Help: First boat purchase :)

Team,

New to the wake world community but excited to dive right in. Looking for some help and I hope y'all can steer me in the right direction. I am looking to purchase a boat 50k or under this year to learn a bit more about wake surfing (grew up skiing and would still like that option as well) with the idea that next year I would like to upgrade to a new malibu LSV.

That being said, resale value is a major player as I don't want to lose my tail after 1 year again knowing I would like to sell this boat after this year. What do you guys recommened?

I was hoping our local dealer would have a clear path to buy a boat that they would trade in knowing a bigger commission was on their way but looks like I would have to sell the boat I purchase this year on my own...

They recommended a few boats that I can share with you guys but would like to get your experts opinion first.

In the $40k-$50k range I don't think you need to worry about losing your tail in a year as long as you keep up with the service and cleaning. That priced boat is a hot commodity and will only be more so with the rising new boat prices. That being said I would stick with Malibu or Nautique as those seem to be a bit more desired used boat. You should be able to get into an 09-10 for that range easily and get a great boat that will sale for the same in a year.

I would also lean towards what big dealers are in your area, that tends to lend itself to more local knowledge of that particular brand. If you want a new Malibu in a year, buy a used one now as they will probably give you a much better trade in value since they can easily unload it.

Hell why wait to upgrade to an LSV when you can pick up a used LSV /Nautique 230/ Mastercraft X30 in your price range now. The 40-50k mark is a great price point to be at. It gives you an opportunity to get into a top tier quality boat right off the get go you may never have to upgrade unless you want more bling. Like mentioned above at this price range the boats have depreciated about as much as they will. You should easily be able to get your $$ back if you truly want an upgrade after a season or two if you find the right deal and take care of it.

The LSV and Nautique 230 of the 07-10 era will out wakeboard and outsurf the x30 IMO. The X30 is a big boat but needs a ton of weight. The X30 will also have the mellowest wakes. They just don't pack the punch like the LSV and 230 can. It's hard to argue the surf wake behind the LSV it was one of the tops back then. The 230 is not far off from the LSV.

Interior wise the Malibu LSV is like sitting in your living room. The seats are very plush. The layout gives you so much space and storage it's ridiculous. The 230 seats are a bit more upright and use a bit stiffer foam. Not nearly the storage you get in the LSV but still plentiful The one nice feature of the 230's is that they offered a reversible flip up rear seat and rear facing side seats with flip up back rests so everyone could sit facing the action. A feature I use a ton in my 08 210.

Really appreciate the feedback!

Jerry - I had the same thought with the dealer but unfortunately was told I would be better off to sell on my own instead of a trade in.

From an "engine hours" standpoint... is there any range I should avoid?

Here in arkansas mastercraft outsells any other boat by a mile. My 2006 X30 is a surfing machine and by far my favorite boat i have owned. I did have a 2004 super air 210…. was a great boat and in my opinion, a better built boat. But i love the room and surf on my X30. Axis is making a big splash here but only one dealer in the state. Their price has went up 20K in the past 3 years. NOT worth in my opinion. When they were 50 new,, maybe and a lot of bang for your buck. But no comparison to the niceness inside of a malibu, nautique, or mastercraft.

Originally Posted by SNS93

Really appreciate the feedback!

Jerry - I had the same thought with the dealer but unfortunately was told I would be better off to sell on my own instead of a trade in.

From an "engine hours" standpoint... is there any range I should avoid?

Even if the dealer won't take the trade, or thinks you will get more selling on the open market, you will benefit from him if he has a new boat purchase on the line. And he is more apt to send a buyer to you for his brand of boat instead of another brand. Just my opinion of course, but you can't go wrong in that price range with any boat right now. You will find that out when you try to buy one, they will be gone before you can even go look at them.

It sounds like you may be able to stretch your budget a little bit. If that's the case, I would do as mentioned above and go right into the LSV, you can probably find a real good deal on a gated holdover and not have to mess with the other boat for a year.

Got my 2008 Mastercraft X2 on Boat Trader. Link below. They definitely hold their value (mine should sell for not a whole lot less than I paid for it new in 2008 - a new X2 is $81,000 before options and is largely the same boat), and the X2 is an awesome all around boat (wakeboard, surf, ski). The is also an aftermarket surf tab out there for about $500 ( http://wake-shaper.com/sample-page/ ) that's only for X2's at this point.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/20...raft-x2-643615

Not to side track but your X2 is pretty sick looking.

The X2 is one versatile boat with a high demand. GLWS

There is also http://www.wickedwakesurf.com/

for malibu's

An Axis is a great foray into Malibu boats. You can get a nice used A22/A20 for that price.

Not to side track you, but we were doing the same thing last year in looking for a nice boat under 50k.

After a lot of research and hunting, we ended up buying a new one for about $14K more that was easier to finance and do so for longer. Now I wasn't looking for longer, but the financing options were better and will just pay for it sooner.

Thanks Swatguy. Designed it myself when I ordered it. Kept asking myself why I was thinking about selling it when I took those pictures! Allowed me to drive a hard bargin on a new boat since I was more than ok with just keeping my X2.