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

[suke]

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.

Yeah, I probably could have gotten into a top tier heyday boat for what I bought my 212x if I would have purchased within the same window. However, I couldn't get past the goofy design and not really enough info out on them for me to form an opinion one way or another. Haven't heard too many bad things about them. Sounds like similar QA/QC issues that yamaha faces. Which makes sense for a new brand like heyday.....yamaha, not so much.

 

[Lynkage]

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.

That's a good looking wave and a real nice switch to the other side! Awesome!!

 

[Lynkage]

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.

Actually, all but 2 of those were gone when I picked up my boat the other day and the 2 left, they told me they had deposits on! I think they had 4-5 Malibu's left and a couple of rough shape used boats. They were very busy when I bought mine. I'm sure if I had not put my deposit down that Sunday morning before the 4th weekend, It would have been gone by the weekend.

 

[haknslash]

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.

It's the same here. My dealer has very little inventory as this year has seen a big boom in boats sales, at least in our area. The used boat market is on fire right now and I could probably break even on my Max if I wanted to sell it but not going to list it lol. I'd only trade up for a new Supra SA and that is much more $$$ and wife would kill me right now. Maybe in 3-4 years we will move up to Supra.

 

[Lynkage]

My Yamaha was gone overnight! I gave my Axis salesman a small finders fee and someone looked at it when I dropped it off that evening and he called me the next morning asking me to bring the paperwork. Buyer had cash in hand. 14 hours tops and never listed or took pictures. Insane!

 

[Lynkage]

HA! It fits in the garage! I am stoked!

 

[d_coyne1984]

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.

I will second some of these comments. Less screen toggling would be a hug plus. On mine I have to switch screens for cruise, tab settings, and ballast. It would be so much nicer to have all the surf setting on one screen. It makes the dialing-in process so much smoother. Surf/high altitude prop is a must have, especially since you will probably end up adding ballast over stock. I don't think I have heard anybody say they are completely satisfied with the stock ballast unless they are in the premium boat category. I think most are very happy after some ballast upgrades, I know I am. My "surf" prop is a 14.25" pitch and I think I am going to go down to a 13". Get the most pumps you can if there is an option. 10 min feels a lot longer when you are sitting their filling ballast, itching to get going on the water. I run 3500 lb with 6 pumps and it take me just over 9 min to fill my big bags. It would probably take 15-16 if they were piggybacked off my hard tanks.

 

[d_coyne1984]

HA! It fits in the garage! I am stoked!

I truly appreciate that Axis designed a tower that folds to windshield height. I had to make numerous mods to make my Supreme fit under an 8' door and still need to pull the bimini off each time. That is a great victory for sure.

 

[anmut]

I have to admit that, after getting into wake boarding and surfing (something I had never done on any previous boats of ours, and wasn't a thought when we bought the new 212S this spring), I'm flipping back and forth between buying a purpose-built tow boat.

On one hand the engines are quieter, I wouldn't have to setup three ballast bags and could switch between goofy foot (me) and regular (everyone else) easier and wake boarding would be way more enjoyable without the jet spray. On the other hand, they're more expensive, more maintenance, hang low in the water (big deal for us boating on a river that ranges from 5-15' in depth) and overall slower on the high end.

I also like that you can get more people in a tow boat - however the bow seating seems limited and that's where the majority of our friends and family like to sit.

15-20 minutes to setup the boat for surfing, and then another 15 minutes to swap sides. Worth paying another 40k?

 

[d_coyne1984]

I have to admit that, after getting into wake boarding and surfing (something I had never done on any previous boats of ours, and wasn't a thought when we bought the new 212S this spring), I'm flipping back and forth between buying a purpose-built tow boat.

On one hand the engines are quieter, I wouldn't have to setup three ballast bags and could switch between goofy foot (me) and regular (everyone else) easier and wake boarding would be way more enjoyable without the jet spray. On the other hand, they're more expensive, more maintenance, hang low in the water (big deal for us boating on a river that ranges from 5-15' in depth) and overall slower on the high end.

I also like that you can get more people in a tow boat - however the bow seating seems limited and that's where the majority of our friends and family like to sit.

15-20 minutes to setup the boat for surfing, and then another 15 minutes to swap sides. Worth paying another 40k?

They really are a game changer when it's water sports you are into. I really miss the ease (and cost) of ownership with my Yamaha and could definitly see myself owning another one as a secondary runabout, but I am still really happy I made the switch. I feel like it is disingenuous for Yamaha to market any of their models as surf boats. For anyone inexperienced with the sport, you would naturally think it does a decent job. They can make a wave, and you can probably go ropeless behind them for a little bit, especially if you put some effort into upgrading the ballast, but once you get behind an inboard, it will completely ruin what you thought you knew wake surfing was. Now with the stock "surf systems," I bet the Yamaha's do a pretty decent job of throwing a big enough wakeboard wake to have some fun on even at a moderate skill level so if that's really what you are into, it might not be worth the move to a dedicated wake boat.

 

[ripler]

HA! It fits in the garage! I am stoked!

7' or 8' door? I'm doing everything in my power to convince the wife we need a new boat. I'm tired of the BS I need to do to get my SX210 with a aftermarket tower in the garage through a 7' door. I want to drop the tower with one person and drive the boat into the garage instead of getting a hernia everytime I take the boat out.

 

[anmut]

They really are a game changer when it's water sports you are into. I really miss the ease (and cost) of ownership with my Yamaha and could definitly see myself owning another one as a secondary runabout, but I am still really happy I made the switch. I feel like it is disingenuous for Yamaha to market any of their models as surf boats. For anyone inexperienced with the sport, you would naturally think it does a decent job. They can make a wave, and you can probably go ropeless behind them for a little bit, especially if you put some effort into upgrading the ballast, but once you get behind an inboard, it will completely ruin what you thought you knew wake surfing was. Now with the stock "surf systems," I bet the Yamaha's do a pretty decent job of throwing a big enough wakeboard wake to have some fun on even at a moderate skill level so if that's really what you are into, it might not be worth the move to a dedicated wake boat.

That's why I'm torn a bit. I love to wake board and surf, but if I consider that time as a percentage when we're out for the day, I'm probably 20% water sports and the rest of the time is sand bars and family time. I've stuck about $3500 into our 212S that makes it very surfable (not a word, I'm aware), and I'm probably getting the max wake for surfing I'll ever pull out of it (see my thread here https://jetboaters.net/threads/2020-212s-wakesurfing-dialing-in-the-wave.28735/#post-469645). But then I look at the tow boats (even the cheapest tow boat) puts out a better wake than $3500 does on my Yamaha. Now do I need that big curl to have fun for those couple hours I'm surfing, no - not in the least bit. Would I love it? Heck yes.

Wake boarding is really where I see the advantage of these tow boats. The twin jet Yamaha puts out such a wide wake that an amature like me has to really go for big air to land a wake to wake. Again though, is it worth 40k to be able to wake board "easier?" Decision decisions!

 

[CanTex]

That's why I'm torn a bit. I love to wake board and surf, but if I consider that time as a percentage when we're out for the day, I'm probably 20% water sports and the rest of the time is sand bars and family time. I've stuck about $3500 into our 212S that makes it very surfable (not a word, I'm aware), and I'm probably getting the max wake for surfing I'll ever pull out of it (see my thread here https://jetboaters.net/threads/2020-212s-wakesurfing-dialing-in-the-wave.28735/#post-469645). But then I look at the tow boats (even the cheapest tow boat) puts out a better wake than $3500 does on my Yamaha. Now do I need that big curl to have fun for those couple hours I'm surfing, no - not in the least bit. Would I love it? Heck yes.

Wake boarding is really where I see the advantage of these tow boats. The twin jet Yamaha puts out such a wide wake that an amature like me has to really go for big air to land a wake to wake. Again though, is it worth 40k to be able to wake board "easier?" Decision decisions!

I contemplated going the Yamaha route back in the spring when I was shopping for a new boat...I did the same analysis, percentage of time used in various situations: floating, cruising around, tied up, and potential surf/wakeboard time. What I found since purchasing a dedicated surf boat, is my wife and I spend much more time surfing then we anticipated. When friends join us, the ease of switching sides is the push of a button - if I had to move bags, adjust surf devices, etc. I'm sure the surf time would be greatly reduced.

As you mentioned costs are higher - insurance, 7 gph with boat loaded, and purchase price. Overall I'm very happy with the route I went, nothing against Yamaha (currently own FX SHO) very reliable brand with a great dealer network.

 

[DavisAR195]

That's why I'm torn a bit. I love to wake board and surf, but if I consider that time as a percentage when we're out for the day, I'm probably 20% water sports and the rest of the time is sand bars and family time. I've stuck about $3500 into our 212S that makes it very surfable (not a word, I'm aware), and I'm probably getting the max wake for surfing I'll ever pull out of it (see my thread here https://jetboaters.net/threads/2020-212s-wakesurfing-dialing-in-the-wave.28735/#post-469645). But then I look at the tow boats (even the cheapest tow boat) puts out a better wake than $3500 does on my Yamaha. Now do I need that big curl to have fun for those couple hours I'm surfing, no - not in the least bit. Would I love it? Heck yes.

Wake boarding is really where I see the advantage of these tow boats. The twin jet Yamaha puts out such a wide wake that an amature like me has to really go for big air to land a wake to wake. Again though, is it worth 40k to be able to wake board "easier?" Decision decisions!

When we had our Yamaha we were the same only 20% for water sports, but now it's more like 50/50 as we all really enjoy surfing and teaching our friends. I pulled out the wakeboard the other weekend and I was blown away by the difference in the wake.

 

[d_coyne1984]

That's why I'm torn a bit. I love to wake board and surf, but if I consider that time as a percentage when we're out for the day, I'm probably 20% water sports and the rest of the time is sand bars and family time. I've stuck about $3500 into our 212S that makes it very surfable (not a word, I'm aware), and I'm probably getting the max wake for surfing I'll ever pull out of it (see my thread here https://jetboaters.net/threads/2020-212s-wakesurfing-dialing-in-the-wave.28735/#post-469645). But then I look at the tow boats (even the cheapest tow boat) puts out a better wake than $3500 does on my Yamaha. Now do I need that big curl to have fun for those couple hours I'm surfing, no - not in the least bit. Would I love it? Heck yes.

Wake boarding is really where I see the advantage of these tow boats. The twin jet Yamaha puts out such a wide wake that an amature like me has to really go for big air to land a wake to wake. Again though, is it worth 40k to be able to wake board "easier?" Decision decisions!

Wow, that Yamaha wake booster really cleans up the wave nicely. I also used to be about 20% water sports now I am probably 80%. That was largely due to my 192 just not being heavy enough, even with 700 lbs of ballast and a few people onboard to do much. The big nail in the coffin on my Yamaha was the speed control. I really needed it for anyone else to drive and I just couldn't justify springing for it when there was so much else my Yamaha just wasn't going to be able to make up for. At least you have the 212. That make a HUGE difference over the 192. Everyone wants to surf now. So much so that I hardly get my wakeboard out any more (which is sad). I went out last Friday for 6 hours, only stopped to float for about a hour. I am continually impressed at how efficient the PCM motor/Supreme hull combo is. I filled up after pulling the boat out afterwards and only put in about 12 gal and the motor ran the whole time except for when we stopped to float. So thats a 4200 lb boat with 3500lb of ballast plus 6 adults getting about 2.4 gph while surfing most of the time.

 

[Lynkage]

7' or 8' door? I'm doing everything in my power to convince the wife we need a new boat. I'm tired of the BS I need to do to get my SX210 with a aftermarket tower in the garage through a 7' door. I want to drop the tower with one person and drive the boat into the garage instead of getting a hernia everytime I take the boat out.

Hi Ripler,

My door is an 8' door. I am limited by my board racks, but not sure if they moved I could get it past a 7' door. Next time I put it in, I will try to remember to get some measurements. We are headed back to Powell this Friday for a week, so I will try when I get back. My tower is gas shock assisted and that is nice, otherwise it would be really heavy.

 

[suke]

Wow, that Yamaha wake booster really cleans up the wave nicely. I also used to be about 20% water sports now I am probably 80%. That was largely due to my 192 just not being heavy enough, even with 700 lbs of ballast and a few people onboard to do much. The big nail in the coffin on my Yamaha was the speed control. I really needed it for anyone else to drive and I just couldn't justify springing for it when there was so much else my Yamaha just wasn't going to be able to make up for. At least you have the 212. That make a HUGE difference over the 192. Everyone wants to surf now. So much so that I hardly get my wakeboard out any more (which is sad). I went out last Friday for 6 hours, only stopped to float for about a hour. I am continually impressed at how efficient the PCM motor/Supreme hull combo is. I filled up after pulling the boat out afterwards and only put in about 12 gal and the motor ran the whole time except for when we stopped to float. So thats a 4200 lb boat with 3500lb of ballast plus 6 adults getting about 2.4 gph while surfing most of the time.

That's sort of what led me to another yamaha. Right now watersports are about 5% of what we do. The remaining 95% is floating, tubing, cruising, or beaching. Which a tow boat could handle all of that except for the beaching. We rented a lake house last week and around the dock much of it was 2ft. Even where it was dredged out for the boat house was about 3ft at the deepest, and a v-drive wouldn't fit the lift and definitely wouldn't have tied it up in 2ft of water that would see waves/wakes from boats going by. Maybe when we're into watersports more a tow boat will make sense.

 

[anmut]

Wow, that Yamaha wake booster really cleans up the wave nicely. I also used to be about 20% water sports now I am probably 80%. That was largely due to my 192 just not being heavy enough, even with 700 lbs of ballast and a few people onboard to do much. The big nail in the coffin on my Yamaha was the speed control. I really needed it for anyone else to drive and I just couldn't justify springing for it when there was so much else my Yamaha just wasn't going to be able to make up for. At least you have the 212. That make a HUGE difference over the 192. Everyone wants to surf now. So much so that I hardly get my wakeboard out any more (which is sad). I went out last Friday for 6 hours, only stopped to float for about a hour. I am continually impressed at how efficient the PCM motor/Supreme hull combo is. I filled up after pulling the boat out afterwards and only put in about 12 gal and the motor ran the whole time except for when we stopped to float. So thats a 4200 lb boat with 3500lb of ballast plus 6 adults getting about 2.4 gph while surfing most of the time.

Yeah, I wasn't impressed with the wakebooster originally, but if you add weight it really starts to shine. Also it seems to have a crisper top edge with a straight forward motion instead of the slight turn to surf side. It's a real PITA to switch surf sides though (first world problem). I added quick release valves to the transom bag lowers and it'll empty out in about 5 minutes, but it takes 10 min to fill. Then switching the booster to the surf side while in deep water is just OK, you really have to visualize it. All said and done it's 20 minutes to switch if I'm accounting for a few sips of beer in between. I thought about just adding a second transom bag so I could just pump between the two, but that's another $400. I also thought about just building an internal ballast system - there's a lot of room behind and under the rear seats on the 212 - not sure if I could replicate the 750 on the transom though, that really sinks the back corner nicely.

Re: fuel consumption - with 2-2.5k pounds of ballast and running WOT with the 1.8's I can go through 20-25 gallons of gas in a short afternoon on the 212S. That jet thrust is just not an efficient way to move that much weight around.

 

[anmut]

That's sort of what led me to another yamaha. Right now watersports are about 5% of what we do. The remaining 95% is floating, tubing, cruising, or beaching. Which a tow boat could handle all of that except for the beaching. We rented a lake house last week and around the dock much of it was 2ft. Even where it was dredged out for the boat house was about 3ft at the deepest, and a v-drive wouldn't fit the lift and definitely wouldn't have tied it up in 2ft of water that would see waves/wakes from boats going by. Maybe when we're into watersports more a tow boat will make sense.

Another big reason we bought the Yamaha - being able to beach / drive through shallow areas. With most legit surf boats drafting 30" before waves and weight, that's not a lot of room for error!

 

[Lynkage]

Another big reason we bought the Yamaha - being able to beach / drive through shallow areas. With most legit surf boats drafting 30" before waves and weight, that's not a lot of room for error!

That is about the only thing I miss about the Yamaha. So.... I am just improving my anchoring skills and we bought a Mission REEF floating pad 18' long. That adds extra fun all around, and adds ways to enter and exit the boat!!