Malibu I Ride ; ski wake

[DONTW8]

The recent thread about I-Drive , D-Drive, has got me curious. Plus there are a couple of Malibu I-Rides for sale in Bend that have been listed for months. So does that make an I-Ride boat an orphan that nobody wants.

http://bend.craigslist.org/boa/1291350995.html

http://bend.craigslist.org/boa/1280457703.html

Experiences ?

[WakeGirl]

You normally ski behind a Prostar, right? We owned an '04 Wakesetter (same boat), & slider pretty much gave up skiing behind it. Even at 34-36, the wake is pretty hard compared with any of the diamond hull boats. If you normally ski behind a dedicated ski boat, my guess is that you won't like it too much. You'd be better off looking for an '04 or older SLXi. But....you may give them a call & ask them to give you some demo time on the water so you can see for yourself, only you can decide what you do & don't like.

BTW, that second one is priced too high, the first one is much closer to correct pricing given our economy.

[Wakechaser]

My wife likes to ski and I like to wakeboard so the i Ride is what we went with. I think the Ride series in general is a good value for the dollar since you get a wedge, a ballast, speed control and the ability to make nice enhancements to the stereo and tower. I added a rear ballast and couldn't be happier with the wake (realizing it will never be as big as a fully weighted 247). I can still land the inverts that the no riding knuckleheads that have more money than skill can't (you know who you are..driving on the wrong side of the river) with my bargain wake. My wife isn't going to win any ski tournaments, but she likes the flexibility of being able to raise the wedge and drain the ballast and not have to struggle across the wake. I also like knowing that I didn't have to get a second mortgage to buy it. I would recommend the i Ride to any weekend warrior that wants a lot of options without breaking the bank. I agree too that the second one is a little high.

[tmg9188]

My wife likes to ski and I like to wakeboard so the i Ride is what we went with. I think the Ride series in general is a good value for the dollar since you get a wedge, a ballast, speed control and the ability to make nice enhancements to the stereo and tower. I added a rear ballast and couldn't be happier with the wake (realizing it will never be as big as a fully weighted 247). I can still land the inverts that the no riding knuckleheads that have more money than skill can't (you know who you are..driving on the wrong side of the river) with my bargain wake. My wife isn't going to win any ski tournaments, but she likes the flexibility of being able to raise the wedge and drain the ballast and not have to struggle across the wake. I also like knowing that I didn't have to get a second mortgage to buy it. I would recommend the i Ride to any weekend warrior that wants a lot of options without breaking the bank. I agree too that the second one is a little high.

Love the iRide!

Wakechaser, I have a 2008 iRide and I love it. Interested in adding some rear ballast and was wondering what you did/how you did it. I have been told to add a fat sac to the rear locker you must reinforce the floor. Any advice or pictures of your setup?

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this thread...

Edited July 28, 2009 by tmg9188

[WakeGirl]

I think it's a great crossover boat, as long as you don't expect it to do more than that. The OP regularly skis behind tourny ski boats in the course though, & coming at it from that perspective it won't measure up.

DONTW8,

You belong to the ski club don't you? If so, have you skied behind Russ's Response?

[CedarLakeSkier]

I have an iRide with an illusion tower. I ski at around 32 MPH and the wake cleans up well around 30 MPH.

I thought it was a big wake at first, then I skied behind a friend mastercraft (205, I think) and I felt like I was going into orbit with the huge wake.

My daughter and I skied behind a MC 197 just a few days ago. After we were done my daughter said, Dad I thought the wake on that ski boat was going to be really small, it's not much different then ours. She was skiing 15 off at about 27 MPH on the MC 197 and skis 15 off at 30 MPH behind our iRide.

[Malibudude]

The I-Ride formerly the Sunsetter LX/Sunkicker/Wakesetter is a great crossover boat, but keep in mind this uses the same hull (SV23) as the late 90's V-drive hull just with the engine obviously in the middle. As a crossover it's better suited for intermediate wakeboarding and slalom. Anyone whom skis regularly behind a tourney slalom boat won't think much of the slalom wake. I've done it and its fine for cruising but hard cuts will leave you bouncing through a pronounced wake that is solid, unlike the SLXI with the diamond hull. If I wanted this boat I'd search out for the '02 model year as that was the only year it was put on the diamond hull, otherwise coming from a slalom point of view get the SLXI or better yet the RLX or RLXI.

[Wakechaser]

My wife likes to ski and I like to wakeboard so the i Ride is what we went with. I think the Ride series in general is a good value for the dollar since you get a wedge, a ballast, speed control and the ability to make nice enhancements to the stereo and tower. I added a rear ballast and couldn't be happier with the wake (realizing it will never be as big as a fully weighted 247). I can still land the inverts that the no riding knuckleheads that have more money than skill can't (you know who you are..driving on the wrong side of the river) with my bargain wake. My wife isn't going to win any ski tournaments, but she likes the flexibility of being able to raise the wedge and drain the ballast and not have to struggle across the wake. I also like knowing that I didn't have to get a second mortgage to buy it. I would recommend the i Ride to any weekend warrior that wants a lot of options without breaking the bank. I agree too that the second one is a little high.

Love the iRide!

Wakechaser, I have a 2008 iRide and I love it. Interested in adding some rear ballast and was wondering what you did/how you did it. I have been told to add a fat sac to the rear locker you must reinforce the floor. Any advice or pictures of your setup?

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this thread...

For now I have a 400+ pound Sumo Sac (it is the Jr. V model) just thrown in the rear locker. I fill it up after the wife gets a couple of passes in and then throw all the jackets, bags and stuff back on top of it. My winter plans are to enclose it under a sub floor and plumb it in the same manner the front ballast is plumbed in (put another pump in place of the t-handle plug in the ski locker). I have been curious about what I have seen here because when I put the transom remote in I had to remove the back wall which exposed the gas tank. I assumed that the gas tank was only behind the rear wall and not below the floor? There is certainly a lot of gas tank back there and if it's not the gas tank to be worried about what is the reason for re-inforcement? I see a lot of ballasts in the floor and lockers of a lot of boats that don't have any secondary reinforcement.

[WakeGirl]

I have an iRide with an illusion tower. I ski at around 32 MPH and the wake cleans up well around 30 MPH.

I thought it was a big wake at first, then I skied behind a friend mastercraft (205, I think) and I felt like I was going into orbit with the huge wake.

My daughter and I skied behind a MC 197 just a few days ago. After we were done my daughter said, Dad I thought the wake on that ski boat was going to be really small, it's not much different then ours. She was skiing 15 off at about 27 MPH on the MC 197 and skis 15 off at 30 MPH behind our iRide.

And how does she like the wake behind your boat at 27mph?

Agreed on the 205, not a good slalom machine by anyone's definition.

[DONTW8]

Tracie & others thanks for the responses. Right after I posted this question both of my ski crew called for the 4th time and convinced me to go to Lake Billy even though my back was killing me after 9 days of waterski campout. Plus I was supposed to be working.

Today we used Rick's 1991 Sunsetter but we towed Dennis Prostar 197 home so Dennis could camp/ski at Cultus this weekend. I like both wakes. I've not skied behind Russ B's response but have others.

I've been considering upgrading my cherry old Spyder outboard but truthfully neither of my crew wants to go to the lake without me because they like getting their boat towed by the old Duramax. Plus the 2 times this year that neither my wife, Dennis, or Rick were available to go to Billy Chinook I just drove my "old classic" up to the dock and had no trouble finding a tow. I do not have to ask for a tow but rather am asked first. I reciprocate with my Spyder for free skiing because it has a very low wake and lots of jump . The Spyder does not track as well or hold a perfectly constant speed through the course.

On my campout I had 2 different younger couples quiz me about buying my boat. I had given up trying to sell it last year season end because nobody responded to my ad.

I may start the search again for a good used tournament boat. The optimum boat is probably a Response LXI, a Prostar 209, or an early 2000's Sunsetter. I love the Response LX wake but it is a little inconvenient because of the stepover access to the bow. Plus we cruise and lounge under the bimini and use the bow seating for guests such as our adult kids a third of the time on our boat.

[WakeGirl]

The Spyder is a great boat for Billy, and being that you're a club member I really don't see the point of looking for something else unless it's something like a Sunsetter LXi. Russ & the rest will take care of you with the proper type of ski boat.

[Arctic Slalom]

Agreed on the 205, not a good slalom machine by anyone's definition.

that's weird, i always heard the 205 had a great slalom wake...i've never skied one though!

maybe they called them 'death-stars' for a reason.

[CedarLakeSkier]

I have an iRide with an illusion tower. I ski at around 32 MPH and the wake cleans up well around 30 MPH.

I thought it was a big wake at first, then I skied behind a friend mastercraft (205, I think) and I felt like I was going into orbit with the huge wake.

My daughter and I skied behind a MC 197 just a few days ago. After we were done my daughter said, Dad I thought the wake on that ski boat was going to be really small, it's not much different then ours. She was skiing 15 off at about 27 MPH on the MC 197 and skis 15 off at 30 MPH behind our iRide.

And how does she like the wake behind your boat at 27mph?

Agreed on the 205, not a good slalom machine by anyone's definition.

Let's just say there's a reason she skis at 30 behind the iRide

She probably would have done 30 behind the MC, but it's amazing how fast those little balls show up when you are going that fast, especially your first time through the course.

[WakeGirl]

I was just pokin' ya, but yeah, on that boat the wake really builds as you drop below 30mph. We had my oldest son slaloming as a beginner at 28 behind our '04, & even at that speed it was like he was crossing a boarding wake. He's gotten used to dedicated ski boats now, & has turned into the consummate slalom prima-donna.

[ed obermeier]

Throw the 209 out of the equasion, it isn't any better than the 205 and the 205 sucks for slalom (it doesn't have a bump, it has a large hard plateau). The original X-Star was built on the 205 hull if that tells you anything. The ProStar at 30 mph and under has a pretty good sized wake too, surprising for a tournament boat. Lays down nicely at 32 mph and up but 30 and below it's pretty big. The RLXI wake at those speeds is much better (smaller).

Ditto the other suggestions, an RLXI or SLXI is the way to go IMO. Argue it all you want folks - V-drives do not make good slalom boats. Period. You can ski on a slalom ski behind them but you can't slalom ski with anything even approaching seriousness behind one. Too much hang time...

Ed

[Baddog]

Tracie & others thanks for the responses. Right after I posted this question both of my ski crew called for the 4th time and convinced me to go to Lake Billy even though my back was killing me after 9 days of waterski campout. Plus I was supposed to be working.

Today we used Rick's 1991 Sunsetter but we towed Dennis Prostar 197 home so Dennis could camp/ski at Cultus this weekend. I like both wakes. I've not skied behind Russ B's response but have others.

I've been considering upgrading my cherry old Spyder outboard but truthfully neither of my crew wants to go to the lake without me because they like getting their boat towed by the old Duramax. Plus the 2 times this year that neither my wife, Dennis, or Rick were available to go to Billy Chinook I just drove my "old classic" up to the dock and had no trouble finding a tow. I do not have to ask for a tow but rather am asked first. I reciprocate with my Spyder for free skiing because it has a very low wake and lots of jump . The Spyder does not track as well or hold a perfectly constant speed through the course.

On my campout I had 2 different younger couples quiz me about buying my boat. I had given up trying to sell it last year season end because nobody responded to my ad.

I may start the search again for a good used tournament boat. The optimum boat is probably a Response LXI, a Prostar 209, or an early 2000's Sunsetter. I love the Response LX wake but it is a little inconvenient because of the stepover access to the bow. Plus we cruise and lounge under the bimini and use the bow seating for guests such as our adult kids a third of the time on our boat.

What is your Spyder? Not familiar with that?