malibu sportster?

I am going to open up a waterski/wakeboarding school with a couple guys this upcomming summer. I am looking for a boat to buy right now and have come across a few good priced malibu sportsters. What is your opinion on these boats. please keep in mind that i am going to be using it for wkaeboarding: all skill levels, and skiing: all skill levels. thanks a lot!

I currently have my 02 sportster lx for sale. Great ski boat, If you put weight in it there is a preety good wake for wakeboarding. If you want more info or pics you can e-mail me.

email me some pictures at nicholasbellono@yahoo.com. thanks

i think i would look elesewhere. the sportster will take on water over the very low freeboard. everything in the boat will be soaked all the time. we had a ton of trouble with water in the gas. and alot of starter trouble becauce its pretty much sitting on the floor, and getting wet.there is very little room in them. the open bow is a joke. they were $20,000 brand new, and not worth that imo.
there plenty better boats to choose from. sorry john

I would get a v-drive. The wake is OK for skiing. You will end up buying one eventually for your school. Just do it now. Even if it costs you more, and it will, it will be better for the long run.

With students and gear in the boat, you will need a V-Drive.

Yes it has a low free board if you are in rough water, you can get water over the back. There isn't much storage on it. It is a good solid boat. Excellent entry level boat and great Malibu quality.

I have a response which is basically a big version of the sportster. Do not get the sporster. Its only like 19ft long and very low freeboard as stated above. The only way to get a decent wake on the boat is with a wedge and lots of weight, but the boat sits so low that the extra weight will cause water to come over the bow. If you are going to have start wakeboard camp, at least get a 21 foot Inboard that has a hull shaped for wakeboard but preferably a v-drive. Internal ballasts would also be a must.

The Sportster is 20 feet long. Same hull as older Response.One thing to keep in mind,it can't be what it's not. Malibu sells and markets this boat as an ENTRY LEVEL direct drive boat.My buddy has a Response, it has the same freeboard.

(Message edited by mibu on October 18, 2004)

All i know is that the 2000-2001 sporster are a lot smaller then my response lx, and my response lx is a small boat for wakeboarding.

Here is the question you need to ask yourself, how much do you want to spend, I just sold my sportster and to be honest the boat did everything I needed it to do. You will need to weight it down quite a bit, I added appx 2000lbs and the wake was awesome..

Older style Nautiques (2001 model hull) throw a GREAT wake for a ski boat..... Definitely cheaper than newer V drives, and with a tower and a few sacks thrown in the wake gets really good

you also need to ask yourself if people will pay to go to your school with these boats. I know I wouldn't fork out the cash to go to a wakeboard school without a true wakeboard boat.

does anyone have interior pictures on the sportster, like storage space shots, ect. thanks

If you need an entry level wake boat, but don't have a ton of cash. Try a sanger the DLX and the V-210 have awsome wakes, don't require a ton of weight and drive really well. If there aren't any in your area... Try to find a Mastercraft 205 or one of the bigger Malibu's. I would stay away from a boat as small as the sportster. There wont be much room for weight or people.

Nautiques older model boat ( the 2001 model, not year) is a great wakeboarding boat for entry level.

i can't start a ski school with an old looking boat like that, no matter how nice of a wake it puts out. generally people go who don't know how to ski, so if your boat looks nice and doesn't throw as good of a wake as the guy with the 1990 nautique, these people are still going to want to get in your boat more.

get a 2002 malibu wakesetter LXi. good for both skiing and wakeboarding, and I have one for sale!!!

i found a nice 2000 supra launch and i think that's what i'm gonna go with.

I would NOT recomend the sportster. I have spent alot of time on one, and although it is a good product, it leaves alot to be desired as a wakeboard boat.
The limited times I have been on a launch have been awesome. Were I in the market for another d-drive, it would be at the top of the list for sure. It is huge, deep, and throws a monster wake.