Malibu owners, please respond

I'm in the market for a used boat, 2001 or 2002. I have done all the research and getting ready to demo some boats. I spoke with some pro riders this past weekend while riding behind a Nautique and asked them what the best boat out there was and there reply was Malibu, hands down.

What sealed the deal for you guys?

I bought a used '98 VLX in 2001. I was set on a Malibu or Nautique and the price settled that debate for me....if I had it to do all over again, I would definitely give Supra a chance. Good luck.

I bought a 2001 Sunsetter LXI w/wedge, MLS, Heater and it is a great Wakeboard boat can't complain. Go with the Sunsetter or Wakesetter can't go wrong.....

Yo. I have a Sunsetter and after riding all the other boats, I still like mine the best. I haven't had any engine problems or anything. The Wedge plus some ballast will give you the best wake ever and I promise you won't go wrong with Malibu. You could probably find a Wakesetter with plenty of stuff for around 30-35,000.

What is the difference between a sunsetter and the wakesetter?

Thanks for the input guys. Interesting feedback Eric, I have ridden behind a friend's Supra for a couple of years and really like it.

More than likely it will come down between Supra and Malibu.

Does the D-Drive Malibu put out a pretty good wake?

Adam

The difference is the graphics, and the wakesetter comes with the mls, wedge, and tower from the factory. all it is is the wakeboard version of the sunsetter

(Message edited by jonb on May 10, 2004)

I like my VLX, and will be buying another one this spring, but do not discount the Supra, great boat, but I was predisposed to BU and the dealer.

Whoa, slow down here. Lot of misinformation going around.

Keep in mind wake is a very individual preference. I own an '02 Sunsetter LXi (the direct drive). This does not put out a great wakeboarding wake, no matter how much you weight it and where you put it (compared to, for example, an X2 or Super Air).

I have tweaked mine every which way, including recently putting a custom sack and auto ballast in the (reinforced) trunk that probably adds about 700 pounds or more to the rear of the boat. That, plus 550 lbs of lead/steel, plus the MLS equals around 1800 lbs, plus the wedge. The wake is rampy and small compared to an X2 or Super Air.

I bought my boat as a "crossover" boat because the slalom wake is simply the best for larger tournament boats. But within two months I stopped skiing and exclusively wakeboarded. I would not buy this boat again. If you almost exclusively wakeboard, I would strongly recommend against this boat. On the other hand, we just had it out yesterday and still have a ton of fun on it, so if wake is not that big of deal to you, it's a great boat.

Now, this does not mean that a VLX is not a good choice. I have never ridden behind one, so can't comment on wake. But keep in mind the hulls ARE different between the various boats. The VLX and LXi are on completely different hulls. See malibuboatowners.com's message boards for lots of info on this.

If you really like Malibu, and have the cash, I'd look at a 2002 VLX. You should be able to find one for around $35k, maybe a little more depending on options. But I'd also take a little time and looks at X2s and Super Airs. Whatever "pros" said "Malibu hands down" are either sponsored by Malibu or high (or both).

They're all good boats, just that each has their unique aspects (e.g., Malibu VLX blows doors on space/comfort on the X2 and Super Air; but wake is the other way around from what I understand).

Bottom line, don't move too quickly without fully exploring all the issues.

I have a 02 Wakesetter DD and I think the wake is very nice with some weight and the wedge.



(Message edited by mcfatty on May 10, 2004)

A couple more.

andre,
That is exactly why I posted, thanks for the info.

Wake size and budget are my two most important areas. I just sold a runabout that I loved but had no wake.

That wake does look pretty good for a dd.

come on mcfatty, i know you've got better pics than that. put the good ones on there.

Note well that the Sunsetter/Wakesetter DD is on a different hull than the LXi. I don't know whether McFatty has an LXi or just the regular DD, but there is a discernable difference in wake from what I understand. That being said, those pics look VERY similar to pics of my wake.

However, the LXi's advantage is a huge trunk. If you want a good wake behind a Malibu DD you are going to need a lot of weight, so if you can't put it in the trunk (after reinforcing it) you are going to have to put it on the floor. If that doesn't bother you, go for it.

My only point is that I have put in considerable time behind an LXi, X2, and Super Air, all with about the same amount of weight in them. The LXi's wake is crappy compared to the X2 and Super Air.

If wake/budget are your main categories I'd be looking at the '02 VLX, or maybe a 2000 or 2001 X2 or Super Air (assuming you can afford them).

O.K.

Andre,

I too have spent some time behind an 02 X-Star with some extra ballast under the bow seats and I think it's no bigger than mine just a different shape.

You're right you have the Diamond hull and I have the SV23 hull.

I will also tend to disagree. i have an '02 wakesetter LXi. you can get a good wake out of it. you generally have to use good technique to get a lot of air on a rampy wake. however if you are not into slalom/barefoot/etc then i agree with andre that there are definately better choices, such as vlx or the other direct drive hull like mcfattys, which shares the same hull as the vlx

I didn't say you can't get a "good" wake out of it. And, I didn't say you can't get good air if you have good technique.

If you don't mind a rampy wake and sacks all over the floor, go for the Malibu DD. If you don't mind a rampy wake and don't want sacks on the floor, get the LXi (but you'll have to spend considerable time/money reinforcing the trunk and installing auto-ballast back there). If you would rather have a medium to steep wake and no sacks on the floor and STILL room for storage, get an X2, VLX, or Super Air.

does your great equal my good or vice versa?

If you think the LXi puts out a "great" wake we simply have different definitions of what a "great" wake entails.

paul,

exactly what i was pointing out

Ah, I gotcha. It's all relative and based on personal preference. I used to think my wake was "great" for my own taste, until I left my boat sitting on the side of my house for about 6-8 months and rode regularly behind a Super Air and X2. That changed my perspective drastically.

By the way, Tim, how is the recovery going? Are you back to full strength?

I've ridden all the boats you guys are talking about and the X2 was not much differant of a wake compared to my LXI, Now on the other hand the SAN with 1800 pounds of ballast makes a very large wake. It kicks you up high. The Malibu wakes are rampy but not as steep. With my boat i have a 1800 pounds in the back and 500 up front with the wedge and my wake is just fine for any skill level of riding. So don't knock the Malibu's wake it is just preferance if you want a steep wake buy a SAN.....

The best Malibu for the wake and the money is the wakesetter (used to be called the SunsetterLX no longer called this). It's not on the SV23 Diamond hull (as is the LXI) it's the on the SV23 (except for the 01' model year which did use the diamond hull). With the wedge and a sack in the rear and one in the ski locker produces a great wake. The LXI is a great crossover boat and can produce a nice wakeboarding wake but is better suited for a slalom skier and the wakesetter is better for the boarder then a skier.

In my experience, wake wise nothing else....
SAN=vert, easier to sink (bigger wake), narrow width wake
X2=rampy/vert, easier to sink, narrow width wake
VLX=rampy, harder to sink (means more lbs's), wide width wake

Having said that, you can change your weight distribution between front and back to dial in the different levels of vert/rampy for all boats, of course that doesn't mean SAN's rampy will be the same as VLX's rampy and VLX's vert will be the same as SAN's vert.

I agree that the SV23 Diamond Hull with the wedge is quite rampy. This works for and against you for a couple of reasons:

1. With the wedge down, and an inappropriate amount of weight in the front of the boat, it's really rampy and can be difficult to transition into the wake when you're on your approach. This can make inverts more difficult.
2. However, it can also give you the opportunity for more air time for spins and such.

I've been working on the wake in my Sunsetter DD for several years (weight, prop, etc), and I've got it pretty dialed in now. I can't comment on SANs, but it's much much better than the Pro-Air wake which is boring in my opinion.

oh yeah, paul, keep in mind that pic is of me this march. so i am riding ok, even though i can't run yet.