Sea Ray SLX-W 230: Exclusive Review

Sea Ray’s new SLX-W 230 encapsulates clever design, the latest wake-making technology and extensive R&D, while also retaining the seaworthy DNA that has made this big American brand famous. After two years in the making, we flew to Florida to ride and drive this

OVERVIEW
- A terrific wakeboat with Sea Ray seaworthiness
After keeping this cool new purpose-built wakeboat under wraps for two years, Sea Ray has just unveiled its SLX-W 230 to the booming global watersports market. The hot bowrider is powered by a 370hp 6.2L MerCruiser V8 with V-Drive and some terrific new wake-making technology.

As you can’t wake surf safely behind an outboard or a sterndrive with their rear whirring props, the V-Drive was the logical solution for Sea Ray and its sister propulsion company Mercury, which is also owned by Brunswick Marine. The four-blade prop is back inboard some 1.80m away from the swim platform (removable when garaging) and there’s also rudder separation.

The wake system comprises 1920lbs or 871kg of integrated in-built ballast in three tanks (leaving plenty of storage space left over), large trim plates and surf fins designed to clean-up the wave face. It's all linked back to a Dynamic Display with preset wake modes and customisable wave shapes. Dial-up the ride to suit your skill level and
style.

But we also like the fact that the SLX-W 230 is more than a one-trick pony. This boat rates as a terrific family social platform, offering a high degree of safety and comfort while cruising open water. This is not a wet, low-slung wakeboat but a deep, dry and seaworthy bowrider. Maybe you could call it a bow-waker?

Of course, you find plenty of plush upholstery and seating, room to stash your carry-on kit and ride gear, and a large swim platform. The centre walk-through cockpit means you aren't forced to tread on upholstery to hit the water, either.

The gas-assisted folding tower comes standard, but there are speaker upgrades, board racks to buy, plus metallic gelcoat hull-and-deck options if you want to ramp-up the styling and really be noticed on your new SLX-W 230.

Meantime, the 6.2L MerCruiser inboard with V-Drive has a low centre of gravity and with the weight of the V8 engine, the 2500kg-plus bowrider feels really stable.

With a seaworthy hull with deep sides and stacks of freeboard, this is a true saltwater, open-water towboat well suited to Australian conditions.

SEA RAY WAKE SYSTEM
- Proprietary wake-making system works a treat
For making waves, the SLX-W 230 uses a combination of inbuilt or fixed ballast, surf fins and trim plates, linked back to the 12in Dynamic Display on the dash.

The ballast, carried in fixed tanks (with room to retrofit bags, we reckon), takes four to five minutes to fill for wakesurfing and double that for the full wakeboarding launch experience. This is par for the course.

The Dynamic Display has push-button factory preset modes for Cruise  — the auto tabs deploy and assist the boat to launch up to high-20mph which is good for skiiing — Surf Left and Right, and Wakeboard, plus Advanced pages that let you customise the wake.

Sea Ray told us it worked hard on making and shaping the wake, using pro input and its naval innovation team, and ultimately dialled in a long pocket on a steep wave that’s good for riders of all abilities.

"There’s more room and you can get a lot further back due to the longer power section," Fred Herrington, a Naval Innovation and Product Validation Manager, told us while we dispatched the rider and put the new SLX-W 230 to the test in the warm waters off Captiva Island, Florida.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Deep vee hull with more freeboard perfect for open waterways
A big point of difference with the SLX-W 230 over other wakeboats is the ride. Sea Ray has used a classic 21 degree deep-vee hull, with its so-called Dynamic Running Surface, and the boat performs and cruises like a proper saltwater bowrider and doesn't ship water at low speeds or bang.

At the US media presentation in mid-December 2016, Sea Ray told us the SLX-W 230 is a boat that isn’t confined to early morning outings and won’t get beat up. That's right on.

We tested the new SLX-W 230 as the wind filled in. While the wave face suffered from the chop, the boat remained comfortable with a crew of four and could easily carry two watersports-loving families.

Compared with some low-profile wakeboats, this bowrider has a greater saltwater and dual-purpose application that should endear it to Aussie boaters.

JOYSTICK DOCKING
- Taking the prop walk out of single screw reversing
Our test boat was also fitted with a Joystick for low-speed manoeuvring, rider pickups and docking ease using the single screw V-Drive with 2:1 ZF gearbox spinning a four-blade ACME prop.

Most single-screw boats exhibit tricky prop-walk traits when driven in reverse, but the Joystick Piloting for Inboards or JPI worked very impressively using bow and stern thrusters integrated with the engine to shift the boat any which way. This was such a win that you wouldn’t buy this boat without it.

The MerCruiser also has a closed-cooling option but the underwater exhaust with by-pass is standard. As for draft, the V-Drive actually draws less than the sterndrive SLX 230 with its leg right down.

You can see some PR for the Mercury JPI joystick on the SLX-W 230 here…

BOWRIDER LAYOUT
- A social boat with loads of comfort
Besides looking cool from afar, the SLX-W 230 we drove had some fine details up close via stitched upholstery, forgiving optional SeaDek foam flooring, the standard folding Sea Ray tower with upgraded speaker cans, and all the stainless steel deck fittings, fixings and hatch struts we’ve come to expect from this top-rating brand.

Rather than being low-slung, the SLX-W 230 has a deep and nuggetty look with a sense of multi-purpose. The U-shaped cockpit seating layout is unique and generous, with a reversible co-pilot and observer lounge, and a decent rear sunpad.

The walk-through transom, deep swim platform and large fold-down centre step encourages you to get dive in. There are options from cockpit heater and hot-water transom shower to air compressor for pumping up watertoys and tubes, too.

Integrated storage was a design focus, with room for everything from boards and riding gear in a full-beam rear boot, under seat holds and in a lockable underfloor locker. Lunch and drinks can be carried in a portable cooler in a dedicated lined bin. Of course, drink holders abound and we found 12 of them.

Among the other nice finds was a dedicated anchor locker — you don't always get that on American bowriders — 12V charging outlets, and easy engine, bilge and pump access.

ON THE WATER
- High volume but smooth riding with a long wave
With a 2.59m beam, the SLX-W 230 is a big boat, with a great sense of safety and stability as you step aboard and move around.

Advance the throttle an the hull pops out of the water and runs as a purring V8-powered SLX bowrider. On-board comfort levels are high and remained that way as we powered out through the chop.

We hit a top speed around 40mph or 35 knots and cruised at 28-29mph or around 25 knots at 4000rpm using about 48lt/hr. Driving this boat as a social cruiser was a pleasure, with nice low engine noise and not a whiff of exhaust even downwind.

But it was at the surfing speeds in the 10-11mph range that this new SLX W-230 transforms from a sweet bowrider to a special wake-making weapon with a long wave and generous power pocket.

Pulling off the tower, our rider was straight up, snapping turns off the top and powering up in that steep pocket in no time. In the driver's seat, the vision was great as the boat stayed level.

As the wind came in, the wave face crumbled a bit, but that’s surfing. At least with this 21-degree hull, you can blast off to find smooth water and recreate your dream ‘break' without bashing your crew.

The SLX-W 230 has also been designed to sate the needs of wakeboarders looking for air, social skiers wanting unballasted flat wake, and kids on tubes and toys. Certainly, there are some decent ramps out there and the 6.2L has more capacity and grunt for deep-water starts than some competitor's dedicated wakeboats.

VERDICT
- A purpose-built wakeboat for the people
Of course, Sea Ray has ventured into the towboat world before via its old Ski Rays from the mid-90s, but the SLX-W 230 is like nothing we have seen from the big American boatbuilder before.

Sea Ray has gone to market with its own proper and purpose-built wakeboat that can stand up to the most serious scrutiny. And this is by far the most intelligent wake surfing machine and social towboat this banner boating brand has ever built.

Launching from Captiva Island in Florida, we found a great drive and
ride for everyone aboard, from the skipper to the crew, and the surfer
carving the wave face out the back. In true Sea Ray fashion, this is a
crowd-pleasing social towboat.

At the end of the test sessions, it was an easy dock off the joystick. We hitched the lines and stepped off beaming. It was worth the long flight over and the long ride out the back.

LIKES
>> Beautiful hull and engine pairing for wakesports
>> Preset modes on an easy-to-operate Dynamic Display
>> Long wave and power pocket for forgiving surfing
>> Dry and smooth riding deep-vee boat in choppy water
>> Abundant storage space, dedicated anchor locker, and top upholstery
>> Sea Ray and Mercury quality and backing

NOT SO MUCH
>> Wave face seemed not quite as rampy as some bigger ballasted wakeboats we've just driven (add bags if you're hardcore)
>> Price premium for an albeit premium rig with impressive optional Joystick Piloting

Specifications: Sea Ray SLX-W 230
Price From: $153,615 for a loaded boat, but add $14,700 for custom alloy trailer and $12,900 for the Joystick Piloting option
LOA: 7.26m with bolt-on swim platform
Length: 6.30m without swim platform
Beam: 2.59m
Dry Weight: 2506kg
Draft: 0.863m
Deadrise: 21 degrees
Crew and Gear Load: 794kg total or 13 people
Ballast: 871kg
Fuel: 201lt
Water: 19lt optional deck shower
Engine: Standard 370hp MerCruiser 6.2L ECT TowSport with V-Drive and ZF 2:1 gearbox spinning ACME 16in four-blade prop