Anyone Ridden a Mastercraft X-9

Hey folks i was just wondering what this boat is like. My Dad has a '98 Prostar 205(same hull as the X-2) and is thinking of a new boat. Does the X-9 compare in wake size, shape etc.? If we were to get the boat we would probably put around 1300 pounds of fat sac weight into it.

The X-9 has a wide wake and is a hard boat to sink. The wake it self is not too bad.

A little wider and mellower/more progressive than an X-2. Adding 1300 will do a lot for the X-9 wake. Bottom line X-2 wake will buck you a little more up, X-9 more progressive and easier to manage. X-9 bigger (but direct drive), X-2 wake gets bigger real quick when you start adding weight, X-9 take more weight to make a diff. Pure wakeboarder standpoint = go with the X-2, plus you're used to that wake already

We had a 2001 X9, and now we own a 2003 X2. It really is a question of preference. There are many things I loved about the X9. But, the X9 is MUCH HARDER to weigh down, shape and firm up compared to the X2. We would add about 2000 extra pounds to the X9 in addition to the 900 lb ballasts. We only put 1800 lbs total in the X2 and the wake is sweet.

If you want more information, send me an email. I can tell you how we are weighing down our X2. Travis Moye (Pro wakeboard driver) told me how to weigh the X2 down and I give him all the credit! He knows what he is talking about.....

Good luck!

We have spent a year with an X9 and love it. The wake can be tweaked but the main difference is that the X9 wake is WIDE. I have ridden behind a nautique and the wake is much narrower. This is due to the fact that the X9 is the same width amidship as at the stern. The nautique tapers amidship to narrower at the stern. But the width of the X9 makes it an excellent all around boat - tons of room for 12 people.

Thanks everyone, currently we weight the 205 with 1300 lbs and it's pretty good, not the biggest I've ridden but darn good. So you're saying the X-9 will require more weight to get around the same size wake, hmmm. I would agree with you in that the X-2 would be better, but my dad still wants to be able to waterski(he's hardcore) and we are actually dealing with a warranty situation, so we might not have the most options. Which sucks 'cuz i love that wake off the 205, big, thick , not sharp and just booty!! Thats right booty....



(Message edited by stephan on October 22, 2003)

2 words. Test Drive each. (ok 3)

2 words. Test Drive each. (ok 3)

The bigger the hull, the higher it rides in the water, the more weight you need to sink it. The 1300 lbs you use now will turn into 2000 to get the same results. Also, if the wake is wider, you may have to ride a slightly shorter rope.

Well thanks for the response, jsut what I need to convince my dad that we need more water in the poor boat. It was tough to convince him of the side sacs. How much do those Fat Seats weigh, much more than a regular Fat Sac? Hmmm Fat Seat in the back, side Sacs on the side and a Regular Fat Sac in the walkthrough, that would be pretty legitimately weighted down. Has anyone skied behind an X-2, how does it compare to the X-9. Is it decent. I'd like to convince the old man to go with the V-Drive, but he still wants to tear it up, and doesn't want a beast of a wake to deal with. How much affect does the V-Drive have on the wake, our boat is the same as an X-2 but with the engine in the middle.Peace out.

I sometimes ride behind a Prostar 195. We run the (1200 pound) fat set in the back and a 400 up front. The fat seats are pretty cool.

The V-drive will throw a little better wake. But the cool this is, you can pump in all the weight without taking up any floor space.

The X9 has a really good wake... I've even had some people tear it up using only stock ballasts behind the X9. I would ask your dad to test drive and ride behind both boats. Get him to research a little more before you guys make a decision. I've seen people ski behind the X2 as well. It boils down to preference. For us, placing fat sacs all over the floors of the X9 was an inconvenience and a pain in the you know what. For others, it is no big deal. I'll tell you one thing you can tell your dad, the X2, even being the V-drive that it is, handles BETTER than the X-9. I thought it would be the opposite since people tend to think D-drives handle better. I think that's because the X-9 is a big ship!

Good luck!

So are the X-9 and X-30 the same? But the 9 is DD and the 30 is VD?

Nope. Check the MC web site. The 30 is a bigger boat than the 9. 22'8" 98 beam vs. 20'11.5" 96 beam.

Either way, enjoy the new boat if you get one.

the X9 is a great boat, but i do prefer that x2/xstar design. But the DD on the 9 is a lil nicer for those skiing people, atleast thats what my old man, who bought it, says. And its still better than the x7. And the x30 is a bigger beast thats nice if you want more people and a vdrive, but when i was in it we only had 3 people and the ballast wiring had gotten jacked up so there wasnt much weight in it so i cant really comment on that part of it.

We use a '99 205 and have demo'd the X-9 a few times. I think everyone is right when they say it takes more weight to sink that boat. We put our same weight set up from the 205 and put it in the 9 for the demo, about 1500 lbs. I liked the wake on the 205 better. Take the X-2 out and see if your dad can ski behind it. If he's just a casual slalom skier, it could work, but if he's chasing buoys, probably not the best.


If you don't mind, What type of warranty issue are you having with your 205?

I'm afraid that Mastercraft is going to look at this and say "look at those guys, talking about what new boat they're going to get". Then again it wasn't my fault that the hull cracked. The hull pretty much under the driver and passenger seats has 18 inch long cracks. It was weird cuz we were pulling a skier and got caught in between two wakes and the boat got hit really strange, it made a sound like a rifle shot and the walkthrough window moved over like 3 inches to get wedged under the main window. We're afraid the hull is compromised and are pretty sure that Mastercraft has a lifetime warranty on their hulls.