Outboards???

I know O/B's are not ideal boats for wakeboarding but what are your opinions or advice about them. I have an O/B because I love waterskiing behind them, but what are thoughts about them for wkaeboarding? Thanks!!

Dave Garland

...wakeboarding?

normally wakeboarding requires extra weight to get a nice wake and that requires extra horsepower. Due to this unless you have an oversize motor for your boat youll have trouble adding extra weight and getting on plane easily. Someone on here just added perfect pass to an outboard but i dont think it was plug-and-play

I got an 130HP O/B with approximately 400lbs of ballast and a Joystick Roll-Bar. The wake is okay, but not great for wakeboarding and it take a little patience to get up on a plane and manage the proper speed. For now, it is all I have to use...until I win the lottery, of course!!! I say do the best with what you got...and upgrade when you can!!! For me, I grew up on the water so just being out there is reward enough...a nice wake is just icing on the cake.

Ok, I can pipe in here with experience. I have a 2001 Procraft 200 Combo Fish and Ski with a 200 EFI Merc outboard. He is what I have done to it. I added a Joystick Rollcage on it to get the rope up and free up the rear deck (ski bar was in the way). Then I added an automatic ballast system to it. It consists of a twin waterbed mattress in the ski locker (about 600 lbs), a waterbed tube under the middle seat (about 125 lbs), and 4 waterbed tubes located in the rear storage compartments (about 500 lbs). I added a 4 blade prop with a lower pitch. Then I put in a nice stereo with amp and tower speakers. Then to cap it all off, I added Perfect Pass Wakeboard Pro to it (had to make a small metal adapter). Now I know it isn't a SAN or X-Star, but I can still get some pretty good air off it with no problems. When I start up, it pulls me up pretty quick. I have ridden behind a 2002 SANTE and my boat will get you up faster by several seconds. I am going to try to remember to take my video camera with me and get some shots of me riding so everyone can see the wake. My wife says it is as big as a SAN, but I don't think so, at least it is a different shape than a SAN in my opinion.

If you have some specific questions, please let me know and I will provide what info I can.

I have a 120hp o.b. The max weight limit for the boat is 1,050lbs. I have 1,000lbs in just fat-sacs and sand bags. It struggles for about a second or two pulling me up. But once i'm up,the wake is the same, if not better than alot of ski boats i've boarded behind. I'll eventually upgrade to a ski-boat with a bigger motor. But this does the job for now.

Dave,

I also run an outboard ski boat. It's equiped with a 200 hp merc on a 1998 Mastercraft Powerstar. I absolutley love it. Lots of space and a great universal boat. I still ski quite a bit so I need the flexability. I have installed a Zero Flex Tower and run a 500 lbs in the rear compartment with another 350 lbs in the ski locker. Like Chris I have installed perfect pass, which is a great addition. My son has ridden behind a VLX and feels our wake has different characteristics but he says he can get just as much air off of our wake. The only real guage stick I can reference. Hope this helps.

Dave,

It's all been well said above. Outboards are far better than not wakeboarding and my Ski Ray has been awesome for what we needed it for. It's a 1995 with a fresh 200 EFI and the "no payments" feature has been so appealing it's held me off on investing in a true wakeboard boat (which is coming on to the radar screen now).

I get to ride behind some sweet wakeboard boats and for my level the bigger, more crafted wake is very nice but I have plenty to learn that my boat is fine for. The HUGE thing I wish I had was that big platform on the back for strapping in and getting into the water. Not a huge problem, but it sure is nice.

If your just getting started then go ride behind your outboard. Until your landing backrolls, or feel the boat is the reason you can, then you have what you need to love wakeboarding.

They do perform much better than the inboard and v-drives for all out exhilaration, top speed, wake jumping, adrenaline fixes :-)

Bill

For the record, the above photo was with 6 people averaging about 125 lbs each in the boat. Take this to 8 people at 200+ each and the wake gets a lot bigger. We have never added sacks but extra weight does make a huge difference.

Bill

I have an outboard, check out this boat and pics here http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/70906.html?1055662294

I like it better than wakeboard boats because of the versitility of it and my wake seems just as big as "wakeboard wakes" and I dont even add wieght.