Mission: Boat upgrade

I seriously don't even know where to start..

If i was to say:

I'm 24, going in 3 ways for an upgrade. Currently boarding off an old ski boat.
We are looking to spend say 30-40k on a decent wakeboat.
Nothing too big, needs to be tow able. 21ft?

Predominately for wake boarding. Wake surfing is more just a bit of fun.

If i was to jump on boat sales, any tips on where to start? What would i type in?
There's so many models and brands. Is any brand more suited towards boarding/surfing/skiing ect or are they all pretty much the same with people having individual preferences.

I'm just looking for a bit of direction

So maybe just a couple model ideas would be awesome for that specification i guess and i could shop away???

Thanks !!!

go to onlyinboards.com or craigslist. type in your price and start scrolling. narrow it down and come back for some input on 2 or 3 boats that you really like

My only recommendation would be if you're in 3x ways to bump to 23'+ .... if all three of you want to go out one day and everyone wants to bring a few friends you'll need the space; otherwise there is a chance that one of the three partners has to say no to friends... thats how partnerships get ugly.

What inboard dealers are in your area?
Check them out first to see who would be best suited to service your boat, unless you are too far away and do everything yourself.

Nick is mostly right.....

I say mostly because a 3 way boat partnership is a bad idea on everyday that ends in Y!!!!

Rarely do you ever hear of shared ownership of boats going well.

Before someone jumps on me...I get a few people make it work. I keep a boat in a 600 slip marina...big expensive boat marina...lots of partnerships, lots of horror stories. I don't hear a lot of "boy do I love owning a boat with someone!"

If you do do it, get a BIG boat, not a 21 footer. Get a legal partnership documenting stating who is responsible for what. See how insurance works with your partnership boat. You all have to have insurance. Are you titling in all 3 names? All things that need to be worked out PRIOR to purchase. Like Nick said...these things get ugly...more often than not!!

Hate to say it, but its a terrible idea. If you are gonna do it, like RD said....discuss EVERY detail beforehand and think of anything and everything that can come up. Who pays for gas, who changes oil, who wipes down the boat and keeps it clean.....if 1 of you wreck the boat, do all 3 pay and if vinyl rips who pays for that? Are cheetos, red drinks and shoes allowed on boat? Who gets it which days of the week and if someone wants to switch with someone else, how is that handled? What about all the things that have to be purchased just to ride in the boat like" life jackets, fenders, dock lines and all the other misc things.....Almost a guarantee that 1 of the 3 people wont be good at sharing, or cleaning, or paying their share on time. Then if 1 person suddenly cannot afford the ownership anymore, at what PRICE are they bought out and can the share only be sold to remaining 2 partners or too anyone, otherwise they could sell to someone you don't know. So many things to think of and that can go wrong.

A good contract with every detail could potentially save your relationship if things sour. Forget titling in 3 names, you need to create an LLC that makes the 3 of you partners and spells out every single detail....and then title the boat in the LLC. Not a bad idea to have a bank account in the name of the LLC that all 3 deposit money into to pay for stuff and all of you put an extra $1k into the account from the get-go so at least you have a year before anything ugly starts.

Hope it works out for you, maybe you will be one of the lucky 1%

how close are these friends. I would go in on a deal with strangers before friends. They will not be friends for long. Sucks, but you need to do it on your own, or wait until you can afford to do it the right way. 24 yrs old is not the issue, its income. If you had the means, you would do it yourself, so instead of making a difficult situation more difficult, save up and buy what you want when you can afford it. Good luck

Agreed with all of the above. I did own my 2nd and 3rd boat with my brother and 3 other friends. Never an issue in the 7 years or so that we boated together. So yes it is possible.
However; not too long ago I was getting into a nice Axis with someone. I owned an old '85 Nautique 2001, so a nice upgrade. Before we even had the boat it all got complicated and I decided I'd rather ride behind my old 2001 for another million years than get into all the bull***** that came with this deal and have a nice fancy newer boat. I'd lose (and lost for a while) all my interest in one of my biggest passions: wakeboarding. NOT worth it!
If you're going in with the 3 of you I'd raise the budget a bit and find a Nautique 230/236. Or just spend your share on a Sport Nautique (can be had for <$10K) or a Super Sport Nautique (same as Super Air 210, can be found for $12-15K).

form an LLC. pretty sure you can't title 3 ways. 2 is doable
many a ruined friendship over such deals, so be careful.
agree 21' is too small

get each party to lay out all the expectations and considerations up front over a beer or 3. if something causes even a wrinkle, walk before you all jointly own something.

OR buy what you can afford. good options ^. then save and buy later

take a look at older mastercraft x1s or Nautique 210s if your into wakeboarding