In today’s inboard market you’ll see that every competitive inboard manufacturer offers a surf system. And of these, each is willing to tout that their system serves up the best wave on the market. But in reality how different are they? New upgrades in software, ballast systems, surf devices and engine technology has made wake specific boats drastically better than their predecessors. So how can you really determine which boat has the best wave?
It’s hard, we get it. So instead of saying what makes the MasterCraft Gen 2 Surf System better, we wanted to focus in on what makes it different from anything on the market. Listen in as we discuss the five differences that might just make the MasterCraft Gen 2 Surf System the perfect fit for you and your family.
Building a Foundation
As you browse through the inboard market, you’ll notice each manufacturer offers a variety of models to choose from. Some are built for skiing, some for wakeboarding, others for surfing and others offer a blend of all the above. This variety of water sports activities calls for a variety of hull designs. This is where MasterCraft separates itself from the competition. Instead of designing a one-size-fits-all surf system, each Gen 2 Surf System is custom designed for the specific model it will be paired with. Why does this matter? This ensures that no matter what model MasterCraft you’re behind, you have a surf system that is going to squeeze out every ounce of performance available to that specific hull.
Asymmetrical Tabs
After a custom built surf system, we come to difference number two. Prior to the Gen 2 Surf System, inboard tow boats had a tendency to produce a good surf wave on one side and a lesser surf wave on the other. The clockwise rotation of most inboards caused the portside wave to crumble and lose shape, while the starboard side would remain constant. The major contributing factor to this issue was the turbulence created by the prop wash. To resolve this issue, the tabs on the Gen 2 Surf System are intentionally produced asymmetrical to one another. In other words, the tab on the port side is different than the tab on the starboard side. This asymmetrical design eliminates the turbulence produced by the prop, allowing both sides of the surf wave to perform equally well. To this day, MasterCraft is the only company to have a solution to this problem.
Surfs At Lower RPM’s
If fuel economy and engine longevity are important to you, then you’ll want to listen in to difference number three. As you browse through all the surf systems on the market, you’ll quickly notice there are two schools of thought. Either you have a system that deploys horizontally or a system that deploys vertically. First, let’s focus on the systems that deploy horizontally. While this is one way to produce a surf wave, it also produces an immense amount of drag on the boat. This excess drag increases your RPM’s, placing undue stress on your engine. Since the Gen 2 Surf System deploys tabs vertically—causing the boat to list—drag is reduced by up to 15%. This reduction in drag not only reduces wear and tear on your engine but also decreases your fuel consumption by up to 10% when compared to the competition. Don’t believe us? Then click HERE to checkout this study a group of University of Michigan engineers did on both the Gen 2 Surf System, and its nearest competitor.
Switchback Ballast Tank
Now let’s step it up a notch. An industry first, MasterCraft’s patent pending Switchback Ballast Tank—standard on the X22, X24, and XStar—ensures crisp surf waves, no matter how your crew is positioned throughout the boat. Its perpendicular orientation rapidly moves water from port to starboard—and back again—ensuring that the appropriate amount of ballast is positioned on the surfers side of the boat. Boats with the Switchback Ballast Tank serve up bigger, longer and cleaner waves with the largest surfable sweet spot in the industry—period. There’s simply not another surf wave like this behind a tow boat.
FastFill Ballast Tanks
Finally, if you’re looking to add a cherry on top of your Gen 2 Surf System, look no further than MasterCraft’s Fast Fill Ballast System. Available on XT and X Series models, MasterCraft‘s patent pending ballast system eliminates the downtime between riders of different skill levels and disciplines. MasterCraft‘s new FastFill Pumps are almost 300% faster than anything on the market. In fact, ballast systems exceeding 4200 lbs can be completely filled or depleted within 3 minutes.
As you can see, MasterCraft’s Gen 2 Surf System offers quite a few unique features that separate it from the rest of the competition. This is probably one of the reasons that the Gen 2 Surf System is the only surf system on the market to win an NMMA innovation award.
If you have anymore questions about this award winning innovation, head over to your local Action Water Sports or give us a call, we’re always happy to help.
