CS22 in Rough Water

[Tlang901]

Hi All, I am contemplating on buying a CS22 and the main thing that is holding me back is I am trying to figure out how people think it handles choppy water. I really would love an R4 and that was my first intention but I just don’t think I really want to be in that price point at the moment and I have really started looking very hard at the CS22 because of the price point but I also do like some features of it. It seems like a very nicely equipped boat and I really like the swim platform more in the CS22 than I did in the R4. I thought the R4 was extremely small and cramped on the swim platform. Overall, just looking to hear peoples thoughts on how the CS22 handles choppy water with say no more than 6 people on board. Most of the time the Lake is pretty quiet and not bad but there are some saturdays and Sunday where it is bumping out there and just want to make sure the CS22 can handle it. I am coming from a Bryant 210 bow rider so I think in comparison to that the CS22 will handle great. Like I said, I test drove the r4 and absolutely loved it but just not sure I want to be in that price point, plus the CS22 looks more basic and is pretty comparable to the R4 besides a few things here and there. Looking to hear feedback before I reach back out to the dealer to possibly do a test drive and really look hard at the CS22. Thanks all!

[Kenboat]

Just purchased a 2023 CS 22 for use on Torch Lake in Michigan. The lake is 2.5 x 19 miles and up to 300 ft deep. I have had 21 checkmate, 18 Zodiac RIB, and 20 ski boat.. The CS 22 is by far the best riding boat of all. Have been on the lake with 15-20 mph winds and had white caps and blowing spray and was very happy with the boat. Kept the speed around 20-22 mph and fine.
On other days with lots of boat traffic it handles crossing and head on wakes really well. The day we purchased the 22 also teat drove a CS 23 on the same lake and both boats handled the waves well. We had 12-15 mph winds that day.
The CS 23 had a 6.2 Merc Bravo 3 and it felt much less responsive than the CS 22 with Volvo Penta 300 hp duo prop.
The CS22 really got on plane much faster and has great mid range punch. The top speed of the 22 is 50-51 mph with 2 and the CS23 with the 6.2 was 54 MPH.

[IA_SD220S]

Do you trim up your outdrive? The lake I boat on gets windy for the rest of the boating season, and I’m looking for a few tips in rough water. I’ve got a 220 with the Volvo 300 hp.

[Kenboat]

I normally trim up on rougher water, only time i keep the trim all the way down is pulling tubes.
Trimming up seems to help the boat ride better. In rough water trim up less than smooth for higher speed but some to get the nose up.
I never use my trim gauge just go by feel.

[Land_Locked]

The CS22 is a first boat for me so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I love the way it rides. Mine is a 2022 that I bought new back in May for a heckuva deal ($40k discount) and I've been out on the lake wit it nearly every weekend since. The lake I go out on usually has quite a bit of traffic so it gets choppy pretty quick. There always seem to be a ton of wake surfers out so lots of wakes a chop to be had and my little CS22 just eats them up. I do try to control my speed going through them but even in times that I was ust cruising along at 20-25 mph and hit a decent one, it took it and asked for me. It's only the Volvo 250DP but it gets on plane quick, even pulling tubes and it handles like a dream. I'm usually trimmed somewhere in the 5%-10% range. I have no experience with any of the R series boats but so far my CS22 is getting the job done quite nicely and it gets lots of compliments.

[Kenboat]

I grew up on boats used mostly on Lake Erie off of Toledo, Oh. Dad had 16" Stury, 19' SeaRay and 20' Starcraft boat. We never felt as if we had to small of a boat but many would not go out in less than a 25 ft.
I love the size of the CS22 and how fast it gets on plane and great handling at the dock. I could have gotten a CS 23, or R4 but just dont want a bulky boat.

[Tlang901]

Wow, this is all great information guys and much appreciated. It seems based off your feedback that the CS22 really does handle the choppy waters very nice and will don the job just fine. I think I am going to seriously look into it now at the dealer and get out for a water test. Like I said, I was pretty set on the R4 but it is just above my price range what I want to spend on a boat but like I said before that swim platform on the R4 is so small!!!! The CS22 swim platform I loved and had plenty of room on it. Couple more questions for you guys: The CS22 I am looking at has the Volvo Penta 250HP Duo Prop set up and as I have never owned a Volvo Penta and don’t have any experience with them how is the overall reliability for these motors??? I have only owned Merc and have always had great luck with them and never have had Volvo Penta but this dealer is one of the top rated Volvo Penta dealers in the country and is about all they sell. I just want to make sure the reliability is there for the Volvo since it is inter cooled etc and is not water cooled like my merc. Also, if you don’t mind me asking what did you guys pick up your CS22’s for?? The dealer now is saying 20% off MSRP I personally think I can get it for 25% or more off MSRP given the economic times and not a lot of sales this year. Thoughts?? Really appreciate all the feedback here guys it is making me more and more lean towards the CS22 vs the R4

[Sumgai]

Oops! you missed it by one day. Malibu (Cobalt) stock closed down 3% on Sept 5. but today pre-market it is up 2%. So you shoulda got the CS22 for 23% off if you bought after 4pm on Sept 5. That day's wait may cost you. Tongue in cheek here, but individual boats are not listed on the stock market, and what a BAD year for Malibu (Cobalt)....NOT! According to Zacks (7 days ago) Malibu Boats (MBUU) Q4 Earnings & Revenues Surpass Estimates.

Yep, hard times for Cobalt. Any day now Malibu be allowing Cobalt to offer 50% off MSRP on new orders. Yeah, right.

A contributor above hit the nail squarely on the head, A DEALER HAVING EXISTING 2022 stock in May 2023, (not a Cobalt ORDER exactly the way you want it), offered the buyer 40% off MSRP on a year-old boat, sitting on his lot, dealer paying interest on it for his floor plan.

Exact same thing happened to me in June 2023. A DEALER HAVING EXISTING 2022 stock in June 2023, (not a Cobalt ORDER exactly the way I wanted it), offered on his website $60k off MSRP on a new year-old boat, sitting on his lot, him paying interest on it for his floor plan for that whole lost sales year. It took me all of 2 days to get there to buy it. Mine just happened to be a new R4 OB with a Japanese-built Yamaha motor. (Something about having to rebuild a Mercury (automobile) v8 motor TWICE on my 20 year-old Sea Ray (but only 200 hours) didn't sit too well with me.)

Your takeaway is the deals are AT the dealer level on inventory that didn't go out the door this summer. YOU have to spend you time finding the "Christmas cakes in January" slow moving stock at each dealer and talk to those dealers.

In April 2023 a dealer offered this one ( new 2022 cs22) for $86950. It lasted about a week on their website. The unicorns exist, you just have to hunt for them.

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PS, you asked about ride:
20?? Bryant 210 3075 lbs
2023 Cobalt CS22 (from brochure - 3400 lbs)
2022 Cobalt R4 OB 4986 lbs (5290 lbs stern drive, 5650 lbs surf PLUS 2000lbs+ with bags full)
Heavier is good for ride quality.

[Land_Locked]

Wow, this is all great information guys and much appreciated. It seems based off your feedback that the CS22 really does handle the choppy waters very nice and will don the job just fine. I think I am going to seriously look into it now at the dealer and get out for a water test. Like I said, I was pretty set on the R4 but it is just above my price range what I want to spend on a boat but like I said before that swim platform on the R4 is so small!!!! The CS22 swim platform I loved and had plenty of room on it. Couple more questions for you guys: The CS22 I am looking at has the Volvo Penta 250HP Duo Prop set up and as I have never owned a Volvo Penta and don’t have any experience with them how is the overall reliability for these motors??? I have only owned Merc and have always had great luck with them and never have had Volvo Penta but this dealer is one of the top rated Volvo Penta dealers in the country and is about all they sell. I just want to make sure the reliability is there for the Volvo since it is inter cooled etc and is not water cooled like my merc. Also, if you don’t mind me asking what did you guys pick up your CS22’s for?? The dealer now is saying 20% off MSRP I personally think I can get it for 25% or more off MSRP given the economic times and not a lot of sales this year. Thoughts?? Really appreciate all the feedback here guys it is making me more and more lean towards the CS22 vs the R4

Definitely look and see if you can find earlier year models. They're out there. I got extremely lucky and didn't even go into the dealer to look at boats, as I already had a deal done on a 2023 Chaparral 21 SSI that only lacked my signature. I went to the dealer looking for inflatables, etc. and ended up finding a better boat for a better deal than I was originally planning for. Don't care at all that it's a 2022. It had 0.9 hours when we took it out on test drive.

Between both of the boat deals I was looking at, BOTH had the Volvo Penta 250 power plant. The Chaparral was actually only a single prop and the dual prop on the CS22 is one of things that really sold me on it. Either way, though, I've only read great things on teh Volvo marine motors and the main selling point for me was the winterization process. Literally pull a pin, push a plunger to dump the water from the system and that's it. No additional fees/maintenance. Outdrive needs to be service every couple years and is pretty easy from what I've seen if you don't mind DIY stuff. THe only other thing that most people do is replace the impeler every couple of years, which again is a sipler DIY task that takes about 15-20 minutes and costs under $100 for the part. The maintenance aspect of this engine is really what sold me on it, as there really isn't much in added cost of ownership.

Again this is my first boat so I don't really have a lot of experience with them. I have two 2021 SeaDoo GTI PWCs that cost more in maintenance than the CS22 and again that was a major factor in my decision to go with the Penta engine. I also have a family friend that has a 2007 Glastron with a Volvo Penta and the only issue he's had was a sticking thermostat last year. Replaced and still going strong. So I think you're safe choosing this power plant on whichever platform you decide on.

[GhostWhisperer]

We have a CS22 on a large lake in Georgia. Optioned with 280 V6. She does fine in chop. Some weekends when the big cruisers are out I have to dig the stern in off plane with speed and trim to knock through sometimes 3/4 footers in their wakes, but it handles it all and we never get so much as spray in the boat. We MUCH prefer the look of the CS hull and swim deck over the R4 line and the lower freeboard never really impacts us for the way we use our boat. Nothing personal to those boats - but the R4 was a swing and a miss on a lot of fronts -f eels like it came right out of a conference room. The CS is a BLAST to drive and can't be shaken in even the hardest of turns. I wish Cobalt would use more of a CS styled hull/stern for their larger boats, but it looks like the folded paper/creased line look is here to stay.

[Tlang901]

Thanks for all the info everybody seems like I am headed in the right direction with the CS22 and it will do exactly what I want of it. I agree with I like the styling of the CS22 in the water and it looks very good in my opinion. I did see the ease of maintenance for the volvo penta and I loved it with the drain plunger and thought that was a great simple ease of maintenance come winterization. All in all thanks everybody for your input I am now leaning more towards the CS22 vs the R4 after hearing everyones summary.

[Tlang901]

By the way I had a Seadoo and it was the worse piece of junk ive every bought. Switched to Yamaha Waverunners and it has been amazing. Never have had a single issue with it EVER. Ride quality isnt as good but who cares when you can just push the button everytime and not have to worry about a damn thing!