Surf model buying advice

[hldr]

Hello,

I have owned a cobalt 206 for 20 years and desperately need to upgrade. Im looking at buying a surf class cobalt. My wife and i are slalom skiers and I would like to get into surfing as i age. An r3/r4 or r5/r6 is my target. Im trying to decide the best bang for the buck in this range and am wondering how these models surf. While I could get a r6surf --- Im having a hard time swallowing that price tag. Im typically a buy used kinda guy and wondering what sacrifice would be made by saving almost 6 figures on a nice 6 year old model. An r3 would be quite a step up for me but i will keep it long term so i can justify the extra coin. Im 6'2 210lbs and would like something that will push me on the surf side.

I know that the even series got the surf gate and new hull. Id guess that would make them the better surf wave, but how noticable is the difference? Likewise is there a massive difference between the smaller boats to the midsize boats? I think the r5/r6 might have more ballast???

I have noticed a dearth of r4surfs on the used market. That might be my best option if it makes a good wave.

Do any of these boats make a slalomable wake? I'm not talking prostar wake but just something one can cut across without losing fillings from teeth. Ya know recreational skiing.

My 206 beats the crap out of me on my lake and i'd definitely like to improve on that aspect. Id guess any of these will be a significant improvement.

Guidance requested from the masses for one whom has been out of the market for some time. Thanks.

[AsLan7]

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So glad you found us hldr.

The even R series were improved upon with the surf wave being a better end product for the consumer using Malibu's influence. Search the site for user's opinions on this. We did not own a surf series but others will chime in shortly. One thing we did own was a 26' boat and had smaller boats before that. Going from a 24' to 26 was a good improvement in ride. What really made a difference on the water in terms of size was having an extra extended swim platform. The boat just seems so much bigger on the water with those platforms. The R4 may feel big enough with a nice platform for you and the fam. How big is your lake? We were on lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay. A 26 footer was perfect for that body of water while doing water sports.

Be sure to post pics if you pull the trigger. And welcome aboard mate!

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[dsthomas]

So I have an R8S and I came from an R7S... If you want something that will really let you surf without having to make any modifications like adding a fat-sac or wave shaper then you will have to buy an even series surf model. The odd series surf boats throw a wave but if you are 200 lbs or over it can be difficult to surf without the rope. I'm 250 and 6'2 and on our R7 surf I was able to surf with out the rope but I had to stay exactly on that little area on the wave that would give me some push. If we put a 200 lb fat sac in the back or if we had 200 lbs of people back there then it was a little easier as long as no one was in the bow of the boat. Our R8 surf wave is much better, I can surf all over the wave no matter where anyone sits no added weight needed at all, its more than enough wave to push my fat but.

I do like the looks of the odd series better, and I think they ride and handle better too. They are also lighter so gas is better with the odd series. But if you want the best of both worlds... go with the even series, you'll have a pretty good surf and cruiser, the odd series you will have a great cruiser with surf wave that works for little kids but with adults you'll have to make modifications. Both are great boats. Others may have different opinions, this was just my experience.

[jhnmdahl]

The even series (R6, R8) are generally too new to see many on the used market yet. The even series boats do look more stylish and up-to-date like a ski boat, and the oddseries (R5, R7) aren't as dedicated to watersports and don't create as good a surfing wave as the even series does. The odd series does have a steeper hull angle and handles big waves very well for the size, and is a great all-around boat if surfing wasn't the main reason you're getting a boat.

Cobalts in general are heavier and more capable than other brands in the same length, and you can compare weight and hull angle of a 25' Coblat to a 25' bowrider in other brands to get a pretty good idea of why people say they handle big lakes and rough water better. Although the new even R series has a shallower hull angle, the added carrying weight makes up for some of that in helping the boat ride well in choppy water.

To muddy the waters further, here's a video of someone who added ballast to their R5 to improve the wave, which may be an option:


John

[hldr]

Thanks so much for the responses.

Can anyone speak to the surf difference between the r4 and r6? 5600lbs hull and 1200lbs ballast on the r4 vs 6100lb hull and 2300 lb ballast. maybe the additional hull length negates the extra weight on wave shape?? I really don't need the extra length (and god forbid anyone take a deuce in the head -- we have a lake cabin for that) but at this cost the incremental upgrade price over the long term isn't unjustifiable.



Power options --- i gather the 380 is the sweet spot for the r6. What about the r4?? 300 vs 350 are the same block just different top end rpms??

Let's talk options.....

What does this prisma arch get you that the regular one doesn't?

Large garmin screens vs small(er)? does the small screens still integrate the surf controls or do they have a different head unit?

How dirty and chiseled up does the seadek get over time? i use mine as regular transportation (water access only cabin) so i have to bring everything from groceries to hardware to tools to construction materials via boat. I have a pontoon deck (no motor) for the truely large items (washer/dryer etc) that i pull like a trailer. I might prefer seagrass.

Platinum sound vs the mid range option. Is the option with 2 cans upgradeable reasonably?

Which racks are the favorite? clamping seems nice.

Does the rear camera only work in surf mode? or can i use it during slalom skiing? would it even be usable for that purpose? maybe too wide angle to see anything that far out?

Built in maintainer seems nice --- until it fails 6 mo after warranty. easily replaceable or proprietary?

trim tabs would seem a no brainer for a boat this size weight.

Sail shade on rear seems attractive if it isn't a pia to store and deploy. anyone actually use them?

I'm a keep is simple person so i will likely skip windlass, electric seats, rgb lights, shower, e-step, under seat lights, fire suppression, stainless tread, pillows etc

Thanks for your opinions.

[trimtn]

Hi hldr - We love our 2022 R8 Surf. Some info:
Engine - we have the 380 - it has been fine on our lake even with the bigger boat. That said, more power is always good!
Prisma arch - seems like overkill to the clean modern design of the boat. We opted for the standard solid arch, which we really like.
Garmin - The larger screens are very nice both in design (fill the dash) and ability to read.
We have Sea Grass - no nonsense, cleans very easily with snap out (Cobalt uses Marine Mat which looks and feels great, however a bit more maintenance).
Platinum sound - we love it as do our guests. Fun feature - crisp sound and all levels of volume. Subs are great.
Racks - We have the Roswell Triton racks - very nice, hold firm, look great.
Rear camera - works anytime you turn it on. Nice feature especially for water sports.
Battery maintainer - we have the 110V - great to keep everything topped off. No issues.
Trim Tabs - yes, a must have. They do not have indicators, however you really are looking at the boat position when using them.
Shade sail - we have the aft shade sail (we had it installed by our dealer this year). Only used it a few times, simple to store, looks nice, gives great coverage. We have it in black.
Other - Windlass a must have on our lake. Electric seat is a nice to have, but not critical, especially if you stand a lot when driving. RGB - love them with the tower speakers, however we do go out a lot at night - we did not do underwater lights though. Shower - maybe if on salt water. e-Step - no, manual is more than fine. Fire suppression - we did not do it, but I would if I purchased again - safety. stainless tread - seems like a cleaning problem - we did not do it. Pillows - nope - it is a Surf boat and my wife already has enough pillows scattered around our house!
I hope this helps. You will love the boat!

[jhnmdahl]

I don't have an R series, but I'll speak to a few other things. I upgraded my "standard" Rockford Fosgate speakers and Sony head unit to Roswell speakers (I think they were part of Cobalt Platinum?) with a JL audio class D amp and a Fusion head unit and remote - huge upgrade, especially the speakers and amp, although the usability of the Fusion is awesome compared to a few other head units I've tried.

The battery maintainer is an off-the-shelf Procharger, and is easier to replace than to install from scratch. I looked at carpet, SeaDek, and seagrass, and seagrass was an easy decision after talking to the dealership owner about his experience with longevity.

I don't have a Prisma tower, but every one I've seen has PTM wakeboard racks as stnadard, side tow points for teaching beginners, and you can lower it powered (mine is manual) to go under a bridge, stick it in your garage, etc.. The bimini looked like it might be slightly larger (which is always a good thing), and if you're into bling I think there's more LED lighting too.

John

[dsthomas]

We have the Prizma tower and it looks so cool especially when all lit up. However, we have had a problem with it shaking a lot in choppy water. Dealer installed some anti sway bars and I've noticed all the 2023-24 models have them already installed. Lots of people have complained about the shaking. I wonder if it's any better on the 2023-24 prisma towers. Other than the shanking It looks really nice!

[Krob1114]

I have noticed a dearth of r4surfs on the used market. That might be my best option if it makes a good wave.

There is probably a reason why you notice so many R4s. I'm guessing people weren't that happy and wanted something bigger or with a better wave.
When we were in the market a few years ago looking to upgrade, I noticed most of the R5's that were for sale had a 300 H.P. engine. Never a 350 or bigger. But we are happy with the 300 in our R3. But surfing is not something we need.

Good luck.

[hldr]

What I actually meant to say was that there are no are 4 surf models available on any of the traditional sites. Maybe that's because the owners are very happy with them. But I still have not been able to find a surf report on the R4. i'd especially like to know how it compares to the R6 . If anyone knows of one please send it my way.

[Sumgai]

You might want to play hooky and sneak over to Cobalt's Boss'es house, or at at least their garage:
https://www.malibuboats.com/discover-ma ... on-engines

Malibu, who lives and dies by their "wave," offers three engines: 360hp-400 ft lbs. TORQUE, 430hp-460 TORQUE and 607hp-606 TORQUE (Don't know why they detuned the ZO6 LT4 motor from 650 HP-650 Torque, and it's good in vettes for up to 755hp)

Maybe take a page out of their playbook and seek the largest motor available in your "balt if you want to make the biggest wave.