Best budget Boat 2023

[Josh828]

Sold my 21 Mojo last July thinking the market was going to crash and now here I am with another boat on order. The boat show confirmed my thoughts however I was curious if you all were looking at a new boat which one would you go with and why?

I personally was looking for a 23-25' boat with a great wave, loud audio and good fit and finish trying to stay around $130k

[cozilla]

What did you order? Moomba Mojo or Makai I think is a great "budget boat" but I think you know that from experience.

[HFarr]

By budget boat did you mean the most options for your money? Or the cheapest boat that will still surf and wakeboard? i.e. a Waketractor or similar?

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[Josh828]

We don't talk about the wake tractors.. I just mean nicest boat for the money overall experience haha

And actually, I could not justify the Moomba line up, mostly because the changes were so minor from 21-23 the 20k+ price increase hurt my soul.

Ended up ordering a Supreme S240, was curious if anyone else had noticed them before going all biased.

[cucv]

We don't talk about the wake tractors.. I just mean nicest boat for the money overall experience haha

And actually, I could not justify the Moomba line up, mostly because the changes were so minor from 21-23 the 20k+ price increase hurt my soul.

Ended up ordering a Supreme S240, was curious if anyone else had noticed them before going all biased.Funny, I was going to mention the S240. I've been told to wait another year on the Supreme line to iron out build quality at the new plant but the factor rep at the boat show said they are good to go for this year. Build slots available for me are late in the season so I didn't put a ton of effort into the line after that. The factor rep kept circling back to the S220 when I was clearly asking about the S240. He was a huge fan of the S220.

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[sandm]

for us if mead were to get back to a point that makes sense to use it again, I would shop the following:
moomba mojo, craz.
supreme s220
atx 22

that would be our "short" list but my last outing on an atx would likely leave it out compared to the other 2 in the fit/finish dept.
honestly moomba would have a tough battle against the supreme. the s220 I surfed last fall was frankly the best value boat I have been on despite a few nitpicks. surf wave was flat out crazy for a bone stock boat.

[Josh828]

The Supreme vinyl quality is what really sold me, 17mm thick and it shows, optioned 450 motor, silent stinger and it is torquey and way Quiter than my mojo with the 400.
SewLong Bimini is 100X better and 4 REV10 tower speakers and 2 12" subs. Got a ladder on the front of the trailer and having the dealer install RGB Underwater lights and speaker lights to compare to the moombas now.
Boat surfed amazing although on the test drive dealer set up a shorter tall wave where i prefer a long mellow wave but once i get ahold of mine ill report back but seems like the wave is going to be much better. Also funny the rep also said the S220 has basically the same wave and is a great boat haha

Now Cons.. No audio control other than the touch screen, The program on the screen seems "old" moombas was much nicer looking we will see how it functions. Lots of small convivence things like cup holders and handles seem to be better placed in the moombas as well

[Josh828]

At the charlotte Boat show
#1 supreme- fit finish, total awe of the boat
#2 moomba- Fit finish, updated lights and audio and overall package looks great
#3 Axis- fit and finish was cheap, however the chill tech seats are a huge upgrade in comfort for them and the new dash helps a ton
#4 ATX- also looked and felt cheap along with not much dealer encouragement about the wave or performance
The best thing about the TIGE is the fit and finish so when you take that away the ATX isn't left with much

[sandm]

atx will give all a run for their money in the "out of the box" wave but add some weight as we all do and that advantage diminishes. moomba imo is a much better value than atx.

my biggest gripe on the supreme will always be what I called out in a prior review last september:

biggest annoyance with supreme and I've called it out in past recaps... when you have the bimini stowed, it is a BIOTCH to get up and down on the sundeck into the interior. the tower/bimini placement is awful when stowed. put up, it's the largest I have been under.

[Josh828]

atx will give all a run for their money in the "out of the box" wave but add some weight as we all do and that advantage diminishes. moomba imo is a much better value than atx.

my biggest gripe on the supreme will always be what I called out in a prior review last september:

You know I have only been on a model with the bimini out haha
They also have 3 different bimini options however the Roswell tower with sewlong bimini is the most popular

[KnoxMojo]

I looked at Supreme once, didn't like most of their design styles. If you're rarely going to wakeboard and only surf, pool tubes and drink beer in coves, then it's a player. Open water ride will be great for sure. It's a nice boat, just not for me right now. The new Craz would be a big player if I were shopping. But you're right, the Moomba bimini is really lacking vs the much larger Sewlong and Supra bimini.

[sandm]

You know I have only been on a model with the bimini out haha
They also have 3 different bimini options however the Roswell tower with sewlong bimini is the most popular

sewlong and roswell are the options on boats I rode and have spec'ed out in the past. it might be different on the 24ft but the 22ft has the tower in the wrong spot especially with the bimini stowed. no worse than some towers with rev10's that are head knockers tho, just one of the nitpicks on the boat.
we would have removed the bimini if not needed for the day and that solves most of the issue.

[sandm]

I looked at Supreme once, didn't like most of their design styles. If you're rarely going to wakeboard and only surf, pool tubes and drink beer in coves, then it's a player. Open water ride will be great for sure. It's a nice boat, just not for me right now.

haha. I saw the wakeboard wave as they were trying to sell me a barge and you are spot on. I don't board anymore but know enough to have told them the wakeboard wave was washy and looked like poo. they peddled around it a little, drained and moved on to how great the displays are :)
definitely a surf hull, not a boarding hull.

[Zog]

I looked at Supreme once, didn't like most of their design styles. If you're rarely going to wakeboard and only surf, pool tubes and drink beer in coves, then it's a player. Open water ride will be great for sure. It's a nice boat, just not for me right now. The new Craz would be a big player if I were shopping. But you're right, the Moomba bimini is really lacking vs the much larger Sewlong and Supra bimini.

You can get Sewlong bimini tops for any boat. My 2016 Moomba has one. It's really great, but you have to take it ALL the way off (including brackets) in order to fold the tower. I don't know if the tops coming with boats have fixed this issue. The build quality is excellent though and it adds a lot to the front and a little to the back of the bimini. I might want one of the long shades though, since the last couple of Powell trips people have been complaining about sitting in the sun too much. As the driver, that top is nearly perfect, so I don't realize it has been an issue.

[KnoxMojo]

Our Supra tower and bimini is perfect for us and being on a lift at the house. If buying Moomba, I'd not option the bimini and get something else for sure.

[cucv]

@Josh828 did you consider the zs series at all? Any likes or dislikes zs vs s?

@sandm thanks for highlighting the Bimini issue on the S220. That would drive me nuts. It makes me realize the boats I looked at didn't have the Bimini mounted.

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[HFarr]

I think you will be happy with the Supreme. It's definitely a good looking shaped boat in my opinion. You will have to take several pics and let us know what you think. When does it ship?

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[Josh828]

@Josh828 did you consider the zs series at all? Any likes or dislikes zs vs s?

@sandm thanks for highlighting the Bimini issue on the S220. That would drive me nuts. It makes me realize the boats I looked at didn't have the Bimini mounted.

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So apparently according to the rep, the wave is finicky on the Z models. The S models have a brand-new hull and apparently surf better. It's a complete redesign from the S238. This hull on the S models I believe is the 2020 era RI hull Opti V maybe?

I will be sure to update yall on the experience I was pretty bummed about the forum life over there no advice how to set one at all, only youtube videos are all dealer videos, it will either be a fantastic boat or ill be trading in for a supra sooner than later haha

It has a march build date so hopefully delivery may 1st

[Josh828]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230302/410b95f5759ba207ba1e10df46955dd7.jpg

[Zog]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230302/410b95f5759ba207ba1e10df46955dd7.jpg

I saw the video where they demonstrated the fuel efficiency difference but I can't find it now. It was compared to a Malibu/Axis boat and the Malibu surf system. They hooked a laptop into the PCM of the boats and showed fuel consumption while they were making the wave. Pretty interesting comparison. I don't think it was relevant to general cruising though.

[Josh828]

Yeah they really push the fuel economy however it’s always compared to a boat with a wedge I would like to see it compared to the moomba line

[Mxmark4]

I would bet Moomba consumption isnt shown because its probably close. Wedge and surf gate suck down massive amounts of fuel. Any boat can be more fuel efficient than a bu or axis.

[cozilla]

Josh828 did you order through Upstate Marine down near Norman or is there another dealer that is closer?

[bobby1110]

South Town Water Sports is in charlotte just off of I85 near lake Wylie.

[cozilla]

South Town Water Sports is in charlotte just off of I85 near lake Wylie.

Hey Bobby, I was referring to his Supreme order. Congrats again on selling your Craz. This is Colin from the FB group.

[Josh828]

There was another dealer closer, however the guys at up state marine were awesome as well!

[Holdmybeer]

Josh,

Are the seats on the S240 hinged? Only real complaint I have about "budget boats". I know those were added on newer Moombas but wasn't sure if Supreme made that leap yet. I know the 2016-2017 versions weren't.

[larry_arizona]

What features make a boat a budget boat?

Honestly, it seems hard to call a moomba a budget boat anymore.

I would say the only major feature moombas don't have is an elite tower.


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[sandm]

What features make a boat a budget boat?

Honestly, it seems hard to call a moomba a budget boat anymore.


moomba is a budget boat just like supreme/axis/mb/atx when compared to 'bu/centurion/supra/tige. can be optioned up close to their big brothers but it will always be the value line with the higher end tech/materials starting out on the higher lines and trickling down over time.
same thing chevy/caddy or ford/lincoln have done over the years with cars on similar chassis.

that's my viewpoint on it.

[HFarr]

moomba is a budget boat just like supreme/axis/mb/atx when compared to 'bu/centurion/supra/tige. can be optioned up close to their big brothers but it will always be the value line with the higher end tech/materials starting out on the higher lines and trickling down over time.
same thing chevy/caddy or ford/lincoln have done over the years with cars on similar chassis.

that's my viewpoint on it.I can agree with that. Most of the physical functions and capabilities on the budget boats (and in vehicles too) do match the higher end cousins, or can easily be made to do so. It's the extra tech and pure luxury items that are omitted in the budget conscious models. Many of these features are a lot harder to add after the fact too, but don't necessarily make the boat perform better.

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[Josh828]

Josh,

Are the seats on the S240 hinged? Only real complaint I have about "budget boats". I know those were added on newer Moombas but wasn't sure if Supreme made that leap yet. I know the 2016-2017 versions weren't.

Hinged seats except for the random corner square in the rear which would be hard to hinge..
the bow is still unhinged as well
The rear lockers have a old school like rotating latch, mixed feelings about it we will see

And agree the biggest difference in budget vs premium line I see now days are the tech.

You put dual 12” screens in any budget boat and I bet you sell a whole lot less premium boats haha

[cucv]

So apparently according to the rep, the wave is finicky on the Z models. The S models have a brand-new hull and apparently surf better. It's a complete redesign from the S238. This hull on the S models I believe is the 2020 era RI hull Opti V maybe?

I will be sure to update yall on the experience I was pretty bummed about the forum life over there no advice how to set one at all, only youtube videos are all dealer videos, it will either be a fantastic boat or ill be trading in for a supra sooner than later haha

It has a march build date so hopefully delivery may 1stHave you got out on the S240 yet?

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[Josh828]

Have you got out on the S240 yet?

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Yes, Haven't got a ton of time behind the boat yet as the weather has been terrible but so far initial impressions are moomba vs supreme are closer than I thought.
Again I had a 2021 Moomba Mojo raptor 400 2.0 pumps and 2.0 quick surf maxed audio options
The supreme is much more optioned 2023 S240 PCM 450 max ballast options (No surf or pump options available)
Actually the mojo was very lightly optioned and the supreme has almost every single option.
supreme is 24' however the cabin and bow and sun deck all feel the same. The supreme has flat spots to act as seats on the rear which seems to be the extra 1' of boat.

Moomba Pros- Cup holders are better located.
- Phone chargers and 12V plugs everywhere and where you need them
- Touch screen works so so well
- Go home feature adjust tabs to level ride
- Pitch and roll numbers are a great resource
- Overall build quality fit and finish, just seemed better put together more thought out
- The seat back behind the drivers seat (Don't miss it until its gone)

Supreme Pros
- Wave is better. First day out I could tell, havent had time to really dial it in yet but already pushes like my mojo did with 1500 extra pounds
- Vinyl is thicker and high quality (However no chill tech option)
- Ballast fills much quicker, I did have 2.0 pumps on the mojo however
- Transom cover is flat all the way across and fits the cooler perfect when you slide the bench forward
- Fun "coolers" at the back of the boat
Supreme has better "options" so I cant say the brand is better however I had access to
- Skylon racks are amazing.
- Sewlong Bimini makes the A3 tower Bimini look embarrassing
- PCM 450 motor is quiet more fuel efficient and powerful (I had 400 in the mojo)
- Audio is a dream, able to option 2 12" subs and 4 REV 10 tower speakers.

Moomba Cons
- Hard to get a fantastic wave out of
- Bimini had to replace
- Audio was great however bass was lacking
- I'm sure there are many more but yall already know overall a great boat

Supreme cons
Side note none of these cons Would I have ever noticed if I didn't own my moomba first
- Touch screen is garbage. Interface needs a complete over haul.
- Can only control volume from the touch screen which means you have to select volume on your surf menu then use a slider to adjust, good luck quickly turning the volume down to pick up a surfer and the back up. While volume is selected you can see nothing else.
- Go home setting just empties ballast and sets speed.
- lack of 12V plugs and phone chargers ( However wireless charger is awesome and was useless on the 2021 mojo)
- Drain plugs are both in the back and always seem to have some water stuck up front.
- Only been out in 1 rain storm but it seemed like everything under the seats got wet in the rain, where as the mojo never had a drip of water under seats unless we took a wave over the bow.
- Storage, I guess with so much ballast there is actually very little storage plus the extra 12" sub takes up most of the observers under dash.
I Used to store my boards in the rear hatches however with the hard tanks I haven't found anywhere in the boat that will fit a board.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230531/2350584c86bc3766f41cdd5b57cc8c74.jpg

[sandm]

good writeup josh..
supreme is a no joke wave and I would attribute a lot of that to the old S226 back in the '00's and the centurion ownership more recently.

one can argue all the tabs and such but in the end, I still believe there's no replacement for displacement and centurion/supreme understand that message loud and clear.

[Josh828]

good writeup josh..
supreme is a no joke wave and I would attribute a lot of that to the old S226 back in the '00's and the centurion ownership more recently.

one can argue all the tabs and such but in the end, I still believe there's no replacement for displacement and centurion/supreme understand that message loud and clear.

The deep V is serious, the front of the boat is the deepest part I swear! It takes waves really well and haven’t taken a wave over the bow yet (still early)
But would be a hard decision on which boat I’d want to go 5 miles across rough water in

The harder decision is going to be the next one, Supra or centurion haha

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230601/03a046f4620e6beacc445916bbae9247.jpg

[HFarr]

That's a pretty boat. We looked at one that was at the Orlando boat show just before covid shut them all down. It was loaded out nice too, and honestly we were leaning towards one, but the Makai literally fell into our lap and we have not been disappointed. I see what you mean about the small back rest behind the driver. Seems like it would be an easy mod to make by supreme to put one in.

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[cucv]

Thanks for the detailed review and update on your new boat. Sounds like some other s240 owners have been adding another bilge pump up front, i have the same problem with my Tige. The volume control seems to be the number one complaint on the S240. But it sounds like some owners have found a way to add an auxiliary volume control. I have 3 supreme dealers within 2 hours of me, so there happens to be several in stock options for me to check out, which I hope to do soon.

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[sandm]

The harder decision is going to be the next one, Supra or centurion haha


be pretty hard for me to not plunk down money on a supra SL. having surfed that and centurion in the recent 2 years, I think they both surf great but the fit/finish and overall feel still goes to supra.

first world problems for sure....

[j.mo]

be pretty hard for me to not plunk down money on a supra SL. having surfed that and centurion in the recent 2 years, I think they both surf great but the fit/finish and overall feel still goes to supra.

first world problems for sure....

I still think Supra/moomba offer the best boat right now for the dollar.

However, a brand new 23LSV for $140k at the boat show did have my mind pondering.


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[georgeorwell]

Talking about budget-friendly boats, it's always a hunt to find one that's easy on the wallet but still packs in the fun. On a different note, have you guys seen those pontoon boats with slides? I stumbled upon this one online and thought it was such a cool idea – like bringing a bit of extra excitement to your regular boating trips. Imagine sliding into the water from your own deck on a sunny day! If you're curious or thinking of jazzing up your boat a bit, you might want to check out this pontoon boat with slide (https://myboatsgear.com/product/pontoon-boat-slide/). Sounds like a perfect way to level up those weekend outings!