Supra saltare wakesurfer vs v drive

[andyzarkovich]

Hey guys. Someone basically gave me a 89 supra saltare direct drive 23ft and I also have a 97 us marine (bayliner) wake challenger 22ft v drive with an intragraded swim platform. Trying to decide what to keep. We are mainly wakesurfers and sometimes extreme tubers. Haha.

I've got my wake challenger slammed with about 3500 lbs of ballast with johnson reversables. The surf wake is amazing (waist high) and the wakeboard wake is very good too. I've got fresh air exhaust on it. I have owned several sunsports and love them (it was my first boat too)

I've never came across a virgin saltare and for some reason I am kind of ready for a new project (I think something is wrong with me) and want to go bananas on this thing. The floor is good on this saltare but it needs to be repainted or wrapped (I can do both or maybe I will build a sleeper haha) and the upholstery needs to be redone (I have my sources). I'm thinking of throwing weight in the back ski locker, rebuild the back seat to accept a big bag, put 2 v drive sacs in the front under the playpen and have a couple bricks for when there isn't enough people. I also don't see any reason to put a tower on it cause I rarely use a rope and half the time I start off the swim platform anyway. I could always add one later. I think the saltare will handle rougher water (torch/Burt/mullet/Hamlin lakes in michigan) better than my wake challeger and a couple lakes we go in are shallow and I think the saltare will draft less water. Also the sunspots are way more fun to drive and better for tubing than my wake challenger. I don't think I'm worried about having too many people on board or people tripping over ppl due to the direct drive cause we don't go out with much over 4-5. I love wake boarding but my ankle dosent. So I don't need a wakeboard boat anymore and like the idea of selling the big dollar v drive and putting some money in the bank and building the ultimate budget wake surfing boat that we might use 50-100 hrs per year. I'm pretty savey with these old boats and I don't think I will have much more than a few grand into paint, upholestry, fae and ballast.

Do you think I can get the surf wake to match up?
I'm nervous about going from a recently rebuilt black scorpion 350 with efi to a 1989 454 with 780 hours. I'm not a carb or engine expert but know a lot of people who are and this 454 purrs like a kitten. I'm also nervous about replacing the floor/stringers down the road but like I said no soft spots and this thing is clean.

Let me know if you think I need to go to "wakesurf boat repairers anonymous" or if you think the project would be fun and worth it.

Oh if u have no clue what a wake challenger is look at this link: http://www.xairwakeboarding.com/boats/27/

[Supra-in-steamboat]

Time to shine up that Bayliner and sell it. I don't know that the Salt will hold 3500lbs of ballast, holy crap, but its a bigger boat all around, beam , freeboard,etc. For surfing, bigger is better. Go Tigers.

[andyzarkovich]

The Bayliner or us marine wake challenger has 3500 lbs of weight. I don't know if I will quite get there with the saltare but I'm sure I will get close after I'm done. I say it's a Bayliner but it does not use that word anywhere on the boat. It's actually quite ahead of its time for a 97. It's got heat, wrap around windshield with a nice built in wind blocker and wrap around seating. I guess I'm just kinda a project guy and I like supra's. Going from efi to carb is the biggest thing that scares me. Thanks for your thoughts.

[2500HD]

The salt will throw a really really nive wave with half that amount (but i was using a surfgate). That being said, you could also sell both and get a 2000 launch or santera. just something to think about.

[andyzarkovich]

Well the biggest reasons to sell the v drive is to draft less water, have a more fun boat to drive, not set up the wake for wakeboarding so I actually stop and stop hurting my ankle, and save money. Not a bad idea tho. And I am sure I will have a surf gate by the time I'm done. I can't do it with the integer ares swim platform on my wake challenger otherwise I would have done it already ;)

[haugy]

Someone GAVE YOU A SALTARE? I hate you. :D

Forget the pics of the Yuppie boat, let's see the Saltare.

Personally I'd agree, sell them both and get something that will really put out the wake you want.

[andyzarkovich]

Haha, basically gave. It was an estate sale and the people thought they just had an old junky boat. Had no clue what it was. I will get u some pics. Honestly the wake challenger puts up almost as big of a wave as my buddies $90,000 dealer demo centurion. I am happy with the wakeboard and surf wave with the v drive wake challenger but I think I can get the same surf wave with the saltare since it's 2 ft longer and I can weigh it down just as much, that's the real debate. If I can get the same surf wave and save several thousand dollars that is what I'm looking to do. If you don't think the saltare wave will stack up to a 22' v drive wave then I will probably keep my v drive. Thanks!

[bens250ex]

Yea you should probably keep the vdrive and pass the salt along to me :D just tell me where I need to pick it up at!

[wotan2525]

I've got intimate experience with both boats. My GF had a Wake Challenger that I learned to surf on. It was actually a really nice boat -- super ahead of its time.

The Saltare will surf better, though. If you can stand to give up fuel injection and heat and the reliability of a "newer" boat.

The Wake Challenger does not put out the same wake as an Enzo. No way, no how, I call 100% BS or you are smoking rocks. It's a 22' boat but that figure is misleading because it has the swim platform integrated. It feels like a 20-21ft boat. It's not super wide, and it doesn't have a great hull for surfing. It's an "ok" surf boat but not a "great" surf boat. The saltare is a "good" surf boat but not a great surf boat. You'll get a longer, fatter wave with a lot more push. It's just science -- the more water you can displace, the better the surfing is going to be.

Here's your problem, though -- My GF bought her 1997 Wake Challenger with under 50 hours on it in 2001 for $12k. Yes, she stole it from the bank. Yes, it was worth more. But it's probably not worth a LOT more than the Saltare is at this point. That Saltare is going to need new stringers in the next couple of years and once you get all of that squared away and the new upholstery and the engine sorted and the ballast and some stereo, you're going to be in the $8k-10k range on your investment. Plus it will feel like decades in the garage.

So -- if this is your idea of saving some money, forget it! If, however, you just want a project..... I think you found one! ;)

[andyzarkovich]

Good insight. There were two wake challengers, the 20' and the 22'. I've got the 22 and like I said I have 3500lbs of ballast. The centurion (I can't remember what model) didn't have more than a thousand as it didn't have the surf package with all the weight. Add the weight and I'm sure it would capsize me ;). The fact that the saltare is so massive is why I think I can build just as good or a better wave. I just like experimenting. I think I'm just going to go to Wally World and buy a couple air mattresses, throw them in the saltare and see how it does to make the final decision. My wake challenger has been repainted, has a ton of ballast and a crazy sound system so I hope to get more than 12k. 12k is good price if it's just a stock boat. I am less worried about the 454 than I am the floor. Actually I think the 454 might do good since they have so much torque vs a 350. When the boat isn't in the lake it's in a pole barn and it looks like the previous owner did the same thing so I hope the floor will hold for years to come (10+).

Honestly I kinda like the challenge of building a budget boat that can compete with my friends expensive boats and I love the way the older direct drive supra's handle. They are like a jet ski vs the v drive is like turning the queen Mary.

I'm gunna take it out on the lake if it ever quits raining. I'll let u all know what I decide on. Thanks!

[DAFF]

Sell both and buy a Launch..... It would be much easier to exchange money then to do all the work in rebuilding the Salt to what you desire.

By the look of the hull of the Challenger is must drive like a twitching Frisbee when going slow with all your ballast. If you are looking for something with the least amount of draft you already own it. Please post some pics of the Saltare so we can see it.