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Skiing the V25 Diamond Hull vs Skiing the SV23 Diamond V-Drive


Nolans92

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Looking for some helpful insight from an experienced crowd.  I grew up skiing on the SV23 Diamond hull with direct drive.  It was an amazing boat for skiing, but we did zero wake-boarding or surfing.  I have little experience in either.  

I am currently looking to get my own boat and am looking at Sunsetters from 97-05.  A wide variety in these boats makes me interested in hearing what people have to say. As I grew up skiing, I want to make sure I can still free ski enjoyably.  I do not intend on running slalom courses with this boat. So my questions are:

1.Skiing behind the V25 Diamond Hull?  

      I know this would be much better for surfing/wake-boarding/sunset cruises - not sure how it skis.

2.Skiing behind the SV23 Diamond with V-Drive configuration? 

    I know how well the Direct drive skis - looking for insight on how well the V-Drive skis in comparison

3. Surfing behind the SV23 Diamond with V-Drive configuration?

    I know you can get a wedge and ballast but does it get the job done?

 

Thank you!

-Matt

 

 

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My sister has the v-drive sv23. Not a great skier at slower speeds and longer line lengths. If you have great body position and are brave enough to try, you can hold an edge through the wakes. It’s good enough for an intermediate+, 34+mph 15 off and shorter open water slalom skier, though.

i had an ‘00 Sunsetter LXI and it skied and wakeboarded very well. Not a surfer, though.  

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My SSLXI wasn’t a surfer. We could get up and go rope less, but it was a lot of fatsacs and wakeshapers. Still, the sweet spot was very small.

the major issue I found was that the stepped hull caused the weighted wake to hit the swim platform and wash it out. I think all the ‘99-‘04 SSLXI (which has the best ski hull) are a stepped transom. I think it could work if you cut the swim platform at a steep angle, but I wasn’t willing to do that.

Edited by braindamage
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look up posts on the 2001-2004 Sunscape LSV and you'll find lots of comments about the very good ski wake, including from me, as I owned an '04.  I would ski that boat over many of the older direct drives on my lake.  I plumbed in ballast and and had a very surf-able wake also.

  • Like 1
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+1 for what @Badger says.

Our first malibu was an 02 23lsv, sunscape with the wakesetter package (v25 diamond hull).  We miss that boat terribly, soft wake for free skiing at 32+ and you could weight it and surf pretty well. I am not a great surfer, and we only surfed that boat a couple times, but by my 4th or 5th try i was able to drop the rope.  

To duplicate what that boat was capable of, we have a response lxi to ski behind, and a 25 lsv for everything else.

  • Like 3
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How does the 21VLX compare to your boats (past and present) for recreational skiing? I have found a 2011 VLX I really like and I prefer the smaller boats. The owner says you can surf behind it pretty easily. I'm just an old guy looking for another Malibu that suits everyone

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Is there such a thing as an LCR 5.7L with "about 410hp" ? I have read that most of the numerical designations on the late model engines relate to torque and not hp. I wonder if he's confused by that. It is a 2011 VLX

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On 7/27/2020 at 1:56 PM, Nolans92 said:

Looking for some helpful insight from an experienced crowd.  I grew up skiing on the SV23 Diamond hull with direct drive.  It was an amazing boat for skiing, but we did zero wake-boarding or surfing.  I have little experience in either.  

I am currently looking to get my own boat and am looking at Sunsetters from 97-05.  A wide variety in these boats makes me interested in hearing what people have to say. As I grew up skiing, I want to make sure I can still free ski enjoyably.  I do not intend on running slalom courses with this boat. So my questions are:

1.Skiing behind the V25 Diamond Hull?  

      I know this would be much better for surfing/wake-boarding/sunset cruises - not sure how it skis.

2.Skiing behind the SV23 Diamond with V-Drive configuration? 

    I know how well the Direct drive skis - looking for insight on how well the V-Drive skis in comparison

3. Surfing behind the SV23 Diamond with V-Drive configuration?

    I know you can get a wedge and ballast but does it get the job done?

 

Thank you!

-Matt

 

 

One of these days I'll put together a wake compilation video of the '01 VLX with Diamond hull, but suffice it to say, it's a much better slalom boat than it has business being as long as you're going 30 MPH or faster.

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3 hours ago, hatbrand said:

Is there such a thing as an LCR 5.7L with "about 410hp" ? I have read that most of the numerical designations on the late model engines relate to torque and not hp. I wonder if he's confused by that. It is a 2011 VLX

If an LCR is making 410 HP, it's had considerable work done to it.  It's a workhorse of an engine, optimistically rated for 320ish HP.  More or less the Monsoon engine from years prior.

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