First post, first long stupid question

I'm new to this site and have spent several hours reading up on your helpful insights on which boat, why, etc. I've done some searches and know that there has to be some threads on this topic, but I can't seem to narrow down the search to find the meat of what I'm looking for...

I grew up skiing, but have been off the water pretty much for the past 15 years while I've been hatching a family and messing around with trying to have a career. Now, its midlife crisis time and I need your help.

My oldest daughter is 9 and I want to teach her to ski, but I probably need to teach her to board. I want to learn how to board as well (is this possible... I've always loved to catch air on the snow or water, I've also tricked a little on the water, but I've never surfed or snowboarded).

So, I think I want a good family boat that will make a nice wake for my kids and possibly me, and that will also allow me to ski if I find that I can't learn new tricks.

I walked into a MC dealer this week and, after giving him my story, he walked me over to an x-star and after I stopped hyperventilating over how much I might have to spend to satisfy my midlife crisis, I decided that I needed to get better informed before I proceed too far down this path.

I'm interested in your thoughts on x-2, x-10, even x-star or WS VLX or LSV (or others for that matter). I haven't decided if this is going to be worth breaking the bank or not, but do see it as worthwhile to invest in a late model boat that my family and I can enjoy for years to come.

I know this is rambling and broad, so ask me specific questions if it will help. Bottom line is do they make a high value boat that will be roomy enough for my family and friends that makes a decent beginner wake and works well for skiing as well? (am I asking for too much?)

I'm open to any suggestions, even if it is "learn to use the search tool better".

if your a serious skier but want to board also i would get an x9 because i throws a good ski wake and pretty good wakeboard wake but if your gonna be boarding more i would go with the x10 it hass alot of room and storage and it throws and good boarding wake

If you want a crossover boat, check out:

Supra Launch
Malibu Wakesetter D-Drive
Calabria Pro-Air
MC X-7 or X-9

Of the 4 the Launch should give you the best wakeboard wake, while still providing a great slalom pull. It also has the most interior room of the bunch.

The others will also do a very good job of satisfying both skiers and wakeboarders.

Derek,
There is no reason for you to buy an X-Star. I heard that they suck for skiing anyway. I currently have an x-2 and ski behind it quite often. The wake is not bad at all, especially at shorter line lengths. I run the course with it when I get the chance. The wake is really good for boarding. A San or Malibu will also be comparable. We use to have an 205dd and the engine was a pain in the a$$. It didn't work to well with the fam. Just make sure that you get a boat with a V8, so power is not an issue.

my vote would to buy used to see if you even like it. the whole boat owner thing can be a pain in the butt. i would look at 95 and up sport nautiques or mastercrafts around that age.you wont be upside down ever. there are some really nice used and new boats out there. but a new x star seems a lot excesive for a first boat. if you want new check out sanger v210/215 are you at all mechanically inclined? its a pretty broad question.

Honestly, the first question you should ask yourself is "V-Drive or D-Drive." Lay out the pros and cons for your specific situation of each type of boat, then make the decision, once you have chosen a drive type, then narrow the search by how much walking/sitting room you need in the cockpit area, bow, back deck, etc. then how much storage space you need. For me personally, I need a good bit of walking/storage space because I sometimes ride on a river with 6-7 people and all of their gear, igloos, cameras, etc. Do you live on or near a lake? Can you set up camp on the shore and leave some stuff there, or does it all have to be on the boat all the time. How many people will be out with you? Will they all have their own gear, or do you share equipment? How many kids will be on the boat, and what are their ages? I think these are all questions that you should ask yourself and discuss with your family. Every boat manufacturer makes an awesome boat, so don't let people blind you with a "this boat is best" argument, because no boat is the overall best boat in the world, well, except maybe for Greg Norman's million foot yacht that holds like forty other boats....anyway, get the boat that is right for you and your family, not the boat that is right for some internet stranger.
Ok, whoa, I strayed bad there for a minute... once you determine the specific needs of your family, start checking out boats. Go to dealerships and don't even worry about listening to the salesman, they speak volumes, but many times there are only one or two sentences that are worth hearing. Get in the boat, crawl all over, put your head where it doesn't belong. You can measure the interior and storage areas if you need to. Sit on the seats, try to wiggle anything that looks like it might wiggle. This will all give you an idea of the craftsmanship of the boat.
Anyway, you get the idea, feel free to email me if you want me to ramble more, or if you have any questions. I just went through the boat buying process myself and have been around boats my whole life.
Later
Tiffany

You might try looking at a Moomba, Supra, Tige, or something with more wake versatility. When you're boarding you've got the tower and you can fill up the ballast for a great wakeboarding boat. When you're skiing use the ski pylon, empty the ballast, and use the hydrolic wakeplate (Moomba & Supra) or TAPS (Tige) to help flatten out the wake. Plus you won't hyperventilate over the price as much. Props to you on trying to get the kids out there.

Whats the budget?

Check out boattrader.com to see whats available.. just browse through the wakeboard boats and you might get an idea of all the different brands and what they cost.

I am going through the same mid-life crissis myself, and havnt quite found what I am looking for (for my budget).

Also - I went to all of the prime builder sites and ordered brochures... then all of the local dealers contacted me also. So I was able to go actualy sit in all of the boat types and talk to dealers, plus the people on these boards.

Take your time, and good luck

"Bottom line is do they make a high value boat that will be roomy enough for my family and friends that makes a decent beginner wake and works well for skiing as well? (am I asking for too much?)"

Check out the Tige' 22I.

My 2 cents: I agree with above you have to decide direct drive( engine in the middle) or v-drive ( engine in the back ) the direct drive is more geared for skiing, and the v-drive is more towards boarding. I personally would go with a nautique or mastercraft. If the budget allows I would start looking no older than a 1996. You can improve with a sport nautique( correct craft) , or a prostar( mastercraft) instead of paying the price for a air nautique, or mastercraft x-boat.
The direct drive is going to have less room in the boat then a v-drive. The v-drive might make too big a wake to ski properly. Both can be good board boats with added weight. I agree with above about the v-8 engine. as evel e said also Moomba, supra, and tige can aslo be good boats at a reasonble price. You can get a 1996 or newer boat with less than 100 hours on it, and save compared to buying a brand new boat.

Your questions sound like they were used to design the Tige. Go to Tige.com and check it out.

A few months ago I began my own search for the perfect boat. Maybe I can offer some more insight...

What size/length are you looking for. These are not the same thing. Figure out your ideal size boat as well as layout (DD v. V-drive.)

You are going to get a lot of people pushing brands, and while there are some noticeable (and a lot more un-noticeable) things that are different from builder to builder, truth is comparison is best made model to model.

It sounds like you have boated in the past, but maybe never owned your own boat. No fear, just be ready for taxes, insurance, storage, the things that can make boat ownership not as much fun.

Oh yeah, you can definately learn to board, no problems.

From what I have found I like the larger boats best. I have a young child and usually have half the wife's family out, so seating for 12 is a must. The price differential can be staggering. You can get into a Moomba LSV in the 30's, same for Supra and even a Tige 20 switch. The 40's moves you into the Malibu v-drive and even a MC. The high 40's gets you a CC and 50 plus opens lots of doors.

Hope some of this helps. Last piece of advice, spend some time on a wakeboard before you buy. It may change your prioties (ie, more centered on wakeboard wake) or convince you that you are a slalom skier for life.

I would say you definetly want a V Drive mostly for a smoother ride. All of the boats listed above there is no way you could go wrong. If you have Centurion dealer near by take a look at the Avalanche. It is a better boat for boarding rather than sking. Their Lightening is the better cross over boat, but the Avalanche gives you a smoother ride. I have had my Centurion for two years now and will never own nothing but a Centurion. Anyway, good luck in your search!!

I second the Centurion...I have a T5 and it is a great boat for boarding as well as skiing....and it won't break the bank!

Derek,

We had a 2000 Launch "S" and really liked it, the deep hull was a huge plus for the kids, with more than the factory ballast and the wake plate you can really get the wake dialed in for either sport. We since have bought an SSV (v-drive supra) the wake is about the same for boarding, but no one will ski behind it if they are at least 1/2 serious about hitting a soft wake. We do like the seating better on some days, but on other days the Launch "S" with the engine in the middle (direct-drive) sounds better - that Launch "S" just had so much space even after ballast. When i get the bug to sell the SSV we will move back to the Launch "S" unless it is no longer around. Also if you are located on the west coast you may want to look over on the east coast at the end of the season, then have it shipped over - we did this with our SSV and paid about 10K less than the lowest ssv price we could get locally.

Good luck - i would stand behind Chavezs' recomendations if you look outside the Supra line. Also keep in mond that if you buy new the dealer is everything - get references at least 5.

Thanks all for the many excellent thoughts. I'm excited to hear that at least one of you thinks an almost 40 y.o. can learn to wake board.

I really like the layout of the v-drives, so I'm leaning that direction. If I end up getting something used, I really like the idea of built in ballast that can be adjusted fairly quickly, so I'm thinking that means I need to get something that is no greater than three years old, right?. I don't really have a budget yet... I mean if I really thought a new $60k boat was worth it, I could always sell my car and take the bus.

We live in Atlanta, but have a house and dock and a couple of seadoos on Hartwell on the SC/GA border. I'm wanting to get a lift for the doc so we can be on the lake quickly after our 1.5 hr trip up to the lake.

Again, thanks all for helping me as I begin narrowing down my search.

An almost 40 y.o.? I'm 52 and I board with my 2 teenagers - really brings us together. Although I get more sore than they do!

Here's an option to consider:
Malibu Sunscape 21 V-drive.

what about a Svfara sv609? it's a great cross over boat

Check out Moomba.com if you're looking for a boat that will give you the best bang for your buck. The new Mobius XLV is huge in interior space, performs great, throws a great wake and is priced thousands and thousands less than anything comparable. Then again, I haven't seen anything compare to the interior space. Food for thought! Good Luck and you made the right choice to throw down a post on here, very helpful people on here.

you might want to also consider the Air Nautique SV211