V-drive compared with I/O mercruiser

Hello, How will an inboard/outboard compare with a V-drive. I don't care about a skiing wake.I am only wanting to wakeboard. Does a v-drive leave a better wake? More pop? Cleaner wake? Will an I/O with a tower give a similar ride? Nick}}

V-drive >>>> i/o, Yes, Yes, Oh Yes, No.

Not even in the same league. Vdrive for a big wake all the way. that said I/O with a tower is not terible rode that way for years

Vdrive without a second thought. If you want pure wakeboarding vdrive is the way to go. Now which one to get is another story.

v-drive.

Thanks guys, I have had trouble holding slow speeds with my I/O but have never even been around a V-drive. Nick

My list from a similar post:
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

V-drive without a question...

ok, so I guess I dont understand, Whats the diff. between vdrive and direct drive? I know I/O, and I thought, that was a vdrive?

Go with the V-drive.

Wakes can be similar if weighted properly.
Being able to hold a constant wakeboard speed is a lot easier with a v drive. On I/O's the speed at which most people wakeboard is also the speed at which the boat wants to run on plane. This results in the boat going faster and you having to throttle back to hold speed... which drops the boat out of plane again.Suddenly you are going to slow, so you throttle up, the boat starts to plane again, and speed up... so you throttle back... And on and on and on...
Some I/O's hulls hold speed better than others,especially when heavily weighted, but not many that I have driven.

Just to be fair to the I/Os, Ed's point #6 is only partially true. An I/O can vent exhaust from the prop shaft but typially doesn't (at least on Mercs, not sure about Volvos or OMCs). On my boat, the exhaust comes out above the waterline.

Even if it does exhaust through the prop (like an outboard), it won't affect the wake but it will put a very squirrely strip of bubbly water directly behind the boat. You can cross it just fine but I sure wouldn't ride it for too long. I've ridden for years behind outboards and never had a fall because of the strip.

Much like a DD, the V-Drive will put the rooster tail further behind the boat. This will let you use a longer line at the same wake steepness and give you more line to edge with.

Speed control can be an issue but it is VERY dependent on the hull. Washed out wake can also be and issue but once again it is VERY dependent on the hull. The biggest problem using an I/O to wakeboard with is that boats with I/Os aren't built with wakeboarding in mind (even the newer ones with boarding packages).

Except for the increased loss of some low end torque through gear reduction and the aforementioned rooster tail placement, there's not much that specifically separates and I/O from a V-Drive. The hull and the rest of the boat in general is where you'll see a lot of difference (and you typically WILL see a lot of difference).

For the money, I'm happy with my I/O but I looked around for a hull with good wake characteristics and planing speed. In ten years when there will be a ton of 15-20 year old V-Drives setup for wakeboarding out on the used market, I might pick one up.

2 things cure what everyone complains about on an I/O and guess what they are things that were changed and come standard now on almost all pure bred wakeboard boats...prop and perfect pass. What does everyone with an older d drive buy first so they can add weight, a prop of lower pitch. How many people have added perfect pass to their own d or v drive, many because I dont care how good YOU are at driving when its your turn to ride someone has to pull you. Well with perfect pass driving all they need to do is steer and let PP do the throttle for them. Ill have to say this again, how many people have actually ridden behind a properly setup i/o, tower, ballast, prop, pp? All these things are standard on a wakeboard boat. I dont see anyone recommending an old d drive with no weight, tower, or upgrading the prop. Now that being said the wake is wider behind my i/o compared to the old x (new x2 i think)and the supra ssv. Wake shape can vary and this is the same with different true wakeboats.
Heres another advantage of i/o's (at least merc ones) when you hit something in the water or the bottom, which you eventually will, the outdrive kicks up. Try that with a v or d. Im hearing cha ching for your mechanic and paint/fiberglass shop. I/O CAN operate in shallower water then comparable sized wakeboat.
Bash on!

I/O has I higher draft, this lets it ride smother in the rough water.
VD or DD boats will ride rougher in the water, but give you more control and a better wake.
I/O boats DO NOT have as much power at the prop as a DD or VD has.
The I/O losses a lot of its power to the stern drive. I have read that this could as mush as 15% more loss then a VD and 18% more then a DD.
Most I/O are deigned for speed. DD and VD are designed for towing, and wake control!
(Yes from day one the main purpose of the ski boat was to tow and even out the wake)

Now I get 4.5 gph on my VD with a 340hp engine I have not seen an I/O that even comes close to that for gas consumption. My friend has an I/O with a 285hp engine and he gets 7.5 gph

But most of all RESALE

my .02

I did put a disclaimer on the I/O wake firmness claim.

Yes, an I/O can putter through shallow water when the out drive is up, great for fishing. At wakeboard speeds the outdrive will be deeper in the water than the prop on an inboard, not bashing just the facts.

The ride (so I’ve heard) on some inboards are harsher than others, mine happens to have a little deeper V and rides pretty nice, and the handling is amazing compared to an I/O.

The v-drive configuration puts the mass of the engine in the back which better for wake boarding and the engine mass on d-drive is more in the center, good for slalom.

Get a v-drive.

"Yes, an I/O can putter through shallow water when the out drive is up, great for fishing. At wakeboard speeds the outdrive will be deeper in the water than the prop on an inboard, not bashing just the facts."

Actually, if the outdrive is up so far that the boat can only putter, you are putting an incredible amount of strain on your U-joints even at "puttering" speeds. Over the life of the boat, you'd come out a lot cheaper getting a kicker motor to get you through that type of water instead of replaceing your U-joints twice as often. I'm certainly not boarding in water so shallow I have to worry about the outdrive hitting the bottom anyways so puttering is fine by me.

There's a lot more that goes into gph than HP and drive type. There's also the weight of the boat to consider, hull shape, length, beam, fuel injection or carbed, and general usage to think of. If we were just cruising around the lake all day in a V-Drive or an equivalent I/O, the I/O would generally beat the pants off the V in fuel consumption. However, if we're reading and posting to this group, that's probably not what we're doing. In the realm of frequent stops and slow speeds, the I/O is at a disadvantage. It may or may not be enough to put a V-Drive over the top as far as fuel consumption goes, but I image it can in many cases. On any boat, David's 4.5 gph is a pretty good number.

"The v-drive configuration puts the mass of the engine in the back which better for wake boarding"

Last I checked, we were comparing the V to the I/O. They both have engines in the back.

I do agree though that the best way to go for boarding is the V-Drive provided you are willing to spend the money on one. It's hard to ignore tha V-Drive's torque it puts out at the prop and the hulls that accompanies most V-drives.

I think many I/O will adjust the outdirve so the I think many I/O will adjust the outdrive so the boat plows the water a little, thus putting quite a bit of stress on the transom and such. Didn't know that puttering speeds would be stressful, certainly can be handle to get into and out of tight spots.

I was trying to address Epic1's questions with regard to d vs. v drive.

I have a Skipro with a Volvo duel prop out drive.I go faster and use less gas and dont need as much power to do so.I can adjust my trim up to make a bigger wake or trim down for a smaller wake.When I'm done with the watersports I'm 60+mph.back to camp.I go all weekend on a tank of gas and we pull barefooters,wakeboarders,wakeskate,waterskiers,
and even surf.When I'm not skiing I'm blowing away jetboats.I'm not knocking V-Drives or inboards,I've had inboards and have friends with v-drives.The skipro is ASWA approved and has out performed any boat I've ever skied or driven.Waterski magazene gives this boat the best raitings in performance.The downer with Skipro is this is a small company so warranty issues are a little to deal with.The boats are custom order so they get expensive but you get what you order.I love my SKIPRO can you tell.

It's not the puttering speeds that are stressful. It's tilting your I/O up above its intended range and then using it that's stressful. Some people do it anyways at slow speeds but Merc at least advises against it at any speed. And for what it's worth, plowing does put some stress on the transom but not anything above what the manufacturer is expecting and certainly no more than something like a wedge setup.

Rob - Skipro is not approved. Here is the link:
http://usawaterski.org/graphics/downloads/2006AWSAApprovedTowboats.pdf

I am glad you like your boat. It is a custom boat for people who appreciate its performance and layout. I would never recommend anyone ever surf behind it. It is just like trying to trim your fingernails with a tree shredder...

They have them at the barefoot nationals,Well they did last year.Dont know if they went for it this year.I'm sure they will be in barefoot comp's this year tho and they are big in barefoot racing.Go to the non wakeboard foarm and check out the barefoot racing video link I posted.That out drive unit is tucked up under the molded in ski platform.I know some boat outdrives get close but not this boat.I remember some talk last year about not suppling a boat to the AWSA,Oh well their bad.

I am familiar with the boat. I still do not recommend surfing. It is possible to put a hand or foot near the prop in a front step-off. Be careful.

It is a good barefoot boat.

Actually barefoot boats are mostly outboard or i/o powered boats. The barefooters have to be able to do high speeds that require huge engines in inboard configurations. That is way you see barefoota boats are not inboards.

Never surf behind an I/O or outboard - never!

Gekko GTR-22 with the ZR-6 was the European Barefoot Championship boat. 50 mph with almost no wake and a good table.

ok, so I was way confused. I thought that a v drive was an i/o. but it is "the same" as a d drive in regards to a shaft driven prop, but the engine is mouned further back? Thanks for cureing some ignorance here.

Acually the barefoot sanger is a DX11,thats an inboard and the wake is sweet.The boat barely makes 50 but is the most requested boat at the compitions followed by the malibu response.I bought a malibu response in 95 and it was a dog so malibu just came out with the monsoon,for $1800 the replaced the stock motor with the monsoon.They had to change the fuel tank and everything.They get an "a" in customer satisfation.I had a prop specialest fix me a 13x14 and roll the edge out of the cup to cut down on cavatation.That boat was great.Better then the response they use now.Malibu its all about the buck now.They use one of the most expensive boat's as their barefooter when the sportster is a far better barefoot boat.