Buying a new Boat

This is probably gonna be the 4th dumbest question a person could ask, but hey, I may be the 4th dumbest person! I am relitively new to wake boarding...only have one season under my belt. But I am addicted to it so I am going to buy a new boat. I was wondering what boat I should get. Right now I am seriously comtemplating the new VLX. Dunno, like I said this is a dumb question because it is all about personal preference. But I thought I would give it a shot anyway. Thanks!

You couldn't go wrong with a VLX. Its all on preference though. If you only have ridden for one year you probably haven't found out what you like and what you don't like about boats. So test drive.

I am not sure what to look for. The boat that I was riding on wasn't a true "wakeboarding" boat. I haven't used Perfect Pass or anything like that. We didn't even have ballast tanks...just sand bags inside of garbage bags. It seem to work good though.

Any wakeboard specific boat will do fine in this day and age. Go test drive them and see what dealer you like to deal with most.

Do your homework...check the boat shows, local dealers, websites, etc. I was in the hunt for a boat as soon as the first air nautiques and xstars were rolling out. I finally purchased my 2004 Mastercraft X2 brand new at a boat show and got a really good deal on a custom order. I have wakeboarded behind Tige's, Air Nautiques, Malibu's, Supra's, but when it came down to it, for me the Mastercraft (IMO) had the best wake, response, feel, and of course style. Good luck and do as much research and riding behind all the boats out there. Also don't do a 15 year loan...unless you want to pay for your boat twice, stick to a 5-7 year loan max. if you can swing that type of cash.

Look for room, ballast, engine performance when weighted(Just get a big engine), wake shape(lippy, rampy) and resale value. Handling is important too. Perfect pass is a must, especially if you are married.

Like Paul said, dealer support is imortant. Owning a boat is a lot of work and upkeep, having a good dealer to walk you through your first boat issues can be a lifesaver.

Many people post your question here, sometimes it stays pretty civil, but often degenerates into a 'that boat sucks, get this boat' kind of thread. Each boat has its pros and cons and price.

I think you can get dizzy doing research. You have to do some, but the bottom line is you need to follow your heart.

I'm sure you'd enjoy a VLX.

David,

Not a dumb question... just a really hard one to answer considering I dont know anything about you, where you live, what dealers are close to you, limits of your budget, etc.

I am going to go outside of the scope of your original question only because you said you are new to boats. I will try and be brief:

1) Hopefully you live in an area where there are many dealers and you can readily water test a bunch of different brands... If you do... take advantage of that. Every boat seems pretty solid in the show room. Get out there and drive some double ups.

2) Get in the water regardless of your riding ability... wakes feel different than they look. Hopefully you are at least at the stage that you can do wake to wake jumps.

3) Inquire about available ballast upgrades... they are usually cheaper and easier to do at the factory.

4) Most majors are 100% fibreglass... dont buy boats with wood in them.

5) Dont buy a boat any bigger than you think you will reasonably need. If you are not putting the extra people in them... you will just end up spending more money to purchase, running more ballast and burning more gas for no reason.

6) Factor in your gut feel on the dealer and once you have it narrowed down to 2 or 3 boats... do some research on the dealers.

7) If budget is a consideration, look at old generation hulls like the V Ride from Malibu. Proven performance for less $$$

8) If you can afford it... get a vdrive. Better resale, lots more storage, more comfortable for your guests, easier to weight, typically comes with more ballast to start with.

9) Dont buy xti type layouts... they are difficult to weight evenly. You might like... you might not. Why roll the dice?

10) The real cost of a boat is how much you pay in interest on your loan plus how much you lose when you go to sell.

If I could pay cash, buy a world class tow boat that I could use for a year and sell for $1000 less than what I paid... even if that boat was $100K... thats the boat I would buy. All you brokers out there... dont drag opportunity cost into this.

Correct Craft, Master Craft, Malibu and Supra typically give best resales and are of course quality boats.

11) Do some basic searches, on this site, on the boats you are interested in... you would be amazed at the good and bad things people will say about things you haven't even thought about.

12) Warranty... there are not many around... but beware of boats with 1 year warranties. That means they are either junk OR the manufacturer cant handle the financial risk of something going wrong with the small amount of boats they have actually sold. Either way... not a godd thing.

Hope this helps... hope I didn't talk down to you (not my intention).

I considered the 2006 VLX a short while back and did not buy due to location of the dealer, sticking with a brand I know (Supra) and wake shape of the VLX.

Happy boat shopping.

Kevin - great advice. Bookmark this page.

For a first time boat owner, it may be beneficial to buy a 3-5 year old boat in good shape. Here are the reasons:

1. As a first time boat owner, you may have difficulty with boat handling. It is a lot easier to deal with a ding in a used boat than a brand new one.

2. If you decide you don't like it - you will lose very little depreciation and likely can sell it for what you bought if for.

3. You get some real experience to decide what you really want in a boat and can then make a more informed selection.

4. You have less $$ tied up for the first year or so.

5. It lets you try out a dealer or two to see how well you are treated without a new boat warranty service schedule hanging over your head.

Finally, wood in a boat is not bad. I have worked on boats nearly a century old that are made of wood without problems. Sanger makes great boats that are very durable over the long term that use wood. There have been some problems that have been re-told year after year. However, don't let a few horror stories scare you off. All boat, motor, board, binding, auto, and every other product will have a horror story or two. Look at the big picture: How many CC 2001, MC PS, Malibu, Supra, and other brands of boats are still in service a decade later without problems? Most.

Good Luck.

Good advice! I guess I could elaborate on things that I think I would need. I think average crew size would be 6 (including my daughter who is too young to wakeboard). So, 5 "active" people. I am located just outside Sacramento CA and I have been to a MC, and Malibu dealer. I heard that there is a Supra dealership nearby, but I haven't been there. Budget ... well i would like to stay in the 40's, but if I liked the boat enough I would consider a splurge to the low 50's. Also, when I was at the MC dealership they were talking mad trash about the "wedge". Saying that A) it could get ripped off. Which doesn't make sense to me since the object would have to tear through a prop and rudder first. And B)it puts too much stress on the boat while at speed. Any thoughts?

I hate when other dealers bash the opposition.

Your money is better spent at a dealer that says, "They also have a great product, check it out and compare it to ours. We would like to think that you will choose our brand because we can offer this. If you want, we would be happy to do an on the water test within an hour of their on the water test."

Sorry....pet peeve.....

Carry on....

(Message edited by Deuce on December 29, 2005)

Oh...sorry, I should add that I would not worry one second about the wedge on a Malibu.

Malibu makes a great product and if I were to get a different boat(no plans as I am perfectly content), the VLX would be on my short list.

Hey David, if you were at the MC dealer there locally, they have a tendancy to bash other brands. I had them do that to me last summer, and I walked.

I haven't heard any horror stories about the wedge recently, but a few years back, I remember some people on this very site that had their wedges ripped from the boat and where having a hell of a time getting Malibu to fix the problem.

If you like Malibu go to Boat Country in Escalon
If you like Mastercraft go to Ski World in Pleasanton
I have heard good things about the Sanger dealer in Sacramento.
Larson Marine in Sacramento has the Monopoly on Correct Craft and they act like it. But their board shop is very good.
I don't know much about the other boat dealers. I hope this helps.

Personally the wedge is a negative for me. Aside from the horror stories and pictures from yester year... If you look at it from a cost and/or risk to benefit ratio... why risk damage to the hull, risk injury to people behind the boat and pay extra money to get what standard ballast and a well secured wake plate can do.

I know... I know... a wake plate only changes the shape of the wake... but thats what I want it to do! As far as wake plates being a fix for a bad hull design... I dont buy that. Even if it were true... I would rather have a wake plate than the big box that MC tacked onto the back of the Xstar to fix the initial porpoise problem that hull experienced. Hah! That statement should start a fight or two

If you do a search on the VLX... it would appear that a significant number of wedge owners run extra sacks and leave the wedge in upright/not contributing position.

Malibu's are a very sweet ride... if there was a dealer in Calgary... It would probably tip the scales enough for me to buy at least one... then it would be up to the product and dealer if I were to buy another.


JMO.

I would say if a company is using wood, and doesnt know what they are doing stay away..but with a company like Sanger, who uses it correctly, it can be a great product. And as far as resale goes..any V-drive with a tower on it is going to have a great resale. Dont be scared to look at other boats beside Bu, MC, and CC.

You could also look at Calabria's in Stockton, or the manufacturer in Merced. Great boats with good prices. My friends have one and I'm totally impressed with the quality, options, performance, and price. Just something else to think about.

BTW,
Karl makes a great point. I did the same thing he talked about for purchasing a first boat. I spent alot of time learning about boats in my 99 MC Prostar 205, and sold it 16 months later for what I paid for it. Take your time and look around, they'll still be making boats tomorrow.

happy hunting,
Brian

I'll second E.J.'s pet peeve
Brand bashing dealers lose my business instantly!

If I had a limitless budget...

1) I would buy a fully loaded 450HP Xstar with a custom 3000# plus ballast system, custom big booming stereo, custom hydraulic wake plate.

2) I would also have a SANTE210 to use when my X was in the shop.

3) Hire a dude to coordinate and take turns driving the boats 3 hours North for service whether it be good or bad.

The reality is:

1) I have a budget (mind you a decent size one... although my wife changes it on me yearly)
2) I wont drive 3 hours to get anything serviced
3) There is only 1 dealer in this city I would buy a boat from.

David... you are getting some really good advice from us dudes on WakeWorld... you know you owe us a beer now

KV

Where is the best place to see a bunch of pics of different boats. The website's aren't that good. Kinda like what this website has for the VLX?

In the top right hand corner... there is a little search button... try it out.

Or

Go to the dealers... nothin like getting a brochure for later reference and hopefully seeing the boats in the flesh. You will also get:

1) Initial pricing
2) Impression of fit and finish
3) Impression of dealer
4) What kind of stock they keep
5) Deadlines to order and still get a boat before summer is 1/2 over
6) Will they give you a guaranteed trade value (if applicable)
7) What kind of used inventory they have
8) If they have any new 2005 models left with big discounts
9) Etc, etc, etc.

Karl made a very good point about buying used...

Just remember that in order to buy used... you still have to shop around for new boats.

Find out what you can really get a new one for... that way you will find out how much you are really saving by going used.

Enjoy... I'm off to Whistler Mountain in BC... there is nothing like crashing on hard frozen ground to make a guy appreciate a good wipe out on the water.

KV

I cant go to the dealerships right now. I am out of the country on business for the next few months!

That should get ya started.

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/269619.html?1135890630

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/269188.html?1135187754

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/269660.html?1135173586

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/271459.html?1135468620

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/272681.html?1135629036

KV

Thanks Kevin! I am tellin ya, it sucks doin all of this over a computer. I want to touch, see, and smell a new boat!

I would spend a great deal of time at the Preasanton Boat show at the end of January if I were you. Don't 'not' buy a Malibu because of the wedge.

Buying used for your 1st boat is a very good idea.

The more homework you can do before the boat show the better. Going into a boat show without doing at least some homework and having a little bit of an agenda... is a little risky... especially if you are an impulse buyer.

Finding the right boat, while at the same time, not losing your ass... is an interative process. Chances are you will not get it right the first time around.

Cheers!

Pleasanton boat show is the end of Jan. Might be worth the couple hours in the car to go.

I might not be home by then.

for me and my family/friends, we couldn't be any happier with our vlx. it's a big enough boat that we can comfortably sit a bunch of people and still have room for a 6'4" guy like myself to lay out anywhere, but still small enough to weigh down without too much extra weight. i personally love the wedge. i depend more on people for extra ballast than sacs and pumps, so the wedge is perfect for when i'm running a smaller crew or if i'm taking a sunset run with only a driver (legal in TX). when i have a bigger crew/more ballast, i tend to leave the wedge up as i think it loses a lot of its effectiveness when the boat is slammed. as far as the wake goes, it fits my style like a glove. the wake on the vlx is nearly impossible to wash over and it works well for all levels of riding. at 70' and in, the wake is solid and rampy which really helped my consistency. as you advance further back, at 75', 80', 85' etc., the wake gets a little bigger, a little steeper, and has a more noticeable lip. aesthetically, i think the vlx has a more "classy" look than other towboats. that works for our family because, technically, it's still my parents boat (i'm making payments to my dad that are actually more strict than if I had gotten a bank loan), and i don't think they would have felt comfortable cruising the lake, drinking wine, and listening to classical music with a boat with a huge "X" on the side, multiple bright color patterns, and a shiny chrome tower--even though me and my generation find those boats awesome.

wow, i must sound like a salesman. i'm definetely not tying to push you towards one boat over the other, just giving you the reasons why we chose the boat we did. i'm sure i would have been close to, if not equally, as content with one of the flagship boats from mc, cc, or supra

ps if you visit a malibu dealer, ask them if they fixed the carpets for '06. glue seaps up through the carpet in our '05 when exposed to texas summer sunlight for an extended period of time. all it takes is a little hot water and elbow crease, but it's annoying nonetheless

oh yeah, and like everyone has been saying, demo. i demoed a san and an x-2 along with our vlx. all tremendous boats, but only one worked best for me

I love this site and hate to steer you away from it but if its pictures you want try wakesiderides

David, demo as many boats as possible, visit as many manufacturers as possible, take notes then make an informed decision, not one based on fears, hype, rumors, and isolated experiences. But instead on what wake suits YOUR riding, how good your local dealer is, and what you can afford.

In agreement with Karl's always sound advice, look for a slightly used boat. You want to have fun with your first boat not stressing out about every little dock ding that you will acquire when learning to drive a tournament style boat.

IMO look at a 97 or so Nautique Super Sport, >2003 VLX, MC 205 (these might be good places to start).

Then post some pictures, Good Luck!

If you are not back for the Pleasanton show, I'm pretty sure there is one in Sac in March maybe.
I would agree with the previous advice though that you should have a pretty good idea of what you are looking for before walking into the boat show check book in hand.

Being from N. Cal you'd be cheating yourself if you didn't look at the Sanger V210 and V215. You should be able to pick up a 2 to 3 year old V210 in the low 30's so you can spend the $$ on gas and extra's.

I would consider perfect pass a must (can be added later for +/- $1,500).

If you can wait a little while to get a boat, I'd suggest hooking up with some of the guys on this site and ride behind a variety of boats and you'll probably figure out what you like best. If you bring some $$ and good boat manners you'll meet some good guys and get people's opinions on their boats from people who've lived with them for a while.

Dave
We wakeboard and surf, familly of 5 ( 16, 18, 20 yo daughters ) We chose the 06 bu vlx, oredered it 2 weeks ago ( due in feb/march cant wait), wedge , titan tower , carpet liner, mosoon motor , 4 balast tanks,bimini , cover , 60 K out the door, stereo to be done at an outside shop. This is our 3rd boat , first "real" wake board boat. Ridden behind mc , naughties and bu's liked it the best. Most of the used boats we looked at,( 1-2 yrs old ) didnt appear to be taken care of, and before tax, were about 10 k less, even had one 4 k more ( go figure ) and it was beat for only having 60 hrs on it.

Have fun /enjoy the journey of searching ;)