25 Advantage Citation Mid Cabin

[CJ Skier]

Well, I am still looking for a 25 mid cabin. I have ruled out the Cole as the cabin has no bulkheads so I can not lock anything up at night. This is a bummer as I really like the looks and gel work on the Cole. I have also looked at the Hallett 25 mid cabin which is really a 24 footer with a built in swimstep. Lastly I looked at a 25 Advantage. I liked the fiberglass floor liner and the overall size. However, no in floor ski locker. The 25 Bullet by Howard is beautiful but kind of small. Quality seems excellent.
I see a lot of 25 Advantages on the lake and was wondering about their build quality compared to a Hallett.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[rivercrazy]

Take a look at the 25 Shockwave Tremor as well. Full 25 foot boat with a great ride. And a very large mid cabin

[CJ Skier]

Rivercrazy, I did look at the ShockWave. Very nice boat, great styling and very roomy. However, the builder told me that they use wood floors. I am trying to stay clear of wood floors....
Thanks

[DRMCAT]

CJ, I was told by a friend who recently purchased the 25' from shockwave that it is now available with a fiberglass floor, for an upcharge of course.

[christhomas2]

Advantage 25 Citation is a great hull for it's size. I looked at everyone's 25 mid cabin, and alot of 28's. Found the Advantage with it's front and rear locking cabin doors the roomiest of all. Great boat package at a competitive price. Definately go with the 496HO or HP525. The 496 isn't enough for a boat that weighs in around 4400 lbs. I also found fit and finish, as well as rigging a little cleaner with Advantage.
Good Luck

[4day!!]

I am going on my third year with mine. The only things i dislike about the layout are..
No real good place for an ice chest. Mine sits behind the driver or passenger seat. Pain in the ass if you need to get into the floor locker. The built in ice chest is worthless for keeping ice. I use it for storing cleaning stuff. Some of the other manufacturers are making a designated spot or two in the midcabin for coolers , which is really bitchin', although it cuts bown on seating space. The only one who sits down there is my daughter. Not sure if Adv. does this as an option.
Rear bench seat stitching is coming apart for the second time. This is from everybody stepping down on it from the engine hatch. I dont blame advantage for this. It's just one of those things. Now i flip the seat cushions upside down if we are stopped for awhile and everybody is going back and forth across them.
And i have just the 496 mag(not HO :hammerhea :cry: ) It does about 56 with a 22 4 blade, full tank 4 adults. oh well..
the interior styling is getting a bit dated and needs to be brought current.
Get the cup holders made for the open bow. They dont come standard.. :rolleyes:
Other than that i really like the boat, and the sliding, locking doors for the midcabin are nice..
Their customer service has been great...

[rivercrazy]

The one thing about Shockwave is while they may use wood floors, its 3/4 inch marine plywood and they not only resin both sides, they glass it too. I've had two Shockwave's and the boats are very very durable/bulletproof. But if you looking for a glass floor without carpet, then I totally understand.
My 25 closed bow with a 496HO ran almost 73mph before I put mufflers on it. Now it runs 70. Not bad for a 4600 lb 25 footer. (Lots of stereo and batteries)
Ride quality in this boat is also very very good. Had mine in huge water in Havasu, Mohave, and a few catalina/offshore trips.
Good luck with your search. Lots of pretty nice boats out there these days

[cc322]

I think price wise the Shockwave will offer the most bang for the buck. The Advantage is also very nice in that size. We could have bought a 24 Tremor when we were looking for 4,000.00 less then we paid for the Lavey but I knew in my mind I just wanted the Lavey. Good luck and get what you want and dont settle, or you will always have it in the back of your mind.

[River918]

I can make you a grat deal on my 2006 Shockwave and I'll throw in a "Saw-Zall" to make it an open bow...... :crossx:
http://***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117811

[NuckinFutz]

I have a 2004 25 Citation and have no major complaints. The ice box is a concern, but I have two soft coolers that I put under the driver and passenger seats for a day trip and have a large cooler I put a pad on for longer trips that works good for a back seat lounge. I do believe Advantage will put coolers in the mid cabin if you ask for them. No ski locker was noted by me, but I fit 5 skis under the back seat with room for other goodies as well. I have the 496HO under the hatch and am running a 24 pitch Bravo 1 with speeds on Havasu about 65-66 and Powell it runs in low 60's. The boat doesn't mind extra much at all as long as it's not all up front. I like the fiberglass liner, but have the optional carpet for the area. It makes cleaning up easy. Advantage has been good to deal with during the purchase and just as good for me with some minor maintainance issues. It has storage room everywhere and several of my compartments are never used. I use the passenger side storage compartment for trash and it's always handy.

[HMF'er]

CJ, I was told by a friend who recently purchased the 25' from shockwave that it is now available with a fiberglass floor, for an upcharge of course.
He's right, the fiberglass floor was offered to me when I ordered mine. I think I remember about $2k - $2.5k upgrade.

[SHAKEN Not Stirred]

:D
CJG

[That Guy]

I have to echo Guys comments. I really love mine and have had 0 problems. The coolers fit fine under the seats and there is enough room to put a larger ice chest behind the drivers seat and still give people enough room to sit on the backseat. Great quality, very roomy and very solid even on the roughest of Havi days. Good luck on your search....

[BajaMike]

He's right, the fiberglass floor was offered to me when I ordered mine. I think I remember about $2k - $2.5k upgrade.
What's the big deal about the fiberglass floor vs. a wood floor covered with fiberglass?? What's the big advantage of the fiberglass floor?
:confused:

[HMF'er]

What's the big deal about the fiberglass floor vs. a wood floor covered with fiberglass?? What's the big advantage of the fiberglass floor?
:confused:
The fiberglass floor would have removable snap in carpet that can be cleaned and eventually replaced when dirty. The floor itself can be hosed down and cleaned as they usually install small drains into the bilge. The wood floor is just that - wood, coated in resin, with carpet glued to it, making the carpet harder to replace when soiled.
To me, that option wasn't worth it as we don't drink juice in the boat and do a good job of keeping the carpet clean. For some, the removable carpet is a desirable option. It all depends on what you want and how much $$$ you got.

[Debbolas]

yes
:skull:

[TRUMP TIGHT]

post

[Debbolas]

copy catter
:skull:

[Partycattin]

Advantage has 2 models of the 25. The difference is the size of the cuddy.
1 model has a large cuddy with a pop up window for air. Open bow is pretty small though.
2nd model is a small cuddy and larger open bow. No pop up window.
People I boat with have each. The guy with the larger cuddy would trade for the larger open bow.
Neither of them use the cuddy for anything but storage.
The Advantage is well built but a bit slower than many of its competitors due to weight. I think a Nordic 25 with a 496HO will hit over 70 stock. The Advantage 25 with a 496HO is about 63 mph.
I've ridden in both boats many times and they ride great, lots of room, and the fiberglass liner is easy cleanup. Has drains in the corner so you can just hose it down.

[Partycattin]

See photos: the flamed boat has the bigger open bow
The blue/white boat has the bigger cuddy.

[Debbolas]

nice
:skull:

[CJ Skier]

Thanks PartyCattin,
That is good info. I was not aware of the 2 versions. I like the smaller cabin/larger open bow model.

[That Guy]

The smaller cabin bigger open bow is what we have and it works out nicely. I sent you a pm by the way.... :)

[NuckinFutz]

The mid cabin is rarely used by the wife or myself other than to mix Margaritas with the built in blender, but it gives a place to get out of the sun. We've had friends little kids lay down on the seats and sleep for hours while we're running and it makes a nice place for them to rest. My son isn't real big on the sun and he'll spend a fair amount of time down there as well (he's also 6'9" tall and has plenty of headroom, you won't find that on many boats this size). I also had two fans installed to circulate the air while parked. The wife and I did get caught in a monsoon rainstorm on Powell by Rainbow Bridge and howled out in the mid cabin for better than an hour while the storm passed. I have the large bow and small cabin and would do the same. The speeds I posted are also confirmed on GPS, so maybe mine runs a little better than some.