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Thoughts on 20 VTX


Wells

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Hi folks. first post.

My wife and I are in our 60's and skiing days are numbered. Children like to ski primarily but also board some and grandchildren yet to be determined. All are pretty good athletes but have always been held back by the only boat we could afford---- a 20' I/O which is now 20 yrs old and dying. Now paying dearly for education is behind us and we are thinking of stretching for a do it all cross-over 20 VTX. We have an old family camp in Maine and the boat will likely be worth more than the "cottage" but first things first.

Questions:

Is this the right boat and will it handle rougher water on tubing days.

Trying to save $ and thinking of going without tower as we ski from the dock and have no need for overhead storage or lights and would like to shoot the folks with sound systems they play for the whole world to hear. Is this a crazy idea.

Can the Monsoon 410 do the job or will I feel underpowered.as some friends weigh 220 lbs or so. Still trying to save $ both on price of power plant and on gas.

Is it a bad idea to moor an expensive boat for 6 months or is a lift a "must have"? 

Thanks for any input.

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It is the right boat for a family that wants to ski and do wake sports.  It is an amazing crossover boat.  It may handle rough water a little worse than your previous I/O, but not too much.  The bigger the boat, the better it handles chop.  You could also fill the ballast in the front and center to help with rough water.

I would get the tower and you are honestly not likely to find a boat without one, unless you are ordering new.  resale value will warrant getting one if nothing else. 

The 410 will be fine for that boat.  And you can always get different performance out of it by changing the prop around to suit your needs.

I would not leave a boat in the water for 6 months at a time.  Fiberglass is porous and will absorb water if left in too long without some sort of anti-fouling paint.  I would get a lift to protect your investment.

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Wells, First, Welcome to the site.

The VTX is good at everything, better at skiing before 2016.  We have 4 kids, and a typical day can start with running the course, and do everything else in the afternoon.  We have enjoyed surfing with a crowd in the boat.  We have the 350 monsoon, and i would love to have the 410, but I wouldn't make that a deal breaker.

We have one, and are on Sebago, to be honest, none of the ski boats are great in big chop.  In Naples, Sun Sports has a new VTX every year, they do skiing and wakeboard lessons and demos behind it, and have surf night on Thursdays.  Surf night is a great way to try it with an experienced driver.

Ours won't be in the lake until August, but you can come try it out too.  FWIW, we generally leave the boat int he water from May to September, and haven't had any issues.

Edited by asnowman
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I have the standard motor on my 2016 vtx.  Im 6 foot 4 220pounds.  It rips me out on a single ski with 5 adults in the boat.  My wife thinks she has only ever used 3/4 throttle to pull me up.

i agree you must get the tower!  We dont have speakers on ours but find the bimini great for shade and i can stand easily under it.

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My .02

VTX will not handle rough water as well as your current bowrider, just the nature of the hull designs.

Great crossover boat - at least until 2015

Rather than trying to save by eliminating tower, save a lot more by buying a used one.

Definitely yes on the lift

Base engine is plenty

  • Like 2
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We have a 2013 20 VTX with the Monsoon 350, enough power with the right prop. We run the slalom course and surf fully loaded with it. It is a fantastic all around boat. I never had a tower before this one and I love it. It's great for board/ski storage and great for rope hook up. The younger ones will want to surf and wakeboard and it makes it a lot better with the tower. I trailer mine and it fits in my garage with tower folded and tongue swung in on trailer. Great boat, we love it so far!!!

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Welcome to the site, YA, another Mainer!!!

I agree with others, get the tower. Buy used if needed. The typical "wake boat" owner will keep better care of his boat then the typical I/O owner and you can find some really nice 6-8 year old "wake boats". The tower really seems to help with new skiers/boarders, the rope is more pulling them up out of the water then just pulling them, and possibly down with the typical rope location at the back of the boat. The Monsoon in a inboard will be so much better then your current boat just by design, and you will have to adjust to not using all the throttle to get skiers up. I am also fairly heavy at 6ft 220lb and do not need full throttle to get up with the Monsoon, my girlfriend often still pulls a bit too hard. We leave ours in sometimes for 3-4 weeks at a time and would love to have a lift, but just cant justifie it with the season being so short here. I have rode behind Asnowmans VTX and the ski wake is nice. Where are you located?

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We have a 08 VTX   Have done about everything w this boat.  PM me for contact and further info if ya want.   Great boats. Can be adapted and mods for multiple uses and handles great.  We love ours.  850hrs and counting  

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Sounds like this is a stretch purchase for you.  Therefore, don't buy new.  A used one will do fine and save you a fortune.

VTX won't handle chop all that well compared to the bigger boats.  Also sounds like you will have a good amount of people on the boat.  If everyone was happy skiing behind a 20' I/O I am sure they will be happy behind a VLX or 23 LSV as well. 

 

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I greatly appreciate all the responses. Very helpful and generous folk here.

We are on Long Lake in Harrison, ME.

Have to admit in that we have not looked at a"new" boat in 20 yrs, I find all the possibilities somewhat confusing and the prices jaw dropping. My wife likes more freeboard but admits that most of the time the boat is now on the water it is with the next generation and they enjoy skiing and some boarding. I imagine they would enjoy surfing but have never tried it behind a boat. One ocean surfer in the crowd.

Am considering looking at this boat: http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2010-MALIBU-VTX-WAKESETTER-102810331  though I'm not sure if it has the diamond hull which from reading is what I would like. May also wait til season end and see if with more boats on the market prices drop some. 

asnowman, I may be in contact. Thanks.

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Hard to tell for sure since the back shot is so far away.  There are a couple pictures in the thread below that can help you identify it if they can get a closer picture of the rear.  I had the same question when I was buying mine.

 

Only thing to keep in mind is that if surfing is a potential use then you may want a 2013 or newer which would have surf gate.  Mine is a 2012 and doesn't have it but I ski and don't care about surfing (you can surf it but it has to be listed (tilted) )

Edited by oldjeep
  • Like 1
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1 hour ago, Wells said:

Am considering looking at this boat: http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2010-MALIBU-VTX-WAKESETTER-102810331  though I'm not sure if it has the diamond hull which from reading is what I would like. May also wait til season end and see if with more boats on the market prices drop some. 

That looks like a good price.

You might consider something a little larger.  The VTX can be pretty cramped with more than 6 or 7 people and it doesn't handle rough water very well.  Maybe an older 21' VLX or SAN 210.  Won't ski quite as well, but it will do everything else better.

http://www.onlyinboards.com/2013-Nautique-210-Super-Air-for-sale-Epsom-New-Hampshire-53795.aspx

I would always use a lift with canopy.  We love our VTX.  But if you go VTX, I would get a boat with surfgate.  It is a functional upgrade and will help keep the value up with you go to sell it again.

Grab your ski and start trying different boats!  

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new VTX handles rough water much better than original iteration.  I'm still convinced a "normal" prop will elicit a fine ski wake, but I checked the torque prop box.  

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Haha! That one looks alost exactly like mine! I do wish we had surf gate, but we mostly ski still these days.

Dan (east coast flightcraft) usually orders them with the diamond hull.

Wells, pm me, happy to chat, and hoping to put the boat in next weekend.... finally.

Go talk to Harry at sun sports in naples, he sells his every year, and it only ever runs in long lake.

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On 7/18/2016 at 6:33 PM, asnowman said:

Wells, First, Welcome to the site.

The VTX is good at everything, better at skiing before 2016.  We have 4 kids, and a typical day can start with running the course, and do everything else in the afternoon.  We have enjoyed surfing with a crowd in the boat.  We have the 350 monsoon, and i would love to have the 410, but I wouldn't make that a deal breaker.

We have one, and are on Sebago, to be honest, none of the ski boats are great in big chop.  In Naples, Sun Sports has a new VTX every year, they do skiing and wakeboard lessons and demos behind it, and have surf night on Thursdays.  Surf night is a great way to try it with an experienced driver.

Ours won't be in the lake until August, but you can come try it out too.  FWIW, we generally leave the boat int he water from May to September, and haven't had any issues.

I don't think that can yet be concluded.  YEs there was a poster not happy but he had never had a VTX and I've now spoken to Malibu and ACME and a prop change from I have will make a big difference.  Heard Nate Smith ran 39 off behind the '16.  With the new reduction tranny the prop selections are different than in years past and I'm still confident I'm going to get a great wake when I make my change from my torque prop.

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18 minutes ago, 85 Barefoot said:

I don't think that can yet be concluded.  YEs there was a poster not happy but he had never had a VTX and I've now spoken to Malibu and ACME and a prop change from I have will make a big difference.  Heard Nate Smith ran 39 off behind the '16.  With the new reduction tranny the prop selections are different than in years past and I'm still confident I'm going to get a great wake when I make my change from my torque prop.

I think Nate Smith could run 39 off behind my old Bayliner. 

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Unless you're running 39 off at 36 mph, does it matter that Nate did it?  As you know, boats perform differently at different line lengths and speeds.  My guess is not many people run a VTX at shorter lengths than 15 or 22 off (which puts you right on the rooster tail on my '13 at 32 mph).  If they're running shorter, they're probably hard core and have a direct drive.  Would love to believe the '16 skis as good as my '13 at 15 off and 32 mph (would run out and buy one now), but its tough to.

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with the same prop, I bet it'd be close.  hull is updated.  Only thing working against it is a heavier engine and more freeboard.  So, chalk up a few hundred pounds, there's no reason it shouldn't.  The reason some people have commented on the wash (me included) is that its swinging a bigger prop with more reduction. 

 

for fun, what prop do you have 3sport?

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4 minutes ago, 3sport said:

Unless you're running 39 off at 36 mph, does it matter that Nate did it?  As you know, boats perform differently at different line lengths and speeds.  My guess is not many people run a VTX at shorter lengths than 15 or 22 off (which puts you right on the rooster tail on my '13 at 32 mph).  If they're running shorter, they're probably hard core and have a direct drive.  Would love to believe the '16 skis as good as my '13 at 15 off and 32 mph (would run out and buy one now), but its tough to.

That is a good point since the wake likely cleans up even more at 36MPH as opposed to my 15 off @ 32 MPH (Off rear pylon - I haven't got a center one)

Just for a data point my 2012 runs a 1939, which was the stock prop

Edited by oldjeep
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10 minutes ago, 85 Barefoot said:

with the same prop, I bet it'd be close.  hull is updated.  Only thing working against it is a heavier engine and more freeboard.  So, chalk up a few hundred pounds, there's no reason it shouldn't.  The reason some people have commented on the wash (me included) is that its swinging a bigger prop with more reduction. 

 

for fun, what prop do you have 3sport?

I still want to know what they did to the hull to make the spray so crazy.  Is it just the more nose down running attitude?

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I haven't noticed anything about my spray to be honest....hence the other reason I was saying nate ran 39.  Would be pretty tough to do in massive spray.  

Are you talking about the width of the spray or the distance traveling back?  I could see that its a wide spray, but kind of like a mid 00's nautique.

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The 2016 is listed as being 200 lbs heavier than our 2011 is, and i know i notice the difference in the ski wake at 34 mph when there is one extra person in the boat.  That 200 lbs has to make a difference.  Our local ski shop orders a new vtx every year, and though i haven't yet been out in this years, they have told me without a doubt the 16 doesnt ski as well for the average person, but it does surf and wakeboard better.

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17 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

That is a good point since the wake likely cleans up even more at 36MPH as opposed to my 15 off @ 32 MPH (Off rear pylon - I haven't got a center one)

Just for a data point my 2012 runs a 1939, which was the stock prop

On my current setup with the torque prop, it actually gets worse (wash).

I don't think some people are following.  The "WAKE" of the 16 VTX is absolutely consistent with 07-15s.  I know that because I had one.  What IS different is the propwash, and I have the worst prop possible.

With the 15" props compared to your 1939, that blade surface is almost 20% bigger AND, you're getting more than 10" inches of drive per revolution, which is more than even the new 15" speed prop per revolution with the new reduction.  If I put a 1939 on my boat, I am extreeeeemley confident you could barely tell any difference in our wakes.  You  could definitely see the difference now in the wash as my current torque prop is, admittedly, churning up a lot of water back there.  Not only is it 15" but its getting just 8 inches of push each revolution.  

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