WaterSki Magazine

The Avalanche C4 is a wakeboard performer in every sense. Just like its sibling, the Avalanche, the C4 boat packs powerful V-drive performance into 22 feet. Also like the Avalanche, the C4 uses a deep-V hull to plow through choppy water for a smooth ride.

Where the C4 differs is its transom. Unlike the original Avalanche, the C4 loses the walk-through transom to maintain that traditional V-drive setup, complete with wraparound seating and a sun deck that stretches across the full width of the beam. If it’s performance and maximum seating you’re looking for, the Avalanche C4 is your boat.

The optional Storm 3 factory ballast, which offers 590 pounds of weight, and the Switchblade (an optional hydraulic wake-producing/shaping hydrofoil) gave this boat all the water-displacing mass we needed to churn up some really impressive wakes. We set the Switchblade at 2 and had a blast throwing advanced moves off well-sized wakes with excellent peaks. The transition was steep with the addition of the Switchblade, which enabled our riders to get good pop and awesome lateral distance. And we didn’t have to worry about hard landings thanks to the super-long landing zone. Although it was a bit of a challenge to maneuver the boat with the Switchblade deployed, the C4 tossed us very clean wakes that were pretty big for a factory ballast setup.

We’ve tested the Avalanche C4 with and without the optional Switchblade and our results prove that the Switchblade creates a considerable difference in wake size and shape. However, there is a tradeoff in its handling performance. The boat doesn’t track quite as well when the Switchblade is in use, and it’s not as responsive. If you’re a high-end wakeboarder who wants pro-level wakes without having to load the boat heavily, we think it’s worth the tradeoff. Without the Switchblade, the Avalanche C4 handles well. Its deep-V design offers a nice rough-water ride, and an optional trim tab can further enhance the running attitude of the boat in an array of lake conditions.

This boat is about as traditional as a hard-core wakeboarding machine can get.  But that’s not to say it loses any of the attitude that you’re used to seeing from high-performing V-drives. What makes the Avalanche C4 traditional is the sweeping aluminum tower, the unique in-the-gelcoat graphics and the wraparound seating configuration that riders love to see. But that’s just the general picture. Look closer and you’ll see the large, easy-to-read gauges, a conveniently accessible cooler, cup holders sprinkled throughout the interior, and an optional tower-arm mirror that make this boat the sweet package it is. If we had our druthers, the driver’s seat would offer more recline.

Base price: See local dealer

Length: 22 ft.

Beam: 100 in.

Seating capacity: 12

Fuel capacity: 36 gal.

Test Prop: Acme 13.5 x 16 4-blade

Test Engine: MerCruiser Black Scorpion 5.7L, 330 hp

Top Speed: 43.1 mph 5,200 rpm

Accel. To 30 mph: 5.6 sec. 139.9 ft.

Accel. To 36 mph: 7.6 sec. 235.2 ft.

Noise Levels (db): Neutral 64 D 65 R, 36 mph 93 D 94 R