Cheated on Moomba with a Tige test ride

[Fman]

Thank you to everyone who has replied to this thread, great information and some great insights as well.

I do agree comparing the two side by side is unfair, different price points and different markets. I know it is going to come down to whether or not I want to be sensible and be very happy with the Moomba, or splurge and be very happy with the Tige.

I have my price for the LSV guesstimated with Dave at Land O Lakes for a 2010 model, also contacting Bob Campbell in Orlando for a price work up. Lastly I will get the Tige price worked up and we will see where we sit and what the real price difference is between the two boats.

If you are ready to step up into a more expensive boat, make sure and also test drive Malibu LSV/VLX, Mastercaft X-star/X-15, Nautique, and the Supra 24 SSV.

[moombadaze]

Did you see that Supra on Dave's showroom?

[Guma]

Did you see that Supra on Dave's showroom?

I did, and I don't want to disrespect anyone who has one, but that dash with the huge bezels around the gauges is just a real eye sore to me.

[dtlaine]

One of my neighbors has an X-15, and it is a fantastic boat. I don't know what they paid for it, and because it's a saltwater series, I know it was quite pricey. I think Bay Area Watersports has quite a few boats in stock, so if you're looking for a pricier boat, Jim is a great guy to talk to. Plus, you won't have to drive all the way across the bay to Largo for service.

[maxpower220]

I first skied and looked at buying a Tige in 1997. I was really close to buying but the money was a little over what I could afford. Also, at the time, Tige was touting a plywood floor as being better. Now they use all fiberglass like everyone else. IMO, their interiors are built great, good fit and finish.
When comparing, look at the engine that they use. Indmar is a key to a boat that I would own. My first boat had a Mercruiser DD and I did not like that set up. I know that most Tige have Mercruiser, but some had Marine Power.
TAPS is great, Tige started that whole fad.

[Guma]

max - Tige is now using PCM as their standard engine. The PCM EX343 is standard in the 22Ve.

dtlaine - Didn't know they were that close. may take some time to shoot up there tomorrow and give them a once over and see what MC is all about.

[dtlaine]

Yeah, they're about two miles north of LOL Marine. I think they have a used Tige there, too.

[501]

All the experienced wakeboarders I've talked to say the Tige Taps system isn't anything great and that these boats NEED ballast to produce a good quality wake. I'd put my XLV with 2650lbs against any tige anyday in term of wake performance.

In terms of looks, i think that Tige seems to just copy all the other brands (Malibu),

[Guma]

All the experienced wakeboarders I've talked to say the Tige Taps system isn't anything great and that these boats NEED ballast to produce a good quality wake. I'd put my XLV with 2650lbs against any tige anyday in term of wake performance.

In terms of looks, i think that Tige seems to just copy all the other brands (Malibu),

Granted, I have zero experience to draw from to say the wake I saw yesterday was a great wake using no ballast. I was basing my opinion off of the test ride in the LSV and pics from the web. What I saw was a pretty good wake for wakeboarding, then add either the 900lb or 2000lb ballast option and I gotta believe it will be right there with any other manufacturer.

One thing Dom explained to me about the hull. Tige uses a convex V hull design, which means the hull never flattens out. If you look at the hull lines towards the back of the boat it actually starts to come back up slightly. Dom says this convex V hull design is equivalent to 1000lbs of ballast. Now, I understand that is a sales technique, because how could they really compare that to come to such an equivalency. But my test ride did show that the convex V hull design does "hold water" as far as producing a better wake without ballast.

All that said, I would get a ballast system if I were to order a Moomba or a Tige.

Oh one last thing about the Tige ballast, it is all hard tanks under the floor versus bags in the storage lockers. I really liked that feature. Again, I know I am comparing apples to oranges here, but I really do appreciate all the input you guys are providing about another manufacturer. THANKS!

[dtlaine]

more ballast = more fuel. If there's a way to make a comparable wake with less or no ballast, that's a huge advantage. When the economy comes back around, I expect fuel prices to go up again.

My neighbor w/ the X-15 really liked the hard, hidden ballast tanks until he realized he may want to upgrade the ballast at some point. I just replaced the 400 lb sacs in my OB V w/ 750s for surfing, and it took a matter of minutes. That's worth something, too.

Clearly, there is no perfect system. It's a matter of preferences and priorities. At the end of the day, the price point of the Moomba still plays a significant role.

I am quite certain that if I were to spend the money to get one the more expensive boats, I'd go with a MC. Someone would need to explain the advantages of Nautique, Malibu, Supra, Tige, etc. The local MC already explained the advantages of the MC, and I own a Moomba for a couple reasons. The most important was that the idiotic homeowner association where I live thinks that the OB V is 18' because so many people in my neighborhood have them. Our lake has a 18' max length. Other than that, the price was quite important along with having a local dealer. The fact that Moomba uses an Indmar motor and teleflex controls played a large role in my decision. You're getting a lot of feedback here, but I think you really need to test all the boats on your list to see what you like best. Like most people in here, I think you'll find the Moomba the best value.