inboard over an I/O

So I have been asked a couple of times recently "why is an inboard better than an IO for wakeboarding?" and my only response was because it is. I know i have heard the reasons before, but will someone refresh my memory on why that is!

1) Lower maintenance cost
a. No out drive maintenance – but you may still have a v-drive tany
b. An I/O outdrive lasts half as long as the engine
c. There should be more – anyone?
2) Steering is better
a. An inboard rudder can pivot something like +/- 60 degrees
b. The freedom of movement on an I/O outdrive is more constrained +/- 30 degrees?
c. An I/O leans into a turn an inboard is flatter feels more like a sports car.
d. At idle speeds an I/O wags back and forth – doesn’t hold a straight line
e. The fins on an inboard help prevent waging – tracks better
f. However an inboard is more difficult to backup
3) Bow rise - an I/O has more bow rise, the bow can obscure the drivers view
4) Draft
a. An I/O typically has about 10 to 12 inches more draft – can’t run shallow
b. However an I/O can tilt up in shallow water reducing its draft but only at idle speeds.
5) An I/O gets better fuel economy
a. That’s bad for wake boarding it means the hull on an I/O is out of the water and not making a wake
b. The orientation of the inboard prop and the shape of the inboard hull is different and makes the boat push more water out of the way – more wake
6) Wake firmness
a. An I/O vents it’s exhaust under the water from the center of the prop
b. I’ve heard but don’t know that the exhaust gas in the center of the wake make the wake less firm – that’s bad
c. However, the CO risk is higher on an inboard
7) Prop cost
a. Aluminum I/O props are cheapest
b. Brass inboard props are medium cost wise
c. SS I/O props are more expensive than inboard props

Not much reason for anyone else to respond to this one. Nice job Edward!

are you serious? inboards are easier to control at slow speeds.... and the steering is a lot easier huh? cause inboards have power steering.....

Rodney, I don't know about your boat, but I don't think mine has power steering, maybe I'm wrong. I think that my old I/O was cable steering - no power. On an inboard all your moving is the rudder, it’s nothing to turn, I can do it with my pinky. On the I/O you have to move the whole outdrive, though I don’t remember that be difficult, just not as easy as my inboard.

I was trying to say the inboard steering is better, is that how you read it? Agree or disagree?

My biggest beef with my old I/O was the idle speed wag, not a problem on my inboard.

The inboards steer better as long as water is moving past the rudder, if the prop isn't turning, you don't get much steering input.

I guess every couple of months someone has to bring it up, then the I/O guys tell everyone that their Bluewater/Bayliner/Regal/Marlin will throw a bigger wake than an XStar. Inboard/Vdrive people get all pissed, start jumping up and down thumping chests. Then yada, yada, yada.

If you think an I/O is the shiz, roll with it. I'll stick with a v, and keep my mouth shout from now on.

Stephen are you saying that In I/O steers when it's prop isn't turning? How does that work?

Cody, that's an awesome profile pic! What a back drop behind a nice Raley.

Thanks Edward, I think your earlier post pretty much sums up my question. As for the pic thats the joy of 43 degree water at the end of march. I'm pretty sure that was my first raley that I landed, and it was only becuase i didn't want to fall in the ice capped water

i have a searay 185 and i have to agree with edward, no matter what, inboards will always have bigger wakes, and bigger price tags also. and what edward said about when you move at idle speed in an i/o the boat moves from side to side which is annoying but you get used to it. personally, i love my sea ray, the wake is decent enough for me right now, and when i "grow out of it" then ill think of an inboard, but for right now, i would have fun wakeboarding behind anything! i just love being on top of the water because everyday sh** from life goes out the window and i forget about it!

Two others Cody.

1) it’s easier to maintain wakeboard speeds on my inboard compared to my old I/O. My I/O wanted to come on plane at wake board speeds, so it would either drop off plane and go way too slow or take off and go way too fast. The constant sawing back and forth on the I/O throttle control wore it out at the wake boarding speed point.

2) It’s not safe to wakesurf behind an I/O.

Cody here’s my after picture from our first ride last year, 40 F water and 50 F air temps, man that was cold but I can’t wait for April to come around again.


Right Sam, there’s something about leaving the dock; you leave the rest of the world behind too. The only exception to that are those darn cell phones, one guy on my crew was bringing his and getting work calls while on the boat, that kind of kills the freedom vibe.

I had my I/O for 13 years. She was a bargain when I got her, she gave me 13 great years on the water, and then I got about 45% back on the trade in. It’s hard to quantify how much better an inboard is and then you have to decide if it’s worth the expense.

Last year was my first with a v-drive. I found in that my riding improved a lot, (I still suck). I attribute the change to three things 1) the inboard with tower and ballast, 2) a progressive rocker board (changed from LF Trip to Balance) and 3) rode a few times with someone that was much better. When I watched this other rider I saw that even though I have been riding for years that my technique was bad. A couple of rides later I made a nice improvement on my progressive edge.

So how much improvement did the boat make, a lot I think, but I think equal amounts from technique and the board.

(Message edited by Bigshow on February 05, 2006)

Edward,

Your 10 off the 100 degree rule. Yea March/April are probably my favorite months to look forward to... you can start riding, if you don't mind dodging the ice caps

Cody, nice pic of Utah Lake. It has a bad reputation but I love it. Any way, I've owned both I/O and Inboard. My old 21' I/O threw a way cleaner/bigger wake than does my current inboard. In my oppinion the reason why everyone goes for inboard/ V drive is
1. Image, these boat companies have done an awesome job of advertising and convincing us that unless we have a "wake boat" we will never reach our full potential. I know I had an inferiority complex every time a sweet wake boat pulled by.

2. Inboards have a much straighter drive shaft which allows it to transfer torque/power more effectively. Inboards have a much better hole shot. Also because they have better torque they typically hold speed much better- vital to our sport. A really good driver can compensate with an I/O, while the correct prop helps, it's still harder to hold a constant speed.

I think I/O's have their strenghts and really are legitimate rides, they just need to be set up correctly. I don't have the newest boat with all the integrated ballast systems and I'm left trying to distribute weight, buy lead, concrete and sand bags to create a wake big enough to make me happy. With my I/O all you have to do is raise the trim until the wake is smooth and you're done, you can shape it from flat to a wall with the push of a button. In fact centurion just purchased that whale tail system to do the same thing.

Anyway, if you've never ridden a I/O you should try it before you judge.

This is definately a holy war debate but seeing as I've spent a good bit of time behind an I/O and an inboard, I'll give you my experiences. Keep in mind that this is comparing one particular apple to one particular orange.

My cousin owns a 2000ish Sport Nautique and I own a 1990 Galaxy 190 (knock off of the 1990 Sea Ray 190 hull from what I can tell) with the V-6 Mercruiser. When we're at Lake Lanier, we ride the Nautique and when we're at Lake Hartwell, we trot out the Galaxy.

Both boats stock (no extra weight) with 3-4 people in them put out similar wakes when the Galaxy is trimmed properly. BUT the Nautique wake is further out from the boat. That means you have more line to work with at the steeper portions of the wake. If you're good at edging, the Galaxy gives you more than enough room but the extra line on the Nautique certainly helps. Now when we get the fat sacks going, the Nautique can put out far superior wake given equal weight distribution on both boats (600 in rear, 400 up front).

The I/O doesn't hold speed well but I've come up with an acceleration/trim scheme that makes it barable. Basically, we start full down on the trim and when we hit wakeboard speed the driver "builds the wall" by trimming up until the boat is planed but the wake is sharp. Everyone I've shown how to do this gets it down after the second or third try. For what it's worth, the Nautique's throttle cable is so tight it's not much better at holding speed but planing is not at all an issue. This might only be a problem in my cousin's boat. He believes that everything about his boat is "correct" and all problems must be with other boats so he won't look at loosening the cable any.

Both have plenty of room for people, gear, etc. The Nautique is an open bow and so is the Galaxy.

Last but certainly least, the I/O is much smoother in choppy water but who really cares how the boat handles on water you can't even board in.

For the money, I'll keep my I/O. It's not that I don't really like the Sport Nautique. It's just that I certainly can't see it being worth the extra money, especially since we don't even bother to tow the Nautique the extra 30 miles each way to use it instead of the Galaxy on Hartwell.

Also, I'd have to finance that kind of boat and I'm just not willing to finance a purely luxury item. In a few years a lot of these wakeboard boats will be cheap enough for me to consider. I'll just wait until then.

dante, my dad and i do the exact same thing!
we start full trim, accelerate to 22, and then trim, which then creates the speed to drop, so we accelerate again up to 22 and mainly, it stays at the speed. i know that the wakes on I/O boats are never going to be the same as inboard wakes but inboards are twice as much so right now,so if you are serious about wakeboarding and have the money, an inboard is the way to go!

dante, my dad and i do the exact same thing!
we start full trim, accelerate to 22, and then trim, which then creates the speed to drop, so we accelerate again up to 22 and mainly, it stays at the speed. i know that the wakes on I/O boats are never going to be the same as inboard wakes but inboards are twice as much so right now,so if you are serious about wakeboarding and have the money, an inboard is the way to go!

How about the obvious on a v-drive or d-drive the prop is under the boat unlike a i/o.

That's the whole point! Most of the performance gains come from that fact. The rest come from sport specific hulls, in some cases. My 2.

Add all the goodies that are on a true wakeboard boat to an I/O and youll see how good they can be. Ballast, right prop, PP, tower, etc. A true wakeboard boat will not be sold without these items so why try to compare a basic i/o with a true wakeboard specific boat. Now try comparing an older i/b to an i/o and its alot closer fight as youll see all the older i/b's are adding a lower pitch prop, pp, ballast, etc. Yes the prop does stick out but if your not wakesurfing this matters as much as the ride inside a i/b or v on rough water matters,not at all, right.