New boat advice

[RobR]

Hi there I am hoping you can help me in this forum.

I am looking for a boat for my family to enjoy activities such as wakesurfing, boarding and tubing. I looked at the Chapparal 243VRX over the weekend and enjoyed it. I can't find a ton of information on jet vs inboard and how they perform for things like wakesurfing.

I also have noticed that a 2015 Malibu 23lsv is about 30 more expensive, but it is truly designed for wakesurfing /boarding. Any opinions on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

I have no brand preference as this will be my first boat, just trying to understand the pros and cons and how it will perform.

Thanks

 

[tdonoughue]

Hi, @RobR and welcome!

Check out this thread: https://jetboaters.net/threads/scarab-255-vs-yamaha-242-ls.6198/. Lots of good comparison on some boats.

As for the jet versus prop question, I can only really tell you where I came down on it. To me, jets have advantage in simplicity, safety, maintenance and layout (no big hump with an engine in it). Props have advantage in steering (a bit), in not getting things caught in impellers/intake grates, and availability of tons of options and configurations. I had never had a boat before, so having an engine well-proven like the Yamaha and a bit safer so I could not accidentally chop someone up with a prop seemed like a winner.

There are lots and lots of other pros/cons. I'm sure others will weigh in as well. But those were the major things for me.

 

[njmr2fan]

I'm curious to see the 2016 offering from Yamaha on a dedicated 24' water sports boat.

 

[Gthunter5]

I would go inboard v-drive if I had the $

Lots of torque, one engine to maintain, low rumbling sound of a v8, plenty of power when loaded and a nice wake and no jet wash

Lots of folks here love their jets though. I have a single engine 190 and would trade if I could to upgrade to a I/o chap or v-drive

Chaparral makes a great boat

 

[Scottintexas]

glad to have you join us,

how old are your kids? how often do you think you'll go out? How much money do have you to spend/ will it definitely be a new boat?

jet boats are a great all around boat, this was my first boat also and I'm glad I chose it, very little maintenance and super safe for the family,

other boats are definitely better at dedicated things, we've had a few members by Tiges to surf with, straight out of the box they are good options,

our boats do a lot of stuff good as far as water sports go and if you invest a little can surf very well,

I would look at all the jets, especially the yamaha's but whatever you choose make sure you get a test ride before you buy

update your profile with your location so we know where your at, there maybe a member close by to give you a ride and give you some pointers on what to look for,

 

[Julian]

Many factors to weigh here. One of the biggest is how much money you are prepared to spend. Saw an amazing Mastercraft X25 at a boat show this spring, the MSRP with all the options was $150,000...but I'm sure you could talk them down to 130K! Dedicated V-Drive wake surfing boats are what you will want if wake surfing is your passion, but they are more expensive than a Yamaha.... @007 or @trace could fill you in on their boats (Tige) and give you (and us) and idea of what you will pay for one.

 

[Boat Crazy]

I am sure some of our wake surfing guys will chime in. These boats can make an awesome wake with the right equipment and a lot safer. If your going for a dedicated wake surf boat this might not be it, however if your looking for an awesome all around boat Yamaha will work unless you boat in an area that has lots of grass or debris in the water. This is only Rumor but Yamaha may be coming out with a dedicated wake surf boat. If true it will be posted mid August at the Yamaha dealers meeting.

 

[RobR]

Wow thanks for the feedback so far. I have 4 kids ages 14 -8. We live in MD and would keep at Deep Creek during the summer.

I figured I would spend 70 to 90 on a new boat. My friend took me out to a chaparral dealer over the weekend and I got a chance to drive the 243vrx. Nicely outfitted this will run me about 80 all in w surf package upgraded stereo etc.

I really liked the boat but as I have been researching I have seen very little in on jet boats for wake surfing. This looks like a fun activity for all my kids and friends. Also looks like I wouldn't take a pounding!

At the end of the day this seemed like a good place to start. 20-30k less than Malibu or mastercraft. I would like to stick with new for warranty. So that's kind of where I am.

My friend also told me that he has never seen anyone trade down for a smaller boat so I imagine in a few years I my change up as our family grows up.

Thanks for any help!

 

[octavio3311]

If you're looking for a dedicated surf boat and don't want to go all in for a MC or a Bu - I would strongly consider a Ski Supreme. Great boat with a deep V that can handle the chop. Fully loaded - you can get one for $65k - $70k.
Or u can look at the Axis line of the Malibu boats.
Or the Moomba line which is made by Supra. The Moomba Mojo is impressive.
Me - I'd go with the Ski Supreme 226. I've been seeing more and more of them lately now that the local Centurion dealer took them on.

 

[007]

I have zero experience with the Chap, except I didn't like the sales rep I met at the last boat show, but that is a different story. They look like nice boats. I have a lot of experience with jets and then jumping to an inboard same as @trace others. No matter what you buy, NO I/O for surfing!!! I don't care how big the swim deck is...(google it if you want some stomach churning photos of shredded fingers).

First off, jets are more all around boats. If you make some mods you can throw a pretty decent surf wave with a jet boat (wake wedge, ballast systems, perfect pass, etc.) and there are hundreds, if not thousands of photos on this site of owners and their crew enjoying various water sports. To this date, jets have not had the adjustability and pro level surf wave you can get with an inboard. Who knows what the future will bring. Jetboat wakeboard waves will always be frothy in the middle and generally not as nice of a lip, but the 212's in the Yamaha line do pretty nice out of the box.

There is a bit of an arms race going on in the inboard world. New tech and "surf systems" introduced annually makes you really have to do your research. Inboards don't take heavy water as well as the yamaha's. The vee is not as deep, the nose is lower and hull is generally flatter at the tail. This all equals a rougher ride at speed. Riding big water in an inboard requires more patience and timing. You'll get there fine if you are a good captain, you'll just go slower. Also, you have running gear below obviously. Some rivers are not as condusive to inboards and if you beach regularly you have to think more about where you are beaching. Also, surf boats can loose a lot of storage to ballast (but so can a ballasted up jetboat).

I'm happy to speak with you @RobR if you pm me. I will leave you with 2 more thoughts:
1. Wakeboats can be ridiculously expensive (see arms race comment above). That said if you look you can do much, much better (like MUCH better) than the scenario @Julian described above. You do have to buy the trailer separate.
2. Also, I cannot stress this enough. An inboard is a lower volume, higher markup, higher maintenance beast. Since systems change so rapidly on newer boats, your relationship/finding a good dealer is absolutely paramount in your happiness. Like off the charts important.

I'm very happy with my choice, but it fits my lifestyle. That is the cool thing about boats...there are lots to choose from.

 

[octavio3311]

@007 - well said!

 

[OrangeTJ]

Keep in mind that there is generally a lot of wiggle room in pricing on wake boats. For instance, a friend of mine worked for a deal on a 2015 Malibu 23 lsv. List was 107k, best deal offered by dealership was 76k. He ended up getting an axis t22 in the mid 60s. Unless you really don't want a prop, I think you'd be hard pressed to beat a v drive for surfing and wakeboarding.

 

[trace]

@007 hit on all the really important points. I've owned 2 Yamahas and currently on my 2nd Tige. @007 and I both worked the boat show in February for the local Yamaha dealer and we both own Tige's. Here's what I always told customers who were cross shopping Inboards and Jets for water sports. How much time will you spend doing watersports like wakesurfing, wakeboarding, skiing versus cruising, rafting, swimming, tubing, etc..... If your answer is 90/10 you probably won't be happy with a jet long term, if it's more like 50/50 a jet is an excellent choice. The jets are great all around boats, I can't recommend an I/O over a jet for all around use, the jets are just too easily maintained and dead on reliable. The inboards are a bit of a one trick pony, sure you can cruise the lake with it, but it will burn more fuel used like that, some brands are more fuel efficient than jets for towed watersports, they aren't as maneuverable as the jets in close quarters, but they track arrow straight while towing riders. Oh and to reiterate one of the better points above, boats are not mass produced items, they all have issues from the factory, a great dealer can make all the difference in the world regarding your boating experience.

 

[RobR]

Thanks for your help. Great points @007. I think I would end up on the 60/40 side (sports/cruising) so it sounds like the jet boat would be a good fit based on the breakout of time.

I really appreciate your time. Guess I'm probably gonna end up as a jet boater!