considering a 20 ssv

[Ptownkid]

Looking for opinions. I want something that will be easy to surf, and puts out a decent wakeboard wake. I care more about the surf wake though. Currently have a saltare. What are the pros and cons of the 20?

[trayson]

Don't the 20's have a single axle trailer? I don't like that...

[Jetlink]

Don't the 20's have a single axle trailer? I don't like that...

Just curious why you don't? I have a single axle trailer that I can move around easily either with the truck or by hand. It tracks true and straight at all speeds and weights as well. If more axles are better then maybe we should all run triple axles under our trailers.

[cjtpilot]

Just curious why you don't? I have a single axle trailer that I can move around easily either with the truck or by hand. It tracks true and straight at all speeds and weights as well. If more axles are better then maybe we should all run triple axles under our trailers.
The difference is weight. When comparing a 2300# boat to a 35oo# or more boat that is a big difference.

[trayson]

Just curious why you don't? I have a single axle trailer that I can move around easily either with the truck or by hand. It tracks true and straight at all speeds and weights as well. If more axles are better then maybe we should all run triple axles under our trailers.

My boat weighed surprisingly more than I would have imagined. Obviously, I couldn't weigh it off the trailer, so I weighed the boat and trailer together. my boat/trailer combo weighed 5100 pounds!!! Need two axles to distribute that weight.

The other reason is a little security I guess. I've had a couple flat tires on my trailer. The first one we didn't even realize it was flat until we pulled the boat out of the water. But we had 3 other tires to take up the slack so we just changed it in the parking lot. Last week, we were driving down the freeway and another truck waved us down and told us that one of our trailer tires was flat. We hadn't really noticed it yet. If I had a single axle, I'd have had to stop right there and change it on the side of the freeway. Having dual axles allowed me to drive a mile or two and roll into a local tire shop where we whipped out the changeover in about 7 minutes with floor jack and air tools. We got home a lot quicker and made our dinner reservations that night.

Just personal preference on having some redundancy I guess.

[Ptownkid]

Yes, they do have a single axle, but that is not going to be the deal breaker when considering which model suits us best. Pretty sure these manufacturers know what they are doing when it comes to which trailer to use for their product.

[trayson]

Yes, they do have a single axle, but that is not going to be the deal breaker when considering which model suits us best. Pretty sure these manufacturers know what they are doing when it comes to which trailer to use for their product.

Totally understandable. Just a preference thing for the reasons I stated above. Single axle's have their advantages too (less sidewall strain when turning and two less brakes to service, two less tires to buy, two less bearings to deal with!)

For me, I'm going to be really picky on the seating layout of my next boat, so I'll probably end up with the 21v.

[Ptownkid]

Well there is a good place to start...What are the differences in seating between the 20/22/24 ssv and the 21v?

[trayson]

Well, I've decided that I need a 2005 or newer, because they made some interior updates around then. I personally LOVE the playpen bow with the pair of flip up backrests. I also like the rear seating to wrap ALL the way around to the back of the driver's seat on the Starboard side.

So, looking at a 2007 owner's manaual (available on the Supra webpage http://www.supraboats.com/archive/#), I found the following based on the pics on page 19+
http://www.supraboats.com/library/downloads/SupraOwners_2007.pdf

Sunsport 20v, Launch 20ssv = Walkthrough bow (filler cushion is an option), full wrap around seating in the back.
Sunsport 22v, Launch 22SSV = walkthrough bow, rear bench doesn't wrap around to starboard
Sunsport 24v, Launch 24ssv = playpen bow, starboard corner of rear seat is a step, rearfacing double seat behind driver.
Launch 21v = Playpen bow, full wrap around rear seating = WINNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also think that in 2005 to 2007, that the rear seat would pull forward to make it for a pair to sit there looking backwards (like on the Axis a22).

I have also been told that the 20, 22 and 24's actually have better surf waves than the 21v. But I have a hard time believing that I'd be disappointed with any v-drive wave after coming from a DD. to me the seating is most important as that's hard to change. The wave IMO can be dialed in with ballast or surf gates/blades.

[Ptownkid]

Rad...was trying to find those, thanks. I'm looking at 2008-2009 most likely. I actually like the seating in the 22/24 better, people want to face rear to watch the action, that love seat behind the driver is smart. I used to think I wanted a 21V, but they seem to be pricier and people do indeed say the surf is better on the ssv's.

[trayson]

Rad...was trying to find those, thanks. I'm looking at 2008-2009 most likely. I actually like the seating in the 22/24 better, people want to face rear to watch the action, that love seat behind the driver is smart. I used to think I wanted a 21V, but they seem to be pricier and people do indeed say the surf is better on the ssv's.

Yeah, the seating config in the 22 and 24 is pretty unique. Definitely the SSV because that whole step thing on the Sunsports is kinda dumb IMO.

I think I could learn to like the double rear facing seat behind the driver. It's definitley a unique layout. I would love the "triple up" seating where there's a backrest on midway down the port side seating so you could lay out like a lounge chair. That would be sick. Lots of modern boats do that.

For you, coming from a Salty, I'd imagine you'd want the extra length and not want to go tremendously shorter.

Between the 22 and the 24, I find it interesting that it appears that at least a good foot of the extra length is in the playpen, with the 24 having a noticeably longer playpen... the 24 also has the "riders cubby" storage behind the engine? that's interesting. based on that, I'd probably go with the 22ssv, but that's because I'm used to a smaller boat. But that's looking at a 2007. The 2005 launch 22ssv has that rear bench that doesn't wrap around and doesn't get the rear facing behind the driver seat. Boo.

[Ptownkid]

Actually, if the 20 would suit our needs I'd much rather the smaller boat.

[2500HD]

I actually prefer not having the seat behind the driver......Big cooler adds seating and ballast for my side surfing lol

[KG's Supra24]

Most of the stuff above holds pretty true from my experience. I love the seating configuration of the 22/24 and the 21v is definately a better wake boat than surf boat. I've done both behind it, though. The box behind the engine on the 24 is one of my favorite features. Trayson, I'm not certain on the rear seat on the 21v being movable. It has been a while since I've been in one, though, so I'm not sure.

On the 20, if you are up to throwing a sack over the top the locker you can get a great wave. You can definitely get a surfable wave without the extra sack, though.

Potential issues are same as most of the 05-07 range .... Perfect pass display, 3 pin rack swivels, slow ballast, poor swim pad, poor factory stereo wiring ....

Of course ... pics ....

In surf mode ...
http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i401/kwgarner24/DSC_0008.jpg

24 on the left side of pic .... 20 on the right side of pic
http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i401/kwgarner24/DSC_0004.jpg

Surf action from opposite side
http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i401/kwgarner24/DSC_0022.jpg

[garyholl]

Actually, if the 20 would suit our needs I'd much rather the smaller boat.
Careful with that smaller boat heresy you're throwing around. 1 in 10 people (I just made that up) upgrade to larger boats when they re-buy. More room is always good! More weight, more storage, more people and a better ride. I personally have never heard someone say I wish my boat was smaller. We like the 24 even when it's just my wife and I. I like it better when we are stacking bikinis in it.
You could say more gas, slower top speed but that is less important to me.

[Zim]

As a 20 footer owner, I'd say I'm 80% happy with mine. The only thing I don't really love about the boat is the low freeboard, otherwise, I have no qualms. I'd obviously prefer a 24 footer, but the 20 is fine for my needs at the moment.

With the 20, you can fit it in a garage, you can trailer it with pretty much anything, you don't burn through 3 tanks of gas during a weekend, and you can still take 10 people along for the ride. 10 people obviously gets a little tight, but it's doable if you need to. Storage is a little lacking in the 20, just because the seats sit lower in the boat so the storage underneath them isn't quite as deep, but still plenty for a day on the lake. I run on a 7000 acre lake most weekends, with the occasional trips to the bigger 40,000+ acre lakes on holidays and can get around just fine through the boat traffic. You do have to pay attention to how you cross a wake a little more since the 20 can slam you pretty good if you're not careful, but it rides fine. If you're not in the bow, it's plenty comfortable even in chop. With a good driver, even the people up in the bow aren't complaining.

When it comes to the wakes, they're nice. Wakeboard wake is scary to me with full ballast. Has a nice smooth ramp with a good lip at the top that can throw you out into the flats if you're willing to go there. I've had chest high surf waves with 6 people in the boat, 750lb sacs in the locker, 400lb bag in the ski locker, and an extra 400lb bag in the bow. It's plenty long and steep and gives solid push. No complaints here form the surf wave. If you like to ski, it throws a very skiable slalom wake too for a v-drive. Pretty impressive actually.

As for the motor, I have the 325hp assault in my 2006. It does the job just fine. I'm repropped to a 14.25x14.5 4 blade OJ prop, and I have no problems planing a weighted boat. I also hit 41mph on GPS last weekend with that prop... not too bad.

For seating, It wraps all the way around the back so no problems there. One of the seats does actually slide out to create a rear facing seat. I've never used it, but it is there if that's important to you.

In regards to the single axle, they don't all come with them. Just like boat upgrades are options at the dealer, so are trailers. Some have tandem axle's under them, some don't. Mines a single and I haven't had any problems with it. Boatmate makes a solid product. I did put some 10ply Load range E tires on my trailer though to give them the maximum strength for the boat, since it is kind of heavy for a 20 footer. Just check to make sure they're inflated correctly, check for dry rot on the sidewall AND Tread, and replace if necessary. Tires wear out before the tread wears out on a trailer. Shouldn't ever have a tire on a trailer that's older than 5 years old regardless of how it looks.

I'd recommend the 20 for sure... it's a fun boat.


Downfalls...

Slow ballast
95" beam (not horrible, but I'd like wider)
low freeboard
storage