I'm curious as to what people think are the five most important features of any particular wakeboat. What I mean is if you limit yourself to focusing on five absolute MUST HAVES. Rank them accordingly. This is totally subjective - meaning think only about what matters to you. Here are mine:
1. Wake Quality - I'm still of the school where I will absolutely not buy a boat if the wake is not top tier. No matter how nice a boat is, or what other features it has, I would not consider buying it if the wake is not versatile, consistent, non-tempermental and easy to replicate.
2. Surfability - The older I have gotten, I've come to enjoy surfing more and more. It's fun, doesn't hurt, and can be done in conditions that would ruin a wakeboarding set. My kids are not scared to ride with me, and my wife and her friends enjoy surfing as well. I would not consider purchasing a boat that will not produce a surfable wave. That being said, it's not as important of a factor to me as the wakeboard wake quality.
3. Plug-n-play - Not that I have owned 3 boats with integrated piggy back ballast systems in them, I would not go back to a boat that does not offer this technology. The time it takes and the hastle factor relative to using manual non-permanent pumps really sucks. Would I consider buying a boat with no plug-n-play option? Possibly, but that would mean I'd have to modify the factory ballast system somehow to add extra weight.
4. Dealer Network - While this is not necessarily a boat specific option, the importance of having a good local dealer cannot be overstated. I have had issues with every single boat I've purchased, which required dealer involvement in some form or fashion. It would be extremely hard for me to consider purchasing a boat if there was not a local dealer whom I could trust to service it.
5. Solid Tower - I cannot stress the importance of having a good, solid tower. Maybe most boats have dialed this option in, but I remember how bad the FCT1 tower on my 2008 SANTE 230 shook when I added boards and speakers to it. It's so nice to have a rock solid, non-shaking, creaking, flexable tower. If I can't get a solid and stable tower, no mater how nice the boat is, I would have a hard time purchasing that boat.
What are your top 5 options/considerations?
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