The Centurion Ri series boats are considered to be the best surf boats in the world and we’re going to talk about how they perform, what they do, and what you can expect when you get behind one.
Today, we are going to focus on the Ri245. This model is the middle of the Ri series– there’s a smaller version (Ri230) and a larger version (Ri265). One thing that is important to note when we’re talking about the Ri series boats from Centurion, is that they all have very similar surf waves. The only difference between each of these models is that the Ri265 surf wave is just a couple of feet longer than the Ri245, and the Ri230 surf wave is just a couple of feet shorter than the Ri245. The size, the mass, the displacement, and the push that these waves provide are all going to be virtually identical. The reason for this is due to the way the hull design is engineered and how much ballast is put in each boat.
The more ballast that you put into a boat hull the deeper it will sink into the water. If you have a boat with more surface area (i.e a larger boat such as an Ri265) it is going to sit higher in the water than a smaller surface area boat if you put the same amount of ballast in each boat. That is why in each Centurion Ri series, they’re not equipped with the same amount of ballast. The Ri230, the Ri245, and the Ri265 increasingly each have slightly more ballast in the boat.
Respectively, as you go up in size, your wave and all of the other different things are going to be virtually identical between the models. Which is just the length of the wave due to the length of the hull that is plowing through the water. The key element to the surf performance on the Ri245 starts at the hull. One thing that is unique about Centurion boats is that the entire boat, from the ground up, has been engineered to provide a superior surf experience. All of the systems that interact with it are designed with a Surf First Focus, meaning that it is not designed as a wakeboard or ski hull (even though it can do both of those activities great). It is designed to be a surf boat. All of the different engineering aspects that go into this boat are designed to make it so that the boat itself can create a better surf wave.
When creating a wave, the Centurion boats feature a deeper draft where the boat itself sits deeper into the water than any other towboat. Before we even put any ballast in the boats, it is already displacing more water–at surf speed. From there, we have the Opti-V 2.0 hull design. The hull has a v shape and a 20-degree deadrise at the back of the boat. That v shape to the hull allows the water to be split to one side or the other, naturally. This results in two things:
#1– It results in a more powerful, firm wave that has more push and more power. It translates to a longer surf wave. One that has a longer surfable area so you’re not just right off the platform. Instead, you’re 15 to 30+ feet behind the boat.
#2– The customization capability of a Centurion Ri wave can be customized to exactly who is going to get behind the boat and what kind of a wave they like to ride on. That means the wave can be adjusted and changed so that you can have a wave that is both powerful and customized to your needs. The size, power, and the shape of the wave are independent variables on a Centurion, where on other boats, they are the same.
One of the common critiques that you may hear about a Centurion is that they’re difficult to set up. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s as simple as just pressing one button and it will set everything up for you with preset rider profiles. You can also even go to just the extent of filling up all the ballast and pressing surf left or surf right.
When you’re talking about wave power (the push and force) that you get as you’re standing on the surface, the main difference is water volume. How thick the wave is, not necessarily how tall. That thickness and volume is something that you can, not only see on a Centurion but is also really easy to identify if you look at videos or pictures. Going beyond that, it is something that you can feel.
Wanna know more? Watch the video on this page!
