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Looking for a 20 VTX to test ski


YNautSki

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I'm looking for a fellow TMC member who is in the Northern California region and who has either a 2016, 2017, or 2018 20 VTX with a center pylon that I could ski behind. I currently have a 2013 VLX with the diamond hull but is only truly skiable at the recreation level. Crossing my wake builds character. I am looking at a 2019 VTX but, as Malibu says, "the truth is on the water". I want to ski a VTX before making the final decision. I talked to Regina, T-Gas, and Will at the Pro-Am at Bell Acqua this past weekend and they all said the wake was pretty good down to 32-35 off. None of them skied it in the course but I don't intend to either. I have friends with tournament boats for that. I am having no luck finding a dealer with a VTX in Northern California. The factory had offered me the opportunity to ski one in Loudon but that said the water is now 60 degrees and getting colder. So the spring would be the soonest for that chance. I'd like test one in the next few weeks while the weather here is still reasonably good. I will pay for your towing gas, your launch fee, and your boat gas if you are willing to take me out. I am close to Discovery Bay in the Delta and I have a houseboat on Bullard's Bar. If you are interested you can reply here or PM me.

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I’m in Michigan other wise I would offer a pull but we took delivery of our 19 this past August. The wake is good at -28 34mph and really good at -32 34mph. I’ve had multiple friends Ski it at -32 and they have all liked it. We all came from skiing responses and still do so that is what we are comparing it to. My friends wife also skis it at -15 32mph but we pull her from the back pylon to get here behind the “22 off bump”. Imo you have to avoid that. -15 should be good at 34 as well but I’d guess the rear puking will need to be used again to be fully behind the bump. Here are videos of me at -28/-32 34mph and my friends wife at -15 32mph. Hope this helps a bit. One last thing, we demo’d a 17 vtx and all of us say the 2019 skis better. There has been no hull changes but the drivetrain is now the pcm GM 6.0 with the 1:50:1 transmission and OJ 951 prop. I suspect this setup is disturbing less water therefore making the difference in the wake for it to be better, I really have no data to back that up though other than the few of us who have skied the 17 we had and now the 19. Either way I’m happy it is better!

 

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Thanks for the input. I’ve been following your “great compromise of 2018” for some time. Everything I’ve read says it will be a great upgrade for me. If it wasn’t almost October I’d be at your place tomorrow. I’m hoping someone out West here will be as willing. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I went from a VLX to a VTX a number of years ago and have never looked back.  We mostly ski behind our VTX, though do some boarding and surfing (and the occ tube gets pulled as well).

You will love it.

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  • 1 month later...
On 10/6/2018 at 9:59 PM, 21lsvskier said:

I finally skied a VTX today. My dealer had a 2016 he was servicing and the owner graciously allowed me to ski it. For background I have a 2013 VLX with the diamond hull that is supposed to be "skiable". As I've said before, crossing that wake builds character. I also regularly ski a 2016 Mastercraft Prostar 190 as well as several late model Responces. As a benchmark I skied the Mastercraft yesterday at 34 mph 15 off and 33 mph 32 off. So fresh off that I skied the VTX this morning.

I started off on the center pylon at 33 mph 15 off. My impression was the wake was not much different than my VLX. I then tried 22 off, same speed. Only fractionally better. At this point I'm wondering why I would give up 18" of boat. Then I shortened up to 32 off. I set up like I was going through the gates and the first thing that occurred to me as I crossed behind the boat is "where's the wake?" I could not believe there was almost no bump. While the video I had taken shows my ski hitting the wake I swear I felt almost nothing. Of course I repeated this for another 15-20 crossings just to make sure and the results were the same. I didn't try 28 off or go shorter than 32. I was blown away. And I have to say having just skied the Prostar 18 hours earlier at 32 off, the wake was at least the same if not better. Then I went back to 15 off at the same speed, from the rear pylon. As I pulled out and looked over I thought "here comes a bump". Much to my surprise as I crossed the wake it felt like cotton candy instead of the hard wall I hit on my VLX. I am very impressed.

As I understand it the 2019 may be even better. The VTX  I skied had the Indmar Ford block and an Acme 2249 prop.

Now the best part. I put out a pretty good surf wake on my VLX. In addition to stock ballast, wedge, and surfgate,  I run two 550's in the rear and a 600 triangle in the bow. This VTX with stock ballast, wedge, and surfgate, no plug and play and front ballast empty put out a port side wake about 20' in length. Although the wave was a little shorter in height than my VLX it was definitely longer.  In fact the port side looked longer to me than the starboard. Starboard was shorter but a little steeper. I can just image what additional ballast would produce.

Based on today's experience I need to pick out my colors and sell the VLX.

My 2016 VTX experience is identical to yours.  My prior boat was an LXI that I used to course ski.  The wake at 32' off is amazing on the VTX.  At 28' as long as I am on edge, it is very manageable (encourages you to be in the correct position).  Fully ballasted (550 PNPs in rear), the surf wake is amazing.  It also helps to put a couple hundred pounds in the front to bring the nose down a bit and lengthen the wake but not needed.  Personally don't have a lot to compare it to but but my buddys who do have experience with other surf boats are VERY complimentary of the surf wake.   The only change I made was to switch props from a 2249 (14.25) to a 2277 (15.75) and surprisingly hardly noticed any hole shot differnce but dropped surf RPMs by about about 500.  While I agree that the Raptor is a bit loud, I have been very impressed with the motor!

 

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good feedback on the test..   I would be curious to give that a try myself..     While i'm sure the ski wake wont be like my response,   if it comes even close  then  I may consider a change..   Having all that room would sure be nice to have.  .  Thanks for posting

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  • 2 years later...

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