2000 Malibu Wakesetter Escape LSV vs. 1989 Nautique

Im looking for some input from anyone that can give me some. Right now i currently ride behind a 1989 Ski Nautique with a pylon, 500lbs rear sac, 2 - 250lbs side sacs, 70lb sand bag in front and 150lbs of cement under the back seat. The wake is pretty good but looking for a bigger wake. I found a 2000 Malibu Wakesetter Escape LSV for sale with the MLS ballast. I was wondering how the two wakes would compare. I have ridden behind my friends 2002 Super Air quite a bit and a 2004 Malibu VLX a couple of times. I would love a wake like those boats but cant afford it. If anyone could let me know how those wakes compare with each other that would be great.

Thanks
Jon

It also has the Wedge as well.

I haven't ridden behind an '89 Nautique, but I do have a 2000 Escape that I basically converted to a wakesetter. I built my ballast system, so it's got a lot more weight than the stock system, and I put a Titan tower on it. It also doesn't have the wedge.

The Escape is on the diamond hull, so it needs A LOT more weight than a comparable sized boat with a wake hull. I run (all flyhigh sacs) 750# sac in each rear locker, 600# sac in the floor locker (probably holds about 450-500#) and 150# sac under each of the bow seats (I cut out the built-in coolers to accomodate). With this amount of weight and just a driver, the wake is big and rampy. By rampy I mean it doesn't have an abrupt lip that shoots you up, it's a bit more gradual and will send you to the flats. I'm a bigger guy (6'1" and 225#) and I have no problem pulling intermediate inverts off of it. With the wedge down you will get a much steeper wake and you won't need as much weight in the back. I would say with the wedge the wake would be similar to the '04 VLX. I had to move the batteries from the starboard rear locker to under the glove box to make room for my 750# and that was a bit of a pain, but in the end totally worth it.

The best thing about the Escape is that it's a big boat and you can get a lot of people and/or weight in it. Mine has the older version of the Hammerhead engine (stroked to make it a 383) and I run an ACME 537. It's a fricken tractor out of the hole. Hardly any delay to get on plane with ballast full and loaded with people.

I don't know if that helps you much, but if you have any other questions about the Escape I'd be happy to try and answer them. A lot of people will say that the Escape is not the best wake boat, but I think that if your willing to mod it a little bit it's a GREAT wake boat. Especially if the price is right, and you will use it for other things besides wakeboarding. I can party with 13 people or still barefoot behind mine at 43mph if I want to!

Is this price about right? http://houston.craigslist.org/boa/4305638086.html

Would you take the SAN over the escape if it was a 2002 and same price or the vlx instead?
How did the SAN compare to your weighted Escape?

I had the same Malibu Wakesetter in a 2001. The Wedge is a must, and I agree with Chad on the weight config. My boat responded well to being evenly loaded, and HEAVY. A lot of people knock this hull but I got it to produce a big, meaty wake, even by today's standards.

If you can afford an Escape, you can afford a SV23 hull. Your friend's VLX is on the SV23 which Malibu offered in V-drive form on various models (Sunsetter, Wakesetter and Vride depending on the year) from '96 - '08. Just get an older model.

Go with the VLX. I just picked up a 1999 Sunsetter VLX with the SV23 wake hull for 14.5k in the fall you should be able to find one around the price of that LSV.

i know you said Bu or nautique but here is an MC for a pretty good deal. the straboard side wrap around seating didnt come til 2000 in the X star but it already has PP

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-Masterc...wer_Motorboats