$79,995 - The Official 2017 21VLX Thread

[SCMike]

@zmongoose

I've only been able to wake surf mine 2 times.  I surfed at 10.8mph, wedge fully deployed, and full stock ballast.  

The surfwave was tall, but it was not too long.  I was able to surf ropeless no problem, as it had plenty of push.  I don't know what the ideal set up is, but If you were to add plug in play and some bow weight, I think you could have a very respectable wave.  

For me, I'm very happy with the wave as i believe it performs nicely out of the box, and has tons of potential to make it even better.

I don't have any pics of the wave unfortunately, but here is a pic of the boat, since this thread is clearly lacking pictures  

 

Edited May 9, 2017 by SCMike

[Rceider]

Here's another pic for the thread. I'm still playing with ballast, speed and wedge.  Lake was a little choppy too.       I think this was full stock ballast, wedge at 3 from bottom and 11mph with only myself in the boat.

 

[teamerickson]

Without PNP, that pic may be food for trolls!

[hethj7]

Yea, looks like it needs more weight, but certainly looks to have potential.   

[Rceider]

4 minutes ago, hethj7 said:

Yea, looks like it needs more weight, but certainly looks to have potential.   

Any rear locker size recommendations without going so big I lose my bow seating? That's my kids spot. 

[95echelon]

9 minutes ago, Rceider said:

Any rear locker size recommendations without going so big I lose my bow seating? That's my kids spot. 

Give it up if you want a killer wave. The wave is short without bow weight in most Malibus but the 21VLX could be different. A good alternative is a few hundred pounds of lead in the bow, and the lead will let you take chop better too. You definitely need more than stock up front, but how you get there is up to you. You can also do what some others have done and get a monster walkway sack.

My boat is the same size (only a little bigger) but not the same hull and i have 920lbs on top of stock in each rear locker. For a good wave I usually fill the bags around half if I don't have bow sac in.

Sometimes I just put a 400 up front instead of the 1000 and boys sit in front of it and use it as a backrest. Mine are 6 and 9 though so if yours are teens that won't work.

Edited May 23, 2017 by 95echelon

[95echelon]

On 9/27/2016 at 5:26 PM, hunter77ah said:

For the demo last weekend, dealer was driving with the 550 pip in the back, wedge (close to max) and only me as bow weight, it was running hard.  Sounded similar to the 3900rpm that the mxz was running.

I wanted to get specifics, but there were other people along for the demo and the sales guy knew I wasn't going to buy it.

I have a larger hull and the old monsoon 340. Running an acme 2419 (15x12) and I can plane out with 4200 ballast and 5 adults on board... Surfing is easy peasy with that prop on. It's all prop.

[hethj7]

If you have a lot of people out, you can use some human ballast in the front.    If you are running a lighter crew, throw the bag in the bow as seating shouldn't be an issue at that point anyways.  Tougher if human ballast is kids though....

For bags, buy the largest possible.   You can always just partially fill them.  You'll likely find times though when you really want to max out your weight though.  

[Rceider]

Well at my skill level I'm sure the wave is good enough.  Just thinking of future upgrades. 

[Scott1969]

Finally dialed in my 2017 21 VLX surf wave this past weekend. Here is the set up

Bow tank full, Center tank full, Surf side – Hard tank full with 750 PNP sack full, Non surf side - hard tank full with none in 750 PNP sack. Wedge two clicks up from lift. 11.2 MPH.  Here is the kicker, I added a 400lb sack in the compartment where the batteries use to be (not interested in visible sacks).  I constructed a tall thick plexiglass divider to protect the stereo amplifiers from getting splashed when we fill this tank.  Blows my old A20 wave away.

[cmrdgrs]

I've been reading this forum for a while, but have never posted because I don't own a boat, and I've been reading and trying to learn from all of you.  I'm resurrecting this old thread because DH and I are finally serious and ready to buy our first boat.  Currently the Malibu 21 VLX is at the top of our list.  Here is a little about our family and the journey we have been on during our decision process:

My daughter (DD14) water skis at her camp every summer.  She has been behind a V drive Malibu, a dd Malibu and a Sanger.  Unfortunately, she has no ideal what models she has skied behind, but her favorite is the dd Malibu.  I'm guessing it is a Response.  She loves to water ski, not too keen on wake boarding.  DH and I have both water skied recreationally and we both have dipped our toe in the water related to ocean surfing and loved it! So getting a boat that offers the ability to surf has a lot of appeal.  My son (DS16) thinks he would like to learn to water ski or wake board, but he has no experience.

We started this journey with the thought of buy a used direct drive boat.  After reading the forum, it looked like you could work with a direct drive to build the wake to get a good surf wake, and a direct drive seemed like a good fit for DD14 who wants to water ski.  But, ultimately after looking at a few direct drive boats I decided that the seating configuration wasn't very family friendly, and DH really wasn't interested in working too hard to dial in a good surf wake, it just seemed like a hassle to him.  We aren't going to be running a slalom course anytime soon, and we decided that maybe a V drive could meet our needs nicely if we found the right boat.

That brought us to looking at newer used boats.  DH likes the surf systems that newer boats offer and it seems like a no brainer for a beginner to start wake surfing.  If we get better, we can then work on dialing in the wake and finding what works best for us.  I have also read good things about getting a decent water skiing wake for DD14.

So... we are looking at pulling the trigger on a leftover 2017 21 VLX.  From what I have read, it would be nice if we could get a diamond hull instead of the wake hull, we have a test drive in one this weekend, but the one we will be riding in will have a wake hull.  

Here are my questions:

1) based on what I shared, do you think I should push to find a diamond hull or do you think the wake hull will meet my needs.  I'm not able to test both because the dealer told me they don't order any of the VLXs with diamond hulls and that the difference between the two is minimal (but, of course he is saying that, he wants to sell a boat).  From all I've read here, uses seem to think there is a BIG difference.

2) Pricing - the boat is priced at $79,995 and has a few options.  We haven't gotten in to the hard core of negotiating on price, but as you all have said here, pricing seems pretty firm.  Again, I realized the dealer is looking to make the most profit possible, I'm a haggler at heart so I have no problem pushing for a deal, I'm just not sure what to expect since I have never bought a boat and there is only one Malibu dealer for me to work with in my town.  I've walked away from several car dealerships only to have the dealer call me several days later ready to make the deal I was pushing for.  Any advice for me here?

3) Thoughts on this boat for my family based on what I shared?  Do you think a 20 VTX is a better fit?  This boat seemed so small to me when I sat in it.  I know the VLX isn't that much bigger, but it felt more roomy, but from a performance standpoint I didn't know if a 20 VTX is a better fit.  Again, I can't find a VTX to ride in, so I can't compare this boat on the water to the VLX.

[oldjeep]

Couple thoughts

1) There is no ordering a 2017 any more - they are already building 2018's.  That being said, if there were no difference then they wouldn't offer 2 hulls.  I'd push for a diamond hull if skiing is in the cards.

2) Even with the one price type pricing, any 2017 is a leftover by now and I'd expect to pay less.

3) I have a VTX (Pre 2016) - great family boat for us, but I have not been in the new VLX.

[gobble]

Unless you're size or weight restricted, I don't at all understand the appeal of the 21VLX at $79,999 plus freight and prep when a held over 22VLX can be had in the high 80's/low 90's. You might want to consider looking at those.

[cmrdgrs]

20 minutes ago, gobble said:

Unless you're size or weight restricted, I don't at all understand the appeal of the 21VLX at $79,999 plus freight and prep when a held over 22VLX can be had in the high 80's/low 90's. You might want to consider looking at those.

I've considered the 22VLX, but was concerned about the ski wake.  I have found the process of buying a boat frustrating in general because even if I wanted a 22 VLX my local dealer doesn't have one for me to try out and the closest dealer that has one is a minimum of 6 - 7 hours away.  Buying a boat is 180 degrees in the opposite direction from buying a car.  The other thing I have found is that when I call an out of state dealer, they don't want to work with me, and prefer to do a dealer trade.  I've now been cautioned by one dealer I talked to out of state that buying a new boat from anyone but my local dealer could cause me extra wait time if I have warranty work that needs to be done.  That all could be bull, but that's what one dealer said to me.

I'm not really weight or size restricted - just money restricted and I'd like a decent ski wake.

Edited September 5, 2017 by cmrdgrs
typo

[cmrdgrs]

27 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Couple thoughts

1) There is no ordering a 2017 any more - they are already building 2018's.  That being said, if there were no difference then they wouldn't offer 2 hulls.  I'd push for a diamond hull if skiing is in the cards.

2) Even with the one price type pricing, any 2017 is a leftover by now and I'd expect to pay less.

3) I have a VTX (Pre 2016) - great family boat for us, but I have not been in the new VLX.

I'm looking at a leftover 2017.  I have considered ordering a 2018 and getting exactly what I want, but I still have to pick the "right" boat.  Agree on your statement about the diamond hull.

[NWBU]

2 minutes ago, cmrdgrs said:

I'm looking at a leftover 2017.  I have considered ordering a 2018 and getting exactly what I want, but I still have to pick the "right" boat.  Agree on your statement about the diamond hull.

How about demoing the 2017 with the idea of ordering a 2018 with the diamond hull? The $80K price should be the same, at least it is around here, and that includes shipping and prep.

I wouldn't be a fan of buying a comparably equipped year older model of anything for the same price either.

[cmrdgrs]

13 minutes ago, NWBU said:

How about demoing the 2017 with the idea of ordering a 2018 with the diamond hull? The $80K price should be the same, at least it is around here, and that includes shipping and prep.

I wouldn't be a fan of buying a comparably equipped year older model of anything for the same price either.

We have a demo of the leftover 2017 21 VLX set up for this weekend. This boat has a wake hull, and the dealer does not have one with a diamond hull for me to compare the two.  The closest diamond hulls I've found are in Minnesota, and Florida. DH and I are willing to go to Minnesota (or Florida), test and maybe buy from a dealer there, but the dealers there say they won't sell us the boat - they will only do a dealer trade.  To me, that sorta defeats the purpose of getting the leftover from the dealer.  You know my best deal will be made with the dealer who actually is floor planning the boat and looking to get it off their floor, but maybe I'm wrong, I'm just basing my experience on buying a new boat = buying a new car.

Edited September 5, 2017 by cmrdgrs
typo

[oldjeep]

11 minutes ago, cmrdgrs said:

We have a demo of the leftover 2017 21 VLX set up for this weekend. This boat has a wake hull, and the dealer does not have one with a diamond hull for me to compare the two.  The closest diamond hulls I've found are in Minnesota, and Florida. DH and I are willing to go to Minnesota (or Florida), test and maybe buy from a dealer there, but the dealers there say they won't sell us the boat - they will only do a dealer trade.  To me, that sorta defeats the purpose of getting the leftover from the dealer.  You know my best deal will be made with the dealer who actually is floor planning the boat and looking to get it off their floor, but maybe I'm wrong, I'm just basing my experience on buying a new boat = buying a new car.

Dealer trade still gets the boat off floorplan.  Your local dealer trades the boat they have for the one you buy and are left with 0 boats, dealer with the boat you want in MN/FL is left with 1 boat.  Issue is that someone is stuck paying for shuttling the boats back and forth.

Edited September 5, 2017 by oldjeep

[cmrdgrs]

28 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Dealer trade still gets the boat off floorplan.  Your local dealer trades the boat they have for the one you buy and are left with 0 boats, dealer with the boat you want in MN/FL is left with 1 boat.  Issue is that someone is stuck paying for shuttling the boats back and forth.

Exactly.  The person paying for the cost to shuttle the two boats will be me.

I'm willing to go to MN or FL to tryout, make the deal, pay for the boat, and drive the boat off the lot, saving the dealer (well really me) that cost/headache.  Seems silly the out-of-state dealer won't work with me directly.

Edited September 5, 2017 by cmrdgrs
typo

[95echelon]

@cmrdgrs What kind of skiing is your daughter doing? Two Skis, Recreational Slalom, Course Slalom?

I have owned both a DD and an older VLX than what you are looking at (actually a little bit bigger). The layout and versatility of the V-Drive boats win out for me. Unless you are doing course type slalom I would go for a V Drive. My Wake hull VLX would have no chance of doing any hardcore slalom but I could cruise around on one ski all day long. My 12 year old daughter goes out in her wide double skis and hops around on the wake for fun.

[cmrdgrs]

23 minutes ago, 95echelon said:

@cmrdgrs What kind of skiing is your daughter doing? Two Skis, Recreational Slalom, Course Slalom?

I have owned both a DD and an older VLX than what you are looking at (actually a little bit bigger). The layout and versatility of the V-Drive boats win out for me. Unless you are doing course type slalom I would go for a V Drive. My Wake hull VLX would have no chance of doing any hardcore slalom but I could cruise around on one ski all day long. My 12 year old daughter goes out in her wide double skis and hops around on the wake for fun.

DD14 is a recreational slalom skier.  At her summer camp she does do some course work, but it's not hard core, more for fun learning to navigate the buoys and improve accuracy.  It's not a ski camp, but they have 3 boats for the campers to use on a daily basis, and they offer wake boarding & ski lessons.  She goes there for 4 weeks over the summer.  Her overall goal is to continue to improve her slalom skiing.  DH and I just want to get back to skiing and we are super interested in surfing.  Wake boarding for now has no interest to us, but we have not tried it.  DD14 has wake boarded and she prefers to ski.

I agree on the versatility of the v-drive boat.  I told DH that for the price of a new boat we could easily afford to buy 2 used boats - 1 direct drive and 1 v-drive - but, he wasn't going for that.. haha ;-)  DH wants the whole crossover idea to be easy and with the bells and whistles (and the marketing) of the newer boats that seems to have him sold on spending the money to go new.  Plus we don't see ourselves getting rid of the boat anytime soon - assuming we love what we buy.

 

Edited September 5, 2017 by cmrdgrs
typo

[95echelon]

1 minute ago, cmrdgrs said:

DD14 is a recreational slalom skier.  At her summer camp she does do some course work, but it's not hard core, more for fun learning to navigate the buoys and improve accuracy.  It's not a ski camp, but they have 3 boats for the campers to use on a daily basis, and they offer wake boarding & ski lessons.  She goes there for 4 weeks over the summer.  Her overall goal is to continue to improve her slalom skiing.  DH and I just want to get back to skiing and we are super interested in surfing.  Wake boarding for now has no interest to us, but we have not tried it.  DD14 has wake boarded and she prefers to ski.

I agree on the versatility of the v-drive boat.  I told DH that for the price of a new boat we could easily afford to buy 2 used boats - 1 direct drive and 1 v-drive - but, he wasn't going for that.. haha ;-)  DH wants the whole crossover idea to be easy with the bells and whistles of the newer boats that seems to have him sold on spending the money to go new.  Plus we don't see ourselves getting rid of the boat anytime soon - assuming we love what we buy.

 

A couple of people on here have two boats. Used DD's (especially closed bows) can be had below 10k if you look hard. They also weigh less so a cheap used boatlift works.

[cmrdgrs]

10 minutes ago, 95echelon said:

A couple of people on here have two boats. Used DD's (especially closed bows) can be had below 10k if you look hard. They also weigh less so a cheap used boatlift works.

That's where I got the idea.  It would have never dawned on me to own two boats since I don't even own one boat right now.  But, owning two boats is out of the question.  I live in an HOA and cannot have a boat stored on my property, and I can only fit one boat in the storage unit I have.  DH isn't going to buy/rent a second unit for a second boat. 

[95echelon]

3 minutes ago, cmrdgrs said:

That's where I got the idea.  It would have never dawned on me to own two boats since I don't even own one boat right now.  But, owning two boats is out of the question.  I live in an HOA and cannot have a boat stored on my property, and I can only fit one boat in the storage unit I have.  DH isn't going to buy/rent a second unit for a second boat. 

I take it you dont have lake property or live on a lake? How are you accessing the water? If you don't have shoreline get the V drive for sure, spending an 8 hour day on a direct drive with anything more than 3-4 people is a nightmare.

[cmrdgrs]

2 minutes ago, 95echelon said:

I take it you dont have lake property or live on a lake? How are you accessing the water? If you don't have shoreline get the V drive for sure, spending an 8 hour day on a direct drive with anything more than 3-4 people is a nightmare.

No we don't live on a lake.  We live in Phoenix and have lots of options for places to use the boat within 1 hr or less from our house.  For starters we will be storing the boat and trailering to the lake.  DH and I have lots of experience towing (we have a 30' Airstream) and maneuvering/backing a towed vehicle so we are comfortable with the idea of towing the boat. If we find a particular lake we like in AZ we may dry dock or get a slip.  It's all new to us, but this process of buying a boat is turning from exciting to frustrating.