So I board in saltwater and have learned and still ride behind outboards for the most part. 1 out of every 4 times i go out im behind my friends 02 xstar/x2/x1 or sometimes the x9 thats out. I have ridden behind an older 23 ft center consol that had a huge wake. It had a 250 2stroke yamaha outboard and with a fatboy in the back the wake was bigger than the x9 and not washy at all. I think i could make a decent wake boat out of an outboard.Theres alot of hulls w/o engines that sell for CHEAP. I was thinking around 21-23 ft with a 250 4 stroke or twin 150s. I have some questions: <BR>1) You all are probably the wrong crowd but wake boats are fairly new. Before you had one did you ride behind an outboard with a nice wake? If so what was it? <BR>2)Always wanted to know this but what gets better gas economy, one powerful single engine or two engines that add up to that one powerful one. For example a 300 hp 4stroke vs. twin 150 hp 4 strokes.

I just got an x2 but before that had a 21ft outboard with a 200hp. Mine through a great wake and the only problem really was holding speed. Don't get 2 engines, and the wake will be extremely washy. Get a 21 to 23 foot boat and try to buy the heaviest thing u can fine. Get a 250 horse because with a 200 mine was a little under powered. Get it with a ttop to tie the rope to or get a pylon. On my boat i would but a 400lb sac on each side of the center console and then trim the engine up until it got rid of most of the white wash. Also i think a boat with a less deep v would probably through a cleaner wake like a boston whaler for example. Whatever you do though dont get dual engines get a single it will be 10 times better.

You know I got started wakeboarding behind my Dad's 18 foot Key West center console with a 100 hp Merc o/b....It didn't throw much of a wake but it was fine for learning on. I always wondered how some of the heavier center consoles I see at the coast (NC) would do. They look like they throw pretty mean wakes. I agree with speed control being an issue. As far as fuel economy I would go with one big four stroke! Easily more expensive than the boat and all of your equipment put together being the only downside!

The old outboard Barefoot Mastercrafts (~1990) make great wakeboard boats when loaded properly. Scott Smith took out in his down in Cancun, he had two 40 gallon drums filled with water toward the back of the boat and ran a little trim on the motor. The wake was very good for an outboard. Anything over 150hp correctly propped will do fine for wakeboarding. Tons of interior room too, just a biatch to drive.

I have a 2002 23 foot polar offshore edition, twin yamaha 115 fourstrokes, and it throws a better and usually bigger wake than all of the wakeboarding boats around here including an x2, a moomba, and a cc 2001, while getting better gas mileage for the most part. usually, except for the x2 guy, all of the boat owners like to ride behind my boat! the boat throws a perfectly rimmed wake that doesnt foam up for a good ways. Speed control is definetly an issue though. we usually go back and forth between 16 and 20mph constantly. I love my outboards haha, and that is all with no additional weighting at all. I found a katrina-sunk polar exactly like mine for 4g and am seriously thinking about buying it just to clean it up and sell it for about 6g or so. This seems to be one of the ultimate wake throwing outboard boats!

I had a 95 SeaRay Ski Ray ( pics at <a href="http://bierbower.net/searay" target="_blank">http://bierbower.net/searay</a> ) which had a great wake for our needs at the time, especially with 6-8 people in the boat and some weight. Two years in having V-Drives and I'm still looking like a goofball trying to dock it if the wind catches me wrong.

This would be a great choice for an Outboard wakeboard boat! The problem would be finding one <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/337867.html" target="_blank">http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/337867.html</a> <BR> <BR>(Message edited by krbaugh on August 22, 2006)

I ride in a 17.5 crestliner fish and ski with a 90 yamaha with a 11 pitch prop (original prop was 19)....we load the boat with a 700 pound fat sac in the rear and 440 in front.Then 4 to 6 people.. total weight in boat 1700 to 1800 pounds. We have no problem holding 20-24 mph....however that is also the boats top speed.....when noone is in the boat I have to watch not to over rev but thats easy to monitor...I just never drive faster than 22. The key is in the prop!!!!! check the pics. <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/360367.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/360368.jpg" alt="Upload">

Those are pics from 4 years ago .....before I had the fat sacs....but 10 peeps in this boat in this pic....I believe our wake is slightly better today....and we are getting better height. Having said all that I am looking for a used mobius....my little fish and ski has now been abused like this for 8 years.....I am going to use it again as a fish boat ...but it served us well. In my opinion any outboard around 200 with the right prop could do it easily...and not have to work at wot as my 90 does.

I went fishing offshore two months ago in a 24' Boston Whaler center console with a Yamaha 225hp 2-stroke outboard. The wake looked really good. In fact I was trying to decide if it looked better than my wake. I think I like mine better but it was that close.