Looking at a new boat tomorrow!

[jdiaz78]

Well, I hate to say it, but I'm looking at an Axis A22 and T22 tomorrow. I'm not going to buy it tomorrow, but have done a lot of thinking about this. I love all the perks of a Yamaha boat, but the cons are really starting to weigh on me.

I want to wake surf and I know there is a new wedge that has been made, but I would still have to fill up my ballast bags that takes up seating space. It takes a good 15 to 20 minutes to fill both bags and ski locker and I'm still not getting a good wave. I surf goofy and everyone else is regular and I really don't want to have to change the wedge back and forth. The lack of big power when the boat is weighted down is also a big con for me.

I'll probably wait until the boat show comes to KC in January to make a decisions, but needed to get a look at it sooner. I'm going to St. Louis to visit family and there just happens to be an Axis dealer there. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

[txav8r]

How fun! Boat shopping! I get it that some of the dedicated surf boats make it easier and better or at least may make it easier...as well as make a better wave? But for those of us that haven't seen the wake wedge work or any of the dedicated boats do their thing, can you expound on what you said above? Specifically, the time to fill ballast and switch sides. Wouldn't even a dedicated wake boat take the same time to fill/empty the sacs? And wouldn't a port fill have to be drained and shifted to a starboard fill for you to surf goofy? And finally, when these wake boats are weighted down, isn't their performance reduced just like the Yamaha? I'm not knocking the dedicated boat at all, especially a new boat. And we all know and support our beloved Yamaha. Neither of those apply to my questions, I am just seeing your three stated reasons and thinking it would be the same. Maybe the dedicated surf boat fills faster or easier, or maybe the wake can be moved on them quicker? I don't know the answers to these, but this wake fever is spreading, and I would like to know the benefits of both. I don't mean to be hijacking your new boat thread and that isn't why I replied, just would like to know these things...thanks!

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Awesome @jdiaz78 good luck and enjoy your visit with the family (I mean the visit to the dealer)! Wonder what kind of end of season offer they will toss out at ya...!!

 

[Julian]

No need to apologize.....each boat has its niche, and Wake Surfing (until the wedge) has not been the sweet spot for jet boats. That said, I think you'll still be filling huge amounts of ballast and perhaps on seats, if you want a big wave in a wake boat.

This is what all the manufacturers need to add:

Centurion re-introduced it this year....

Not sure if any other manufacturers have been this smart.....but 30 seconds to add ballast!!! AWESOME!!!! You can pick one up for the low 80K range!

 

[Glassman]

Ya gotta do what you gotta do!

Hey @jdiaz78 have you looked at the Malibus? They have their wedge, which they have had a long time, but they have this new fangled "Surf Gate" thingamabob. I hadn't seen that before (wasn't looking actually) but it looks really cool! It makes an awesome surfing wave!
http://www.malibuboats.com/innovations.html

 

[jdiaz78]

I have to manually fill each bag with a 1000 gph pump and then take all the water out after each use. A dedicated wakeboard boat has hard tanks in the hull of the boat that won't be in the way. All I would have to do is flip a toggle switch and let it do all the work. With an Axis, you can also just drop a wedge in the water and it is equal to around 1000 lbs of ballast. To answer the question about motor performance, the minimum horse power these boats have is a 330 hp engine that is designed to pull people with all the weight. My SX21o engines weren't designed for this at all. The axis and other boats have a surf gate, so at a flip of a switch you can switch sides for surfing without moving bags around. We shall see, it is still a pipe dream for now. I would have to sell this boat and upgrade my lift since the other boats weight much more.

 

[jdiaz78]

@Glassman Axis is made by Malibu so it gets the same wedge and surf gate options. The main difference is you have to manually drop the wedge on the Axis vs. the power wedge on the Malibu. I'll look at the Malibu boats while I'm there tomorrow, but they are high dollar!

 

[Glassman]

I see, good to know, thanks!

Two of my buddies have Malibus and they have the manual Wedge.

Sounds like you have done your research and you are going surfing my friend!

 

[Master-Spud]

Good lord I never should of watched that Malibu video... Anyone want to buy a 2014 212x? lol


But happy shopping!

 

[Williamsone46]

Have fun it's a lot of fun boat shopping!

 

[OrangeTJ]

My buddy has an Axis T22. It is sweet, for sure. You're going to want to add the plug-n-play bags for surfing. They're tucked away in compartments, though. Still takes 10 minutes or so to fill, but the ability to use surf gate to switch sides without shifting water is very cool. His boat makes a nice surf wave with all the hard tanks and all of the plug-n-play bags filled (2400 lbs, I think) and an amazing one with two additional 800 pounders above decks. Loaded to 4,000 pounds, top speed with his prop on our lake at 435 feet is just under 11 mph. At 3200 pounds, with a rearward bias, top speed was around 13 mph. He has the 330 horsepower engine.

Again, the boat is very, very sweet, with configurable seating, a very spacious cockpit, a killer stereo, perfect pass, surf gate, butter smooth steering and throttle controls, etc.. For me, the biggest drawback - and it's a big one for how I use a boat - is the risk associated with getting anywhere close to a beach or sandbar. You pretty much have to anchor in water that you know is at least 3-4 feet deep if you want to avoid having your prop and/or rudder hit the bottom. If you can live with that, pretty much everything else about the boat is great!

 

[octavio3311]

Before you make your final decision, also take a look at the new Moomba Mojo (Moombas are made by Supra) and the new Ski Supremes. They will be priced in the low $70's fully decked out.
The Centurions would be an option for me as well - they are by far the best riding boat of the wakeboats due to their deep v. And their RamFill is the bomb.

 

[OrangeTJ]

MB Sports B52 is worth a look as well. Very nicely built boats with a fast-fill ballast system and a reasonably deep V carried through to the stern. At this year's Sacramento Boat Show, a local dealer was selling a 21 pretty well decked out for $58K, I believe.

 

[GantlinProducts]

To add to the draw back....it rides like a log wagon....but good luck at the dealer. As long as you are on the water no harm no fowl...prop that is...LOL

 

[octavio3311]

A lot of dedicated wake boats ride like crap - real rough. There hulls are designed to displace water and shape a wake, not cut thru for comfort. My friends 12' Malibu rides like a tank. Actually, I think a tank rides better than his Malibu. Its a gorgeous boat, but Holy Shit - we'd rather paddle across the bay.
Centurions and MC's X25 are known to be smooth. And of course the behemoth G21-G23 series are smooth just cause they're like 9000 lbs fully ballasted.

 

[BlacklimitedS]

I agree with @octavio3311. I looked at a Moomba mojo 2.5. For 2015 they are upgrading to the 400 horse raptor motor. I was quoted well equipped for low 60's. It is a 22 foot boat but is larger inside and holds more people and stuff than my 24' yamaha. I like my boat but want a bigger wake and better low speed control. It is hard to hold speeds under 20 mph.

 

[OrangeTJ]

If watersports are your thing, there really is no replacement for a dedicated boat. The ability to finely control speed, as well as the supporting technoligies these boats incorporate, are phenomenal. As a bonus, they're very spacious in the main cockpit due to the cab forward design, although they sacrifice a considerable amount of bow space. One design feature of a lot of these boats that can be troublesome is the dipped bow. I get that it improves visibility, but when ballasted for surfing and coming back around, you have to be VERY careful not to stuff the bow...unless you don't care about getting a ton of water in the boat. I've not seen any of these boats with scuppers, so everything has to find its way to the bilge and then get pumped out. The T22 has a higher bow than the A22, and Centurions of previous generations seemed to site very low in the water at rest. Just some food for thoughts.

 

[octavio3311]

Yeah. That new Mojo is amazing. I seen one fully decked out with every option possible for $68k.
It a large heavy boat - much larger than the 22' sounds.
It's basically a Supra without all the Supra luxuries like the computer screens.

 

[octavio3311]

@OrangeTJ makes a very good point. Most of these boats sit low at the bow and can take a tremendous amount of water over the bow if not careful. There was a Malibu on the Malibu forum that sunk when he slowed down and turned into his own surf wave.
But if watersports is your thing, then there nothing better.
My brother is shopping for a new MC X25. I'm just as excited as he is.

 

[4x15mph]

My local dealer sells the Moombas and they are real nice. Good luck with the shopping