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

[d_coyne1984]

That is true, however standard inboards or v-drives are not much less exposed as far as propeller impact situation.
The huge advantage of the forward drive system is in their open water capability - those drives are about twice as efficient on plane.
I would consider one, with hesitation and depending on circumstances, if only alternative was multiple boats, lol, which is a non-starter for me.

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I so miss my jet boat for this reason. The thought of taking out my prop gives me a lot of anxiety. I want to get a spare prop to keep on hand for when I inevitably ding mine (probably on a holiday vacation) so I don't loose an entire week or more of boating while it gets repaired, but a new prop for mine from wakemakers is $700... . I'd take pulling weeds from the jet on a regular basis any day over that.

 

[J-RAD]

I so miss my jet boat for this reason. The thought of taking out my prop gives me a lot of anxiety. I want to get a spare prop to keep on hand for when I inevitably ding mine (probably on a holiday vacation) so I don't loose an entire week or more of boating while it gets repaired, but a new prop for mine from wakemakers is $700... . I'd take pulling weeds from the jet on a regular basis any day over that.

I bought a pair of elevation pitched OEM impellers from Impros last summer that cost me as much. I'm glad I did, because they perform so much better, but damn it made my wallet sore for a bit.

 

[swatski]

I so miss my jet boat for this reason. The thought of taking out my prop gives me a lot of anxiety. I want to get a spare prop to keep on hand for when I inevitably ding mine (probably on a holiday vacation) so I don't loose an entire week or more of boating while it gets repaired, but a new prop for mine from wakemakers is $700... . I'd take pulling weeds from the jet on a regular basis any day over that.

That is so true!!!
Here with the conditions prevailing on my little river (which can be low in the channel most of the time) the guys with ski/wake boats get maybe one day on the water for every 4 or 5 that I can get in the Yami!
Not bragging, lol, just an observation

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[haknslash]

At first I had some anxiety worrying about prop strikes but in the end I’ve slwoly warmed up to it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s a trade off I don’t mind knowing I have a much more capable boat and just easier to get up and going in regards to surf prep, adjustments on the fly with a surf system, etc. Honestly at this point the main thing we miss from the jet boat is the ladder on the swim deck as silly as that sounds. Never knew how spoiled it is having a retractable ladder. One day I may get around to adding one but it keeps getting put off. Back to props, yea they’re pricey and I don’t have a spare either. I need to buy one so I’ll have a backup plan and don’t ruin a whole weekend by waiting on one to arrive.

 

[haknslash]

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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This just popped up on N3boatworks channel. Looks like they're carrying Bryant now. I did not know they were recently acquired by Correctcraft.

 

[MattFX4]

Looks like another surf pontoon is hitting the market. Equipped with Volvo forward drive.

 

[d_coyne1984]

This just popped up on N3boatworks channel. Looks like they're carrying Bryant now. I did not know they were recently acquired by Correctcraft.

I like it. It looks sexy. I am a big fan of that long overhang on the arch like Regal has been doing for a while. Only 1,200 lbs of ballast though and a $129k MSRP according to the website. I would really enjoy seeing one of these forward drive boats get designed and built around water sports as their primary goal like our V-drives rather than rebadged general purpose models with ballast and a forward drive. It would be neat to see if they can pull it off.

Looks like another surf pontoon is hitting the market. Equipped with Volvo forward drive.

View attachment 110621

Huh! I was just there last night for the VIP night (cuz that's how I roll) and I missed it. I did notice about a half a dozen pontoon brands that I have not noticed in the MN market before which I found interesting.

 

[haknslash]

Decided I’m storing the boat indoors this season and hopefully from here on out so I today I called and got on the waiting list for a new expansion being built at a boat/RV storage facility. These will be 40’ deep x 16’ wide fully enclosed storage with 14’ x 14’ rollup door. They should have them finished by March 1st which works out for me since I won’t summerize until end of March. Cost is not too bad at $135 a month but they do require annual contract which I’m ok with considering we will use this lake more often than others.

I chose near Lake Martin instead of the closer, smaller lakes. Figured I would pick the lake we use the most and which offers far more things to do than the others and having clean beautiful water is icing on top. The storage unit has lighting in each stall, power plugs, gas station at the corner of the lot that has non-ethanol fuel cheaper than on the water, 24 hour access in locked and gated area and is only 5 minutes from a boat launch! I will feel so much better getting her out of the elements and keeping her looking new like I did with my Yamaha in my garage.

This should also take towing wear and tear out of the equitation unless going to other lakes a few times a year and bringing it to the dealer for servicing. I think we will use the boat more often if it’s more convenient to where we like to boat. I thought about dry rack storage at a marina but I don’t like the idea of someone else losing and handling my boat plus it’s super expensive! The lake is about an hour and forty minutes from my house compared to the closer lakes that are 35 minutes from home but we just like the larger water and what Martin has to offer us (tons of surf spots, coves, rock jumps, goat island, beaches, and the biggie restaurants on the water). Worth the drive for us especially if we rent a condo or cabin for a long week and week stay but day trips are the norm for us and I won’t mind the drive especially when not having to tow at all!

Here’s a few pics of the place. Currently the only have the first phase done with these slightly smaller “pull-thru” units which were much more expensive at $220 a month. They have a smaller 12’ x 12’ door and are 36’ deep but have concrete floor. The second phase units they are building are larger but will have gravel instead of concrete which I’m totally fine with and they won’t be a pull thru which kind of is a bummer. It’s nice I will have enough room to make storage shelves for gear and dress it up a little though. I’m excited for it!











It’s close to the lake (red marker) and the black pins are boat launches within 5 minutes.

 

[d_coyne1984]

Decided I’m storing the boat indoors this season and hopefully from here on out so I today I called and got on the waiting list for a new expansion being built at a boat/RV storage facility. These will be 40’ deep x 16’ wide fully enclosed storage with 14’ x 14’ rollup door. They should have them finished by March 1st which works out for me since I won’t summerize until end of March. Cost is not too bad at $135 a month but they do require annual contract which I’m ok with considering we will use this lake more often than others.

I chose near Lake Martin instead of the closer, smaller lakes. Figured I would pick the lake we use the most and which offers far more things to do than the others and having clean beautiful water is icing on top. The storage unit has lighting in each stall, power plugs, gas station at the corner of the lot that has non-ethanol fuel cheaper than on the water, 24 hour access in locked and gated area and is only 5 minutes from a boat launch! I will feel so much better getting her out of the elements and keeping her looking new like I did with my Yamaha in my garage.

This should also take towing wear and tear out of the equitation unless going to other lakes a few times a year and bringing it to the dealer for servicing. I think we will use the boat more often if it’s more convenient to where we like to boat. I thought about dry rack storage at a marina but I don’t like the idea of someone else losing and handling my boat plus it’s super expensive!

Here’s a few pics of the place. Currently the only have the first phase done with these slightly smaller “pull-thru” units which were much more expensive at $220 a month. They have a smaller 12’ x 12’ door and are 36’ deep but have concrete floor. The second phase units they are building are larger but will have gravel instead of concrete which I’m totally fine with and they won’t be a pull thru which kind of is a bummer. It’s nice I will have enough room to make storage shelves for gear and dress it up a little though. I’m excited for it!

That seems like a killer deal for a spot that big. In my area I think I would be lucky to find something like that for under $200. I love that you can just drive through too. Nice find man! Afterstoring my Yamaha outdoors for the first 3 years of it's life and then moving into a place that I can garage the boat. I could not go back to keeping the boat outside again, but it sure is a bummer to be so size limited.

 

[DavisAR195]

I so miss my jet boat for this reason. The thought of taking out my prop gives me a lot of anxiety. I want to get a spare prop to keep on hand for when I inevitably ding mine (probably on a holiday vacation) so I don't loose an entire week or more of boating while it gets repaired, but a new prop for mine from wakemakers is $700... . I'd take pulling weeds from the jet on a regular basis any day over that.

Growing with I/O's my dad always carried a spare prop and that first on my must have list for the new boat. A prop through wakemakers for my boat is just under $600, remember to use the 10% yamaha1314 discount code. Just picked up a last years Doomswell Neo surf board, regularly $699 for $401.

 

[swatski]

Decided I’m storing the boat indoors this season and hopefully from here on out so I today I called and got on the waiting list for a new expansion being built at a boat/RV storage facility. These will be 40’ deep x 16’ wide fully enclosed storage with 14’ x 14’ rollup door. They should have them finished by March 1st which works out for me since I won’t summerize until end of March. Cost is not too bad at $135 a month but they do require annual contract which I’m ok with considering we will use this lake more often than others.

I chose near Lake Martin instead of the closer, smaller lakes. Figured I would pick the lake we use the most and which offers far more things to do than the others and having clean beautiful water is icing on top. The storage unit has lighting in each stall, power plugs, gas station at the corner of the lot that has non-ethanol fuel cheaper than on the water, 24 hour access in locked and gated area and is only 5 minutes from a boat launch! I will feel so much better getting her out of the elements and keeping her looking new like I did with my Yamaha in my garage.

This should also take towing wear and tear out of the equitation unless going to other lakes a few times a year and bringing it to the dealer for servicing. I think we will use the boat more often if it’s more convenient to where we like to boat. I thought about dry rack storage at a marina but I don’t like the idea of someone else losing and handling my boat plus it’s super expensive! The lake is about an hour and forty minutes from my house compared to the closer lakes that are 35 minutes from home but we just like the larger water and what Martin has to offer us (tons of surf spots, coves, rock jumps, goat island, beaches, and the biggie restaurants on the water). Worth the drive for us especially if we rent a condo or cabin for a long week and week stay but day trips are the norm for us and I won’t mind the drive especially when not having to tow at all!

Here’s a few pics of the place. Currently the only have the first phase done with these slightly smaller “pull-thru” units which were much more expensive at $220 a month. They have a smaller 12’ x 12’ door and are 36’ deep but have concrete floor. The second phase units they are building are larger but will have gravel instead of concrete which I’m totally fine with and they won’t be a pull thru which kind of is a bummer. It’s nice I will have enough room to make storage shelves for gear and dress it up a little though. I’m excited for it!

View attachment 110653View attachment 110654View attachment 110655

It’s close to the lake (red marker) and the black pins are boat launches within 5 minutes.

View attachment 110656

That sounds like a great deal indeed!

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[DavisAR195]

On Monday, we demoed the boat (2019 MasterCraft NXT22) and I was blown away by the wave. We demoed the boat with the service manager and he loaded the boat up with an additional 600lbs of lead. The boat currently has rear overflow ballast bags above the hard tanks weighing at 400lbs each. Wakemakers makes larger bags that weigh 710lbs so the additional 600lbs gave me a good idea of what the wave will look with the upgraded bags.

Last night we signed the paperwork and now it's official. Let the mods begin; #1 bow GatorStep kit, #2 upgraded ballast bags, #3 spare prop, and #4 new Doomswell wake surf boat. Depending on yearend bonus payouts skylon skylock board racks and tint the windows.

 

[haknslash]

Hell yea that's awesome @DavisAR195 !!! Excited for ya and you'll have to keep us posted of your new boat journey

Spoke with the storage folks again and super sweet older lady who runs it for the SIL and daughter. They also have a lake house they rent out on VRBO and such. Checked it out and it's definitely got an older lady decor vibe like if my grandmother had a lake home again lol but prices weren't bad and it's right down from the storage lot so could work out in a pinch for weekend trips where we don't want to splurge for the nicer/newer condos and rentals. It is dated decor and appliances though so will likely not use it but thanked her for letting me know. I asked if they had water at the storage lot and she said they didn't (was hoping for some washes or running the engine on the pipe lol) but she did say the gas station would likely let me fill up a bucket or two for wipe downs. I told her we would take the unit and she said we are locked in for #8 out of 40 and they start building the units in February. Excited and I'll be glad to get a lot of the boat stuff out of my garage and organized in a nice way in the storage unit.

 

[anmut]

Regarding the Volvo wake I/O - I can just imagine being a fly on the wall during that brainstorming session.
"People are really getting into wakesurfing... how does volvo break into that market without killing our customers?"
...
...
...
"What if we turned the outdrive... backwards?"
BRILLIANT!

*CHEERS AND BOOZE ALL AROUND*

 

[MattFX4]

Picked up my new to me boat today. 2018 Supra SL 450 with 75 hours. Man, I love this thing already and haven’t been on the water yet. The factory JL Audio stereo is insane and sounds great. Love the power folding tower too. Makes it a breeze to lower and raise the tower. Going to be a long February and March! I was worried about my truck towing but couldn’t believe how well this thing towed. My F150 handled it like a champ. So easy that once looked down and was doing 80 and didn’t know it. Anyways here’s a few pics of her.

 

[haknslash]

Looks great @MattFX4 !!!! Love those colors and I know you can't wait to get her wet!! Told you those Boatmate trailers pull amazing , especially compared to the Shorelandr's lol. Yea I know mine is back there when pulling but it pulls nice, solid and smooooth! Piping ties in your interior nicely

I just got back from the boat show and yea that JL Audio system in the Supra's SLAMSSS!! They were rocking it hard in the new SA and man that thing was hitting real nice and has a full sound even outside the boat!

 

[haknslash]

Here's a crap load of pics from the show. 2nd year in a row Yamaha dealers don't bring boats. I got to meet Rick Tinker who is one of the founder's of Skiers Choice who make the Supra and Moomba boats. Real laid back and cool guy. He seemed real appreciative of his employees when I was talking about the factory tour. Wished I had a designer job with them lol. Anyways on with a ton of pics!! Love the new midnight blue and black cherry flake options for the 2020 Supra's and Moomba's but still prefer my Ultra Blue heh. New dash in the NXT boats is pretty slick looking too.

 

[haknslash]

More pics. BTW check out the hydraulic lowering two-tier swimdeck on that Cobalt!!!

 

[haknslash]

Last set of pics. Still not warmed up to the Supreme Z series like I thought I would after it's been out for a while. The stern is just nuts and the bow doesn't offer a ton of room.

Love these LED docking and Nav lights on the Nautique GS series....

 

[MattFX4]

Looks great @MattFX4 !!!! Love those colors and I know you can't wait to get her wet!! Told you those Boatmate trailers pull amazing , especially compared to the Shorelandr's lol. Yea I know mine is back there when pulling but it pulls nice, solid and smooooth! Piping ties in your interior nicely

I just got back from the boat show and yea that JL Audio system in the Supra's SLAMSSS!! They were rocking it hard in the new SA and man that thing was hitting real nice and has a full sound even outside the boat!

Yeah man it has two JL 10” subs and the 8.8 and 7.7 speakers. They are built in “box pods” too so not free air mounted. I put a a lot of $ in my Yamaha stereo but this boat will need nothing.