Closed vs. open bow....what do you guys think???

Well, I just about had myself talked into buying a new X7, but am giving it more thought now.

After spending a little time in a few comp boats I have found that the bow section is pretty much useless for everyday use.

First, I live on a lake and have a pontoon boat sitting right next to the ski boat. So…I don’t need to take a bunch of people out. Its only an 800 acre lake, so you go back by my dock every ten minutes or so.

Another issue is that this will be my first inboard, I currently have an I/O.

Although I love the new boats, is it really worth it to spend 45k on a new boat? Yea, it would be if I was absolutely certain that was the boat I wanted for many years to come…but it is also making sense to me to find something a few years old and learn what I want and also to learn how to drive an inboard. Many others will end up driving the boat…so I am sure it may get a little beat up the first year.

So, what are the pros and cons of an open bow. I realize resale will be much better on a open bow, but what other issues are there? It seems that a lot of the hard core guys on the lake have closed bow boats….what does that tell me?

I really don’t feel safe putting my kids in the front of a comp ski boat, and an adult is out of the question on a choppy day. So what good is it?

If I get a great deal on a open bow, great…but if the best deal is on a closed bow is there a good reason not to jump on it? With the recent trend towards open bows, is it true that I will be able to find a much better deal on a closed bow boat?

Thanks…

Robert