Looking at a 2003 Mastercraft X9, HELP!

I just sold my I/O to get into an inboard, looking to improve the wakeboard wake, start surfing, and make it safer for the kids.

Obviously this is a direct drive so it may not be optimal, but the boat is in great shape with just over 100 hrs on it. It has perfect pass, decent stereo, two ballast tanks (front and rear), and the MCX engine. There is one small tear in the upholstery, other than that the boat and trailer are flawless.

How good of a wake will this boat produce for wakeboarding? Could it produce a good enough surf wake to surf without a rope, if I put additional weight in the right places? Is it possible to pull a tube from the hook mounted to the back of the boat or do I have to use the ski pylon to prevent from damaging the boat? If I use the ski pylon then everyone has to sit in the front portion of the boat which will really limit the space?

I think the sellers asking price is a little high, but he said he knows the economy is bad and is willing to work with me. Nada books it out at $20 to $23 high and low. If I were to consider this boat what should I offer for it, or rather what would you offer for it?

Thanks!

Oh ya, I also wanted to ask if there was any wood anywhere in this boat that I need to look at to make sure its not rotten.......

The X9 can produce a great wake, but you're gonna have to put a substantial amount of extra ballast in it to get there. I can't remember how much ballast was in the one I rode in summer of 05 but I think it was in the 1500 to 2000 range. The wake was a little rampy for me (I like steeper wakes), but it nonetheless had a great shape and was big enough to try any new tricks.

As far as the wood goes, I think mastercraft has been using all fiberglass construction for quite a while now (maybe more than a decade), so you should be fine.

know what you want first.....if you truly want to wakeboard and wakesurf......maybe you should be buying a v drive otherwise you might be changing boats soon again.

great boat love mine, you can pull from the rear tow hook...it has a great surf and wb wake with additional weight...as per what is said above..if you are predominantly wanting to surf & ride...maybe a v drive..for what I use mine for..all around it's fantastic!

i love the way they handle compared to my x2, with the right weight the wake is really good.

in the video out of the pond they are riding behind a yellow x9 down south or something in the ocean, and they are all throwin large banger tricks. The boat seems to look like it would produce a great wake. sack it out and your good to go.

Great to hear all of these positive comments. The wife and I have been discussing and looking at pictures and I am not sure how comfortable this boat will be because of how high people sit in it. The seat backs only come about half way up your back. Is this as comfortable? I wouldn't think so.....

(Message edited by ctimrun on August 09, 2009)

If you are going to wakeboard you will need to run an absurd amount of weight to get the wake to come up to any kind of size. I ran mine with 2400lbs of weight, I plumbed in an extra sack in the rear locker and had lead all over the place, the backseat was never down, and I had to put a small beach chair behind the driver. It was cramped with 4 people and gear. It handled like a race car but for core riding go with the V drive.

Just my $.02

I will tell you that after having my 209 (non-X version of X9) for six years, that the boat has some good points, but neither one is wakeboarding or wakesurfing.

I have been trying to dial in my wake this summer and I have ended up with two 700lbs sacks, battery box and five batteries (under the rear seat) and a ski-locker bag that I can get 70% full. The wakeboard wake is decent now, but we still can't let go of the rope surfing. I have two 550lbs bags that I haven't tried yet to get the surf wake dialed in (need to reprop first). It still needs a lot of work, but for wakeboarding it is not horrible just not great.

It has a great ski wake and works decent as a "cross-over" boat. I will prob never need more wakeboard wake than this, but if you are buying it for wakeboarding I would go with a vdrive.

It is comfortable with four people, six is friendly and eight is too much. I love my boat, but it was not designed for wakeboarding even if they did put an X in front of it. Although my boat didn't come with the ballast systems, they were too small to get any kind of wake, so plan on having a few bags on the floor.

Don't sweat the seat height, it is a comfortable boat for everyone. I am 6'3" tall and 240lbs and I have never been uncomfortable in this boat.

Thanks for the replys everyone. I have decided against this boat for all the reasons you all list. It just isn't going to work for our family size and what we are hoping to do with it. The search continues!