very VERY sad day.... :-(

[Afun]

Wait a second. Was the bilge working??? Sounds like it went down too easy

[dobber]

Man that sucks. Glad everyone is safe.

[jcon44]

it seems weird that a boat of any brand would sink this easily. I carry over 300lbs of lead in my boat all the time and have recently taken my own surf wake over the bow multiple times with 6 or so adults in the boat and not even come close to sinking. yeah, I would prefer not chilly dipping the bow but the thought of sinking never crossed my mind. I'm on a big lake with large cruisers and big waves are common. i would like to get some more details from the OP, I'm guessing the insurance company will be asking for more info as well. If it were me I'd dive down to the boat before they recover it and get the lead out... jk, or am I?

[Falko]

In the big scheme of things, bilge pumps are slow. Two big waves and sticking the bow, you are going to take a lot more water than your bilge will pump in a long time.

Monday morning quarter backing and trying to wrap my head around not letting this happen to my boat, would reverse be a better option?

[85 Barefoot]

guys, he was in a 2006 response lxi, perhaps the lowest-bowed boat in history. Very low freeboard and exceptionally low bow. BIG difference between this situation and anyone's Vdrive looking for explanation.

[edwin]

I know that my 05 RLXi bow rides lower every year as my kids get older / bigger. Also, the lack of fuel in the back makes the bow ride even lower.

[Afun]

I am sorry about the accident. I just can't see this happening so easy. Jet ski rollers over the bow sinking the boat?

[RTS]

guys, he was in a 2006 response lxi, perhaps the lowest-bowed boat in history. Very low freeboard and exceptionally low bow. BIG difference between this situation and anyone's Vdrive looking for explanation.

My '02 SSlxi carried it's nose pretty darn low at idle speeds, especially with a bow full of kids. I took a few over the bow from time to time, and in thinking about this, I can envision a 'perfect storm' of sorts where as the wave crested the bow, I could have 'driven' the boat under with enough forward push from the engine.....maybe...I guess?

Otherwise, it would have taken wave after wave to fill the boat up...I never had a situation where more than one came in before I got the nose up with throttle.

Edited July 29, 2013 by RTS

[Afun]

Now...if you throttle up into the wave and you chilly dip the entire bow underwater...ok you will sink. He did not do that.

[wakesetter8796]

Aw he had just bought the boat too.

[Joeprunc]

That's a bit scary at how quick she went down. I'm glad no one was hurt, and everyone got to shore safely.

[RTS]

I would imagine there is at least some degree of 'pilot error' in this scenario. But I don't think that is going to matter when it comes time for the insurance company to pay out...so that's probably good.

[Sixball]

I am with others something we don't know Ballast? Some other leak broken or lose water hose from cooling system? I do know if it was mine it would not have left the shallow water without trying to float it. how many people in the front play pen? But hope all works out!

[EastTNVLX]

This is odd and troubling. Are not all bilge pumps automatic these days? I just cant fathom a PWC wave or a bow dip causing this. I suspect a cooling hose came loose and that combined with water over the bow led to rapid demise. I had a cooling hose come loose on my old cabin crusier. Entire engine compartment was full of water in a matter of minutes....very scary! Was there any engine alarms prior to?

[85 Barefoot]

My '02 SSlxi carried it's nose pretty darn low at idle speeds, especially with a bow full of kids. I took a few over the bow from time to time, and in thinking about this, I can envision a 'perfect storm' of sorts where as the wave crested the bow, I could have 'driven' the boat under with enough forward push from the engine.....maybe...I guess?

Otherwise, it would have taken wave after wave to fill the boat up...I never had a situation where more than one came in before I got the nose up with throttle.

not nearly as low as an 03-06 response lxi...I normally do chuckle at the people with Vdrives who cant keep the bow from dipping, but an 03-06 rlxi is a whole nother ball game.

[Deven]

not nearly as low as an 03-06 response lxi...I normally do chuckle at the people with Vdrives who cant keep the bow from dipping, but an 03-06 rlxi is a whole nother ball game.

I owned an 05 R LXi and in rough water I had to keep one hand on the trottle at all time in case I needed to give the boat some lift.

[85 Barefoot]

I owned an 05 R LXi and in rough water I had to keep one hand on the trottle at all time in case I needed to give the boat some lift.

me too...the bow is virtually unusable if going to on and off plane. 50 pounds up there and you better be on glass.

[RTS]

But Jet Ski wakes???? Even a Repsonse should be able to take multiples of those over the bow. I can't envision 2 of them sinking it.

[Afun]

NOTE TO SELF...Do not ride in or ever buy a Malibu 2002 SSLXI, or 03-06 Response LXI, or 03-06 RLXI

[85 Barefoot]

But Jet Ski wakes???? Even a Repsonse should be able to take multiples of those over the bow. I can't envision 2 of them sinking it.

Should or can are two different things. I'm not saying under all circumstances a jet ski wave will swamp an lxi (just talking 03-06 btw), but it wouldn't be hard to do so. If you had 300#s in the bow it wouldn't take much of a wave at all and its coming in.

Edited July 29, 2013 by 85 Barefoot

[wakedncsu]

And we don't know what kind of jetski either. My dad has a 3 person Yamaha jetski that is more boat than ski. It is big.

[85 Barefoot]

NOTE TO SELF...Do not ride in or ever buy a Malibu 2002 SSLXI, or 03-06 Response LXI, or 03-06 RLXI

a 99-04 sunsetter lxi is more than seaworthy...a 03-06 response is as well, but requires little to no weight in the bow and vigilance about your surroundings. I had an 05 response lxi (Afun, rlxi and response lxi are the same thing) and put several hundred hours on it. I don't recall ever taking on any water, but that was a function of concluding early on that no one was allowed in the bow.

[RTS]

NOTE TO SELF...Do not ride in or ever buy a Malibu 2002 SSLXI, or 03-06 Response LXI, or 03-06 RLXI

Ha...the SSLXi is not that bad. My Dad was driving us home one day...about 3 kids (150lbs total, I would guess) in the bow. He idled down to go through a canal, and I saw the roller coming. Nothing I could do but watch as a HUGE wake came over the front...enough to deflect off the windsheild and send a tsunami into the cockpit area. It was an enormous amout of water, but it didn't even come close to sinking us. Kids were flat soaked.

Edited July 29, 2013 by RTS

[Deven]

The big question is how much ballast was in the boat.

[Afun]

These boats should only come closed bow. How much Ballast?