November 30th 2011.
By Jeff Hemmel

Tigé RZR Boat Test Notes

Reviewer Jeff Hemmel shares his detailed notes about Tige's 20 footer.

Concept

The RZR's spring-loaded Alpha Z tower folds down to fit in a garage.

Same ride, features, performance of larger models in a 20-foot package.
Should appeal to those with tow-vehicle limitations, garage concerns, length-restricted waterways, budget limitations.
Versatile hull, trim tab, ballast combination serves slalom skiers, wakeboarders, wakesurfers alike.

Construction

High-density, closed-cell foam, injection-molded stringer system precisely follows inner contours of hull.
Engine mount beams and floor systems manufactured from Penske Xtreme composite panel, reinforced with both strand and woven fiberglass.
Engine mounts thru-bolted on 2” Penske beams fitted with structural aluminum saddles.
Hull, core and floor components laminated and joined before fully cured, forming primary bond. Hull and deck chemically bonded; hand-laid fiberglass backs entire hull-deck joint.
Exceptional lifetime hull replacement warranty.

Performance

Top speed: 40.9 mph with 343hp PCM 5.7-liter V-drive engine.
At tow speeds around 23 mph, burned approximately seven gallons of fuel per hour.
Strong acceleration, minimal bowrise.

Handling

Convex V hull design features wakeboard-like rocker. Naturally settles to produce a large wake at wakeboard/wake surf speeds.
TAPS trim plate can be lowered to push bow down, produce ski-friendly wake sizes, as well as further fine-tune wake shape for board riding.
Lack of directional thrust requires brief learning curve around the dock.
Driving with fully loaded ballast requires care in sharp turns.

Features
Tige RZR specifications

Tige Touch; iPad-like touchscreen controls all the boat’s vital functions, including speed control, ballast load, sound system. Cool, but can be hard to see in occasional glare.
Water ballast further increases wake size, can be distributed to fore, aft, starboard and port tanks to personalize wakes.
Cast-aluminum Alpha Z tower exceptionally solid. Spring-loading makes raising, lowering tower one-man job if necessary.
Wet Sounds speaker system features power amps and tower speakers for big sound quality.

Well-designed transom area offers place to gear up for skiing or riding, wet stowage compartment for towropes, etc.

More Info
Visit Tigé Boats
Read Jeff’s previous review, Tigé RZR: Small Boat, Big Capabilities

About the author:

Jeff Hemmel

Profile: Jeff Hemmel writes for Boating, PersonalWatercraft.com, and Powersports Business. The former Senior Editor at Watercraft World, Jeff is a multi-time award winner as well as a 2008 inductee into the IJSBA Hall of Fame. His first book, The Anti-Pirate Potato Cannon...and 101 Other Things For Young Mariners To Try, Do, & Build On the Water, recently received a bronze medal in the 2010 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. For more info, visit Jeff Hemmel's website..

This feature was posted on Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 6:27 am and is filed under Boat Test Notes.

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