Malibu Question

What is the difference between a Wakesetter and Escape? I'm looking at a 2000 Escape LSV 23' with 450 hours. Owner wants $25,000. I know the Wakesetter has ballast. I see the Escape has wedge, no ballast. Any difference in hull, size of wake?
Thanks in advance.

(Message edited by mcbean7 on January 06, 2009)

Hey JP,
I believe either boat could have come with either the Wake or Diamond hull. The Wakesetter & Escape was really just a package, ie; decals, tower, ballast, etc.

You should be able to find some guys who really know the brand on the http://www.themalibucrew.com site.


(Message edited by bill_airjunky on January 06, 2009)

Thanks for the reply Bill.
Is there a way to tell which hull it comes with by looking at it?
I'll check out the link. Thanks.

Yes, there is a way to tell. The rear outside corner of the Wake hull is flat. The Diamond hull is cupped forcing the rear of the boat upwards a bit. I'm looking for pics of the two now.

I rode my SkySki behind both hulls a couple years ago, an XTI Wake & an XTI Diamond. I couldn't tell the difference at 27 mph. Maybe if your going faster or slower or standing on the wake, or hitting it as you cut across you could tell. Frankly I don't think anyone should base the decision on that. If you like the boat, and the price is right, use the hull type as a bargaining chip.

Pics would be sweet, if you can find any.
I'm a beginning wakeboarder so I doubt I can tell the difference.
Anything I should look for with this brand of boats? It's a 2000. I think it's fiberglass throughout so no wood stringers. About 450 on the clock. Cosmetically looks decent. No ballast, no tower.
I'm also looking at a 04 Wakesetter VLX 21'. Already has ballast and tower. 350 hours on clock. Asking $28000. Would this be a better buy for wakeboarding?

At those prices, the 04 VLX is a no-brainer.

hmm...ok. I need to look at the VLX closer then.
This may be a stupid question but what are some features of the VLX that makes it that much better than the Escape (for wakeboarding). Also, does it do ok for skiing? I don't expect direct-drive quality wake but decent? I was turned on to the Escape over the VLX just because it was 2' longer than the VLX. We have a big family so it's nice to have a little more boat.

Yea, I'd go for the VLX too. It's a tried & true, very popular, wakeboard boat. Built in ballast, tower, good storage, etc. Easily holds 5 or 6 people behind the windshield. Rated for 11.

The 23' hulls are definitely better for holding people though. Add a tower & you might be good to go (since you have plenty of ballast/family members). Rated for 13 people.

I have owned both boats and recommend the VLX hands down. The LSV has lot's of room, but the VLX has a GREAT wake! Now if you are all beginners it won't matter, but it's harder to get a big wake from the LSV. Takes alot of nose weight and 500# in front of back seat, not in lockers. Good Luck!

The Escape the the first Malibu 23' boat (actually 22'6") they changed the name in 2001 due to a legal issue with some sailboat or dingy with the name. There was only 1 hull and you could buy a wakesetter- tower mid ballast and wedge. Bad boat in my opinion potentially Malibu's worst. I would avoid this boat, lots of other options available. 2004 vlx is off the sv23 bottom which is what was the tournament bottom
93-98, so it's a reasonable ski wake, depends what your comparing it to, it's better than almost all v-drives out there with the x2/xstar and Malibu's diamond hull, being the only exceptions that come to mind.

I have a 2001 LSV (which I believe is basically the same boat as the Escape except it has 500lb center ballast) and we really like it. I can't comment on the 04 VLX as I have only ridden behind an 05 (which has a different hull and does have a superior wake to my LSV).

But, the LSV/Escape gets a nice big rampy wake with 2200lbs and wedge. It also has a pretty good ski wake at 36mph. There is definitely a good amount of room for 7-8 behind the windshield. The 04 VLX is the last year before they widened it, so there will be noticeably less room than the LSV.

Also, figure at least $1000 extra to self install a solid ballast system in the Escape.

My wake is too big for many of my beginner friends who prefer to learn with wedge only and I won't even fill the additional ballast for them until they can go wake to wake. My profile pic shows the wake with ~1600lbs + wedge at 75ft and 22mph (I have since upgraded from 300lb rear sacs to 550lb sacs and a larger front sac). I top out at backrolls to give you a comparison for skill level.

Looking back I see that you would also need to add a tower, so figure another $1-2k for that. Basically it seems like you'd be comparing the same price just deciding which boat you liked better.