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Can we talk about wakeboard / wakesurf boats?

Discussion in 'General' started by SteveThompson, Sep 4, 2019.

  1. SteveThompson

    SteveThompson Banned by amafan

    I'm getting the itch to buy another boat. I'm really attracted to Mastercraft but would consider other brands. Does anybody have any experience with modern surf/wakeboard boats. We are all total hacks so we don't need the best wake but I'm looking for a nice boat.

    I know they are expensive but I care a little more about what it will be worth in 5 years. I bought a 2012 Chaparral 246SSi in 2013 with about 50 hours on it. I sold it 5 years later for about 5% less than I paid for it. I assume I'll be looking at a similar class this time. Anybody care to comment on which brands are likely to hold their value the best?

    Support is really important to me. There is a dealer in Indianapolis that I will never buy from due to their ridiculous service department. I'm willing to travel to a good dealership if anyone knows of anything within a few hours of Indianapolis, IN.

    Anything else I should be considering?
     
  2. eggfooyoung

    eggfooyoung You no eat more!

    A friend of mine has a couple Malibu Wakesetters. You know, one for each lake house, of course. He's had a few problems out of the one he uses the most. I think mostly with the wake paddles, and I'm pretty sure they ended up rebuilding the entire system.

    Had another acquaintance choose the Moomba over the Malibu, sitting side by side.

    Moomba, Malibu, MasterCraft. All of them look really sweet.
     
  3. eggfooyoung

    eggfooyoung You no eat more!

    I will say, not being a boat guy, I was seriously impressed with how well the Malibu turned, at speed, with little roll. It cuts and carves the water as good as or better than anything I've ever ridden or driven on land. I would imagine the others do as well.

    The things only go ~45 mph though!?
     
  4. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    Wakeboarding isn't about speed. It's like the H-D of the water...just glorified “sheet of plywood behind a 5hp/12' jonboat” fun, but your jonboat has a fat ass to make an otherwise perfectly unnecessary wake. :D
     
  5. Kris87

    Kris87 Friendly Smartass

    I think wake surfing is a fad. It's slow and boring. I don't think it's going to be a long term thing. Just my $.02

    I'm good with wakeboarding. Actually enjoy that a lot still. Only downside to wakeboats is they turn the lakes into high seas. No bueno.
     
  6. SteveThompson

    SteveThompson Banned by amafan

    I like to wakeboard. That will be its primary use. We also have all of the towables. The kids always want to do that. Surfing is new to me but I think we will like it. The one advantage I see to surfing is related to the "high seas". We see people surfing in the middle of the day when you can never wakeboard due to the chop.

    I had kinda ruled out Moomba. They come across as the Hyundai of sports boats. I'll give them another look.

    Anybody have any experience with Nautique?

    I don't really care how fast any of them go. Anything above about 25-30 mph is no fun. Everything flies out of the boat, you can't talk to your friends, etc.
     
  7. omatter34

    omatter34 Well-Known Member

    I know the purists will roast me because I was one of them before I got my 2018 Yamaha 242X. What drew me to it as compared to all of the others was maintenance as it is essentially maintenance free. I change the oil every 100 hours and that is basically it. It doesn't put out as big a wake for surfing as some of the others out there, but it is good enough for beginners and there are add-ons out there that help it produce a great wake for surfing. The wake is more than enough for wakeboarding with the 3 ballasts that the boat comes stock with. Couple all of that with, what I think, is one of the best layouts available, and the cost being much lower than your big name wake boats and I was sold. Have had it for 2 summers and couldn't be happier with it.
     
    wookie likes this.
  8. SteveThompson

    SteveThompson Banned by amafan

    You know, I looked at the Yamaha's a couple of years ago. They are budget friendly for sure. I saw one at the boat ramp recently and the fit and finish seemed really good for the price. I have heard that they are loud. Is that true? Can you get all of the extras (touch screens, heater, good storage, speakers and lights, etc)?
     
  9. omatter34

    omatter34 Well-Known Member

    Check out the 242x e-series. That is what I have and it is their wake sport edition. My came standard with, tower w/speakers and sound bar, subwoofer, touch screen display with navigation, lights, 3 auto fill ballasts, presets for different riders, etc. It does not have a heater (I live in Florida), but for all I know it could be an option. I don't find it to be any louder than most boats I have been on.
     
  10. twodocs

    twodocs Well-Known Member

  11. ChemGuy

    ChemGuy Harden The F%@# Up!

    Whatever you get make sure it has at least.....least 10 giant ass speakers on the tower and enough decibels to overpower a set of marshall stacks or the other wake guys will laugh at you. Also bonus points for some much metal flake paint that you need sunglasses to glance in its direction from the other side of the lake.
    And dont forget your flat billed trucker cap and salt life sticker.....

    Effin wake surf boats are the boating equivalent of a special olympic kid wearing a flat billed trucker cap and blasting limp bizkit...



    :D
     
    BHP41, 5axis and brex like this.
  12. omatter34

    omatter34 Well-Known Member

    Don't be mad that our wakes shake your jon boat too hard for you to drink your beer while not catching any fish.:D
     
    ChemGuy likes this.
  13. twodocs

    twodocs Well-Known Member

  14. ChemGuy

    ChemGuy Harden The F%@# Up!

    Its not that...its that its harder to tow some kids across the lake at a lesiurely 35-40mph on a donut with all those wakes. Ive got to keep stopping to pick them up...
    Plus Im not a huge fan of techno or limp bizkit and thats all they seem to play. But maybe thats just around here.

    :D
     
    omatter34 likes this.
  15. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    The Yamahas also do 60mph, have a toilet and no props/struts to be damaged should you find yourself in skinny water. Let's not even mention the driver's option to submarine the bow... :cool:
     
  16. brex

    brex Well-Known Member

    Nothing ruins a day at the lake like the boats with speakers.
     
    BHP41, Funkm05, beechkingd and 2 others like this.
  17. cpettit

    cpettit Well-Known Member

    They are like the HD trucks with giant wheels that stick out the sides and low profile "offroad" tires. The Bro-dozers of the seas!

    My boss got the Yamaha 24ft one and it is pretty damn nice. If i was getting a boat it would be one of those or a 25-30' center console type.
     
  18. SteveThompson

    SteveThompson Banned by amafan


    You don't have to talk me into it. I'm already in the market. :D
     
  19. ChemGuy

    ChemGuy Harden The F%@# Up!

    LOL.

    Wake surf boats...the Beech Duke of boating....

    You should just get an Icon A5 and surf around in it. After all its juts a jetski with wings...:rolleyes:

    Have fun
     
  20. My buddy is on his 2nd wakesetter. He puts about 450 hours a year on a boat. His latest one has all the gadgets like surf plates, some pitch / pilot auto adjust device thingy, etc. He said it’s not a ton better than his 2015 but the little improvements make it more user friendly. I was actually surfing my bass boat behind it this weekend. Mastercrafts are hard to beat quality wise, fit m finish is top notch but you pay for it. Performance wise he prefers the wakesetter. He’s a guy that’s not worried about money and with amount of hours he puts on a boat he considers them disposable sort of speak. He’s had no problems with his at all and it gets used almost daily minus a few months of the year. They actually go out in dry suits when the waters cold, daily. I always said if there’s one person that can justify the $ for a new boat it’s him, he actually uses it for more than just a few weekends out of the year.
     

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