2019 G23 vs Supra SL

[makeskiinggreatagain]

Just looking at NADA low retail value vs list price both boats drop about 33% if you are looking at 2017 values. I just ran both with zero upgrades/options or trailers. Just base value vs base value. Does that make sense? NADA is just a guide so these numbers may not be real world but at least it's a start.

[GMLIII]

Lots of misinformation about the SL on this thread. I've surfed both the G23 and SL. For surf wave the G23 is great but not nearly as tunable as the SL. Stock vs stock I'd give power/push to the G23 but shape I'd give to the SL. Once you add about 500-1000lbs to the SL it's truly amazing. I've never once sat on the bolster of the SL when driving surfers so bow rise is not a problem at all. And as for resale, Supra keeps pace with Nautique. I just did a NADA search on 2017 G23 vs 2017 SG (23' boat that the SL replaced) and the percentage lost is almost identical (67% Supra vs 66% Nautique in retained value price) but actual dollars was more with the G23 because it's more money to start with.

I still think the OP made the right decision because the G23 was his "dream boat" and his relationship with the dealer but I think a lot of people would be surprised at what Supra has to offer these days if they took the time to demo the boats.

What do you expect? You are on a Nautique specific website with a bunch of bias folks, who love the Nautique brand. If you want folks to comment and cheer and jump up and down about how great the Supra wave is and resale value go to the Supra website; this is a no brainier end of story. Just saying LOL

[jtryon]

Lots of misinformation about the SL on this thread. I've surfed both the G23 and SL. For surf wave the G23 is great but not nearly as tunable as the SL. Stock vs stock I'd give power/push to the G23 but shape I'd give to the SL. Once you add about 500-1000lbs to the SL it's truly amazing. I've never once sat on the bolster of the SL when driving surfers so bow rise is not a problem at all.

no one is mentioning that Supra has Autowake as well, which in theory could be a huge technical advantage. any real-world experience with Autowake?

[makeskiinggreatagain]

no one is mentioning that Supra has Autowake as well, which in theory could be a huge technical advantage. any real-world experience with Autowake?

Autowake is great for an "easy button" but for advanced surfers/wakeboarders it's a bit redundant. It's nice to never have to balance the boat out once you are up and surfing or wakeboarding, Autowake does it all for you. I personally like it more for wakeboarding because I don't have to shift people in the boat to keep the wake clean on both sides. The draft sensor is pretty sweet too.

[Shockthis]

Agreed , I love autowake for wakeboarding. We looked at a selling the Sl and going with a centurion but we both felt we would miss autowake to much. I also like auto wake if you have a large crew of people that are sitting in random places. If it just the family, then we don't use it.

Autowake is great for an "easy button" but for advanced surfers/wakeboarders it's a bit redundant. It's nice to never have to balance the boat out once you are up and surfing or wakeboarding, Autowake does it all for you. I personally like it more for wakeboarding because I don't have to shift people in the boat to keep the wake clean on both sides. The draft sensor is pretty sweet too.

[Infinity]

I like both of these boats. On the money factor...I think you made the right call going with the G since the real world numbers still seem to show that Nautique holds better than Supra (zip code dictates how much it seems but in most places I have researched, Nautique seems to hold the best generally speaking) and more people are looking for Nautique vs Supra. Supra has come a long ways in the last few years and I have surfed all the newer Supra's over the last summers and have liked them all (even got to surf behind a yacht one evening when the (2018 Supra SA450) boat owner we planned to surf that evening.... forgot/misplaced his ignition key and we were unable to start the boat for our session, lol....the yacht was fun and excellent experience, super tall wave with ridiculous push but no length and not the best shape with a trough at bottom of wave that would suck you under quick if not careful!).
Anyway, I surfed the 2018 SL (550) a few times this summer and with the 3500 sub-floor, 500lbs of lead and 7 people, the wave shape and size was perfect, wave was long and tons of push all the way thru. Had a great lip for airs and tricks and plenty of area to ride, boat also maneuvered/handled very well and the 3-tab "launch" system works very well (I certainly did not think bow rise was excessive at all).
Personally, I like the redundant switches on the Supra, in case there is an issue with the electronics and while you hope it wont happen and an electronic issue leaves you stranded in middle of lake cause your system wont boot up....reality is that its very possible at some point. The flip-side of course is that the look is not as clean and they seem to have started moving away from that design and reducing the switches on the newer models. I have heard that warranty is very good (much of this depends on your dealer no matter what brand you get), but dont have personal experience since I have not owned a Supra. I have seen first hand how quickly they jump on any issues and take care of the guys I ride with locally and am friends with.... they are also repeat buyers and 1 of them is a pro-surfer, that could partially play into that but I have heard that the local dealer to me is excellent in many way. I am also told that due to sales being so good last year they are NOT giving out great deals cause they don't have too and will sell the boat anyway.

The G speaks for itself in many ways. Fantastic fit n finish in every way and has a long standing history for quality. Personally, in MY experience and for how I like to ride which is aggressively, dropping back on the wave and then pumping forward for air's or other tricks.... I honestly preferred the Supra wave over the G23 and G25 boats I have been behind over last 2 summers. Some of this of course depends on setup and where the weight is placed and part of that could also be that the pro I ride with along with some other skilled friends that have helped me progress at my surfing....are mostly the Supra guys so of course they go the extra mile to get that "perfect set-up".

One thing that IMO sets the 2 boats apart and is a big deal for ME personally (and I know plenty of people do not share this opinion with me and have not have issues), is the PCM engine in the Nautique vs the Raptor engine in the Supra. The Raptor engine is WAY louder and there is no disputing this, period. Some of that may be how the manufacture insulates the engine compartment, but I dont think that is the main issue since I have looked at the differences between these 2 brands and dont notice much that sets them apart in that respect, at least visually. I have noticed how much louder EVERY Raptor boat I have been in, especially at 3000+ rpm. Also, while this may not matter to some folks (and doesn't apply to the 550 anyway), I like that the PCM is engineered to run 87-89 octane while Raptor is 91+. While most people would run the higher octane anyway since its what the marinas carry at their pumps, its not always possible to find the higher octane when you get it off the water (depending on your location) and its nice to have that option, especially for a guy like me who trailers and gets fuel off the water to save some $$. I have used the 89 ethenol free octane in my PCM ZR409 for the last 2 years in my boat and not only is it MUCH easier to find, but also a lot cheaper. When you have a 70 gallon tank and the difference is $1 - $1.50 per gallon, that makes a big difference in a weekend, for a guy like me who works to be able to play. It would not make or break me, otherwise I would no own a boat like this, but its still nice to save where I can and use that $ for other stuff since I am not in a position to not care about saving some $ when I can. There are some other things I am not crazy about in the Raptor, like the O2 sensor issues, etc. I know PCM has had a few issues over last couple years (like belt tensioner) and besides the hassle it causes breaking and leaving you stranded, it sucks to have any downtime, I am lucky that my 2014 ZR409 has been problem and warranty free of any issues since I got it in 2016.

This post ended up being a lot longer than I intended, guess it would have been simpler to just say: "Good call on the G purchase". All things considered that you posted, its the choice I would have made between those 2. These boats are both great in most ways and for the most part, the newer boats are all fairly comparable in many ways now and IMO, its mostly personal opinion (your dealer being the biggest deciding factor IMO since they can/will make or break you when it comes to warranty and service) and no brand is clearly "better" than another when you are talking about the 5 bigger boys (I have surfed behind all the newer boats, except Mastercraft) and they all perform very well, have good fit/finish/layout and can put out a great wave, they all require a little tuning to get the wave that you prefer. All that said and not being a "brand junky" in any way, (I own/love my Centurion SV244) I think the scales tip in favor of the G overall. Congrats!