what different hull's would make a multi-use malibu?

[JeffS]

I totally support what you are saying and would say that you know way more than the average joe who is boat hunting. Keep it up and you'll end up very happy.

I don't like boats that aren't specifically for something. I like cruisers that are for cruising, I like pontoons that are for partying and relaxing on the water, I like ski boats that are for skiing, wakeboard boats that are for wakeboarding and fishing boats that are for fishing.

The typical Cobalt, Glastron, Larson, Celebrity, Bryant boats aren't "for" anything other than going from point a to point b on a lake or a river - comfortably, dry and very unremarkably. They can do more - but they're not built for anything other than point a to point b.

I had one. It was what people bought - so I bought one too. Now that I have a DD ski boat - I'll never have anything else that I can imagine now. So simple. Just working on the engine - a total breeze.

So keep your sites set. If you end up off the Malibu-only kick - I have my sites set (for a possible different older boat) on a 95 - 98 Nautique Super Sport. It has (I think) the most deadrise of any DD ski boat. I don't think it's tournament approved - but I doubt you care.

[MalibuTime]

Also the rear-weight bias of vdrives cause a bow-high pitch which helps soften, somewhat the pounding of the relativeky flat attitude of dd's

That is pretty much it. The V-drives will naturally have a more of a bow-up attitude than a DD and hence at slower speeds handle rough water better.