The SS in this boat’s name stands for Super Sport, which was a model introduced by Monterey a few years ago. The model quickly established itself as a big seller, so when Volvo approached Monterey about fitting its drive to one of their boats, the SS was a logical choice.
It ended up performing well with both the Forward Drive and the surf tabs, so when combined with its modern styling points and crisp lines, the first dedicated Monterey surf boat was born. The 238 SS Roswell Surf Edition is a sterndrive that uses Volvo’s Forward Drive system, and it looks the part of a surf boat from bow to stern thanks to a partnership with Roswell.
The wave is created with Lenco trim tabs like some of the competition and creates a steeper than average wave for a 23-foot hull. The pocket was medium size and probably a little smaller than you would get on a comparable V-drive-powered hull, but it’s certainly adequate. The face of the wave is steep and has a short transition that could trip up bigger riders with longer boards, but if you’re into airs and lip tricks, you’ll love the aggressive face. The pocket also has a pronounced lip at the end that some riders are going to like. It shows and tells them exactly where the end of the wave is, but some riders’ ankles are going to get caught up when they drop too far back.
The Volvo Forward Drive system has a perfectly smooth interface with the 238 SS’s throttle for feathered starts that will get beginners up with ease. There’s a little prop turbulence on submerged starts, but it doesn’t affect surfers too much.
Top-Notch Trait: The addition of Roswell extras lends so much aesthetic credibility to this surf boat. Buyers looking for the Forward Drive system in a boat with a little more edge find the perfect fit in the 238 SS. High-density foam flooring lines the cockpit and the oversize swim platform, which is perfect for surf warm-ups. The Roswell crest pops on the side of the boat, and, of course, speaker cans boom from above. We consider it an extremely smart move on Monterey’s part to get together with an established and legit board-sports brand on their first entry into the market.
Stat: The SS in this boat’s name stands for Super Sport, which was a model introduced by Monterey a few years ago. The model quickly established itself as a big seller. Volvo approached Monterey about fitting its drive to one of their boats, and the SS performed well with both the Forward Drive and the surf tabs. When combined with its modern styling points and crisp lines, it was a natural choice as the first dedicated Monterey surf boat.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Length | 23’ |
| Beam | 102” |
| Dry Weight | 3,950 lb. |
| Fuel Capacity | 52 gal. |
| Seating Capacity | 11 |
| Standard Ballast | 1,810 lb. |
| Max Factory Ballast | 1,810 lb. |
| Standard Power | 300 hp |
| Maximum Power | 300 hp |
