Thoughts and demo rides of wake / towsports boats: Moomba Max, Axis A22, MB Sports

[d_coyne1984]

Found some vids of a Max with the WM upgrade but can’t link it because it’s in a closed group so it won’t show up here. Really transforms the wave to a beast IMO. Nice and long with plenty of push from front to back. This guy is well over 6’ and 290 lbs for size perspective.

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Damn, that's going to be fun!

 

[haknslash]

Nice little video WM just put out explaining prop selection.

 

[haknslash]

Really love the redesigned SA. Wave looks great too!!

 

[MattFX4]

Really love the redesigned SA. Wave looks great too!!

Sweet boat man. Atlanta Marine gave me a price on one. It’s out of my budget right now, but was surprised how low they came down on it.

 

[d_coyne1984]

My wife hooked me up with a suck-gate for Christmas. It's the only really reasonably priced one I have found on the market at $110 when I could easily make my own for about $50. I was skeptical but it feels very solid. It's mostly 3D printed, but feels plenty strong so I just wanted to share. I have heard from many people that they make a pretty big difference on inboards. I've attached some pics with some measurements for anyone interested so you can be sure you have a big enough flat spot. The only thing I dont like is the metal tab on the back for attaching a lanyard. I plan to take it back off so it cant scratch the gelcoat if it popped off. I'll run the lanyard through the supports.

WakeSurf Wingman - The Ultimate Wake surf + Wakeboard Wave Shaper System Amazon.com: WakeSurf Wingman - The Ultimate Wake surf + Wakeboard Wave Shaper System: Sports & Outdoors

 

[Mainah]

And there is the real reason you start


Boat already looks kind of small behind that truck. Wonder what it would look like behind the red and black 650 they built years back. Of course it would need a custom draw bar with a few feet of drop.

Would be awesome to see what a TT diesel with a custom gear box and prop could muster in one of these boats for both torque and top end speed. Of course would need a well thought out exhaust and def so one could see and breath while surfing. If HD and the guys did it we would all be glued to that episode. If they did it and made it a give away that would be even more awesome.

Just finished watching the Diesel Brothers episode with their custom surf boat. Looks like I sort of called it back in August. Granted not a Pavati but still a twin turbo diesel surf boat with some Pavati tower support lines ;-) Looks pretty cool in that refurbed old school kind of way IMO. Certainly unique.

 

[J-RAD]

Just finished watching the Diesel Brothers episode with their custom surf boat. Looks like I sort of called it back in August. Granted not a Pavati but still a twin turbo diesel surf boat with some Pavati tower support lines ;-) Looks pretty cool in that refurbed old school kind of way IMO. Certainly unique.

Definitely is unique for sure. The Diesel brothers and Brigade have been chummy for a while. They bought one of their first 6x6 trucks a couple years ago. I figured it was more or less being commissioned by them based on their involvement and the suspenseful "need to sell" being hammered home. Then of course the Brigade logo smack dab on the vinyl wrap. My one complaint on the show is it can be obvious in its scripting at times (most of the time).

Anyway, I'm off topic... The boat was cool, it was ambitious to make a thing like that surfable. The wave was not to impressive though, kind of a mess.


It could probably benefit from a Gantlin Wake Wedge. ?

It gets a bit humorous to me that Heavy D is/has been talking and hinting about a diesel powered wake boat for a few years actually, the goes out and picks up a Pavati and brings it up again. With the possibility of converting it. Then, what seems like a month later the Nautique G23 Paragon hits the market available with a Yanmar diesel for $50-$100k less. That monster looks like it will throw a wave near double the size of ther Pavati. Anyway, just like ther show, the entertainment is in the production.

 

[J-RAD]

Here's a better shot of the twin diesel Vietnam war era former military bridge boat turned surf boat that was on Diesel Brothers last night. I had to take a picture of my screen to get the photos last night, which is why the quality is so terrible.

It's a novelty boat. Certainty interesting and worth a watch.

 

[2kwik4u]

Good grief the freeboard at the rear of that boat is SOOOOO tiny. SOmewhat surprised it doesn't swamp itself just sitting there with people jumping in off the top deck.

 

[DavisAR195]

Heading to the Portland Boat show this weekend and looking forward to seeing the new MB F24 Tomcat and the new Nautique Paragon G23.

 

[swatski]

Has anyone here ever looked at or maybe even considered one of the newer surf boats with those Volvo Forward Drives?

If one wanted to own and maintain just one boat, and one lived in a coastal area with a lot of mixed use including some offshore, wouldn’t something like a new Bryant C7 makes sense, potentially...?
Asking for a friend, lol.


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[DavisAR195]

Has anyone here ever looked at or maybe even considered one of the newer surf boats with those Volvo Forward Drives?

If one wanted to own and maintain just one boat, and one lived in a coastal area with a lot of mixed use including some offshore, wouldn’t something like a new Bryant C7 makes sense, potentially...?
Asking for a friend, lol.


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I think it’s a cool idea, however after growing up around I/O I will never own one. The seals or hydraulics always seem to fail at some point.

 

[haknslash]

If you’re looking for a multifunction type boat then I suppose they would be attractive to you if owning a v drive is out of the question or you want more of the Swiss Army knife kind of boat again. Meaning don’t expect it to be great at any one thing so there are trade-off’s for having it all in one boat. The hulls are not specifically shaped for surfing like today’s surf boats are so if you’re looking to squeeze out the best wave you can make then those boats likely won’t cut it. If you’re ok with that and not having a big wave then perhaps those boats will suit you just fine.

Even though they make flush kits and coastal versions for wake boats I still do not think I’d have the heart to put her in the salt. I know people do it with no issues but man just thinking of all the crusty salt sitting on nice gelcoat or flake makes me sad face lol.

Here’s some surf footage of an R5 to give you an idea of stock boat with no people onboard. Wave looks small but seems to have some push. Just not sure how far you can take or mod a boat like that to get the wave shape or size you may prefer later down the road. I could see you getting a boat like this if you’re still wanting to do Bimini runs, coastal use and surf in a non-jet boat. I just don’t know how far you can mod them or hell if anyone has missed them for bigger surf waves.

 

[haknslash]

 

[swatski]

I think it’s a cool idea, however after growing up around I/O I will never own one. The seals or hydraulics always seem to fail at some point.

Sure thing, there is more maintenance on i/os no doubt! but - one can not surf behind an outboard!

I'm very familiar with @Andy S R5 Cobalt, that's a tank, takes them around the Bahamas and not just Bimini but all the way to Abaco, Exuma etc. Those bigger Cobalts and Bryants are open water capable, not to mention adding the head.

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[J-RAD]

I think it’s a cool idea, however after growing up around I/O I will never own one. The seals or hydraulics always seem to fail at some point.

Depends. My parents Four Winns is a 21 year old boat now. It has a Volvo 5.7L with a Volvo dual prop drive. That thing has been problem free that entire time. Just regular maintenance is all that's ever been done. Im not sure who if anyone else is making the forward facing drives but I would have little hesitation in owning one.

I will say maintenance is much easier on the Yamaha's. Trying to change the spark plugs and reinstalling the drain plugs in the system was a PIA. Tore my arms up trying to reach it all.

Has anyone here ever looked at or maybe even considered one of the newer surf boats with those Volvo Forward Drives?

If one wanted to own and maintain just one boat, and one lived in a coastal area with a lot of mixed use including some offshore, wouldn’t something like a new Bryant C7 makes sense, potentially...?
Asking for a friend, lol.
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I think you could have comparable results surfing to what you have now, possibly better with some of the deeper hull. Talking to the dealer here the forward drives are supposedly more efficient. If you think about it, the props are now the first thing to encounter the flow of water vs the back of the unit in the traditional design.

However, you start proving some of these out and the dedicated wake boats begin to have more and more appeal.

 

[swatski]

I think you could have comparable results surfing to what you have now, possibly better with some of the deeper hull. Talking to the dealer here the forward drives are supposedly more efficient. If you think about it, the props are now the first thing to encounter the flow of water vs the back of the unit in the traditional design.

That is definitely true, on both accounts! I love my Yami and have been very happy with the wake she has started throwing this year after I finally dialed everything in, still it is what it is, and switching sides is out of the question - for convenience factor.
I could however use a larger hull for regular off-shoring, a 240 yamaha hull effectively being about 21'(?) if that, so a comparison to a 27ft Bryant or Cobalt is more like a ford pinto to a Raptor. Yes, the forward drives are very efficient for high speed cruising compared to an inboard or v-drive it is something like 40% better, so something like a new Bryant C7 with a 90 gal gas tank can go really far.
If we ever live on a large deep lake like Table Rock or Bull Shoals here with a lift in front of a house - getting a dedicated wake boat would make sense, but with mixed use and some offshore those forward drive beasts are pretty tempting, I tell you!

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[DavisAR195]

Okay I need some input here. For the last few months I have been pretty much sold on a 2020 MB F22 Tomcat currently listed at 89k. I was talking to the salesman that I purchased my Yamaha from and told him I was looking to make the leap but wanted to stay under 90k. He told me to look at the MasterCraft NXT 22 at the same price point but much better quality. It so happens the dealership has a new 2019 NXT22 in the color scheme I would want for 69k. Does anyone know much about the NXT?

 

[haknslash]

I do not think you'd be happy in the long run with an NXT. You're basically buying the Mastercraft name with that boat. Was not overly impressed especially for what they're asking for them. I'd certainly take an MB over one all day any day and it would put out a much better wave.

Search "NXT' in this thread and I put up some pics and info on them. They are not to the same level as say the Mastercraft XT lineup. Far from it IMO. Best thing I can suggest is to demo all the ones you're interested in and your heart (and dealer support) will guide you to the right one.

 

[OrangeTJ]

Okay I need some input here. For the last few months I have been pretty much sold on a 2020 MB F22 Tomcat currently listed at 89k. I was talking to the salesman that I purchased my Yamaha from and told him I was looking to make the leap but wanted to stay under 90k. He told me to look at the MasterCraft NXT 22 at the same price point but much better quality. It so happens the dealership has a new 2019 NXT22 in the color scheme I would want for 69k. Does anyone know much about the NXT?

I have a 2016 MB F22. I've also pretty thoroughly checked out the NXT. I didn't see anything about the NXT that I'd call better, let alone "much better". The MBs are very well built boats. Don't have all the gizmos of some other boats but quality does not lack. Keep in mind that list price and actual selling price can be quite different. When I bought my MB, I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% below MSRP.