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99 response for wakeboarding?


mattkidd

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I am looking at buying a '99 Response lx but was wondering how it works as a wakeboard boat and if it's a good idea to install a wedge and tower on it. Also, how much would a wedge and low-end tower cost?

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We have boarded behind my friends for 10 years. It does ok. It has the wedge and we use it every time. We run two 250 lb side sacks and some weight in the locker(100 lbs or so)and a little up front. It has a low enough freeboard that we have never really just sacked it out. Usually have 3 to 4 people out. No tower but use an extended pylon. Has always served us well. I took about a 5 year break from boarding a lot (recently just a couple of times per year) but I ponied up last fall and bought a 2003 vlx. As far as wakes go, the vlx wake stock with the wedge down is already much larger than my buddies lx "loaded up" as above. We have only had it out once and haven't really done much dialing in, but if you are going for a pure wakeboard boat, look for a v-drive (i am far from even being considered knowledgeable about the topic)

He likes to ski as well and this was a promo boat when it was new and was used to pull numerous tournaments in the area and he got a really good deal. I am not a skier, but it seems to have a great ski wake if you are looking for a combo boat. I have a bunch of wake pics but not on this computer. I can put them up if you are interested.

Hope this helps.

Edited by SoDakSooner
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I am looking at buying a '99 Response lx but was wondering how it works as a wakeboard boat and if it's a good idea to install a wedge and tower on it. Also, how much would a wedge and low-end tower cost?

The Response is a ski boat if all you want is a wakeboard/surf boat you may want to look at a direct drive wakesetter. I bought one a few years ago for just a little more than the price of a comperable responce. If you are looking for both then the response will serve you well with some mods. A tower will be between 1000 and 2500 depending on what you want. the wedge should be around 1000 as well for a complete kit. you will need some ballest as well. a 500# bag should fit in the ski locker under the floor, after that you will loose floor space. There are alot of threads on here about putting in more ballest and other mods for your Bu.

My advice is buy the best you can afford without geting into trouble (don't forget to budget for gas) then start the upgrades and mods.

Welcome to the Crew!

REW

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The Response is a ski boat if all you want is a wakeboard/surf boat you may want to look at a direct drive wakesetter. I bought one a few years ago for just a little more than the price of a comperable responce. If you are looking for both then the response will serve you well with some mods. A tower will be between 1000 and 2500 depending on what you want. the wedge should be around 1000 as well for a complete kit. you will need some ballest as well. a 500# bag should fit in the ski locker under the floor, after that you will loose floor space. There are alot of threads on here about putting in more ballest and other mods for your Bu.

My advice is buy the best you can afford without geting into trouble (don't forget to budget for gas) then start the upgrades and mods.

Welcome to the Crew!

REW

I'll give you the entire story. We currently have a v-hull crownline which we are going to keep in addition to the response but we would like to put a tower and/or tanks/wedge in 1 of them and I was hoping the response would work well for the WB b/c a tower looks like crap and is structually questionable on the crownline.

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I'll give you the entire story. We currently have a v-hull crownline which we are going to keep in addition to the response but we would like to put a tower and/or tanks/wedge in 1 of them and I was hoping the response would work well for the WB b/c a tower looks like crap and is structually questionable on the crownline.

Why not just add the two together and get an LSV? ALl the wakebording and luxery you will ever need.

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Yes you can get a good wake out of a response. Couple of things though, its low, so the more weight you put in it, the more careful you have to be or you'll take some water over the bow or back. I have an 03 response lx with a pylon that i've set up with a rack and tower speakers and custom bimini, there are pics on here somewhere. Here are some pics of the wake we get out of mine. Ive spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best possible wake with it and here's what we do. Rear seat bottom sac in the back in place of the back seat (680#), a 580# skylon fat boy on each side of the engine, in the bow i took a piece of plywood and cut it to cover the entire bow area and took the seat out. no one sits up there anyway, and you really can't with the weight i put up there. I put 2 350# sacs up there. all that with the wedge, and three people in the boat. A buddy of mine who is really good and actually won nationals in reno a couple years ago in Mens II division rides behind my boat everyday. He actually prefers my wake over quite a few vdrives that we ride on every now and then. The only wake he likes better is the 02 SAN with a ton of weight in it. Anyway, here are some pics.

DUp.jpg

wakepics.jpg

Here's another one, can't seem to get it loaded. its a good picture of the wake next to a rider and the shape of it.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg46/bowerbp/Wake7_31_20087_09PM_0003.jpg

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^^^ hell ya, dude^^^

You can get plenty of wake out of a Response with a wedge. I ride behind my Response and a VLX all the time. VLX makes a better wake, because it is built to. However, with the wedge, the Response will come within a CH of the same wake. Pull the wedge up and the boat drives like a Porsche...not a bolated Cadillac (VLX/LSV).

I bought my Response because it is a greeat crossover boat with the wedge and it has lived up to my every expectation. It feels good to drive a boat that runs like a Porsche and not a tractor.

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Why not just add the two together and get an LSV? ALl the wakebording and luxery you will ever need.

We have so many hours on our crownline that we wouldn't get hardly anything for it so it's not worth selling at this point and we still pile 12 people in quite a bit

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Yes you can get a good wake out of a response. Couple of things though, its low, so the more weight you put in it, the more careful you have to be or you'll take some water over the bow or back. I have an 03 response lx with a pylon that i've set up with a rack and tower speakers and custom bimini, there are pics on here somewhere. Here are some pics of the wake we get out of mine. Ive spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best possible wake with it and here's what we do. Rear seat bottom sac in the back in place of the back seat (680#), a 580# skylon fat boy on each side of the engine, in the bow i took a piece of plywood and cut it to cover the entire bow area and took the seat out. no one sits up there anyway, and you really can't with the weight i put up there. I put 2 350# sacs up there. all that with the wedge, and three people in the boat. A buddy of mine who is really good and actually won nationals in reno a couple years ago in Mens II division rides behind my boat everyday. He actually prefers my wake over quite a few vdrives that we ride on every now and then. The only wake he likes better is the 02 SAN with a ton of weight in it. Anyway, here are some pics.

DUp.jpg

wakepics.jpg

Here's another one, can't seem to get it loaded. its a good picture of the wake next to a rider and the shape of it.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg46/bowerbp/Wake7_31_20087_09PM_0003.jpg

Do either of you have an extended pylon instead of a tower or do you know anyone with one and how it has worked?

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I use weight, wedge and a fly high pole, works fine for me. I mostly ski, trailer every time out and would spend a lot of time putting the tower up and down so the extended pole works for the few times we use my boat to wakeboard. (friend has an xstar) And, I can't afford the Titan 3 which is the only tower I'd consider putting on.

Sippi, what line length & speed you guys riding at? Wake lookin' great for a response!

Edited by Green_Giant
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I use weight, wedge and a fly high pole, works fine for me. I mostly ski, trailer every time out and would spend a lot of time putting the tower up and down so the extended pole works for the few times we use my boat to wakeboard. (friend has an xstar) And, I can't afford the Titan 3 which is the only tower I'd consider putting on.

Sippi, what line length & speed you guys riding at? Wake lookin' great for a response!

How much did the extended pole cost and how tall is it?

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Do either of you have an extended pylon instead of a tower or do you know anyone with one and how it has worked?

No pics of my friend's but we went together years ago and bought the sky hi extended Pylon. It works great. Easy to take apart and has a low tow eye built into it so you don't have to take it off to ski or tube, unless you are serious about the skiiing thing. It also has the board rack as well. Need to have that with the response. 4 boards in the boat is not good. Our pole is nearly 10 years old, so the cost wouldn't be right, but I think we paid 299 for it at a boat show(no tax either) Oh, it is almost as tall if not as tall as the tower on my vlx. I have to stand on the engine cover to attach the rope....

Edited by SoDakSooner
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How much did the extended pole cost and how tall is it?

Hmm, maybe 8 feet or so from the floor, it doesn't slide all the way down the pylon but close. I grabbed it used but still nice and shiny for $75 on craigslist and the dude even brought it to my house. Used & local is the way to go.

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The Response is a ski boat if all you want is a wakeboard/surf boat you may want to look at a direct drive wakesetter. I bought one a few years ago for just a little more than the price of a comperable responce. If you are looking for both then the response will serve you well with some mods. A tower will be between 1000 and 2500 depending on what you want. the wedge should be around 1000 as well for a complete kit. you will need some ballest as well. a 500# bag should fit in the ski locker under the floor, after that you will loose floor space. There are alot of threads on here about putting in more ballest and other mods for your Bu.

My advice is buy the best you can afford without geting into trouble (don't forget to budget for gas) then start the upgrades and mods.

Welcome to the Crew!

REW

I would have to disagree with that line. If all you want is a wakeboard/surf boat then you should get a v-drive not a direct drive. I have moved from a direct drive to a v-drive. All I will say is that you can really do anything on a malibu dd or vdrive, but my suggestion is that if you are more serious about wakeboarding/surfing then I would go vdrive, if you are more serious about skiing/slalom/barefoot then I would go direct drive. Either way you can make just about any boat work for your needs. I wakeboarded behind my old direct drive just fine and I have people ski behind my v-drive just fine now.

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photo2.jpg

photo.jpg

Mine actually has a pylon. I wanted speakers on it too since i had some trouble getting a tower. Long story. anyway, i had the skyrack too, so i drilled 4 holes in the skyrack for the u bolts and painted a piece of thick pvc to hang my tower speakers. it works really well. had it up there for like two years with no problems at all. I got my pylon for like 200 and my rack for about the same.

oh and as far as the wake, we are riding at 75 feet going 23 mph. puts out a great wake.

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I would have to disagree with that line. If all you want is a wakeboard/surf boat then you should get a v-drive not a direct drive. I have moved from a direct drive to a v-drive. All I will say is that you can really do anything on a malibu dd or vdrive, but my suggestion is that if you are more serious about wakeboarding/surfing then I would go vdrive, if you are more serious about skiing/slalom/barefoot then I would go direct drive. Either way you can make just about any boat work for your needs. I wakeboarded behind my old direct drive just fine and I have people ski behind my v-drive just fine now.

The V defincately makes a better wake but at a 5 to 10K premium over the DD which is why I suggested it. The OP indicated that price was an issue If price is not an issue then a VLX would be the top choice.

REW

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