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What about a direct drive like this? Too outdated?


shiftman

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I always thought those XTI series were a good idea for direct drives.   I have never been in one though.   The knock is you lose space to put ballast bags, but gain more traditional v drive seating.

I'd prefer that over a traditional direct drive for my purposes, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

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If you go xti, find one that is 23’. That 21 doesn’t look very comfortable for the people in the rear. Our 23 xti has great room and a nice ski wake

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1 hour ago, BlindSquirrel said:

If you go xti, find one that is 23’. That 21 doesn’t look very comfortable for the people in the rear. Our 23 xti has great room and a nice ski wake

They made a 247 Xti for a few years and that is the only one I would consider. Otherwise V Drive is fantastic. Tons of storage and everyone can just chill in the playpen area.

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I just sold my 23 XTi. For us the layout worked, for others maybe not. It provides good seating for the kids in the back, wives in the front, husbands at the helm. The deck behind the drivers seat is really nice and offers good storage. My dog used to lie on that deck and watch over my shoulder. It has a lot more seating than a standard DD and the seat behind the engine is a great place for spectators to face the rear of the boat.

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26 minutes ago, shiftman said:

As usual, thanks for the replies. I am confused as to why this isn't a traditional dd. Also, did Vdrives not become popular because it created more space? 

Not sure what you mean about a "traditional" dd. dd boats come in many shapes and functions.... engine located before prop

Vdrives were not for more space.. it is a bonus.. in a wakeboard boat you want more weight in the back.. Vdrives have been around many years before the recent conversion from 3 event boats to wake boats. The sport itself is what made vdrive boats popular. 

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2 minutes ago, kerpluxal said:

Vdrives were not for more space.. it is a bonus.. in a wakeboard boat you want more weight in the back.. Vdrives have been around many years before the recent conversion from 3 event boats to wake boats. The sport itself is what made vdrive boats popular. 

I don't agree.

First, total displacement along the entirety of the boat creates a better wake (and especially wave) than just having weight in the rear. Even early vdrives would option out ballast systems in the ski locker and bow compartments.

Direct drives also technically allow more weight in the rear - such as ballast back seats, where an engine has significant air volume above, below, and inside of it.

Anecdotally, direct drives with good weighting have provided more balanced and cleaner wakes than vdrives (of same length and draft). 

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The young couple that own the boat have certainly "babied" it. I'm just not sure it has the room that I am looking for and its about a 4 hour drive to check it out. That said, thanks again for the insight.  

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