy beast.
You will enjoy it.

The salesman didn't have an easy job. there were 20 mph wind gust and some fairly rough water. tough to dial in the surf wake. there were some minor things with the boat that i found to feel a little "less rich" then high end malibu or nautique. but overall in the price range I paid it feels way nicer then an axis or supreme. So cats out of the bag i guess. I signed on the dotted line and own an RZ2. when it came down to it the advantages of having new with warranty and the value of this boat to me made it a no brainer I'm excited to get out and use it and make some memories. I'm sure I'll be on here asking a million more questions so thank you all for your response.

[Dandy]

Congratulations and please be sure to post pics of your new baby. Good news for you is from what I understand the running surface of the RZ2 is the same since conception so there are alot of owners that can help with set ups other than possibly TAPS3 since it is quite new. Again, Congratulations and welcome to the "family".

[Ochrod]

I'm sure you'll love it. I have a 2011 RZ2 and am still happy with it. Congrats

Sent from my SM-T817V using Tapatalk

[gfunk208]

we have taken the boat out each of the last two nights and WE LOVE IT.. I have pictures but I can't figure out how to post them. They are just iPhone pics and it says the file won't work. Anyway very happy with the decision so far

[supervol0509]

We upgraded from an older Moomba to a 2011 RZ2. We really loved the styling of the boat, as well as the way it drove and handled. I haven't ridden in a Malibu. From review, and experiences with our RZ2, I would probably only consider the Malibu if you were a dedicated wakeboarder. The Tige is the superior surfing boat.

[gfunk208]

Pulled the boat out of the water the other night to dry it off and had 3 people come over to ask me about it. I'm kind of an orange on an apple tree here no other tiges to speak of .nautique, axis and malibu central. It's nice to have something different. now I just cant wait for the novelty of having a new boat wears off on the kids so I can finally get to use the thing instead of pulling a tube around all day. Here she is

boat.jpgbaot1.jpgboat4.jpgboat5.jpgboat6.jpg

[Timmy!]

Nice looking boat! Congrats! Make sure you post up on WW too.

[robert theisen]

Looks sharp! Congratulations on you new ride!

[Robmc9]

amazing looking boat! I love being the black sheep on our lake as well.

[gfunk208]

Had my first issue yesterday. Four adults in boat 6 kids ages 3-8. we filled the back bags on the surf XL package 80% and the front 50%. the boat pinned wouldn't go above 8 mph. It has the raptor 400 in it. it was very disappointing to me and a little embarrassing. i had few friends out with their kids to check out the new boat. 3 of the adult were women 110-130 lbs and the man weighed 200 and the kids can't be more then 30lbs average each. we let the back bags out to 55% and the front to 30% and it pulled. still strained though. the wake we pulled was ok. I just need to spend some time dialing in the wake on this boat. we are on a river not a lake and depth changes from 4 ft to 14ft sometimes in 100 feet so wake consistency is an issue on every boat out here. But i was not impressed yesterday. My buddy that was with me has a 03 malibu sunscape he loads with flyhighs and a suction cup wake gate same crew we had yesterday and has no issues. taking it back out today by myself to fine tune the wake.