Nitro ZV19 Sport (2019-)

Brief Summary

The Nitro ZV19 Sport is an 18’11” (5.76 m) long inshore multi-species fish and ski boat. Designed and built to handle rough lake conditions so the whole family stays safe, while the diehard angler competitively stalks the waters. The ZV19 Sport comes for a package price that included boat, engine, and trailer.

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	18' 11'' / 5.76 m
Beam	8' 6'' 2.59 m
Dry Weight	2,300 lbs. 1,043 kg
Tested Weight	3,387 lbs. 1,536 kg
Draft	19.75'' 0.50 m
Deadrise/Transom	N/A
Max Headroom	open
Bridge Clearance	N/A
Weight Capacity	1,050 lbs. 476 kg
Person Capacity	6
Fuel Capacity	45 gal. 170 L
Water Capacity	N/A
Total Weight	3,387 lbs. 1,536 kg

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	2.7 sec.
0 to 30	6.4 sec.
Ratio	N/A
Props	14.2*18
Load	2 persons, 3/5 fuel, no water, 50 lbs. of gear
Climate	85 deg., 64 humid; wind: 0-5 mph; seas: 0

Engine Options

Tested Engine	1 x 225-hp Mercury XL Pro XS 4-stroke
Std. Power	1 x 150-hp Mercury XL 4-stroke
Opt. Power	1 x 175-hp Mercury XL 4-stroke with DTS controls 1 x 200-hp Mercury XL 4-stroke with DTS controls 1 x 150-hp Mercury XL Pro XS 4-stroke 1 x 200-hp Mercury XL Pro XS 4-stroke with DTS controls 1 x 225-hp Mercury XL Pro XS 4-stroke with DTS controls

Captain’s Report by Peter d’Anjou

Mission

Designed as a family crossover, the ZV19 Sport can carry six passengers or 1,050 lbs. So, for a day on the lake, fishing, water skiing, or just cruising, the ZV19 has an ample weight rating. Its hull design and freeboard height of 30” fore and 24” aft, add a measure of security in all conditions. There is also respective storage for gear and fishing equipment and is geared towards the multi-species angler.

Major Features

• Z-Core™ seating system with Force Flex suspension
• Six person capacity
• Hydraulic steering with custom tilt wheel
• Tow-sport pylon

Design

 

Nitro, a subsidiary of White River Marine, is owned by Bass Pro Shops. Nitro focuses on performance fishing boats: The Z Series boats are bass boats, the ZV Series are multi-species fishing boats, and the Sport Series are hybrid fishing and watersports/family-crossovers. The ZV19 Sport’s fishing lineage stems from the ZV21, which is also a successful multi-species vessel.

The 30” (76.2 cm) high freeboard is aimed towards safety whilst managing rough waters. The Nitro ZV19 Sport has a 17-degree deadrise at the transom, which is designed for bigger water than are bass boats. Nitro calls this a deep-V hull, however, it doesn’t quite meet our standards for a deep-V (over 21-degrees of deadrise at the transom).

The running bottom of the Nitro ZV19 Sport is a place where fiberglass construction pays off, versus aluminum. Her pad, double strakes, reverse chine, and reduction of planing surface when running are all design nuances that are not possible in aluminum. These features make the boat go faster, use less fuel, and make her more stable while underway.

Performance

The Nitro ZV19 Sport has a LOA of 18’11” (5.78 m), a beam of 8’6” (2.59 m), and a draft of 1’8” (50.8 cm). With an empty weight of 2,300 lbs. (1,043 kg), 60-percent fuel, test power, and two people onboard, we had an estimated weight of 3,387 lbs. (1,536 kg).

Top Speed. With the single 225-horsepower Mercury Pro XS 4-stroke engine turning a 14.2 x 18 (36 x 20.3 cm) stainless-steel propeller, we reached a top speed of 52.2 mph at 5850 rpm.

Best cruise came in at 3000 rpm and 22.2 mph. It was at that speed that the 5.1 gph fuel burn translated into 4.4 mpg and a range of 176 statute miles, all while still holding back a 10-percent reserve of the boat’s 45-gallon (170 L) total fuel capacity.

Idle Speed. Because the average boat spends 40% of its time at idle, and lots of time at trolling speeds from 5 to 8 mph, fuel consumption in the low range is important. At 600 rpm, the ZV19 Sport went 3.2 mph and got 4.5 mpg. At 1500 rpm, she went 6.8 mph, getting 3.1 mpg.

Acceleration

We had an average time to plane of 2.7 seconds, accelerating to 20 mph (32.1 kph) in 4.5 seconds, and reaching 30 mph (48.2 kph) in 6.4 seconds.

Handling

The Nitro ZV19 Sport exhibited some good performance, smoothly coming up on plane, then briskly reaching its top speed of 52 mph. She is, however, sensitive to engine trim. Get her up on plane, then start moving the trim up and the spray begins to move back from the midships area towards the stern quarters - That is the best running attitude.

When turning, you must lower the trim to avoid ventilating the propeller. In hard-over turns, she has a firm grab with very little chine walk. The Nitro ZV19 Sport demonstrates strong acceleration throughout the range.

Boat Inspection

Aft Casting Deck

A good portion of the aft cockpit is used for a casting platform. The platform is 19” (48.26 cm) above the cockpit deck, measuring 7’0” (2.13 m) wide by 2’1” (0.64 m) fore and aft.

Under the jump seats is storage space for 12 Plano tackle boxes - six on each side.

There is access to the bilge pump through a hatch in the engine well. There are 1” (2.54 cm) diameter stainless-steel grab rails mounted 2” (5.08 cm) above the gunwale along the aft cockpit on both the port and starboard sides. Speakers for the optional Sony stereo are mounted in the port and starboard side bulwarks, along with drink holders and drains on both sides.

Cockpit

The aft cockpit itself is 27” (68.5 cm) deep and has 24” (60.9 cm) of aft freeboard.

Cockpit seating consists of two removable pedestal chairs. The chairs can be relocated to the bow or aft casting decks to be used as fishing chairs.

Helm

Over 70 options of GPS, chartplotters, and fishfinders are available for the helm, passenger console, and bow.

There is a storage shelf underneath the helm dashboard along with footrests.

 

The passenger console on the port side has a glove box with a 16” (40.64 cm) opening and a depth of 19” (48.3 cm). There is a stainless steel grab rail that wraps around the inboard side of the console.

The windshield has a 2’1” (63.5 cm) center walk-through with a 14” (35.56 cm) step up.

The Bow

Forward is a casting platform measuring 6’ (1.83 m) from the bow to the consoles and 6’8” (2.03 m) at its widest. There are 1” (2.54 cm) diameter grab rails along the port and starboard gunwales which measure approximately 3’ (0.91 m) in length.

 

To forward, there is 30” (76.2 cm) of freeboard. In addition, the platform can accommodate optional upholstered cushions forming port and starboard loungers with backrests.

The Nitro ZV19 Sport comes with a standard Minn Kota® PowerDrive™ 24V, 70-lb. (31.75 kg) thrust, 60" (1.52 m) composite shaft, foot-control trolling motor with Universal Sonar mounted on the foredeck.

Mounted in front of and within the foredeck riser, is a bow panel with a trolling motor pedal receptacle. The panel in the riser contains control switches for navigation lights, anchor light, and trim switches.  

Under the aft most starboard side deck of the casting platform is a 10-gallon (37.85 L) Guardian™ rotomolded and aerated livewell with rounded corners, timer, recirculator, pump-out system, and storage for a bait-bucket.

Neither the forward livewell nor the cooler have struts to keep the hatches open. These are something we would like to see added.  

On both sides of the forward casting platform are reinforced, locking hatches with gas assist struts that lead to storage that measures 18” (45.7 cm) by 20” (58.8 cm). The starboard locker contains a light and fire extinguisher; the port locker contains a light.

The forward navigation lights are recessed into the outboard sides of the gunwale. There are six 4” (10.2 cm) pull-up cleats: two on the aft quarter, two at mid-ships, and two forward.

Engine 

The Nitro ZV19 Sport comes with a Mercury 150 XL FourStroke standard. Nitro offers several upgrade options, ranging from 175 to 225-hp. The maximum recommended horsepower for the boat is 225-hp.

Construction

The Nitro ZV19 Sport is constructed with a traditional hand-laid, heavy-duty performance hull with reinforced sides. There is good reason this has become a traditional building technique - it works. Unlike some boats, the ZV19 Sport is all-composite construction (no wood). Even the deck core and full-width fiberglass-encapsulated transom are 100% composite.

A gel-coated stringer/liner system stiffens the boat and integrates the in-deck storage. The deck and hull are chemically bonded and mechanically fastened with stainless steel fasteners. Lastly, foam is injected in order that the boat can meet USCG standards which require that all boats 20’ (1.09 m) and in length float level, if swamped.

Trailer

The Nitro branded tandem-axle trailer is powder coated with GALVASHIELD® impact corrosion and chip protection for improved durability. 14” (35.56 cm) aluminum wheels with radial tires are topped by steel fenders with diamond-tread step plates. The spare tire carrier is standard; the spare tire is an option that we recommend.

To reduce storage length, the trailer has a swing-away folding tongue. Nitro added a heavy-duty Fulton winch with a non-binding nylon strap, and a bow safety strap. The LED tail and side lights are submergible, and the bunks and fender boards are fully carpeted to protect the hull.

Color Options

Here are a few of the many exterior color combinations available for the upper main, inset, accent, lower main, and bottom of the hull.

 

 

Optional Mercury Engines 

• 200 XL FourStroke with DTS ($4,755)
• 150 XL Pro XS® FourStroke ($1,000)
• 200 XL Pro XS® FourStroke with DTS ($5,655)
• 225-Pro XS FourStroke with DTS Controls ($7,575)

 

 

Optional Equipment

• Sony sound system ($500)
• SmartCraft gauges ($935)
• Kicker motor Mercury® 9.9 ELHPT ($3,725)
• 40-amp battery charger ($140)
• Bow and aft sundeck cushions ($1,670)
• Walkthrough windshield ($720)
• Bimini (factory-installed) ($720)
• Keel protector (black or white) ($315)
• Anti-fatigue mat ($265)
• Emergency ladder ($180)
• Lenco trim tabs ($970)
• Wheel mounted engine trim lever ($70)
• Mooring cover ($935)
• Spare tire for trailer ($170)
• Dual axle brakes ($325) 

Warranty

• One year from the original date of purchase for all electrical components; livewells and plumbing; stereo, gauges, and switches; console, windscreen, and steering wheel; fishing seats; steering components; marine grade vinyl; and fuel system
• Lifetime for the hull, interior stringers, and transom for original purchaser

Price

$41,995 includes the boat, trailer, and the Mercury 150 XL FourStroke outboard.

Observations

The Nitro ZV19 Sport is a fun boat to operate as well as a very replete fishing boat to boot. With the addition of her family-friendly amenities and angler-forward outfittings, she has the best of both worlds. Most important, we think she is good value for money.