2018 AXIS A24 First Impressions
 

I had a chance to get out on the new 2018 A24, wanted to share my experience. This boat has become my favorite in the Axis lineup. The 17" prop, 2:1 transmission, new offering of the Power Wedge 2, PnP combo is a great package.

This boat is huge and has a ton of space and storage. For 2018 Malibu added 5" in length and 2" more freeboard for the 2018 model. Dry weight is approx 5200 lbs, 102" beam, 24'5" length with a rated seating capacity of 17 people.

The boat I was on was weighted with full compliment of options. (hard tanks, PnP, power wedge 2) You can now have up to 4800 lbs of ballast displacement if you opt for Pnp (650 lb bow bag, 750 each ski locker) 1220 lbs hard tank ballast, Power Wedge 2 (up to 1500 lbs of displacement). The wakeboard wake in this configuration was impressive, super clean with a nice transition and adjustable on the fly with the Pw2. Surf wave was also impressive, long pockets with a nice lip also adjustable on the fly with the Pw2. The Power Wedge 2 does allow you to customize your wake and surf waves to your riding style. What was also impressive was how well the boat pulled this weight with the 17" prop and the 2:1 transmission with 7 adults in the boat. The 17" prop is a great addition to these larger boats.

Surfband also comes on Axis with the addition of volume control for 2018. Wake transfers are signaled through the tower speakers with three beeps.

Moving batteries to bow was a great move, definitely frees up space under observer compartment seat and adds some more bow weight. Wind screen also stows away there now as well.

The new multi adjustable skybox seat is greatly improved from previos years now on a sliding rail system along with removable seat backs that stow away under ski locker hatch. The rear facing seat has a center cut out to allow for easy passover from front to back over the seat. The seat back rests stow under the ski locker hatches. You can also get a rear facing flip chillax seat on port side now as well.

The boat we were in also had the Wetsounds Soundpack 3 (410's), definitely one of the better sounding factory systems I have been in.

The addition of the power wedge 2 to Axis is a huge upgrade, Malibu did a great job making it simple to adjust and deploy. The Pw2 also does come with lift mode which helps plane out the boat quickly for heavy wakeboarding applications. It will push the bow down and release once boat is planed out. The center display on the dash will give you indication of Wedge angle and when it is stowed, along with letting you know lift mode is being engaged.

Axis is also offering the PTM clamping racks now which is a nice upgrade from the bunji style.

Vinyl foam has also been upgraded to a more dense feel which makes the seats more comfortable and I believe will help reduce wear and tear on the vinyl.

All Axis boats also come with a 5 year warranty now.

Regardless of your brand preference this boat is a must demo if you are in the market for a larger 24'5" boat, Axis is continuously stepping up there product every year.

https://vimeo.com/222597208

https://vimeo.com/227355610

Definitely an improvement over the older Axis boats that looked like they were as spartan as a geo metro.

Just drove it for the first time. It's no joke. Awesome boat and even better wake/wave. Gonna try and ride/surf it this week.

Boat looks good & a lot better fit & finish over previous years. But god damnit....NO SHOES ON THE BOAT!!!!!!! [emoji35] wtf?

Had a chance to surf a 2017 A24 and was very surprised at how great the wave was.

Would only imagine that the 2018 will be even better!

Dude that crap drives me nuts !!! My boats not even close to something like this and I never allow shoes on my boat . Or colored drinks for that matter . My friends wife was super bummed when I told her she had to remove her shoes and couldnt bring her gallon jug of red cocktail out for the day .

Ha! Some people.....they probably think we are unreasonable, but **** 'em! Why the hell do you need god damned shoes on the boat anyway?! Planning on walking on water? Want to bring them, fine, but there is NO reason for you to wear them on the boat.

It's pretty much my only rule. No shoes on the boat! I went to the dealer the other day & the dude jumped onto his own swim step with his shoes on. Took them off to get in the boat. But I looked at his gatorstep & it had black marks from shoes. I about cried!

A lot of my other rules I let slide sometimes but no shoes are numero uno!

I get no shoes on the boat, shoes on the platform is ok. Gatorstep cleans really easy, and you can't stand on pavement or concrete without burning your feet. On a 115 degree day in AZ, there is no good solution. So the platform takes the hit.

Man this thing is a must.. no shoes on a boat! Even on the swim plate I mean nobody come on the dock with shoes anyway.
I think I'm pretty indulgent too but there's few rules you got to know!
Like No shoes, no cigarettes and no glass wine.

Haha, this is funny.... I was with Chris Loomis (Guy in the video) this past week and his shoe game was a topic discussed. Nice guy. Terrible shoes.

Whats msrp, or what one would expect to pay on this boat...ballpark

Likely upper 90's. Although if you go crazy with options crossing 100k would be very possible

Yes sir, the one at my dealer MSRP is $97K. Only missing 3 options I believe (450 engine, clamping racks, and heater) so $100k+ all day if you checked all the boxes. I'm pretty sure for the wake/wave you're getting in a 24-1/2 foot boat no one can come close to the final negociated price.

There is great value in the axis product. You will get a very good wake, and a decent wave.

Crawled through one at the local dealer today and I was very impressed, the one they had on the floor didn't have a whole lot of non essentials (no pw2, heater, tower speakers, rear facing seat backs) but I still felt it offered an awful lot. And it is an absolute monster of a boat. One of the sales guy whom I've come to find quite credible made a solid point about the pw2 in that if your trying to keep cost down but have the most wake possible, it's cheaper than the motor upgrade and will allow you to get on plane easier with a lot of weight. Also he said that the new 17 inch prop and gear reduction do a pretty good job. Overall I really liked what I saw. No to talk the boss into approving the upgrade.

Have you been out on a new 2018 A24? The surf wave is definitely better than "decent".

Hoping to go out tomorrow. I'll get some pics.

I have not been out on an new A24, I have no doubt it will produce a very pretty wave. The only reason i say decent is i suspect the wave will be soft like every other surfgate wave i have ridden. (Including M235)

It will absolutely be a pretty wave and very rideable, it will also likely be a ton of fun to ride. However that softness is what makes me say decent.

The difference is like wakeboarding at 17 vs 22. Firm just feels better.

So again the axis provides a great value, a good wake and a decent wave. Tough to beat all you get in a 24' boat under 100k.