At what age did you buy your first Malibu

[Chrisjjbrown]

First Boat - 26.   2005 Nitro bass boat - no kids 

Second boat - 2013 Malibu vtx at 31 - w kids - 2 and 1 year old 

[ac88926]

17 years old - 1982 mastercraft stars and stripes

21 years old - 2000 Malibu wakesetter

27 years old - 2014 Axis A22

[dtm8119]

24 years old - split a 2002 Malibu Sunsetter LXI with my best friend on the lake

30 years old - sold the Sunsetter and got a 94 Mastercraft Prostar 190

[Michigan boarder]

"Well I remember it as though it were a meal ago"

Owned a few boats in the past, and bought my Malibu in 2008, so I was 39.  I had my eye on it for 6 years, a buddy owned it.  He didn't take good care of it, and every year I bugged him "You are destroying this boat, you ready to sell this thing to me yet?".  One day he calls me in the middle of November.  "Dude - 2 things.  1: do you still want to buy my boat? 2: I need you to drive with me to Arkansas to pick up the boat I just got on Ebay".  We made the 14 hour drive in a snowstorm, highways closed, etc.  Got there, ate some barbecue, hooked up to the boat and headed back to Michigan.  Thru another snowstorm.  Pulled into his driveway at midnight.  I then pulled the Echelon 20 miles home, took it to work and spent an hour hosing it all down from the road salt.  And realized it was REALLY rough.  Got to work on it the next day, wetsanded it, new interior, and the mods/improvements have never really stopped.  Arguably one of the finest 1994 Echelon's in existence.

Edit: had 3 kids at the time, 2 boys ages 8 and 9 and a girl age 2.  Was the perfect size, but now it is shrinking.  I promised the wife a V-drive when we sell the lake house, likely next summer.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Michigan boarder
additional info

[nohlan4]

First boat 26, no kids. I feel very fortunate now being able to get the boat I did at the age I did, will be able to take full advantage of its capabilties.

[SSinister06]

I've always grown up around boats, dad and grandpa owned them. Just bought our first boat, 2016 22 mxz, 28 years old, married and no kids yet.

[Technicallyabu]

A more telling question would be when did you own your first Malibu

 

22 - Zodiak

25 - Lund

28 - Campion

31 - Axis

[1HELLUVALIFE]

19 - 2003 GP1300R Jetski  no kids

23- 1999 Sunsetter LXI   no kids

Hopefully get into a V-drive in the next year or 2

[milo84]

I had a boat my whole life because if my parents. They gave me that one at age 19 then bought my malibu at 30 with no kids.  I am really suprised at how many people where in their late 20's to mid 30's when they got their malibu. 

This came up because my parents told me most people who own these types boats are older with older kids because they are the only ones who can afford them.

[tn_rider]

Got my first boat at 11 and it was a jon boat.

Got my first Malibu at 18. It was an 02 VLX. I kept it for a year and a half and decided I waned bigger. So I sold it, saved for another 2 years and bought my second Malibu at 22. I kept it for 2 years and sold it last year when I found out we had a little one on the way. I'm 24 now and I'm taking a couple years off of the water to do a couple things like build a newer home and a shop. However, if the boat bug bites I could come home with one at any time and I have a feeling being at the lake all summer with no boat will change that LOL. I have nothing but good things to say about my HOH. She really doesnt nag at me at all for coming home with new toys.

[95echelon]

Had a Malibu owned by parents since age 12. But for my personal boats:

Age 18 - Seadoo Speedster Used - No Kids, Great for jumping waves on lake michigan.

Age 25 - 95 Malibu Echelon LX Used - 2 Kids

Age 33 - 2005 VLX Used (recently bought) - 3 Kids

 

 

 

[khelfrich]

bought an 83 supra for 1200 when I was 23 spent 2-3 years and 25k rebuilding it, then bought a new 247 leftover when I was 27 and sold the supra a year later for 14k

[DarkSide]

When i bought my first boat. I was 42, married 3 kids 12-16 yamaha jet boat.  Over the next couple years we discovered we liked water sports more than what a jet boat could provide.  So i went shopping, found an A22 that i really liked.  I took my lovely wife down to see the axis.  She looked at it and was not a fan.  She told me in no uncertain terms that an A22 was not in our future.  However, if i wanted to order a 24MXZ that would be perfectly fine.  So at 44 I ordered a 24 MXZ, then last year at 45 I ordered the 2nd 24 MXZ.

[twitchee2]

1990 yamaha 650 waverunner 15 or 16, my uncle gave it to me as a birthday present, he bought it new in 1990. gave it to my cousin when I was 23

I dont have a godo picture of the 1990, but its on this trailer with the 2005:

2005 honda R12 PWC when I was 21 for $3600 sold it when I was 24.

2001 malibu when I was 25 for $20K had a gf, no kids, mortgage.  I am getting married 3 months from today to that same girl.

Edited March 18, 2016 by twitchee2

[malibuskier2003]

31 married with 2 young kids.  1998 Sunsetter VLX factory ordered.  Probably the last "truly affordable" Malibu model year.  By 2000, Malibu (& pricing) starting blowing up and the rest is history.....

 

Dave

 

Edited March 18, 2016 by malibuskier2003
Added wife & kids

[mountaineerhill]

25 for my 23LSV.

It was my very first boat and the only one in my family to ever own one. I was floating by my friends dock and a brand new Malibu came by loaded down with a rider surfing. From that moment on I decided I had to have one. Took a year to find one in my budget and couldn't be happier. I will be upgrading to a newer one within a few years.

 

Single with no kids. Its been a fun year.

Edited March 18, 2016 by mountaineerhill

[ID AX]

First - 1990 ski nautique - 25 years old no kids

second - 2002 tige 23v - 36 years old 2 kids 4 & 6

third - 2014 A22 - 38 yo

fourth - 2015 lsv - 40 yo

Edited March 18, 2016 by ID AX

[Sixer]

Grew up with boats, always wanted an inboard, but my dad is a fisherman so we always had a fishing boat that I would ski behind.  

1st boat: 2012 VTX at age 34 one 3 year old, wife pregnant with 2nd.

2nd boat: 2014 VTX at age 36 one 5 year old and one 2 year old.

[Malibuzer]

First boat Mariah Shabah 180-  31 2 kids , married

First Malibu 2007 VTX - 36  2 kids, still married.

[Kdwebby]

I grew up around boats. Parents, grandparents, and uncles all had them. 

First boat 2000 Mariah Shabbah 182- 23 years old, no kids, girlfriend

sold Mariah for 2001 Malibu lsv - 32 years old, 1 year old twins, wife

that was 2 years ago and it's still fitting all my needs. 

[tdelandsheer]

Grew up on my dad's 1984 MasterCraft Stars and Strips

Bought a couple Kawasaki stand ups as a teen

Age 22 got the family MasterCraft - No wife - No Kids

Age 25 bought my 1996 Malibu VLX! - wife - no kids

[wheelman]

first- 17- used 1980 something  18 ft seaswirl no kids

second -20-  new 1993 Campion 185 Atlante no kids

third- 22 - used 1988 mastercraft prostar 190 no kids

fourth-30 -new 2005  22ft four winns no kids

fifth-32- new 2006 centurion enzo 1 kid

sixth-38- used 2010 malibu 23lsv 2 kids

seventh-41- new2015 malibu 23lsv 2 kids

 

The longest I have been without a boat for since 17 is 8 months and thanks god I had friends with them

 

Wow that was a stroll down memory lane 

[srab]

Didn't get my Malibu until I was 47 years old, married, with two kids, 12 and 9.

In fact, I'd never been on an inboard, and didn't know anyone who owned an inboard, until I was 45. 

I was on my second boat at the time, starting with an 18 1/2 ft. Sea Ray runabout when I was 41, with the kids then 6 and 3, and graduating to a 22 ft. Chaparral four years later.

But, one morning skiing behind a friend's 23 LSV (I know, certainly not an ideal slalom boat, but it blew away any boat I'd ever driven or skied behind!) and I was hooked.  I sold the Chap, bought the Malibu, and never looked back.

[Cmb396]

First boat, or ski rather was an Ultra 150 when I was around 23, modded the hell outta that thing and it gps'd around 74.

first boat was an 09 Rinker 226R at 32

first Malibu was 3 weeks ago at age 37, 2013 23LSV, L96 and I have 3 kids, 20, 8, and 5.

[DAI]

37 yo - kids were 1 & 2