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VTX vs Response FXi


jeffro

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I currently have a 2010 VTX and have been doing a lot more skiing than wakeboarding the last 2 years. Is the ski wake much better on the FXi? I want something I can run the course with.

I still want a decent wake for wakeboarding, but I do more skiing than wakeboarding, and the G3 tower is a must.

Everything I've read pretty much says that the FXi ski wake is pretty comprable to the LXi.

Any experience with the FXi? It seems like a pretty rare boat.

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If you get the G3 tower and power wedge on the fxi the beginner board wake is fine. IIRC you can't get ballast OEM in the FXI. The ski wake will be better obviously because of the engine placement. They are the exact same

hull.

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Then it's basically the exact same boat, only in a direct drive version. The only difference between an FXi vs. 20' VTX/LSV diamond hull is the deck & engine configuration. That's it. I've never skied it, but I'm going to guess that the differences are pretty subtle. Smoothwaterman is probably the best source of info on how they compare, you might ping him about it.

Yes, as I recall, you can get ballast OEM on the FXi.

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Looking at the specs, a few comments: 1. it is a wide boat, so more challenging to drive through the course (98" v. 90 to 95" for a dd tourney boat) 2. it is pretty heavy (4500# v. 2800# for a dd tourney boat) so the wake will be taller/harder than a tourney boat. If slalom & the course are the #1 objective why don't you consider an LXi & add tower/wedge/ballast for wakeboarding? Also, note you will want perfect pass or ZO for course skiing.

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I've skied a '98 LX, a buddy's '06 LXi, and our current '10 FXi all between 34 and 36 mph. At those speeds, the wake behind the FXi is comparable to the other two, but as mentioned before it is somewhat firmer. FXi is capable in the course, too. Drop below 34, though, and I find there's a noticeable change in the size of the wake behind the FXi compared to the LX, at least. People I've pulled at 32 have said that they liked the wake behind our LX better, but they didn't mind the quality overall, but they have all been free skiers. We have the 400 lb. ballast and the G3 tower, too.

I wish I could compare to the VTX, but I've never been behind one. We just wanted to stick with a DD setup, but with more freeboard for the kids. We have been very happy.

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I've skied a '98 LX, a buddy's '06 LXi, and our current '10 FXi all between 34 and 36 mph. At those speeds, the wake behind the FXi is comparable to the other two, but as mentioned before it is somewhat firmer. FXi is capable in the course, too. Drop below 34, though, and I find there's a noticeable change in the size of the wake behind the FXi compared to the LX, at least. People I've pulled at 32 have said that they liked the wake behind our LX better, but they didn't mind the quality overall, but they have all been free skiers. We have the 400 lb. ballast and the G3 tower, too.

I wish I could compare to the VTX, but I've never been behind one. We just wanted to stick with a DD setup, but with more freeboard for the kids. We have been very happy.

Where in Ontario, I'd love to give you a pull and try out the FXI.

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Where in Ontario, I'd love to give you a pull and try out the FXI.

A couple hours west of you, if you're in Ottawa. We're on Blackfish Bay in Combermere. If all goes as planned, we'll be heading up there tomorrow for the summer, so we'll be around! Love to try out the VTX, and I'd be happy to have you give our boat a go.

Sorry for the hijack, jeffro.

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I've skied the FXI and VTX, my comparison was at 34 and 36 MPH, so if you are slower than that the wakes on both boats grow. I checked them visually but didn't bother skiing them. The wake on the VTX at 28 to 30 MPH is bigger than the FXI, at 34 to 36 MPH they are very similar but the VTX is actually a little softer than the FXI. I actually preferred the wakes behind the VTX over the FXI down to 28 off. The VTX wake is just a bit more mellow.

The negative of the VTX is tracking in the course and it feels like you can slow it down a little more than the FXI. That latter might be a result of the tracking. If your putting a tower on the FXI the rope will hit around 32 or 35 off, the VTX doesn't have this issue unless you have the center mounted pylon.

To be honest if you ski a over 32 MPH trading a VTX for a FXI doesn't give you any improvement in wake, just costs you the nice v-drive layout and some surfing capability.

I have a RLXI, now that we have kids I should have bought a VTX. Since I don't compete and just do the course for fun it would have been a better long term fit.

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I've skied the FXI and VTX, my comparison was at 34 and 36 MPH, so if you are slower than that the wakes on both boats grow. I checked them visually but didn't bother skiing them. The wake on the VTX at 28 to 30 MPH is bigger than the FXI, at 34 to 36 MPH they are very similar but the VTX is actually a little softer than the FXI. I actually preferred the wakes behind the VTX over the FXI down to 28 off. The VTX wake is just a bit more mellow.

The negative of the VTX is tracking in the course and it feels like you can slow it down a little more than the FXI. That latter might be a result of the tracking. If your putting a tower on the FXI the rope will hit around 32 or 35 off, the VTX doesn't have this issue unless you have the center mounted pylon.

To be honest if you ski a over 32 MPH trading a VTX for a FXI doesn't give you any improvement in wake, just costs you the nice v-drive layout and some surfing capability.

I have a RLXI, now that we have kids I should have bought a VTX. Since I don't compete and just do the course for fun it would have been a better long term fit.

Interesting, I never wouldve expected that a V drive would have a better ski wake than a direct drive. I ski at about 32 in the course at 15 off, so basically you're saying I won't see much difference in an FXi. I guess I'll have to ski it, I wish I could find one closer than 2 hours away.

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A couple hours west of you, if you're in Ottawa. We're on Blackfish Bay in Combermere. If all goes as planned, we'll be heading up there tomorrow for the summer, so we'll be around! Love to try out the VTX, and I'd be happy to have you give our boat a go.

Sorry for the hijack, jeffro.

White lake, Arnprior/Pakenham area. The boat stays on a lift, I take it yours will remain in the water as well? Feel free to PM me.

/Hijack over. Thanks guys.

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Interesting, I never wouldve expected that a V drive would have a better ski wake than a direct drive. I ski at about 32 in the course at 15 off, so basically you're saying I won't see much difference in an FXi. I guess I'll have to ski it, I wish I could find one closer than 2 hours away.

If I had a VTX I wouldn't be looking to move to a FXI, for me the difference wouldn't be enough to prefer one wake over the other. If your used to a v-drive interior, the layout of a direct drive sucks. When we bought our RLXI in 2009, we were debating against a FXI. Looking back I wish I would have tested a VTX at the same time granted I was after the smallest wake possible so I ended up buying a response. I think he VTX is what made the FXI go away. As you get closer to tournament skiing speeds there isn't much of a difference and for families the v- drive is a better layout.

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