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Need help finding all around boat


JKevinM

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The boat show is here, and I'm buying a new boat. Here's my problem: I barefoot some & want to barefoot more, so I need a boat for that. The whole family (including 2 young boys) slolom, and I'm tired of popping over the wake of my current runabout, so I want a flat wake for that also. The kids have shown interest in wakeboarding, though, and I may need a boat to pull wakeboarders soon. Also, I want to wakesurf some. I am leaning toward the Lxi, but wonder if the the V-drive would be better. The main reason I'm disinclined to go with the v-drive is the wake size - I think I would curse the boat every time I cut the wake on a slolom ski or barefooting. Any thoughts?

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The boat show is here, and I'm buying a new boat. Here's my problem: I barefoot some & want to barefoot more, so I need a boat for that. The whole family (including 2 young boys) slolom, and I'm tired of popping over the wake of my current runabout, so I want a flat wake for that also. The kids have shown interest in wakeboarding, though, and I may need a boat to pull wakeboarders soon. Also, I want to wakesurf some. I am leaning toward the Lxi, but wonder if the the V-drive would be better. The main reason I'm disinclined to go with the v-drive is the wake size - I think I would curse the boat every time I cut the wake on a slolom ski or barefooting. Any thoughts?

If that's the case you definitely do not want a v-drive. No matter what anyone else will tell you, V-drives do NOT make good slalom boats. Period. If slalom and footin' is your main focus you need a direct drive.

The LXI will give you a very good footing table, slalom wakes are world class, with a wedge and some bags it makes a decent wake for boarding. Surfing I can't speak to, someone else here will chime in on that I'm sure. I've been told the '03 - 06 LXI hull is better for footing than the newer version but again someone with more experience in that regard will chime in. The footers I pull with my '05 rave about the footing table on mine. As an all around great family boat with a world class slalom wake and excellent footing table the LXI is probably your best option.

Ed

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I don't know where you are located, but there is an AWESOME LXi in Washington for sale. Don't knwo if it is stil available, but it would be a great boat to jump on.

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index.php?/topic/24499-2006-response-lxi-hammerhead-383/

If you are a footer and plan to foot more. I do not recommend any Response LXi newer than 2006. 2007 and up has a totally different hull, which IMO is not very good for footing. This coming from a guy who pretty much only foots everytime he goes out for a ski. I can't remember the last time I was on a ski other than practicing kick-offs. :)

If you are near Indiana, hit me up sometime and I'll pull you behind my boat. It has a sweet wake for footing and slaloming.

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We have a Wakesetter VTX, with the diamond cut hull. It has some very nice wakes for skiing and can still be setup to wakeboard or wakesurf. We have been very happy with it!

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As a former DD owner and a current V-drive owner, I will say that if footing and slalom are your main focus and the future wakeboarders are still in the beginner stages go with a direct drive. The v-drive will only make you frustrated since you seem to be a serious footer and slalom guy.

You can always add weight to the boat with ballast, wedge, people, etc. You can not take weight out of a boat and move the engine to the middle when you want to foot. Go with the boat that is right for you and worry about forming a good boarding wake once those future boarders start calling for some airtime. I used to board behind a DD and for even an intermediate boarder, you can get away with adding a tower and weight to a slalom boat.

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Thanks for everyone's input so far. I am in St. Louis. I had not really considered a somewhat older boat (<2007), but if the hulls are better for what I want (& the price certainly drops at that age compared to new boats), perhaps I should look for a good condition 2006.

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I personally would go for a 2005 RLXi over the 2006 only for the fact to have a real throttle cable vs throttle by wire. I've spent a bunch of time in each and truly prefer the cable version. Otherwise, they are identical boats.

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What line lengths are you slaloming at? The Response FXi appears to be pretty sweet boat but it has a restrictive tower for the shorter lengths. The LXi is obviously the top dog for slalom/footin alone as far as the new line goes but the FXi is a tad bigger and has a little ballast so it will make the boys happier with their boarding. I've never skied behind it though so I am not sure how much the extra weight and beam affects the wake. I think your answer is a Response though. Might be tough to wake surf.

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First of all, thanks to Areamike for referring to my RLXI as "AWESOME". It is still for sale although I do have a guy in South Dakota that has said he is going to buy it. Haven't heard from him in a few days and I don't have any cash in hand so it is definitely still for sale. I can't think of a better boat to fit the description of what you want--400HP Hammerhead engine, tower, racks, wedge, and a kick a** stereo system installed by themalibucrew's resident expert 06VLX. Shoot me your email if you are interested and I'll send you more info and pics. If not, good luck--you can't go wrong as long as you buy a Malibu. Yahoo.gif

post-3361-12658369250563_thumb.jpg

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Any bu is gonna be a sweet boat. And the Response line may be your best shot.

But IMO to expect great wakes from footin to surfin, and everything in between, is expecting a lot for any boat. I'd expect you to get OK wakes for everything & some compromise somewhere. Dontknow.gif

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First of all, thanks to Areamike for referring to my RLXI as "AWESOME". It is still for sale although I do have a guy in South Dakota that has said he is going to buy it. Haven't heard from him in a few days and I don't have any cash in hand so it is definitely still for sale. I can't think of a better boat to fit the description of what you want--400HP Hammerhead engine, tower, racks, wedge, and a kick a** stereo system installed by themalibucrew's resident expert 06VLX. Shoot me your email if you are interested and I'll send you more info and pics. If not, good luck--you can't go wrong as long as you buy a Malibu. Yahoo.gif

That is a very very nice looking boat. I love the Titan III's and 400hp in the thing would be too much fun! Rockon.gif I would love to step up to something like that. Maybe someday. Biggrin.gif

Have you surfed behind it? I'm sure with a few sacs in the back corned it would throw a decent wave. It certainly won't throw out a 247 surf wake, but I'm sure you could go ropeless behind a Response and have a heck of a lot of fun with the right board. Heck, if I can go ropeless on my little wedgeless wonder the Response should work fine. Biggrin.gif

Edited by martinarcher
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That is a very very nice looking boat. I love the Titan III's and 400hp in the thing would be too much fun! Rockon.gif I would love to step up to something like that. Maybe someday. Biggrin.gif

Have you surfed behind it? I'm sure with a few sacs in the back corned it would throw a decent wave. It certainly won't throw out a 247 surf wake, but I'm sure you could go ropeless behind a Response and have a heck of a lot of fun with the right board. Heck, if I can go ropeless on my little wedgeless wonder the Response should work fine. Biggrin.gif

I don't know if I would try to surf that thing but it throws a good wakeboard wake with a couple 400 lb sacs on either side of the engine and the wedge down. His boat has been known to boot an unsuspecting wakeboarder way higher and way further out than they thought Whistling.gif. The force is strong in that one.

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LXI and FXI are good options based on your comments. I would spend time in both and if you can, test ski/foot/board them as well. It's the only way to tell which one will suit you better.

From what I am hearing the FXI would be the perfect boat for you.

Everything you mentioned it can do, and it is a DD so you should be good for footin too. As they said, demo one and try out all 3 sports behind one and see and see if it foots the bill. You can weigh any boat. If Martin can surf in his boat you can do it any boat. Plus the FXI comes with a stock 400 rear ballast add a wedge and you have a really good start to a decent surf wake.

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Price range: Since we're talking about new ski boats here, a "budget" is rather meaningless. The boats cost a king's ransom, so I will be spending far more than I want regardless of the boat and/or features. If I buy a new one (which would probably be about $45,000 or so with accessories), I want to make certain I won't be disappointed. If I buy used, I want to make sure I don't regret not buying a new one.

For clarification, I should emphasize that our primary activities will be barefooting and slalom skiing, and I want to avoid at all cost a hard wake with a significant ridge. The two kids (ages 12 & 8) are showing interest in wakeboarding, but I have no idea how avid that interest will be with them, or how hard core they will be, if at all.

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I am not even close to being able to answer that, but I will tell you that you should test both of them. Take a couple runs behind both. You will have one of three scenarios if you don't.

1. you buy a pre-2007 only to find out after that the 2010 was just as good if not better and are mad that you didn't get the newer boat.

2. you buy a new one thinking the 2010 will be fine when it is not and are mad you didn't get the best boat for your needs.

3. the one you buy happens to be the better of the two.

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Some of the posts here have raised a new question: will I be disappointed with the wake from a new (2010) Response LXi (versus a pre-2007)?

There is only one person in the world that can answer that question. Go for a test pull then you will know. IF you like the wake from the 2010 then it doesn't really matter what the wake from an earlier model is like.

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