The search for a new "do all" boat for 2015
 

After two years of really enjoying our MB Sports Boss 210 we have decided to move onto something a little bigger. I'm a old school water ski guy so that's why we went with the direct drive when we got it a few years ago but over time I've started to enjoy the kneeboarding, wakeboarding, and we even tried (unsuccessfully) to surf. The surfing thing really got my wife interested because she likes low impact and less of a chance of getting hurt. We are in the market for something newer than our 1996 and would like to find something with perfect pass (I hear this is a must for surfing) a V-drive with ballast. I've been searching like crazy but because I like to do a little bit of everything I'm a little torn. I want something that sits deep in the water for the safety. We have a 1 year old so sitting in a slammed boat is all good when you are out for a session with the guys, but I'm going to spend more time on this with my kid than without. So I'd like it to have factory ballast. I'm not brand loyal to anything just looking for a good do all boat. I was trying to stay below $25k but I'm finding a lot of nice boats in the 25-30 range. I realize I'm searching for a needle in a hay stack and it's not going to be a brand new boat. I'm fine with that. Just looking for some suggestions from some guys who do a little bit of everything. I don't need the biggest surf wake, but something that can be surfed. We found a Regal Session that we really liked the interior of, but those boats seem to be dang near hated on this site and without them being in production I could see some problems down the road. Here is the link to what first got us thinking about it.

http://www.wawaseeboat.com/pre_owned...sp?veh=4028198

So what would you guys suggest?

Thank you, I have only been in one nice wake boat, most of my time has been in direct drives so I'm a little new to all of this, sorry for the ignorance!

malibu VTX on the diamond hull hits the nail on the head, but it blows your budget by about 2x.

An early 2000s malibu VLX on the SV23 diamond hull would be in your budget. It's surfable but by no means a "surf boat".

A couple of questions...

How old are you willing to go?
How many hours can it have?
What is your level of water skiing?
How big do you need/want it; any lake restrictions?

Shawndoggy beat me to it, but a mid-2000's VLX seems to be about right. Tige might have something too. Since you mentioned freeboard, Sanger v215 is a bust, else I'd tell you to stop looking for anything else.

All other recommendations rely on your level of water skiing and how big of a boat do you want/need?

Age isn't a huge concern and hours isn't as long as it's in good shape and still dependable. As far as water skiing that really doesn't make too much of a difference, I'll run a course once or twice a year tops. If I really want to ski i'll get behind a different boat if I want to get serious. I just want to be able to play on ski's more than anything.

No restriction on length, but I'd like to stay with a 21 or 23 feet I think.

I will keep my eye open on the Malibu VLX. There are so many options out there I don't want to end up with something that can't even be surfed. Again thanks for the help!

The things that make a boat ski well generally make it difficult to get a good surf wake. And vice versa. Good surf boats could kill you skiing.

That's what I'm finding out really quick. We will surf/wakeboard a lot more than we will ever ski so that isn't a huge deal.

diamond hull SV23 boat (Early 2000's Malibu) would really be a good bet, but any SV23 malibu would do you well.

like for instance a tige 21v or centurion avalanche are going to surf 100x better than the malibu, but you'd never really want to ski a course behind one.

Good deal, I had found a Centurion that I was kind of interested in so i'll keep that in mind. Looks like a Diamond Hull Malibu is the route I need to be looking in.

The old Xstar skied pretty well but doesn't have a lot of freeboard. We used it in the course quite a bit. It was a much better ski boat than the Malibu VLX(not sure if the one I skied was the diamond hull though). My old Supra 21v had more freeboard, but lost some of its skiing capability(it was still my favorite boat though). If you ran 36, it wasn't all that bad.

I'm selling my 02 Centurion Hurricane which meets your criteria. Not desperate to sell or anything, but I think its priced fair. It's going up to 24k when summer hits! https://www.onlyinboards.com/2002-Ce...nia-46457.aspx

old vlx is a v ride in 05 06 may find one in that price range. its ski capable. great wakeboard wake, small surf wake, i had one, great boat.

But the OP indicated they need bigger. This pretty much kills any course boat, leaving an open water rec ski hull.

For the price, id look for a 22V or 22Ve Tige. Damn good surf boat, great wake board boat, decent surf wake for its size and plenty of room.

Malibu 05-07 vlx diamond is pretty darn good at everything.They are simple. You really need to test 1 out.We ski wakeboard and surf in that order. The surf wake is great with a little extra ballast and the ski wake is pretty good.The wake board wake is a little small or it does not seem to boot you like the wake hull, but the ski wake is terrible on the wake hull.We added a surf gate and 750 in the lockers and it is awesome for surfing.Try 1 you won't regret it.

So any 05-07 VLX will have the diamond hull? Again this is now to me so I just don't want to make a really expensive mistake. I like the idea of a Malibu and from what I've seen then seem like a good universal fit. I've also found a few Tige's that look good too. it's amazing how much more boat you can get for just a few thousand more!

Most WILL NOT have the diamond hull... Although that will vary somewhat regionally because some dealers do order the diamond instead of the wake hull.

No way you are getting an 05-07 vlx for $25k though. If you are going to spend that kind of money, seriously, the boat you want is a vtx on a diamond hull.

Moomba LSV would fit the bill great. Check out the Moomba Forum.
http://www.onlyinboards.com/2007-moo...gia-47121.aspx
http://www.onlyinboards.com/2007-moo...gia-47121.aspx

Surprised no one has mentioned a Nautique SAN 210. Skiing is the only thing that hull won't do extremely well. And the pre-'06 hull (not sure what year it changed) would probably even be decent for skiing.

A MasterCraft 205v/1st gen xstar/early x2/x1 would ski and wakeboard really well, but doesn't surf well at all.

Most vlx's are wake hulls. Most people won't know the difference.The only difference ios the outer chine area.Do your research and they are closer to 35K.Worth it too.

At 15ft off on a SAN 210, it has arguably the worst ski wake I have been behind. Rooster tail is not nice!

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/bod/4842862733.html
feedback from anyone on this boat?

I had an Elite V, same hull as that boat. Not a bad boat, but the wake is not good for wakeboarding. It'll surf reasonably well with a bunch of weight, but not awesome.

I'd keep looking.

Thanks for the feedback Tom!

How was 20 off?

the search is still on. I keep coming back to the Centurion for some reason just because I like the color I guess.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...E-21-102294397

We have looked at a few boats and have a 02 Malibu Sunscape LSV that we are interested in as well, still hoping for that smoking good deal I guess

Do you guys surf regular for goofy? I HATE that design with the walkthrough as it makes it so hard plumbing in totally hidden ballast isn't going to happen on the starboard side.

I picked up my 2008 23' Moomba XLV for $30k. I think my interior layout is a ton better than the centurion you posted.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-k...0/GOPR1281.JPG

My first tournament boat experiences were on a MB Boss 200. Man, that boat would beat the crap out of you on the chop. No thanks.

The Centurion looks cool, but I think that that rear walkthrough will be something that you won't be happy with. especially if you have someone that surfs goofy.

what about the supreme that's in this thread:

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=803968

My brother also had an 04 which he bought brand new because it was the cheapest boat on the market that year. Not a good wakeboard wake. Absolutely the most finicky wakes due to rolling over sided to side. It did surf ok but not like the new one's today. I did not like driving it, it did not track well and was the loudest powertrain I have ever heard. He never had any problems with it but he only put 150 hours on it in 5 years.

If all you want to do is surf, get it, but if you want to wakeboard look for something else.

If you are still interested in a decent ski wake as mentioned the Malibu VLX or Sunsncape 21lsv on diamond hulls are going to be tops. It will give you the ski wake and room you need while allowing you quality board sports as well.

The 210/super sport of that era will wakeboard on a a pro level ,surf ok , but will have next to zero storage and room

The Xstar/ 205vof that era will also have pro caliber wakebord wake, surf ok and will ski very good for v drive. The cockpit just gets tight w 5 adults. Storage I would say is decent for a boat it's size. It's a great do it all boat. The longest produced MC hull for a reason. I wouldn't say it has low freeboard at all. It's average for those years and most comp boats


That Avalanche is going to have an advanced wakeboard wake, and a pro caliber surf wake. It's going to be the most boat for your money. The walk thru is loved by some hated by others. The down side is it limits you on ballast, you'll have to keep an extra sac for surfing goofy on top of that so it eliminates it partially. People with kids and who swim and lounge on their boats more generally love it because it makes things easy and really takes the wear and tear off your cushions. It says it has the storm III package which should mean triple ballast and hydraulic wake plate , but I didn't see the hydraulic wake plate adjustment lever behind the steering wheel. The one spoke is kind of right where it should be so it may have it. If it doesn't have it I would not buy the boat. The centurions really need the hydraulic version to make the boat versatile because of their deep v's. The bonus to that is that due to the deep v profile it takes less weight to get the wakes boosting. Stock plus simple 350 in the nose makes the Avalanche money. You can not ski behind this hull and expect anything other than a huge bump to cross. Centurions of that era are very well built boats. Their construction is top notch. Their final gelcoat lines are some of the smoothest and precise in the industry. Their vinyl however was definitely a step below the big boys. Not the greatest, the faria pilot one multi gauge had issues, but the boat quality and performance was there.

IF skiing was still on your mind Xstar and VLX/21lsv is where I would be.

If not take your pick of the rest which you find the best deal on. The 210 and Xstar are wakeboarding legendswith at best mediocre surf wakes. TheAvalanche has an above average wakeboard wake and will surf circles around all three of the other boats together

Someone needs to snatch that boat up pronto. It looks clean as heck. That color and gel scheme is a nice classy look

One comment to the OP about the Centurion - you can find them without the walk through. Those models seem to balance better and have equal storage on each side of the boat. If you want to recreationally ski, recreationally wakeboard to an advanced level but very good with stock ballast and surf with stock ballast plus one bag - Avalanche is the way to go.

If you want to ski the course, I would say VLX with Diamond Hull or 205V. Personally, I think the 205V surfs better than a Nautique 210.

Of the 4 boats mentioned I would personally take a Nautique 210 - but that is due to my wakeboard heavy bias and love of that wake - and I know the resale is quick and easy, people WANT those boats.

Number 2 would probably go to the Avalanche because of my experience with it and its a great big boat for wake and surf. I am an intermediate rider - basic inverts and toeside 540s, that wake never held me back, its big and a smooth rampy transition when you sack it out - the mercruiser is a little under powered for that boat though, you need the Acme 911 if you want to pull big weight.

The Avys without the walthrus are usually designated Avalanche C4

If you look at Avalanches, you have to go C4.

walkthrough (NON-C4), yuck:

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2Twbdrk65CI/maxresdefault.jpg

Standard Layout in the C4, much better:

http://sacsmarine.com/wp-content/upl...ic-500x356.jpg

Thanks for the info guys, I really appreciate the honest opinions. Truth is we aren't great at anything that we do but love to do it all. We do spend quite a bit of time just floating and hanging out (we have a 1 year old now) but we looked at a boat with a walk thru and really like it, that's what got me looking at this. I will see what comes of the sunscape LSV and keep everyone posted.

There is no good for everything boat, period. Some can do a couple things well, but fall short on one. the older the boat the harder to find a good surf boat. I spent a lot of time several years back trying to find one. I spent a little bit of time wakeboarding and a lot of time surfing. A boat with a deeper "V" hull will work the best for this. Centurion and Tige were the first to do this and promote it. We learned to do 360's and surf tricks and progress until we finally outgrew the boat. That boat was a 2002 Tige 22IR. This is a direct drive boat. I kept it for 10 years and then sold it to a friend. (and yes we are still friends) He is trading it for a new boat after two years. It iws for sale again here. I have no dog in this, just a idea, but it is just 15k. Good luck. Surfing with the family is priceless!

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...pe-R-102422488

May be out of your price range, but I think Mastercraft X2 is best all around boat. I am biased because I have my 2008 for sale on Boat Trader, but when I was where you are (old school slalom skiier with young kids) I bought an X2. Great for free skiing (or tubing) with trim tab on it good but not intimidating wakeboard wake and good surf wake. I used to buy a new boat every year until I bought the X2. No reason to get a new one. Finally iching for a new one (and I don't ski anymore) so going bigger wake focus with a Nautique 210.

I'm down to two different boats now.

A 2007 Centurion Elite V with bigger ballasts

And

A 2005 Malibu V-Ride

Opinions????

The Centurion is a smoother ride and handles a storm better. The Malibu has a smother wake. See if you can test drive them.
With toddler in boat you might want to get the whole family into the boat, even on dry land, and see what they get into and what you feel best in for seats and space.

I would go Malibu all day long compared to an 07 Elite V.

That SV23 hull is PROVEN.

We found a really clean 2006 Supra Launch 21V last night that my wife loves the interior of. I've not finding a lot of good surfing reviews so that has me a little concerned but that boat looks to have a lot of room inside of it!

Where do you live? I have a 2005 Calabria Pro-V that I'm going to put up for sale in California for 24k. Needs a detail, and a couple of very minor fixes but in great shape with 404hrs on 330hp repropped Merc. 2004 tower, PP, hot shower, heater. I'm the original owner.

I'm in Central Indiana Clubjoe, but thanks for the offer, we don't see many of those over in this part of the country.

I think a 21v is a great all around boat. Sure there's going to be boats out there that have better surf waves, but you'll be able to make it surf. A ghetto gate and a smaller surf platform will go a long ways if you're having trouble.

That said, the Supra 21v's have the playpen bow with the front wrap around seating which I absolutely love! I think that having a walkthrough bow is a lot of wasted space that can otherwise be used for ballast and/or storage. The "basement storage" that's under the playpen bow is HUGE and you can usually put an 1180 gravity games bag up there. Also the flip up backrests on the front playpen are sweet.

The 21v was on my list of boats to consider when I upgraded from a DD to a V-drive.

I think that you'll be able to get it to surf "good enough". I can pretty much guarantee that you'll be able to get it to surf better than most any direct drive that you've been considering. DO IT!!!!

Well the Supra sold, a centurion we had looked at sold, and now the V-ride is sold. Seems everything we find and like online sells within just a few days. So I'm back to searching again and have raised the budget to $30k. The more we talk the more surfing comes up so that has moved to the top of this list, and freeboard is the other big thing. If anyone has a lead on anything please let me know, really appreciated!

i have a mastercraft posted for sale one here would be perfect. We are going 23 foot this year… so upgrading. The boat is so clean yu could eat of the engine.. look in the classifieds. 1999 mastercraft XSTAR

IVe got a 2000 Malibu wakesetter with the wedge, ballast and perfect pass. the boat has been completely redone with new custom carbon fiber vinyl interior, stainless rubrail, stainless cupholders, wetsounds,led lights,new steering wheel, 2013 Malibu graphics, trailer repainted with new wheels on the trailer, new tower and bimini, swivel board surf/wake racks, . It was used in the 2014 monster tower calendar shoot and brochure. if you would like some pics send me a pm with your email. Im offering it to people on wakeworld before I post it publicly next week

THE SEARCH IS OVER!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the suggestions guys, but we finally pulled the trigger on our new boat last night. We went bigger and blew our budget but the wife really like this boat and I'm excited to get my hand on it. We found a really nice 2009 Moomba XLV 23'. Has perfect pass, wake plate, additional ballast, Z5 Cargo bimini, buying from the original owner and he seems to be a really nice guy. He is even helping out with delivery of the boat. We had no intentions of getting something this nice but we plan to keep the boat for a long time so go big or go home right?????? I'll update this with pics as soon as we get it in the garage. Thanks again to everyone who offered suggestions and sent leads. Onlyinboards has been searched so many times on my computer it may as well be the home page.

Congrats. And GREAT CHOICE.

I pulled the trigger on my dream boat in September, and it's a 2008 Moomba XLV. As you said, the interior layout is fantastic. I've got pretty much the same setup as you. I'm doing a ballast overhaul over the winter and adding a heater system.

Please come over to the Moomba forum. there is an amazing community over there that know these boats inside and out. We're all enthusiasts and share our knowledge of modding and fixing these boats, as well as just the general enjoyment of having them.
http://www.moomba.com/msgboard/forum.php

Introduce yourself over there, and I'll look for ya!