Interesting end to our boat show visit... Serious situation came up

[ahopkins22LSV]

So we had a great time at the Detroit show. We didn't stop at the Malibu booth until the end. The whole show my wife was commenting on on how she loves the space of the v-drives and all of our friends loved it too. They don't decide what we do but they do come out with us all the time and it would be better with a v drive for seating.

So we get to the Malibu booth and she's still commenting on space and cup holders blah blah blah. Then I start looking at a vtx because I know in the back of my head a vtx would suit us better. My wife says she really likes it too and I say yeah and it even skis well. I had no idea what that comment was going to turn into. She now wants one. Bad. And she really likes a stick boat they have.

So my very serious question is, how does a vtx actually ski? How does it drive? It's going to be very hard for me to give up the TXi. I'm finally starting to hit my goals skiing and I can't imagine going backwards or not progressing anymore.

However I can fully understand her point. The vtx will allow for a better boating experience on pretty much every other way other than me skiing. But I still struggle with the thought haha. Ignore the money we can figure that out I'm only looking at it from a performance perspective.

Edited February 16, 2015 by ahopkinsTXi

[Slayer]

Dude....you're kind of screwed on this. I think the VTX will ski well. Not as well as my boat and not as well as your boat. You may be slightly disappointed by comparison, particularly if you're planning to chase bouys in the tourney's this year. That doesn't mean it will suck at all. Chances are you'll have to play around with bow ballast to get the best out of it. That's the bad news.....and for how you use your boat.....that news is really not bad at all because of the flexibility the VTX will provide.

The good news is that you have friends, some more local than others, with solid slalom tugs that can provide the dedicated wake you're looking for. Your early sets at the home pond are still available I would think. And my place on the way home is nearly always open.

In all honesty, if I were in your shoes, I'd struggle finding a better boat than a VTX. My wife loves the layout of a Vdrive, but since we have the toon, the vdrive issue for us is seriously mitigated.

Edited February 15, 2015 by inlandlaker

[Chrisjjbrown]

I love my VTX. It Is perfect for our family. Plenty of space for me the wife and the 2 small kids. And a few friends that come out from time to time. I mostly wake board but do ski as well. I am no pro but I think it skis pretty freaking well. My dad use to ski in tournaments back in the day behind his old mastercraft pro stars and compliments the ski wake and pull all the time. He either is being nice, lost his memory, or honest. Not sure which one.

For me unless your a pro or tht is all you use your boat for I can't justify having a salmon boat when a boat like the VTX is avaiable that does all these water sports so well and u gain a very nice layout.

Good problem to have.

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[oldjeep]

Come to the dark side I've never skied behind a TXI, but I do ski behind an LXI quite often. At 15 off I don't notice the difference between the LXI and my VTX. I'm running off the pop up pylon - my vtx does not have the center pylon. In the LXI we typically have 2 people in the boat when skiing, usually 4 in my VTX when skiing. Awful hard to beat the versatility of the v-drive. I think the LXI is a nice boat, but completely useless as a family/general purpose boat.

As for the comp skiing - look at it this way. Skiing on choppy water and a choppier wake makes you a better skier, waiting for glass and only skiing on the flattest wake you can find makes you a pansy

Edited February 15, 2015 by oldjeep

[3sport]

I know no one needs to tell u to demo first, but I think you'll be disappointed with the ski wake coming from your txi and being a serious skier. Sure the vtx will out ski the rest of the wakesetter lineup, but it's still a jack of all trades, master of none. As it is, I'm trying to convince the missus to give the green light on a second boat (10 to 15 yr old 200 or 196) so I can more seriously try and improve in the course. If you were just free skiing, I'd say the vtx is all u need.

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[oldjeep]

FWIW - you should be able to get a smoking deal on a holdover 2014 VTX if you decide to go that way. I know that my dealer still has 2 of them in addition to 3 2015's

[bb1632]

I'm just impressed that you got your wife to brave -1 degree temps to go to a boat show! We're going to wait until next weekend because I couldn't talk the Mrs into going today.

[Slayer]

Great points all around on this, ahopkins. 3sport in particular has a very profound take on the matter.

[martinarcher]

I've skied a Resonse, my Snsetter, and a 2013 VTX back to back, all at 15 off.

The Response is in a league all of it's own. Compared to the other two, the absence of wake or a perceivable wake table when on edge is almost magical IMO. If I only slalom skied my Sunsetter would be for sale.

The Sunsetter skis very well but has a pronounced bump as you come into the wake. If you keep the ski on edge it's no big deal, but get timid and flatten the ski and it can surprise you.

The VTX really impressed me for a v-drive. I didn't have high hopes with the sheer size of the boat and weight compared to the other two, but after that famous hull get up to speed it's incredible how the wake is mellowed out. The transition into the wake on edge is really nice. The wake is much wider than the other two. The biggest thing i noticed is the height of the table. It is much higher than the other two but is shaped in a wide low arc. Coming into and out of it is nice but you do notice a rise and fall as your cross the "arc".

If I was trying to regularly chase buoys I'd stick with your boat. I enjoy free skiing a lot and love getting behind our boat and a pull behind a Response when I can. That said, the next boat we buy, it will be hard not to give a VTX a serious look.

[ahopkins22LSV]

I used to ski behind an x14 for the majority of my ski years. I think I could get pass the wakes but I'm more concerned with how the boat feels. I know the 15's come with zo but is it the same zo as it my TXi right now? Good points everyone. Would like to still hear some feedback from others. 85 you out there?

[Slayer]

85 should have some good information on the matter.

[Sixball]

No way its even close if you are into skiing. I was never happier as a skier to lose the V drive and get the R LXI. I was always so happy when it was my other partners turn to pull. And my V drive skied well just not even close to a world class DD.

Get a pontoon for the party boat and keep the DD tug for skiing.

I had the V drive because of a wife and son who liked the seating. Seating is not why I am buying a tug! Even look at a nice used pontoon. Its hard to beat a nice pontoon for a friends and family.

[robtr8]

I'm in the two of everything camp. Seems like you could do a '00 SN 196 and an '06 X1 for the same money.

[oldjeep]

I used to ski behind an x14 for the majority of my ski years. I think I could get pass the wakes but I'm more concerned with how the boat feels. I know the 15's come with zo but is it the same zo as it my TXi right now? Good points everyone. Would like to still hear some feedback from others. 85 you out there?

The ZO is not the same. It is like the difference between the old Perfect Pass comp and Perfect Pass Wakeboard Pro. With the VTX you don't get the A/B/C stuff and I doubt that it has the equipment to pick up the buoys. I've only got the paddle wheel Malibu cruise, but will be adding on the GPS module next season (Non ZO for my boat). The 04 LXI I ski behind just has the PP Wakeboard Pro (non GPS), so I don't really notice any difference in the cruise through the course.

FWIW, the VTX skis better with some bow ballast. I run my bow tank almost full with 4 people in the boat.

Edited February 16, 2015 by oldjeep

[oldjeep]

I'm in the two of everything camp. Seems like you could do a '00 SN 196 and an '06 X1 for the same money.

Ugg, then you would have to own an X1

Although for the same money as a 2015 VTX you could definitely buy an LXI and a late 2000's VTX

[ahopkins22LSV]

Two boats is not an option for us. We don't live directly on the lake, yet.

[Bill_AirJunky]

I'm certainly no skinny skier, but have a friend with a VTX. When I go out with him there are a couple of other guys we can call who are competitive slalom skiers. It's not unusual for us to go from fully weighted wake for a boarder or foil rider, to nothing but a little in the bow for the slalom wake, in just a few minutes. The guys all say it's not a tournament wake, but good enough for the everyday ski, and great practice for when they go to a real boat.

[Wayne]

ahopkinsTXi, what line length do you get into and at what speed? The 20LSV made it to a Class C tournament rating for 2008 or 2009. The hull still carries that same profile but with the VTX you get a weight penalty from all the wakesetter bling. There is a guy in SE MI that gets after short line in a 20LSV but Malibu kind of dropped that lineup. It's possible to get a VTX custom ordered stripped of the tower and wake generation stuff but you have to find a dealer that is willing to work with malibu on having it done. If you want the layout of a v-drive and don't want or need all the wake sports capability this may be a way to minimize the compromise.

I test skied a VTX with minimal options (no wedge and only standard ballast) and I actually thought the wake was a little more mellow than the FXI (the direct drive on the same 20 foot hull). I had all of the tanks empty and there was no bow tank. If you ski below about 32 the V-drive will start to kick up a wake. 28 MPH and forget the course, might as well drop the speed a little more and buy a trick ski.

Hind sight for me, I should have looked at a 20LSV when I bought my 2009 LXI. I never plan to ski competitively and for our kids the rear engine layout would be better. However with living on a lake I don't really list for the space of a v-drive any more but my wife wants to surf.

[ahopkins22LSV]

Sorry I should have mentioned it. I am into 15 and 22 off at 36mph. I have made a ton of progress the last few years and that is my biggest mental struggle. I want to keep it going. I know the TXi will allow me to do that.

Not sure if the vtx would be able keep that going. Not going to lie the surfability is a draw though. Like inland said I do have other slalom tug options, but it sure is nice not having to rely any one (no offense to anyone I ski with here )

Edited February 16, 2015 by ahopkinsTXi

[dtm8119]

That's one of my biggest fears when going to the boat show each year with my wife...that she'll come away saying "we should get a V-drive"!

In the next couple years, we will be going from the SSLXi to a closed bow slalom only tug + pontoon for cruising the lake and getting the dogs out on the water.

[oldjeep]

VTX was actually tournament certified in 2008 and I don't think that the Hull has changed since then

[Tims]

My 2 cents; if slalom is your #1 sport, keep the TXI.

I went from a 99 Response to a VTX and regretted it.

[3sport]

I'm not at your level, but I don't notice the difference between zero off and Malibu gps cruise. Ski regularly in the course with my vtx and I think martinarcher's description of the wake is bang on - mellow, but definitely wider and taller. Like I said, jack of all trades but master of none. If you're at all interested in surfing like you say, I do think it's gonna blow your txi away in that respect. And of course for social boating a dd doesn't hold a candle to a v-drive. But no doubt you are sacrificing on the ski wake.

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[ahopkins22LSV]

3sport or jeep, do either of you guys have the center pylon option? I don't recall when that became available. I feel like without that you are going to be further back which could lead to the comments on the wider wake. I'm sure it will still be wider regardless but that would help I imagine.

[Pnwrider]

You know the saying about a happy wife right? I would also try and break down how much time (use) you estimate you spend skiing vs lounging vs surfing, etc. If 2 boats can't happen, the jack of all trades isn't a bad way to go. It's why people tow with f150s around here instead of diesels.