Chattwake's 2014 Axis A24
 

As many of you know, I've had a bunch of boats over the years. I have an awesome network of local dealers in the East Tennessee area who have helped put me in some nice boats. Well, when I sold mu 2013 Malibu LSV in the fall of last year, I didn't think I would be able to get another boat this season. My wife and I moved shortly after selling my LSV to a great school district and into a home that is large enough for our growing family. I ended up using all of the money that I had tied up in my boat, as well as most of my savings, to put down on my new house. That left me in a position where I did not think that, with less savings and a larger mortgage payment, I'd be able to afford something for 2014.

Well, the good news is that I ended up being offered a deal on a boat that not only fit my budget, but was spec'd out with all of the options that I really wanted. The guys who produced The Voyage had Malibu build them a really sick 2014 Axis A24, with lots of flake, surfgate, and most importantly, an LS3. When they were done with the film, they gave the boat back to Malibu with 150 hours on it. Malibu ran it back through and reconditioned the boat and made it available to my dealer. As luck would have it, I was able to negotiate a very competitive price on the boat, and made the numbers work.

The first thing I did was swap out the factory tower speakers with a pair of Wetsounds Rev410s - powered by a Syn4 and controlled by a ws420 eq. While, in comparison to the systems that many others have, I am very very happy with the results. Having a good set of tower speakers on a boat is, to me, one of the most important options money can buy. While the investment is steep, the enjoyment you get with an awesome sounding stereo, every single time you use the boat, is well worth the price. It's like having the big motor option. You might not always need all that power, but when you do, there's no substitute.

I also installed a set of XS Power Batteries D3100's to satisfy my power needs this season. I've had the same set of batteries for like 6 seasons now, and they continue to work flawlessly. Lastly, I ordered some 1100lb bags from Fly High for the rear hatches, as well as the integrated bow bag. Fly High works with Malibu to ensure that its fittings and bags work perfectly with Malibu's high-flow pnp system. The install on my end was super easy, and I'm thrilled with the fitment of the bags.

Lastly, Boatmate took care of me as usual on a few minor options that I wanted to add to the trailer. I have always had awesome customer service from Boatmate, and have had zero issues whatsoever with its trailers.

In regard to the boat itself, I've owned two Axis A22's (2011 and 2012), so I thought I knew what to expect with the A24. Well, I was really taken aback when I took delivery and demoed the A24. While I always liked the fit and finish of the prior Axis boats I owned, Malibu really stepped it up with the 2014 A24. The vinyl is very very similar to that which was in my '13 LSV. The rubrail on the A24 is a very nice brushed aluminum. The gelcoat is absolutely perfect and the newer gauges, toggle style switches and steering wheel are more intuitive, more aesthetically pleasing, and more comfortable to use.

With respect to the size of the boat. Holy cow. This thing is like a freaking limo. This is the biggest boat I've ever owned. I've had 3 SANTE 230's in the past, and this beast blows those boats away in terms of interior room and storage. The capacity of the A24 is 17. That's right... 17 freaking people. I'm not sure I have 17 friends.... Anyway, for those who value a lot of room, this boat fits the bill. Another thing I really like about the A24 is that you get under seat storage that is both traditional (where it is under a seat and essentially encased in solid fiberglass), as well as the Axis style under seat storage (where the wall of the storage area is black aluminum with large holes that you can reach through and grab ropes, flipflops, etc.). You get the best of both worlds. There is a nice seating area on the back of the transom, which makes putting on your board a breeze, but which also does not decrease the size of the sunpad.

The bow of the A24 is larger than the A22. It is a walk through style, which I actually really like. It's much more like my old LSV, but bigger. The ob compartment is huge - much larger than the A22's. At one point yesterday, my 5 year old and two of her friends were in the ob compartment eating snacks and staying out of the sun.

The tower and windshield, bimini and board racks are all the same as that which was around in 2012, but these features remain solid and functional. No complaints there

Now, on to how the boat performs. As I mentioned above, my A24 has the LS3 in it. It's coupled with the Torque prop. With this combo, the boat literally jumps out of the hole when unloaded. It's pretty ridiculous, actually. More importantly, I can load the factory ballast (1000lbs), drop the wedge, fill two 1100lbs bags in the rear, fill the nose sac (900lbs give or take), and have 10 people on the boat, and still plane out with almost no struggle at all. My '13 LSV with the 350 and the torque prop would not have thought about getting on plane with this much weight. With the LS3, the A24 is simply awesome. It's just the right combo for this boat.

Now, I don't have pictures of the wake yet, but I'll post them up soon. I can say that it is an absolute monster. It's noticeably bigger than the wake behind a slammed A22, but it retains all of the great A22 wake characteristics. It stays clean, has a nice firm lip, and a long rampy transition. It's slightly narrower than the A22 wake, but not by much. Again, I'll post up some pictures soon.

Surfgate on the A24 works awesome. The wave is huge, clean, long and has tons of push. The gates switch fast enough for you to transition from side to side without the rope. Below is a picture of me riding with my daughter. We only had a few people in the boat at the time, and the ballast was only about half way full.

As to driveability, the A24 handles extremely well for a boat it's size. No, it's not as nimble as my old 205v, but it's not much different at all from my '13 LSV. I think it handles rough water as well as any boat I've owned, and it's really no harder to dock than any other boat, so long as you keep an eye on that big rear end. At the end of the day, surfgate helps make this boat. Like with my old LSV, it's just soooooo nice not to have to list the boat when surfing, which obviously makes the boat much easier to use and operate for both experienced and novice drivers. Speaking of operating the boat, I'd also like to reiterate one of the things that helped me fall in love with the Axis line: the ease of use in terms of electronics. I love LOVE LOVE the toggle switches. No, they are not as flashy as a touch screen, but it's much easier for me to tell my wife or one of my friends how to turn on the cruise, or adjust the speed, or to dump a little weight.

Anyway, I just wanted to share some thoughts and a few pictures. The boat is a bit flashier than what I normally get, but that's ok. I live in East Tennessee, and orange is pretty popular here!

In terms of boat size, I tell everyone that asks about an A24, "Don't sleep on this one, it's a huge boat". I don't know what it is about it, that people never really realize until they see it in person and/or on the water that it really is a 24 footer with serious size.

Gorgeous boat man, enjoy it for the few more months that you'll own it.

Tom - thanks man! I don't know. Part of me reallllly wants to keep this one.

Would that fit in an 8' high by 10' wide garage door? Its puurrrrty

Nice work...... and damn that is a big boat!!

Wave looks like a lot of fun!

Gorgeous man and the tow rig matches!! Congrats and enjoy with the friends and family.

I am quoting you, that way if you delete this post and say "I never said that" it will live on:D

Sick boat, dream boat really, can't wait to see some more wake pics!

Thanks guys. My children (ages 3 and 5) really like this boat. It's just super big and comfortable. Also, my boat has the decadence mat in it, which stays way cooler than carpet, and doesn't hold water, or juice, or beer...

Thanks for the write up Chat. I agree with everything you said. I have had the pleasure of riding a nicely weighted down A24 with the 2419 prop and LS3. The wake is insane. Little bit more narrow than the A22 like you said, and a little steeper at the lip, very G-esque but for less than half the price. Great looking boat and can't wait for some wake pictures.

Excellent & congrats!

Congratulations on your new boat Chatt! It looks good. Like you said a little more bling than usual. Maybe you will settle down with this one for awhile.Looks like your kids are going to have a great summer.Enjoy your new ride.

Thanks for sharing. We all enjoy reading about Chatt's boats. You should be sponsored by Axis because your opinions are valued on WW

Robert,

Thanks man. I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Chattwake's 2014 Axis A24
 

Wait a minute.
So out of all the boats chatt has had, and never grown attached to..
I'm confused here.

I just got a 24 MXZ from a 22 MXZ. The difference is gigantic. Big boats are a lot of fun for the family and the wakes are unbelievable.

Congrats on the new boat, it look's sweet.

J.mo - who knows. I may sell this one too. It all depends on how much the 2015 stuff costs, what's available, what kind of a year I have, etc. I can tell you I'm digging the extra room.

Nothing better than a 24' boat. When i was wanting to buy my first wakeboat I started looking at the 20' boats because of price. I was coming out of an 18' Bayliner, so anything was an upgrade honestly. After talking with my wife and looking at the costs comparison, we decided to just go as big as possible and not have to worry about upgrading to a bigger boat in the near future. The bit of extra cost is so worth it for the additional room and wake capability.

Chatt, I'm normally not a fan of the Axis looks, but that thing is damn sexy. And after looking at the A22 and knowing how much more spacious it is compared to other 22' boats, I can only imagine that the A24 is enormous on the inside. We need interior and stereo pics too....

Interior space and storage is no joke in an A24. I can fit 3 surfboards under the seat behind the driver of my A24
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...pse4007287.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps2ee98c44.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps7c931177.jpg

AJ your boat looks sick!

I haven't ridden behind all of malibu's boats yet (still need to ride a VTX, 24mxz, and T22), but out of all of them, I think the A24 has the best and biggest wake of them all. With the LS3 and a 15 x 12 prop (any of them), you can throw whatever weight you want into it, and it is really hard to make a "bad" wake, very user friendly.

If I ever get diverted to or have a lay-over in Tennessee, I am coming for a set behind your boat Chat...

Aj that wave is amazing! What's your weight setup? Chatt you can't talk about how roomy the thing is and not post a bunch of interior pics to go with it!!!? Let's see em! I've never been a fan of axis styling aside from the new t22 but hot damn I'd swoop the a24 in a heartbeat if I could that thing a beast.

Chatt, the A24 makes any tow vehicle look small. Here's my Dodge 2500 mega cab with my A24.
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps1d5db148.jpg

Ballast set up is: hard tanks full (1000lbs); Sumo 900 rear; bow sack half full; Ronix 800 on floor in cabin; wedge down at 10.9 mph; driver, passenger and rider only.

That tri-axle trailer would come in handy with one of these.

Hahaha. Yup. Unfortunately, I had no say so in ordering the trailer I've got. If I still have the boat come next season, I'll be doing some upgrading on the trailer front.

AJ - love your boat man. It's so sick.

I wanna play! Here's mine making my lifted 250 look smallish! The wakeboard and surf wakes are only matched by the G. I had a good friend and tique owner last weekend say mine may actually be a hair bigger than the g. Idk about that but I think it's right there. I run 1100s in the rear, factory full, bow u shape plug and play and 500 in the walkway with wedge. It's biiiiiig

Here's a wake shot. This is before I got the plug and play bow sack, I had 2 girls up front that day tho so pretty close.

Wow. That's a beast

Here's another

The A24 is a very legit boat and it does maneuver very well for it's size.

Unless you're 5'2" tall that wave has got to be the biggest ive seen posted of all boats. The wake is huge although I think the g looks steeper or maybe just taller.

Yes chatt you finally picked something with a color!!!!

your guys' A24's are SIKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

I wasn't sure if you were referring to my pic or chatts but the guy in my pic is 5,7. And my A24 will be for sale in 2 months. Letting you know since you said its sick :) . The red flake doesn't really pop in that pic but its sick in person.

I agree Mase, pics don't do the flake job justice on the Axis.
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps6ea17a30.jpg

Hue much those run?$$

I think your average dealer could let one go in the mid to high 70s with an ls3 moderately loaded. Msrp on mine was 83k with ls3, tricked out trailer etc. pretty much every option but I did my own tower speakers. Axis doesn't have as much room to drop off msrp as Malibu, nautique etc but I would think your average dealer could come a few grand off msrp. It's hard to give a concrete number though because it's easy to add 20k in options. I think the 24 is priced about 5k more than the a22 though.

Do you guys have the indmar or MP LS3s in your A24s?

What is the speed control set up for Axis? Is PP or Zero off standard? I'm getting very curious about these boats!

I do have the mp ls3. My boat has the paddle wheel Malibu cruise style system, which I prefer. I ride on current a lot.

Chatt, did you buy the boat in Knoxville/Lenoir City? Is that Tellico Lake you are surfing on?

Jman

I keep my boat at my inlaws lakehouse on Chickamauga lake in Chattanooga/Hixson.

Here are some interior shots of my A24.

Gorgeous boat man, I couldn't agree with you more on the toggle vs the digital. It's so much easier to deal with

What do you think of the Decadance floor mating? I definitely get the appeal, but haven't seen it in person or after use to know if spilled drinks/beer would drain or if it just would generally stay sticky or what. Boat looks great btw.

I love the Decadance floor mat. Pros - does not get nearly as hot as either carpet or the tatami mat; softer on the feet than the tatami mat; does not stain like carpet; light weight so removal is easy, looks really cool, does not hold liquid at all - beer or water flows right through. Cons - if you spill something like chips or crumbs on the mat, they fall down into the mat and you either have to pick the pieces out or take the mat out and shake it out.

In any event, if you spill something on it, you can just pull the mat out, throw it in the water and rinse it off and then put it back in the boat. It dries super quickly.

Any subwoofer plans? Or is the stock good enough.

Good enough for now. If I keep the boat, I'll likely install a Wetsounds XS-12 below the driver's feet.

I have the Wet Sounds sub and it needs a good ported box to be of any use. Even after tuning the system you can barely even hear it

I just can't get into the orange interior. I've seen it in person, there just is something off about it. It's too close to looking like an orange life vest.

I did a wet sounds xxx-xs under the footwell and just mounted the box directly behind the kick panel with the sub mounted in stock position

Anyone running an A24 with the 350 and torque prop? I looked at one this week and it was nicely optioned by had the 350.

I have not used one yet. I know my boat basically leaps out of the hole with the 450. I'd demo it the boat with factory full and wedge down, then I'd ask to add some 400's in the rear and a 900lb bow sac. Factory ballast will be plenty for most wakeboarders, but the surf wave really comes alive with the extra weight.

We have an A24 with the 350 and 2419 torque prop in shop and that combo had no issues getting out of the hole or surfing with full ballast, 900lb sumos in the rear, 750 sumo bow bag and the wedge down. Granted we were at Lake Berryessa which is only 430ft or so elevation so needs to be taken into account as well.

ill play! Metal flake for the win!

This is a beautiful boat. Let me know when you get around to selling it....

Am I the only one who noticed the swim step and surf gates changed from grey to orange?

that last set of pictures is a different person with a different boat

Is that last boat charcoal flake or silver??

Saw this boat during the voyage filming. They came thru my local spot. Awesome boat.

shocker right here :eek:

http://www.onlyinboards.com/Details.aspx?ID=45444

suck a sick lookin boat, good luck with your sale, shouldnt be too long, you should already be getting calls

You bought it with 150 hours and are selling it with 170 hours? Kinda sad you were only able to get 20 hours on it.

so much for possibly keeping it.... guy gets a new boat every year why stop now! I'm not jealous, just false advertising haha :D

Hahaha. Well it sold. Now to figure out what to get for 2015. I'm leaning towards another A24. At the end of the day, I got an offer I couldn't pass up. The boat is going to a great guy, who I know is going to love it. The flake was really flashy and different, and I got a lot of compliments on the color combo, but I'm still partial to solid white or black.

All white A24. Do it.

The boat has 174hrs on it as of today, and it had like 145 when I got it. So, in fairness, I got 30 hours out of it. No, that's not a lot, but with 2 kids, sports, a wife and working crazy hours, and with a lot of friends with boats that we ride behind, it's par for the course for me. Also, we ride right by where we put the boat it, so it's splash, fill ballast, ride, dump ballast, load up. Not a lot of miscellaneous running around hours get put on my boats.

30 hours is a decent amount. Especially if you ride with others. I do 25-50 a year BC my boat sits on a lift on a small lake a quarter mile from my house. No driving all over the lake.

Anyone still looking my loaded 14 a24 is in the classifieds, tricked out trailer, wetsounds , ls3, red flake