Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Barefooting SunSetter or Response LXI


HollieMac

Recommended Posts

Anybody footin off the Boom on a 99 to 04 SunSetter or Response LXI? Anyone Short lining? I'm using a 99 Response, and looking at buying a SunSetter or Response LXI for the walkthrough bow, and would like to get your opinions on the difference. I don't want to use an extension because I like to swing out on a Shortline.  I have the handle on a velcro strap so I can reach it with my left hand when I jump out, I just give it a yank to let the strap go and swing out. An extension would put the handle too far out for me to reach. It's much nicer to jump on the water than have to go through tumbling up on our cold lake. Please share your experiences with footin from these boats. 

Link to comment

very footable long line.  monsoon makes a good speed at wot but i don't know which prop was spinning.

i have not had any boom or shortline time on these hulls but if you will swing out to shortline majority of the time i can't see spray as an issue.

Link to comment

I have owned both a 06 RLXi and 04 SSLXi and barefooted a lot behind and alongside of both.  From a boat spray standpoint, buy the boom extension.  If you're worried about reaching the handle, add a 2' rope section to your 5' rope extension.  Every one of my shortline handles had an extra 2' on it which just made things easier.  We kept the boom really high for backward starts and rather than continuously dropping for different sets, we opted for a slightly longer short line which would help in your case as well.  

Both boats are excellent for barefoot longline.  I personally preferred the wakes at 42 on the SSLXi but most will say the 03-06 RLXi is hands down the best footin boat.  Can't go wrong with either.

Link to comment

IIRC the Sunsetter rides on a similar hull to your RLX, just a bit bigger.  The LXI has bigger chines so the wake is slightly different in shape.  The Gen1 LXI is the preferred version of the LXI boats, the Gen 2 (2007+) was not as well received and at least one of the barefoot schools went back to previous boat when they first got one.  The one aspect of the LXI you will want to review, the swept back side window, peruse this site for boom comments on the LXI.  Several folks appeared to have some issues getting the boom to install the way they wanted and it put the boom a bit farther back compared to the RLX.  If you really like (and justifiably so) the footing wake of the RLX, don't need extra room, you might consider hunting down a pre '96 open bow Echelon (walk thru) or finding a newer LXR - unfortunately either may be a hard search.  Sunsetter may also be, owners seem to really like them.

Link to comment

I have on a 99 SS LXI with the carb 210 HP.  Short line. I am not a footer so other then saying I had no issues getting up and footing I did no tricks no one foot nothing more the simple footing.  I am not a little guy. I am a old fart I will guess I was 220 lbs at the time I was footing.  Running the same boat on a boom was simple and no spray issues.  I am one who loves the 99 - 04 SS LXI its just a very good all around boat for skiing, Footing, and with the wedge not a bad wake board boat. Add sacks  and no telling what you could do. 

Link to comment

I don't remember the specific years of Responses I've been on, but I'd catch a decent amount of spray on the 5 (or 5+) foot line without an extension.  On the boom was fine, but on the short line, it'd be real easy to get in the spray if you're moving around at all.  I'd recommend an extension and longer rope as someone else mentioned above.  Otherwise, jump out on the boom until you get to the handle and then swing out.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you all for your excellent replies. You made me laugh, you made me cry. The "I am an old fart" made me laugh. Add fat sacks... That made me cry. But we do use 14 lb kitty litter containers filled with water to weigh our bow down for skiing. Fill them up at the lake and dump out when you're done. And that's probably giving away my age. I know what a fat sack is, I have one around my middle. Then the suggestion that I should  swing out on a 7-foot rope, okay...but you go first. And I'll hold the video camera. Hugs! 

Link to comment
On 5/24/2019 at 1:30 PM, HollieMac said:

Thank you all for your excellent replies. You made me laugh, you made me cry. The "I am an old fart" made me laugh. Add fat sacks... That made me cry. But we do use 14 lb kitty litter containers filled with water to weigh our bow down for skiing. Fill them up at the lake and dump out when you're done. And that's probably giving away my age. I know what a fat sack is, I have one around my middle. Then the suggestion that I should  swing out on a 7-foot rope, okay...but you go first. And I'll hold the video camera. Hugs! 

Dammer I also use kitty liter ballast systems. I have two of the large kitty liter buckets I keep on the boat for counter weight well skiing maybe without a spotter sometimes. :whistle: My system fills and dumps in seconds.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Ha, you put the litter in the pan for the kitties before you go to the lake. Thanks for your suggestion to look at Echelons. The ones I've seen so far don't have EFI engines. The one CB for sale in Toledo, handsome as it is, has been epoxied over, from the outside, so a sloppy repair job, and they aren't willing to price accordingly. I would like to see a topic of Boats for sale and what you know about them. So far I know the Response for sale in Lebanon TN is priced right but it is chipped all around the rudder, so took a hard hit and will leak. The red Response in Somerset has a perfect hull but has a wedge on it. I don't want wedge hardware on the boat. That's my 6 gallons of gas. I'm close to buying another Response in pretty good shape the needs the HDS box repair, with no wedge, so worth it to me, but the owner has several potential buyers and I think his head is spinning. Can you tell me if Malibu changed the way they glass the rudder box and the HDS box on a model year? Tried a search for that with no success. Thank you for your always excellent replies.

Link to comment
1 hour ago, HollieMac said:

Ha, you put the litter in the pan for the kitties before you go to the lake. Thanks for your suggestion to look at Echelons. The ones I've seen so far don't have EFI engines. The one CB for sale in Toledo, handsome as it is, has been epoxied over, from the outside, so a sloppy repair job, and they aren't willing to price accordingly. I would like to see a topic of Boats for sale and what you know about them. So far I know the Response for sale in Lebanon TN is priced right but it is chipped all around the rudder, so took a hard hit and will leak. The red Response in Somerset has a perfect hull but has a wedge on it. I don't want wedge hardware on the boat. That's my 6 gallons of gas. I'm close to buying another Response in pretty good shape the needs the HDS box repair, with no wedge, so worth it to me, but the owner has several potential buyers and I think his head is spinning. Can you tell me if Malibu changed the way they glass the rudder box and the HDS box on a model year? Tried a search for that with no success. Thank you for your always excellent replies.

FYI, you can remove the wedge and sell it quickly for about 4 hundo, and the mounting bracket can be used for a Scarpa barefoot plate.  I would definitely do that over an HDS box repair.  Also, I don't think any Echelons have the HDS box.

  • Like 2
Link to comment

@HollieMac - Not sure on any different assembly methods for the HDS system, there are some threads on this site that comment on repairs, basically not being the easiest to accomplish and a thread that leads to a site where the HDS box is replaced with a 'shaft log' (I would google that to see if site pops up) to solve the leak issue.  Wedge is attached with 4 bolts, removal and fill of the bracket by a decent glass person would be an option.  A good gel craftsman would make it darn near impossible to see and Spectrum offers Malibu gel colors.

Link to comment

I'm late to this post, but we found too much chine spray shortlining on our Sunsetter LXI -  spay would catch you in the tumble turns.  Once I added the extension it was good.  

Link to comment

And I'll add that I'm using a '99 Sunsetter LX with a BI boom and extension.  No problem with tumbles or spray. 

I have not been in an LXi, but I really like the LX.  Plenty of room, and I can take the rear bench out or set it up as a sun deck. 

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

I have a 2003 sunsetter LXI. You can certainly barefoot off of the shortline boom, but I prefer the added extension especially when performing tumble turns. . Behind the boat you will find a nice flat wake. 

Link to comment

If you want out of the spray get the extension.  Still struggling with why you couldn't swing out with it?!  We do it all the time.

Have the handle swung over the top of the boom, jump out of the boat foot off of the boom, slide over to the handle, grab the handle, and swing out...

Link to comment

Wow great! Yes I need a driver. Would love to have company. Our lake here is flooded though. I'm headed to Grayson tomorrow, but just with my stand up because i don't have anybody to ski with. Rented the cabin 2 months ago and hubby has to work next week. Thanks for your comments all, on the SunSetter. So you're not saying you swing out on a 7-foot rope, or you do? Yes I have shimmied out to get the handle but I like to have it velcro strapped to a rope tied to the pylon,  holding it straight out in front of me so when I jump out I can grab it right there and one quick yank to free the strap and away.  No shimmying. No having to reach over the boom and grab the bouncing handle. But I don't think I want to swing out with the slack of two extra feet of rope. I wouldn't mind seeing you do it. Then maybe I would try it. 

Link to comment

My math is usually faulty but if you're adding an extension to get out of the chine spray, but you're adding two feet of rope, aren't you swinging back into it?  I like to keep swinging, that's the fun part for me. 

Link to comment

No adding rope, your handle should be about 5' (if you are adding rope to practice on a bit longer line you just won't be swinging out).  We throw the handle over the cables going up to the front of the boat and it shouldn't be flopping around.

I get what you are trying to accomplish!  I just know the trade of no chine spray versus getting a little wet is an easy one for me.

Link to comment
10 hours ago, HollieMac said:

My math is usually faulty but if you're adding an extension to get out of the chine spray, but you're adding two feet of rope, aren't you swinging back into it?  I like to keep swinging, that's the fun part for me. 

Your are still out of the chine. We even go back 8' feet to teach back deeps. Some chine spray to begin with but up to speed you are fine.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...