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

[Canuckjetboater]

Not sure if you've read through the whole thread but we ended up buying the Moomba Max. It has been great and I can say that after 2 seasons with it I would not go back to a jet. At least not if surfing is at all high on the priority list. My 192 did 49 mph and we don't miss the speed at all. As you know, these wake boats are not made for speed they're made for pulling a bunch of weight. We cruise all the time 23-30 mph or so and it's fine for us and caring about speed just doesn't matter when you drive one of these things, at least for me it isn't.

As for fuel efficiency my Raptor 400 and heavier boat is more fuel efficient than the 192 ever was. I can fill up 65 gallons and enjoy several weekends worth of cruising, surfing etc and not have to fill-up where as the 192 would eat 30 gallons in no time if driving it in the "fun mode" and you can forget fuel range if you add any ballast to a jet. Maybe fuel efficiency was bad back in your day of skiing but today's modern V8's and sophisticated hull designs allow these big behemoths of wake boats to be pretty fuel efficient, well except for a Malibu or Axis. You would be surprised given the speeds you cruise on a vdrive and can effortless hold speeds vs the jet which by nature is not going to be nearly as efficient. My wallet can certainly tell and I even run midgrade in this boat vs regular 87 on previous jet. You have to run premium on your SVHO engine so I know that thing drinks it lol.

Maintenance for me hasn't been a factor yet because when I bought my Max I got it during boat sales which also came with a 2 year free maintenance program with my dealer. After this year I'll be doing maintenance myself which is not much more than what you do on a jet in terms of cost. Yea I'll buy an impeller every year just to be safe and yea I'll be draining water from the engine to winterize but it's not much more than that based on cost and time. Thankfully the Max has super deep 5' lockers that you can literally get down in there without effort to work on or around the engine and it has large open vdrive access.

In the end my expenses have been VERY minimal going to vdrive. I guess i could chalk up an expense of now having a storage unit monthly cost instead of stowing my 192 in my garage but I'm also not towing anymore and I have 3 ramps within 5 mins of my storage facility. However the cost of the storage unit is less than it cost me to tow with my F150, so it's actually saving me money plus I got 40' worth of storage compared to like 20' in my garage lol. Aside form the higher payment of a newer and more expensive boat, it really has sort of saved me in the long run because it's minimal effort to fill ballast, no effort to drive to lake now that I'm not towing, fuel costs or cheaper and further in between fill-up's, ride quality is night and day better and overall the vdrive just works for us. We love it!!

@haknslash .....very happy you are enjoying your boat and wish you future low maintenance! That has not been the experience of my friends but the best to you. Not sure how getting you any kind of decent GPH when the stern of the boat is buried and the engine is revving with that gear ratio. Yes, you will get longer range but then your fuel tank is 2X mine. My MPG at 21 MPH with my SX195 have averaged 3.1 MPG. that's hard to beat. Glad you are doing your maintenance because good techs are hard to find and those wake boat transmissions must be looked after very well or the costs become astronomical. When my friend shifted his marina's main focus from I/Os to wake board/ski boats his income rose dramatically and a lot of that was service/maintenance oriented. Thanks for your info I consider myself a life long learner so all information is gratefully received!

 

[haknslash]

Transmissions haven't seemed to be an issue for my dealer or on the owners groups. Not sure what is going on with your buddy.

As far as service and wake boats go a lot of people simply chose to use their dealer and support them with a wake boat I've noticed vs say the jets. Part of that I think is the average wake boat customer may have more disposable income and doesn't mind it, or they simply don't care to learn DIY maintenance and then others will always DIY. What I can say is that having a good dealership is VITAL to these kinds of boats. Same goes for Yamaha's and jets too I suppose but these are a bit more custom made and with that sometimes means there will be some small issues to iron out in the first year or ~50 hours of use. I had my share and never once had my dealer balk back at me nor Skiers Choice warrantying anything. I can't say the same for my previous Yamaha dealer and I certainly would not let their service department touch my 192 but my vdrive dealer service dept has been great and they go above and beyond every time. Makes that payment feel a bit nicer and appreciated knowing they will go to bat and take care of their customers and you're not just another notch in their belt like higher volume dealers sometimes treat their customers.

21 mph on a jet boat is probably just shy of 5k rpms and just beyond what it takes to keep a jet on plane and you're getting probably around 5.5-6 GPH (no ballast or anything). Average fuel consumption for Raptor 400 with 1:5 ratio is 4-5 gph and that's WITH running over 4k ballast plus crews in most cases. Yes my fuel tank is twice as large but I'm not filling up less the same ratio. I'm actually filling up once a month compared to once a weekend doing the same activities on the same lake in the same conditions with a much heavier boat. My wallet don't lie

 

[haknslash]

Some recent pics...

 

[Brad460]

Which options did you put on this boat? (I suspect it in this thread but 70 pages is a lot to sift through).

The reason I ask is that we are likely going to order a new one this winter and want to keep the price down, but not leave out any much needed options.

Plan is all black with tan interior...

Lastly, what is the height folded down? (For garbage fitment)

 

[bthessel]

We are probably spend our time 30% cruising around, 15% watersports (tubing and attempts at surfing) and the rest floating in a cove, the Yamaha has been great for the floating in the cove with friends. Cruising sucks a little due to how loud the boat is and watersports are just ok even with ballast, TVWakes and perfect pass. I am wondering if a newer Yamaha than my 2009 would address some of my issues with it.

 

[suke]

We are probably spend our time 30% cruising around, 15% watersports (tubing and attempts at surfing) and the rest floating in a cove, the Yamaha has been great for the floating in the cove with friends. Cruising sucks a little due to how loud the boat is and watersports are just ok even with ballast, TVWakes and perfect pass. I am wondering if a newer Yamaha than my 2009 would address some of my issues with it.

it'll address some issues, but you'll get others. LOL! I had a 2009 212x and it was SUPER loud compared to my 2020. Granted I came from old 2 stroke outboards, so it seemed either quieter, or on par with those. My 2020 212x is super quiet. Have no issue carrying on a conversation with my wife in the other captains chair without having to yell at each other.

 

[haknslash]

Which options did you put on this boat? (I suspect it in this thread but 70 pages is a lot to sift through).

The reason I ask is that we are likely going to order a new one this winter and want to keep the price down, but not leave out any much needed options.

Plan is all black with tan interior...

Lastly, what is the height folded down? (For garbage fitment)

I optioned mine with:

• Gatorstep flooring
• No board racks (I use deep storage for boards and when it’s time to fill ballast surf boards go on top of the bimini in surf pockets)
• AutoWake
• Bow filler cushion
• Pull-out cleats
• G6 ballast
• 15x13” Surf prop (OJ 945)
• F2 Wetsounds package which is amplified cockpit speakers, sub, amplified Rev 8 tower speakers

And I think that is about it. The 2021 Max will now have an option for the larger 7” screen which is the only thing I wished I had back in 2019 just to save from toggling displays back and forth on the smaller screen. A buddy of mine just committed to a custom order 2021 Max and shared his build sheet so that is how I know about the 7” screen option ($1k upgrade over standard 4.5” screen). He went with black hull and accent with black cherry flake main. Should look pretty good! He did dark graphite and light gray interior with red piping. My light gray gets hot so cant imagine how his will be but we use towels and I suspect he will too in the hot south. He is coming from an older Malibu Vride.

 

[Lynkage]

I will be testing out the new Axis A24 this weekend at Lake Powell! Super excited!! I will post up my thoughts when we are done. I do expect slower speeds and more fun! Cell service is very poor down there, however I will try to post some pictures of the fun!!

 

[haknslash]

@Brad460 sorry forgot to include height with tower folded and to the top of the board racks.

 

[buckbuck]

@Brad460

Lastly, what is the height folded down? (For garbage fitment)

Please let me know where you throw away your garbage.

 

[Lynkage]

Okay she’s home. A couple of pictures for the masses.

 

[haknslash]

Okay she’s home. A couple of pictures for the masses.

Nice and congrats!!

 

[OrangeTJ]

Beast mode! Congrats on the A24. That is a lot of boat. I bet you are going to have a BLAST!

 

[OrangeTJ]

As I've been half considering taking a peek at one, the biggest thing I can't get around is the absolutely worthless reverse handling of an inboard or v-drive. How could a 100k+ boat have so much technology in it and STILL not be able to maneuver in reverse - you would think there would be a tech fix for that issue, at that price range.

I'll take the reverse handling of my v drive any day over the complete lack of low speed directional stability in forward that my jet had. I spend WAY less time going backwards in my v drive then I did having to constantly manage my Yamaha at forward no wake speeds. I will concede that reverse handling is not a strong suit, though. There is a technique to it but it requires learning and isn't perfect.

 

[OrangeTJ]

@haknslash .....as a former dedicated slalom skier (competitive level) I started with a California J Craft with a big Merc behind it. Then came a Moomba then a Tige. They were all awesome ski boats - the latter two also great wake boats. Personally, I'd buy the Moomba unless you are top tier competitive qualified. That said - never, never , never compare any of them them to a Yamaha Jet Boat if talking price. Buying a wake boat is just the BEGINNING of your expenses. They are hellacious on gas. Even with the best maintenance (my friend's marina - Supra dealer - has two dedicated factory trained transmission specialists on year round contract - guess why that is?) These boats are geared for super pulling power at low speeds PERIOD. If you have the $$$$$ great for you - you'll need them! The cost of use and maintenance of a Yamaha Jet Boat is a total joke compared to running a dedicated wake boat. Plus my SX195 will beat the pants off any wake boat out there - in acceleration. Come back after a two seasons of use and tell me different, I'd be interested in your perspective. Cheers MT

I'm in my 5th season with my MB F22 with the 6.2 Raptor 400, a 1.76:1 transmission and a 15X15.75" prop. It uses less gas than my SX210 did in comparable use. My SX210 couldn't really surf so I can't compare that but for cruising, pulling tubes and wakeboarding, it just uses less fuel period. I'd put that down to a more efficient transfer of power via the propeller as opposed to the jets. It burns more surfing than cruising, obviously, at about 10 gph when surfing with about 5,000 lbs in ballast on top of the boat's own approximately 5,000 lbs. However, an hour of actual surfing (not including floating between sets) is a fair amount of surfing and 10 gallons of gas is not a particularly high price to pay for that much fun.

I have no illusions that something costly can't happen - it is a boat after all - but so far we've had the same number of issues as we had with our Yamaha in the same period of time: none. I do my own regular maintenance and don't find there to be any meaningful difference in annual running cost/hour. We do, however, put more running hours on this boat than we did on our Yamaha. We're at 260 on the MB and sold the Yamaha with about 145 or so. I put that down to spending more time floating/chilling with the Yamaha and more time running/doing watersports with the MB. There is more that can go wrong on this boat than there is on a Yamaha jet, but less than a stern drive. In any case, people looking for a cheap activity probably shouldn't be considering boating anyway, regardless of the type of boat.

 

[Lynkage]

As I've been half considering taking a peek at one, the biggest thing I can't get around is the absolutely worthless reverse handling of an inboard or v-drive. How could a 100k+ boat have so much technology in it and STILL not be able to maneuver in reverse - you would think there would be a tech fix for that issue, at that price range.

There are options...

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[OrangeTJ]

Thrusters are rad, but honestly not necessary. It is more than possible to deftly handle an inboard in reverse. You just don't put them in reverse and leave them there - it is a combination of reverse thrust, rudder position, then brief forward engagement to get the stern pointed in the direction you want if it is counter to prop rotation, then more brief reverse engagement. Not "simple" but not as hard as it seems when you first get behind the helm. I can put my boat pretty much anywhere I want it without particular difficulty.

 

[haknslash]

I rarely used AutoWake with stock ballast but the little bit of testing I’ve done with AutoWake since upgrading the ballast looks like I may need to give it another try.

 

[suke]

Okay she’s home. A couple of pictures for the masses.

Looks like your dealer has quite a few boats still. That's impressive! Around here they're selling them faster than they can get them in. Even boats like the heyday boats have a waiting list.

 

[ScottS]

Looks like your dealer has quite a few boats still. That's impressive! Around here they're selling them faster than they can get them in. Even boats like the heyday boats have a waiting list.

In Utah, my buddy host a Heyday WT-2 back in February and out of curiosity I went and spoke with his salesman about a month ago. For the same boat, he quoted me 25K more than my friend paid 5 months earlier. Oddly, I lost interest really quickly. Heydey fitment issues aside. The market here has been insane.