Oh No! Another Need Help Choosing a Boat Thread!

Hello Everyone! This is my first post and I apologize if it is long. I have been lurking on this site for some time now and have learned a lot; but I’m as confused as ever. I will appreciate any help you can offer.

I am going to give a short bio about myself which may help you give advice. I am interested in everyone’s opinion, so please do not be shy (I know this is not a shy forum!). I am 39 and started wakeboarding two years ago when I bought a 2004 Yamaha SX230 (my first boat). I have taken to wakeboarding well, but the Yamaha is not a very good wakeboard boat. The wake is not only small, but it rolls, so I get practically no lift at all. I purchased a Taylor Tower for the Yamaha; however, my neighbor talked me out of installing it, reasoning that I still will not be happy with the wake board performance. I purchased the Yamaha trying to satisfy many needs: Wakeboarding/Tubing and Cruising/Entertaining. I find that the Yamaha does not do either good enough. I like the layout, swim platform, and reliability, but it does not excel at either end of the spectrum of what I want. So, I would like to either (a) find one boat that does everything well or (b) buy a dedicated wake board boat and a pontoon boat. I live in Badin Lake, NC and have a private dock that will fit up to three boats (one boat lift). First Question:

Are there any boats (under $35K) that wakeboard well, but is also excellent for cruising/entertaining? If so, please give some recommendations.

Secondly, my experience is limited to the Yamaha, so I am yet to experience a wake board boat. I do not know what features are most important on a wake board boat to get decent performance. I do not think that I need maximum performance, but I really don’t know. How much do I need to spend to get a decent performing wakeboard boat?

Questions:

I have noticed that I can get a 2000 Moomba Outback for about 10 – 14K (without a tower). If I installed my Taylor Tower, what kind of performance can I expect? Will it be good enough for a beginner to intermediate wake boarder?

What would you recommend in a wake board boat in the $10 – 15K range?

What would you recommend in a wake board boat in the $15 – 20K range?

What would you recommend in a wake board boat in the $20 – 25K range?

What are actually the most important features to look for? Perfect Pass, Ballasts, HP, direct drive vs V drive, etc?

How old a boat it too old? How many hours on an engine is too many?

As you can see here, I am completely lost! Worst of all, I am not even sure of the right questions to ask.

Please! Please help!

Thanks in advance!