Pse Help me choose my first wake boat

These seem to be my best choices... what do you guys think?

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/6/8/57553268.htm

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/0/0/61303100.htm

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/1/8/72727318.htm

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/2/1/73323421.htm

The last moomba...But You can probobly get a v-drive new moomba for the same payment..I think there are in the low to mid 30s...Might want to check.

i would think in the price range of those boats.. you may be able to go 2 years older and get into a mc/bu/san... keep looking....

The last link - Moomba Outback is NOT a V-drive (you can see the engine compartment in the middle of the boat - a V-drive engine is in the rear of the boat). You can get a new Moomba Mobius LSV for around 32K - check with Owen at South Austin Marine.

I have talked with owen (I have probably talked with every dealer in a 300 mile radius) - but I am trying to keep to a 25k budget

THe Moomba in the first link would be my choice of the four links, but I'm partial to Moombas. I do agree with Kyle that you might want to look back to 1998 boats and see what else is out there. I would think you could find a v-drive for the price range you are looking. Good luck.

Look at Sport Nautiques, Super Sport Nautiques, Mastercraft Maristar (I think?), and Sangers. I think all three mentioned would be better choices and you should be able to find them without any problem.

Check out this boat, it is super clean and has low hours.

http://flipsell.com/Phase3/home/DispVehicle.asp?VehicleID=6252

I have drooled over that boat, but it is just outside my price range.

You might try offering the 25K and see if the owner would bite. $2K difference isn't that much.

Do you mind loaning me that 2k 'isnt much' difference?

I know for a fact that he will take $26k. If you want it that much you can come up will another grand. Its only money, right?

HA... Yep, I keep telling the wife that, but she see's it as the more $$$ in my boat is less $$$ into her shoe collection

Do you know why he is selling it?

He is looking to upgrade to a v drive. The boat is well taken care of and always kept in the garage.

Do not buy a moomba outback if your gonna wakeboard they suck. Stick with an older natique or malibu.

Why do you say that? What sucks about them?

They are the geo metros of the wakeboarding industry. sorry to all u moomba owners but if you like the company u should've got a Supra. We just got through the boat buying process and were in the same price range as you. i reccomend doing ur HW and commiting urself by making offers starting low bc u know that people list them high. find a common ground and be prepared to walk away. We were dealing on a 2000SAN that was 35,700. over the course of 3 weeks i watched my dream rise and fall through numerous dealing of my Dad but eventually had it delivered for 29,500. stay tough and be prepared to walk. the seller wants to sell just as much as you. another summer gone by will lower the price even more for them!

Chris,
Moombas and Supras are well respected in the industry. JD Powers rated them equal to MasterCraft, just below CorrectCraft (SAN). But, they are no SAN and they don't pretend to be. They do, however cost approx. $25K less. Wakeworld did a story on how they are built (it is still on the articles list - "The making of a wakeboard boat". It would be best if you could ride behind the different boats and make your choice based on how you ride. I would take James Ring's posting with a huge grain of salt - a 21 year old student that cannot spell (this isn't an instant messenger board) and hasn't personally shelled out for a boat!! I would be highly suspect of someone selling a boat that is willing to knock slightly over 17% ($6,200)on a used boat they listed for $35,700!!!

I agree, it's way different when it's YOUR money being shelled out, not Dad's.

I read the wakeworld article last week, thats why I was curious about his opinion.

As for getting behind the boats, all of the dealers here want to go through all of the financing garbage first... then have you try out the boat (that way if you like it you take it home). I find this an almost dishonest practice, you would't buy a 25k car without driving it a couple of times, and trying out all of the competition AFTER you do financing.

As for wake shape/size.. I have only been doing this since spring break. So far, I have only been up at the local cable lake, and behind my jet ski, so I don't know enough to look at a picture of a wake and be able to determine it as good enough etc.

Like you said, its my money so I am being very paranoid about it. Thanks for all of the contious input

cw

Chris,
I see you've found the 360wakeboard.com BB. Check out this thread regarding "Club Moomba":

http://360wakeboard.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=429

Some very interesting statements from other boat owners who have ridden behind a Moomba and are now raving about the wake.

WakeShoe and Zboomer -

Im down in San Antonio and moving up New Braunfels this month (the wife works for LCRA and Im down on Lackland). If you guys ever have a spare seat I would love a chance to get a pull behind your boats. I have my own board and will gladly pitch in for gas. Im available any weekday after 5pm (thats when I could be in austin) and anytime on the weekends. I have put a post on the 360 website, but havnt got any replies yet.

If you have space - give me a call (210)520-3008

cw

Well CHRIS, I aslo purchased my first boat this year. I went with a 04 moomba outback. I see that some people do not think its a good idea but after my purchase it was the best idea.

Yes its not a TRUE wakeboard boat but it can be pretty close. All my friends, fiance and i do is wakeboard and it works great for us. We put 2000 pounds in the back and it makes a nice wake and runs great.

IM only 22 so my price range might be set for diff reasons than yours but still. I cant see how anyone can compare an outback to a geo metro. My 04 looks great, has the 320 efi motor, and pretty much has everything else you could want. I am going to change my prop but other than that its great.YEs its not a deap hull like a Vdrive so the wake isnt going to be as good, but for the price diff, its perfect for me.

If i could afford a SAN i would take it in a heartbeat but when your on a budget, and paying for it yourself you have to compare. HOpefully you can find a good Vdrive for the right price but if not dont rule out a good boat for a good price. If you want any little details or have any questions about the outback feel free to email me.

Good luck man

Im speaking from experience my friens bought a brand new moomba a couple of years ago and we weighted the piss out of that thing and the wake was ok. I had a 1995 centurion that trew a bigger wake then the moomba outback. The hull of the outback your looking at is flat in the back and I have never seen a boat with that hull throw a decent wake. In fact my buddy is selling his in boattrader right now its located in puyallup washington. check it out. If you could find a mobius in your price range then that might be a good deal keep looking and be patient.

Dear wakeshoe, I didn't realize you were so anal about spelling but then again you sell computers for living. From now on I will put my college education to work by practicing perfect grammer. Thank you for bringing my ignorance to light but I question your motives. Are you pissed you didn't buy a decent used boat instead of dumping money down the drain on a new LSV that is worth less than my four-year old Nautique now that you drove it off the lot. I take back my comment about the metro...maybe a Kia is a more practical analogy to use. Don't playa hate. Go ride! I dare you to throw down any shiz that I don't do without a grab...but then again I can't expect much from a Kia...excuse me Moomba.

Chris,
kevy kev may be correct. Moomba makes a ski boat (the Outback) which has a ski boat hull. Therefore, even with a lot of weight, the wake would not be large. Moomba likewise makes wakeboard boats (with a different hull than the Outback). The wakeboard boats specifically are the Mobius LS, Mobius LSV and the Mobius XLV. These come with standard wakeboard features like a tower, ballast system, etc. However, Moomba also makes the Outback LS and the Outback LSV which are the exact same hull as the Mobius LS and LSV. The Outback LS has options that can be added which can effectively make it exactly like a Mobius LS, except for the name. Likewise, the Outback LSV has options that can be added which effectively make it exactly like a Mobius LSV. The difference between the LS and LSV is that the LS is a direct drive boat and the LSV is a V-drive boat. The Outback LS, LSV, Mobius LS, LSV are both 20.8 inches long without swim platform. The Outback is 20.6 inches long without swim platform. The Mobius XLV is a 23 foot boat. So, the key thing to find out is what hull does the boat have. Here is a comparison of the hulls:

When it comes to Outbacks, Outback LS, and Mobius Direct Drives there have only been 3 hulls since they were first introduced. I will refer to them as OB1, OB2, and OB3. OB1 was designed for 1997. OB2 was designed for 2001. And OB3 was designed for 2003. Here is a matrix of the hulls:

OB1 97-02 Outback, 99-00 Outback LS, 98-00 Mobius (LS)
OB2 01-04 Outback LS, 01-04 Mobius (LS), 02-04 Outback LSV/Mob LSV
OB3 03-04 Outback

The Mobius V and Kamberra had it's own hull from 00-03.

The Mobius XLV has it's own hull new this year.

James Ring,
Now that was a fine example of your education. I know your dad would be proud of how he spent his money on your education.

'V' describes the hull? I always thought that the 'V' was stating that is was a V-drive vs. and Inboard.

Thanks all for the input. I think the best advice is to try out everything I can, and not be in a rush till I find exactly what it is I want.

Wakeshoe,
I have never riden behind a Moomba, but I have been in one. Stating that they are as good as a MC is a looong stretch. The interior was not even comparable to my X2.
As far as the flat hull in the back, a lot of Wakeboard boats have that. Including the X2. I don't think anyone will say the the X2 wake sucks.
Everyone is correct about offering a low ball offer and walking away. 90% of the time they will meet you in the middle. It just depends on their situation. Here in Ks, all the aircraft people that got laid off were selling their boats. They usually took bottom dollar.
As far as spelling goes, why can't there be a spell check on this thing. I have to write fast so my boss doesn't see me.

Chris,
No, "V" as in LSV means a v-drive boat.

Paul,
I never said that a Moomba was as good as a MC, JD Powers' 2004 ratings did. The boats were scored on Overall, Quality & Reliability, Value for Money, Exterior, Ride & Handling, and Ski & Board Usage.

Correct Craft totalled 30 points (perfect score)
Malibu totalled 23 points
MasterCraft totalled 22 points
Moomba totalled 22 points
Tige totalled 19 points

Well CHRIS i have to add one more comment for ya. THis is the good part about the interent(haha), people come on here trying to help ya and then it gets into a pissing match.

As far as my outback, i love it and thats really what matters. I just turned 22 and me and my fiance boat a new boat, plan and simple. We couldnt afford a SAN but thats ok, its a boat, its mine, i pay for it, not my parents.

Paul is right, the interior is not as nice as most MC or sans or so on. But thats some of the reason why its cheaper. DOnt get me wrong its nice but the details are not even close to a SAN or X-sereis boat.

IF you have a chance to ride in any of these boats do, then make YOUR decision. THeres alot of boat owners on here that will help you but theres alot of wakeboarders(whos parents own there boat)and will just trash other boat brands.

ONce again good luck

P.S. I would hope a 4 yr old San would be worth more than any moomba since there 20+ more to start out with.

SAN = ?

Super Air Natiuqe
SANger
SANte

(really showing my newbie-ness)

SAN = Super Air Nautique

My bad wakeshoe.

Ryan, no kidding. I've only been registered on this board for a month or two, but it's apparent if you don't own a SAN, 90% of the members here will bash you, and act like you're inferior. Hell, it's that way if you own anything except a SAN, X-Star, or VLX. According to this board, it's one of those, or nothing, else you have a "yugo." Definitely lots of elitist around these parts.

It's the same way in the automotive world. Ferrari drivers bash the Porsche drivers, Beemer drives bash the Vette drivers, Vette drivers bash the Mustang drivers, etc.

I take it with a grain of salt. Most of the ones doing the bashing/talking don't even own the boat, or are too immature to realize that not everyone in the world has their exact same needs or financial security.

hey Micah- i live in Gtown, and the guy that owns your ISP is a wakeboarder too and a good friend of mine. we should trade pulls sometime.

and Chris, you might wanna consider older Sunsetter VLXs if you're open to a >5 yr old boat. they're great boats, well within your price range, and same hulls as 04 WS VLX. if you want a pull sometime, let me know.

Zboomer,
Well said. And, great looking SSV - that's the first red one I've seen. I'm kind of partial to red also.

Paul,
No problem.

Im looking for a pull this saturday... my house is on the market, and I have to vacate it for the day for showings..

Drop me a line if you have a spot -
210-520-3008


As for the boat - Im on hold until my house sells, and I buy the new one (moving from S.A. to New Braunfels). But as any teenager will say 'my geo metro is better than your bike'. So ill buy what I can afford be it a moomba, old Sunsetter, or even a bayliner (almost did that last month).

Tks for the continued advice.

Chris, my wife, and I went wakeboarding on the Purd yesterday, and I (think) had a great time. If my body's soreness is any indication, we did, heh.

I really liked Chris' attempt to ollie pop over a bouy, resulting in a nice, superman nose dive. Sweet! The laugh I got out of that one was worth the whole trip!

Trace, you talking about Maurice? Cool man, I didn't know he was a wakeboarder. Definitely let's meet up sometime. I usually go to lake GT, but I sure love making the trip to north Lake Travis, or Purd for smoother water.

Wakeshoe, thanks for the compliment! I love the red, but damn does it show water spots.

Back to boats, we saw all kinds yesterday. Especially interesting was a boat load of people in an Outback, with some guy getting major air and some nice air 360's. I think I saw him cut a 720, but he was so far away I couldn't tell for sure.

Thanks Micah for taking me... Had a blast

The best part was the 40yr old guy in the malibu doing 360s and showing up his kids. I wanna be him!

yeah, Maurice. i try to ride once a week on either GT or Belton > work. Lk A, Travis, or Perd on wknds. we might hit GT this Thurs, shoot me an email if either of you are interested.

Seems like chris is well on his way now, glad to see some real ppl back posting. Man i saw a bunch of kids killing it on a old 90hp boat(i was like WHAT!) So i went and offered a ride on mine with a tower and they took it and almost killed them sleves with my geo metro wake. But a great time was had by all and thats what wakeboarding and owning a boat is really about.

Still good luck on your choice Chris!

I would love to be able to afford a mobius lsv, but I don't think I can pull the $$ off.

So it looks like it was going something 5yr old

My boss has a new LSV, and loves it. I think he got it fairly loaded for $33k at South Austin Marine. I think he has a tower-mounted bimini, cover, wake plate, mp3-stereo, water strainer, 4-blade stainless prop, depth finder, and wakeboard racks (tower and ballast is standard.)

Sweet deal for a new V-drive, can't beat it. I think Sanger's are in that range, but we don't have a local dealer.

He took the long-term financing, and his payment is ridiculously low, like $235/mo. Of course he'll be "underwater" for a long while, but that payment is insanely low for a new V-drive wakeboard boat, that puts out some great wakes.

Don't even ask what my payment is on the SSV. I have "only" a 72-mo note, heh.

Just hang in there Chris, you can find some nice boats for under $25k. Keep looking...

I know.. gotta sell the damn house first.

We had another person look yesterday, but still no offer.

Chris I was in your situation about a month ago. Looking for a good boat that was inexpensive.

After looking at just about ever used boat in austin, I decided that I could afford a new outback. I even looked at that one you have posted at the top of this thread. For me, it came down to being the same type of payment for either a cheaper used boat or a inexpensive new one. I didnt want any unknown problems that were out of warrenty. Since it is my first boat I opted for the moomba outback (aka in this thead "the geo"). I know its not the top of the line, but really I dont see the need of a top of the line boat in my situation. For the price you are looking to pay, you can get a new outback. Mine with a few extra option cost just a little more than that.

I cant tell you how the boat is since I just ordered it. The test drive however was a blast, and it will be more boat than I really need. I can't wait for mine to come in.

Good luck with finding a boat. Micah's been a huge help, listen to him. I also suggest you talk to Owen, he will definitly work the price for a new one, if thats what you want.

Owen?

So what options did you get?

Owen at South Austin Marine, thought you've talked to him before. The only options I got on my outback are the tower, water strainer, cover, binimi, and cd player. The tower being the largest chuck of the added price to the standard boat. I almost decided agaist it, since i could probably find a tower aftermarket for a little cheaper.

The boat should be a excellent first boat for me. It might not be the perfect wakeboard boat, or the best quality boat out there. Itis a good boat for someone that is looking to save a little money though. I am trying to not let the negative comments let me down. I had loads of fun on the boat, and thats all that really matters. For me, I didnt see the difference in the Moombas compared to the MC's, SAN's, and Malibu's. Just a lot of not needed extra stuff that would expensive if it broke, and a price tag that was doubled. No way I could even think about affording one of those.

The outback changed in 03, so a lot of the opinions seem to be on the pre-02 model. I personally dont really like the look of the older outbacks. I looked at a used one and it did seem like the quality was not quite as good as the newer models. I think the outbacks have come a long way, and are a excellent value for the type of boat it is.

If you havent got a boat by the time I get mine. If your dareing enough, I'd be happy to tow you around with the outback to see what you think about it.

Thanks for the offer - Im always willing to go for a boat ride and to hang out with new people.

When do you expect delivery?

(Message edited by ccwhite on July 14, 2004)

Oh - the guy I talked to at South Austin Marine is Paul. I have never talked to Owen, but I think Micah went through him for his Supra and recomended him.

Hey Kevin what color did you get???I got the new orange and its sweet, better than i thought it would be. ALso if you need any help with weight when you get it in, ill be glad to help. My buddy(aka boat salesman) had his dialed then helped me, so mines just right. Would be glad to help ya.

LONG LIVE THE "GEO"

"When do you expect delivery? "

thats the million dollar question right now.....

I hope its by the end of the month, but it will be most likly end of next month.

Ryan,
Its going to be red, to match our ford truck.

POWER TO THE GEO!!!

I wonder if I can get a bunch of Geo Metro decals and put them on my boat? Now that would be unique.

HEHEH, even better would be, to send geo metro stickers to all who dont even own boats but bash ours.

Red will be sweet, what color are the seats and interior going to be???

And what was said about warrenty is a BIG BIG plus, my new boat has been in the shop twice for little things that were fixed quick(one included bad gas= a bad fuel filter) and i would have hated to see the shops bill without warrenty. Just my 2cents.

Interior is going to be light grey with red/charcoal accents.

I'm thinking a 310hp+ Geo would rock! It'd be damn scary though to drive.

Maybe a sign that MY boat is better than your DADS boat?