09 VLX hull?

Potentialy close to pulling the trigger on a 09 VLX. What hull, wake or diamond? Is it that big of a difference? Have some friends who slalom and I am not good enough to be able to tell the difference but my own interest lies in wakeboarding. At 30+ is the wake hull still a usable slalom wake at ski speeds? Specking this boat with the power wedge, not in its job description, can it assist with a slalom wake?

I have an 08' with the diamond hull. I don't think there is that big of a difference on the wakeboard side of things; at least for 95% of the recreational riders out there. It will have a slightly better slalom wake.

If you want to ski go with the diamond hull, it is that much of a difference at 30mph

its a tough call... you can always add weight to the diamond hull to get a bigger wake but theres really nothing you can do about the wake hull and making it better for slalom. the wedge will definetly do nothing to help the wake. your not even suppose to run over 26 when its deployed. but hey, if your friends are only going to ski the course once a year behind the boat get the wake hull cause its your boat not theirs

does anyone have comments about the surf wake on the diamond vs the wake hull?

Has anybody seen any real world feedback of the 09 wake hull for wakeboarding?

No. No one is buying new boats these days

Ok not sure about the 09 hull but in any previous hull there is a big difference between wake and diamond. Here is the main point of your post. "my own interest lies in wakeboarding" You're the one throwing down the cash for the boat, you're friends will deal with a little bigger wake that the wake hull creates for skiing. If you want a good wakeboard wake go with the wake hull, they make two hulls for a reason and if you want to wakeboard take the wake hull.

I'm totally serious when I say in previous models if you were to offer me a brand new Diamond hull at no charge that I would have to keep and ride everyday for free I'd turn it down and stick with my 97 Supersport. If you'd offer me a wake hull I take you up on it.


(Message edited by sbt3 on December 18, 2008)

Also if you get the wake hull maybe your friends will be totally amazed by the giant wake they will start wakeboarding instead of skiing!

We have a 09 in stock that we ran about 2 months ago and it has a diamond hull. The surf wake was great with 2 people in the boat and factory ballast, and the guy who surfed was a MC guy so it is a unbiased opinion. However I will say that I rode in a wake hull at the factory, and the wake seemed to be a lot bigger behind that boat for wakeboarding than with the diamond hull. In previous models the difference between wake and diamond hulls were not as noticeable. I still beg to differ with people that say on the pre 09's that they can tell between the wake and diamond hulls. Malibu did a blind test with their pro riders and only 1 person could tell the difference. That person was the Vandal... He rides way to fast to get a great wakeboard wake out of a diamond hull. Get the Wake Hull... It is sick....on the 09

I disagree on the wake Hull. There isn't a huge difference in the two hulls at wakeboard speeds.

I am pretty sure they ran a test awhile back with some pro riders and no one could tell the difference but Randall Harris. And he rides at higher speeds.
My Parents have a diamond hull and Brent Star Rode with us on it and He couldn't tell the difference.

Isn't that what I just said.. LOL Nice Post.

Bret - it was/is obvious!

We did a test with '06 diamond for a full month and then '06 wake. It was so obvious it made me sick. If I had only ridden the Diamond I'd have thought it was good, but as soon as you ride the same boat with the wake you notice. Had I only ridden one of them, I wouldn't kow which was which, but riding both it's beyond obvious!

I totally agree with sbt3- it's your cash. If you wakeboard and that is your primary interest, get the wake hull.

Hey Dizzy, you sure you have a wakesetter hull??
Sure looks like a diamond to me. Come to think of it looks like you have a sunscape on your profile pic.

Rock star, stop surfing WW and go to work. Oh wait no one will be buying a boat today with 3 feet of snow on the ground. haha!

that picture is the one we had for 45 days, that's the diamond but since it was an identical boat (minus the hull) I never took a new one

I don't buy the blind test thing. I've been riding for over 10 years and if you put me behind the two on the same day and I couldn't tell the difference I'd stop wakeboarding. I wakeboard with Brooke all the time and as he mentioned we rode both and the difference was very noticeable. Now I don't know what they run for ballast, maybe that has something to do with it also. We don't run factory, more like 2800-3000 total so maybe with the factory ballast they're similar. I've also ridden a few other diamond hulls and have never be impressed with the wake.

Thanks all. But this is where being blind is problematic. The more friends I can find to drive the boat, the more I ride. The more fun they have the more fun so too will I. Is the wake hull skiable at more then thirty with out any ballast and can it be perfected with additional speed? I have not yet had a chance to ride any boats with more then stock ballast. Have to work on the skill set with stock first, right?

Bret Sorry should have read all posts. Some how I miss yours. haha

you can ski the wake hull, I wouldn't want to see someone try to run a course with it, but your average joe skier slashing it up will be just fine! Get the wake hull, it would be just silly not and you won't have people telling you that you have a FakeSetter

With the D hull you gain 10-20% for skiing (30+), but you lose about 40% of peak and height at around 20mph. If you are the only skier, go with the wake hull. Your friends will thank you and you won't have to kick yourself later.

Skiing behind a VLX....ah no thanks tried it. At boarding speeds the diamond has minimal effect on the wake until ~30+ mph the lift really just isn't generated from the diamond to matter imho. If your technique is good then neither hull will prevent you from progressing,

It may be difficult or even brutal this time of the year, but demo demo demo. That way you know for sure what your likes/dislikes are.

If a person is a good enough slalom skier to tell the difference between the hulls he won't ski behind a vlx anyways.In fact most the slalom skiers I know won't ski behind anything but the best.

Agreed Brock and I wouldn't have mentioned it other than the OP did ask the question about it. I slalomed behind our VLX once...never again I'll wait for a Response.

My two cents, if some of your friends slalom but you wakeboard. Get the wake hull not the diamond hull. Why should you suffer because of your friends, besides they won't slalom ski behind it anyway. Tell your friends to go buy a response.

Suffer, I don't remember you suffering. Are you sure you have $.02 to give.....

Thanks all, broke down and ordered the new vlx last Wednesday. After all of the posts here, quizzed the fam on what they skied behind previously and there responses were similar to your posts of “it’s your boat get it your way!” The x will fit the bill perfectly with the wake hull. Hope that everyone had a great xmass. Now comes the painful wait for spring.

Congrats!

Make sure to get the bow ballast option, perhaps the most important part of the ballast.