First Surf boat- 2020 A22

[BigRed]

My family is jumping into Wake Surfing. New to the sport and forums. I'm hoping for a little guidance.  We already put a deposit down and are finalizing options. I have most of the options picked out, but need suggestions for the last few.  Our local lake is at 500 ft elevation. 

Options we picked with our A22:

• M6Di with 2277 prop
• Surf Gate
• Surf Pipe
• PW3
• Stereo option 3
• Shock Tower
• Spinner Lower  Racks
• 3 Heater
• 170 Alternator
• Onboard Charger
• ChillAX flip up seat
• Underseat Lighting and Storage lights
• PNP Hi Flo w/auto vent
• Transom step
• Ski Pole
• Bimini top with board storage
• Misc items

My question is around 4 things.

• Auto GPS - to get or not to get?
• Hydraulic steering - to get or not to get? 
• Dealer recommended 550 bags in the rear? Should I go bigger?  If so, what size for the A22? Dealer stated the boat likes a lot of weight in the front. If i went bigger in the rear i may have to add lead to the front. Thoughts? 
• Dealer recommended staying with the 2277 prop. ACME recommends 2247 or 2249. Unfortunately, that isn't a dealer option. The torque prop option from Axis is the 2773. I'm guessing I should stick with the 2277 for now and pick up the 2249 aftermarket. Thoughts?

I appreciate any feedback and advice you have!

BigRed

 

 

[shawndoggy]

2277 is going to be perfect at your altitude.

I'd go with the 550s too.  If you go bigger you are going to need supplemental bow weight (leadwake.com etc).

[BigRed]

@shawndoggyI appreciate the feedback

[Peebalz]

I had a 22MXZ last summer, which is incredibly similar.  I ran 550’s in the back with the 2773 prop.  It ran really well. Even with the 550’s I put 250lbs of lead in the nose. Killer wave!

We loved the heater when it got cold. Good pick!  PIctures?

[BigRed]

What elevation where you at Peebalz?  What size bag in the bow were you using in addition to the 250 lbs of lead?

The heater was a must for my wife.  

Will post pictures when it comes in.  The color is Gunmetal Graphic Metallic on Arctic White (tricked out so the white is in the middle) White tower. Axis is centered. Inside is the graphite/white color scheme. We are hoping to finalize everything early next week. Dealer stated the boat would arrive in May. 

 

 

 

[LucasC]

hydraulic steering : I have it and hate it , makes it heavy 

[smuurph84]

5 hours ago, LucasC said:

hydraulic steering : I have it and hate it , makes it heavy 

are you saying you don't like hydraulic steering? ( i thought it was suppose to make it easier not heavier?)  i have this listed as a priorty when we upgrade as my wife fights the steering wheel when I surf and I assumed this was the fix? can you go into more detail?

[LucasC]

4 hours ago, smuurph84 said:

are you saying you don't like hydraulic steering? ( i thought it was suppose to make it easier not heavier?)  i have this listed as a priorty when we upgrade as my wife fights the steering wheel when I surf and I assumed this was the fix? can you go into more detail?

Its nice and steady at surf speeds you could even walk away from the helm and it would stay straight with a gate out , But when docking or picking up riders is where its horrible ,especially if you've got wet hands.  We have just fitted power assisted pump to the hydraulic system which has improved it by 30%.  . Also now at surf speeds you can turn either direction with a gate out with no effort. 

For my family we wouldn't choose hydraulic agian.   

For Malibu Hydraulic is standard on slat series . Nautique use cable as standard .

 

[formerathlete]

That's an awesome boat you're building. That M6 is going to be a beast in the A22. We have a 2019 A22 with the Monsoon 409 and are running a 2279 prop, having switched from the 2249 it came with (we are in Seattle area too). The 409 we have is not near the engine that the M6Di is, so I'd imagine the 2277 will be more than adequate as the only difference is there is slightly more cup on the 2277 vs the 2279. The 2249 on our boat worked fine but was a bit overkill for our needs, so we switched. What transmission gear ratio does the 2020 with M6 have? I noticed that the 2020 A20 with M5Di has a 1.5:1 which is different than the 1.72:1 we have in our boat, is that the same for the 2020's with the M6? But even with the 1.5:1, I'd imagine the 2277 should be more than enough with that engine and yes, you can always get a 2249 or 2247 to use as your higher altitude/huge crew prop. But I'd wait to see how the 2277 does before determining what your spare should be. I think the 2773 with M6 would be overkill.

I don't have Auto GPS on our boat and don't miss it. Seems unnecessary but I've never seen it in action, so I don't know.

Search for the post from @agarabaghi on here (I don't have chance to track it down for you here) where he reviews his 2020 A22. He loves hydraulic steering and says he'll never order another boat without it, if I remember right. We don't have it and the steering is annoying at times but manageable. LucasC's post definitely makes you wonder if hydraulic is worth it though.

Our boat came with the 750lb bags and I'd recommend those over the 550's. We experimented a ton last summer, running those rear bags at 1/2 full, 3/4 full, 100% full, etc. We have a 440lb bag up front. The best surf wave for us was definitely with everything full. I didn't feel like there was enough push with the rear bags 1/2 or 3/4 full. It's easier to run the 750's with less weight than it is to add weight if you don't find the 550's to be enough. But to each their own and 550's will also be plenty good.

Good luck! Hope to see you on Sammamish sometime!

Edited March 8, 2020 by formerathlete

[formerathlete]

Is the M6Di significantly heavier than the Monsoon 409? If so, that might be a reason to go with 550’s over 750’s.

Edited March 7, 2020 by formerathlete

[BigRed]

@formerathleteThe dealer stated the M6di wasn't noticeably heavier. 

I did see the post that stated they wouldn't order another boat without hydraulic steering. I was convinced to order with hydraulic steering after that post, but then LucasC made me question that. I also read a post that stated docking and trailering was harder with hydraulic steering, but steering while surfing was easier. Too bad there isn't an easy for this one!  

I was thinking the same thing with the 750's. I could always fill them less if that is optimal.   Can't increase the size of a 550 bag!

I couldn't find anything on gear ration on the M5di or M6di specific to the A22.  Has anyone found  additional info on the gear ratio? I will ask the dealer this week as well. 

 

 

[agarabaghi]

1.76 gear ratio.

most dealer install the 750 not 550. I would get the 750 and just not fill them all the way if you don’t have people to sit up front or lead

m6 is only needed if you plan on adding over 2000lbs over stock ballast for wakeboarding. 
 

hydraulic steering is a must have for me, the stiffness of the steering while surfing is a lot and hydraulic makes it so much better especially for my wife. It’s nonsense to think it makes it harder to dock or trailer, you just have to use a bit more force when turning. I won’t order another axis with out it

what is auto gps?

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by agarabaghi

[BigRed]

@agarabaghi I should have said Zero Off GPS w/speed control. The options are the standard paddle wheel or Zero Off GPS w/speed control. The dealer stated the Zero Off GPS doesn't work well in rivers. You would need to manually adjust for the current. 

Was the 1.76 gear ratio for both the M5 and M6?

I've always been heard get the biggest motor you can in a boat. The boat will work less and you have the extra power if needed.  Its a $5k upcharge, but it's an option i decided to splurge on. 

[agarabaghi]

100% get zero off. you can swap to paddle from the screen, not having zero off will hurt resale.
 

m6 is a good choice, the 2:1 is only on the a24 with 17” prop. 
 

 

[formerathlete]

With all the torque the M6 has, you’re gonna have zero problem with the 1.76 and 2277 on an A22. Beast.

[shawndoggy]

The only real downside of the M6 on an A22 isn't the M6, it's the 48 gallon fuel tank which you will definitely be able to burn through in a day.

[BigRed]

I wish there was an upgrade option for the fuel tank! It allegedly is 25% more fuel efficient than last years 450. Not buying a boat to save on fuel, but if the fuel efficiency numbers are correct that will help with trips to the gas pump! The 76 gallon tank in the A24 would have been nice! 

Edited March 8, 2020 by BigRed

[formerathlete]

I’m not even convinced it’s a 48 gallon tank. It was marketed as 48 on the 2019 A22 but I have a 42 in mine. And it’s rated as 42 on CARB website for 2019 A22. Despite T22 getting 48. Really bizarre. So maybe they finally changed it in 2020 to align with how it’s been marketed. Hopefully.  

[Eagleboy99]

4 hours ago, formerathlete said:

I’m not even convinced it’s a 48 gallon tank. It was marketed as 48 on the 2019 A22 but I have a 42 in mine. And it’s rated as 42 on CARB website for 2019 A22. Despite T22 getting 48. Really bizarre. So maybe they finally changed it in 2020 to align with how it’s been marketed. Hopefully.  

The SAE standard is +/- 10%

 

[Chrismoe]

20 hours ago, BigRed said:

@agarabaghi I should have said Zero Off GPS w/speed control. The options are the standard paddle wheel or Zero Off GPS w/speed control. The dealer stated the Zero Off GPS doesn't work well in rivers. You would need to manually adjust for the current. 

Was the 1.76 gear ratio for both the M5 and M6?

I've always been heard get the biggest motor you can in a boat. The boat will work less and you have the extra power if needed.  Its a $5k upcharge, but it's an option i decided to splurge on. 

Hi Eagleboy99,

The M5 and M5 are both great motors. That said, I like your choice to go with the M6 - better to have that extra power and not use it often than to want for it and not have the power. Plus, resale will be better with the M6.

Chris

[formerathlete]

18 hours ago, Eagleboy99 said:

The SAE standard is +/- 10%

 

I'm not sure that's the issue.

I may be wrong but I believe that in 2019, they installed a 42 gallon tank (+/- 10%) and mis-marketed it as a 48 gallon tank (+/- 10%). The 2018 A22 was advertised as having a 42 gallon tank and it was allegedly increasing to 48 in 2019 based on Axis' marketing on their website and in their catalogs. For whatever reason, I don't believe that change happened. Manufacturer marketing vs reality always seems a bit off with boats, at least from what I can tell. It's gotta be difficult/frustrating for the dealers when you are hearing it's one thing from the manufacturer but in actuality it's different. Shoot, Axis consistently marketed that the Monsoon 409 has 409 ft lbs of torque (or in some cases, 409 HP) when in actuality, it's 363hp/341ft lbs.

Here's a link to the page I've referred to for size of fuel tank in 2018 and 2019 (2020 not posted yet for Malibu): https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/msprog/offroad/cert/cert.php?eng_id=SIMW&year=2018

At the link, go to "Spark-Ignition Marine Watercraft", select 2019, then select "Malibu Boats, Inc" and then click on the link below "Executive Order." Page two of the PDF shows all the tank sizes, types for the Malibu/Axis boats in 2019. 159 liters for the 2019 A20 and A22. In 2019, the T22 gets the 48 gallon tank, as marketed by Axis.

It is what it is. The 42 gallon tank has been fine for us because we don't leave our boat in the water, so it's easy to stop and fill it up on way to/from lake. And if the M5/M6 is as efficient as they make it out to be (and if they did actually get the 48 gallon tank in the A22 in 2020), it won't be that big of a deal. Bigger tank would be nice, though.

[shawndoggy]

yeah we have the 42G tank in our 16 with the LY6/PCM/6.0 "450."  Even a bump to 48G would be really nice.  I've never run out of gas, but I have gone through 37G on a full day of surfing with a small crew.

[Tmf]

Hi, new to this forum and surf boating. Actually will be our first boat ever. We have looked at the Moomba max and the axis a22. Test drove Moomba Max and Axis A22 with M5  have not test drive one with theM6. Axis definitely had the bigger wave, and we liked the ease of the wave but we’re told adding lead to the Moomba Max would create a similar wave to the axis.  We do like the wrap around windshield on the moomba max and the Bimini was easier to raise and lower and the bow was a walk through on the moomba where it wasn’t on the axis. We also liked the wind screen better on the moomba and the view was clearer without the gauges and the raised glove box.  The price is more in align with what we wanted to spend but we don’t want to make a wrong decision. Any recommendations greatly appreciated.

[agarabaghi]

Raised glove box? This has not been a thing for several years on the Axis. 

both boats prob have a list of pros and cons and you can spend all day deciding between them. what you really need to look at is the dealer and their service. All new boats might have some quirks and if your dealer is terrible its will make it even more painful.

The malibu / axis system is by far the simplest to dial in and get an awesome wave out of it out of the box. You said adding lead, sure, but add lead to the axis and it will be even better / bigger. The fact you can get a better wave stock out of the Axis should say a lot. 

Both boats come standard with comparable engines. I believe you will notice the m5di is quieter than the raptor 400, but besides that they should be very similar. 

We have the pro tour Supra from last year at the house, and the auto wake feature is always off. Im not sure even for 2020 they have quite figure out how to benefit from it. But it think eventually that system could be very awesome. The surf system of moomb and supra are a bit harder to setup, you have 3 plates with 0-100 along with ballast... lots of options and for use it was more of a headache than ease to use, of course once we found a good settings it a great wave as well. 

[boardjnky4]

Don’t buy a moomba