Crown Line/ Deck Boats

My soon to be father in law has one and the wake on that thing is huge. I'm new to the sport and have never ridden behind a legit wake boat but I'm wondering why more people don't go with the large deck boats. Especialy considering you don't need to add ballast to them to get a huge wake.

Kenneth, Crownlines are nice boats and my family has one also, but the shape of the wake and its overall lip is nothing to compare to a towboat. We also have a Mastercraft X30 and the difference is unbelievable. But theres nothing wrong with the c\Crownline you can still board off of it and its a fun boat, but trust me the difference is phenomenal.

By the way, Texas Sucks, Boomer Sooner

maybe next year, Jared. \m/ \m/

My laundry list on why they don't compair
1)I/O's problem with holding speed - bigger the boat the worse off. If you have a skill level above beginner you'll get really tired of this, and it'll drive the driver crazy.
2) Tracking is not even close to the worst of vdrives, let alone high quality ones. Once again, this will drive a good boarder and any driver crazy
3)Don't forget the safety factor, your prop is exposed our are underneth. Good luck wake surfing.
4)Size isn't everything (our wifes and girlfriends are right!) Shape is much more important. A deck boat is designed for a specific purpose, as our wake boats. Deck boats aren't designed with wake as the number #1 concern, our wake boats are.
5)Most of our wake boats will fit in a garage, large deck boats may not.
6) Don't need ballast? I like ballast, as I can adjust my weight for needs and rider skill level. Large deck boat is pretty much the same wake all the time.

I really hope you like the boat, I'm sure you guys will have a lot of fun, and it will meet your needs. Although there is frankly no comparison here. My father or I have owned almost 2 dozen boats in my lifetime. My dads 32' cruiser throws a huge wake, but it'd suck for boarding (no shape). After owning a few real ski/wake boats, I will never own anything but for watersports. On the same I wouldn't try to bass fish or race against my dads blown bubble deck, in my Session. Try a world class wake boat, or even a well weighed direct drive and you'll see why we don't buy deck boats.

Kenneth,

Regarding the Crownline deckboat I will say it is one of the best I/O wakeboard boats that I have seen. I do work at a dealership that sells Crownline and Nautiques and Tige so please allow this opinion to matter. We have equipped quite a few 240 EX Crownline with Perfect Pass and the boat does a great job with wakes at around 19-22 mph. Trim the drive up about 1/4 way up the trim indicator and both sides are clean with a big lip. It can be a fairly steep wake so riders would need to account for that. The largest issue is that an aggressive rider will pull the boat around and cause wakes to wash out. But most of my customers who have bought the boat love the boat for it's wakes.

Wakesurfing is possible but not recommended. The wake off of the hull does not come off steep. So to get the boat to work you have to trim the drive up to about 1/2 on the trim indicator and load whichever corner of the boat you want to surf on with at least 1000 lbs. Keep the handle ready also because the wake is not steep so the surfer will fight that the whole time. I would really never recommend surfing on the boat but it is possible. That prop is pretty scary when you are close behind the boat.

My point is it is a good I/O for wakeboarding. It is no SAN but you can definitely progress with the wakes that boat produces.

Dario must be doing super big fashion airs behind the crownline. Now if he could only teach his customers not to power turn!

Yeah, I've been told the wake's not as clean as behind a wake boat but his wake is pretty sharp. Like Roy Damn Mercer stated, it is really steep. Every time I get out from behind my boat and let him pull me, the first couple jumps try to send me into a back roll 'till I adjust to how steep that thing is. He doesn't have perfect pass or cruise control but it seems like he keeps a pretty consistent speed as long as it's early in the day and the beer hasn't kicked in.
As far as the wake surfing goes I couldn't care less for now. I'm so hooked on wakeboarding and trying to improve that I pretty much gave up on slalom skiing altogether this summer(Something I'm actualy really good at).
Hopefully in the next few years I'll be able to pay off my Bay Liner and get into a used wake boat for a decent price. For now I'm scared to even get behind one 'cause I don't want to realize how bad my boat really sucks. I just got it this summer and would like to think it kicks butt for at least one more year.
Thanks for the feed back y'all.

Hey Jared, just caught your btw and all I can say is it sucks to be yOU. Seriously though, you guys won't be down for long. Remember your starters at QB and RB are both Texans right? One of my best friends is a big Dirt Burglar fan. Always fun to do a little good natured smack talking.

OU is ranked again!! #25 in the BCS!! BOOMER SOONER!!!!!

Wakesurfing is possible but not recommended. The wake off of the hull does not come off steep. So to get the boat to work you have to trim the drive up to about 1/2 on the trim indicator and load whichever corner of the boat you want to surf on with at least 1000 lbs. Keep the handle ready also because the wake is not steep so the surfer will fight that the whole time. I would really never recommend surfing on the boat but it is possible. That prop is pretty scary when you are close behind the boat.


I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU EVEN LET YOURSELF OR SOMEONE TRY IT!!!!! GET OFF THIS SITE AND INTO A JAIL CELL!!!!!!!!!!

Mad Child,

Thank you for your appropriate response. I should be more responsible. I will check myself into a jail cell. You sound very knowledgable about this particular boat and the location of the prop and the extended swim platform.
For the record I have never recommended to any customer the action of wakesurfing behind an I/O. It is extremely dangerous. As a person surrounded by boats everyday I calculated the boat and it's performance at wakesurfing speeds with a very experienced driver and tried to surf. It was possible but not easy.
Bye Bye. Off to the penitentiary!

I guess i need to check in too, we were wakesurfing behind my I/O this past summer. Its all about the risk baby Oh yea i just got back from the north georgia mountains with my sport bike. I should get a jail cell just for that alone.

mercer,
i am very aware of the large tournament-style all the runabout companies are putting over their outdrives to compete with the competition watercraft market. it is still waaay too easy to hit imho. on my little boat there is an easy 33" to the aft end of the prop. in addition, there is a rudder that could thwart an injury should someone dive under the boat on a fall while surfing.

i'm sorry, i wasn't exactly the most eloquent person, but i can't believe you could even tell someone it's possible behind an i/o. i meant to say you should be imprisoned for making such ludicrous statements. but i guess if you're trying to sell a crownline over a towboat anything goes.

(Message edited by madchild1 on November 03, 2005)

Mad Child , have you ever actually riden behind a properly set up I/O. I mean PP, ballast, the right prop, the right rope. Most people who have riden behind one feel the same way as you but that is because they are riding on a strechy rope, too large a prop, and no PP for speed control. Too many people dog I/O's that havent riden behind a properly set up one or they just jump on the bandwagon of bashers. Now im not talking about wakesurfing behind one, we all know its a big risk behind an I/O, but then again teak surfing behind an I/B or V was all the rave just a little while ago so...

"teak surfing behind an I/B or V was all the rave just a little while ago"

Really?? Maybe for the inner tubing crowd, but everyone I know always thought it was kinda dorkus. But hey, as long as you have fun.

(Message edited by jeff359 on November 04, 2005)

Madchild,

That statement is more fair. Like I said, I would never suggest that the surfing is appropriate on that Crownline but it is possible. My statements were probably irresponsible. Granted falling on a rudder on an inboard would leave a pretty serious gash on you. But with a swim platform that would never be possible on an inboard.

BTW I do sell both inboards and I/Os based upon the customers needs. Not everyone needs an inboard. They would be much better suited with a nice big I/O. Every customer I have wants to know how the boat wakeboards. It is good for a boat that was not designed for that purpose. Like Bob said, hook up a good rope and set the Perfect Pass on that boat and the 240 EX would suprise you. Needless to say it is not a SAN. And I do not try to sell the Crownline to a guy who wants a SAN or Tige. Thanks

I am out.

Jeff so what your saying is people aren't or weren't teak surfing behind D and V drives, give me a break. I never said it was behind your boat. Why do you think its such a hot topic with all the marine safety folks and why are the manufacturers placing warning stickers on the back of the boats... I know they weren't teak surfing behind I/O's. I'd be willing to bet more people have died teak surfing then wakesurfing behind an I/O...I of course know that is because wakesurfing is still pretty new but the facts are the facts

Read my post, it wasn't that long. I said I know nobody that did/does it, and most of us think it was pretty lame, kinda like inner tubing. I was only questioning it being "all the rave".

I started about 5 years ago with a Cobalt runabout. VERY nice boat, and worked fine for us very beginner riders. Thought the wake was great, handling, etc. Then I took a couple pulls behind an inboard. Wow! Big difference. Now I have a VLX, and my riding has improved a bunch (I think so anyway). Crownline boats are great boats. I am sure you are having a blast. Keep it up, but sometime get a pull behind a WB boat just so you know the difference. It's all good as long as you are on the business end of that rope!

Surfing behind an I/O -Yea, what Madchild said. Absolutely stupid and dangerous. Just not a good thing to do. There have been several threads here regarding this, and I believe just about everyone said the same thing. "DON'T DO IT" It's not worth the chance. If you want to surf, hook up with someone who own an inboard, or don't surf. It's that easy.

D Mercer - Sure, anything is "possible". That covers a huge area, including things that are unsafe and very dangerout, but "possible". I think you would be doing your customers a greater service if you told them (re: I/O's) wakeboard all day, but NEVER wakesurf behind it. I feel the dealer has a lot of influence in that manner.

Teak surfing - Don't know anyone who as ever done it, or wat least, will admit it.

I really must be imagining people teak surfing but for some reason when i do a search for "teak surfing" on yahoo i come back with all these links like:
PFBC BANS UNSAFE BOATING PRACTICE KNOWN AS TEAK SURFING. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Teak Surfing Outlawed in California
Teak surfing' now illegal in Oregon - August 4, 2005
and this link dated may 9, 2005 "Teak surfing is growing in popularity "
Oh well i guess everyone else is right again...NOT

You claim to never have seen someone do it but ill also bet you havent seen anyone wakesurf behind an I/O. Ill stand behind my statements above and i think yahoo will back me up on this one.
"teak surfing behind an I/B or V was all the rave just a little while ago so..."
and
"I'd be willing to bet more people have died teak surfing then wakesurfing behind an I/O"

Of course im not saying for all I/O owners to go out and do it just like im not recommending for everyone to jump out of a plane (I did that too).