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Newbie - 2014-2015


JpCrOOked

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31 minutes ago, shawndoggy said:

@Stevo the way back machine!  We need to get another crew day on the books (and I have a boat to fit us all now too). 

YES!! MAD (Middle Aged Dads) Crew day! ;)

  • Haha 3
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59 minutes ago, shawndoggy said:

@Stevo the way back machine!  We need to get another crew day on the books (and I have a boat to fit us all now too). 

@Stevo Props on your mad photoshop skills.  I can’t even see the rope Shawn is holding!

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when shopping, i'd also suggest thinking about your use case -- e.g. is this a surf-first machine thats gonna be slammed with max lead/people and thus needs most powerful engine possible...or is it a family boat that surfs as one of many activities so priority is versatility or how many kids it can carry?  

other questions that will narrow your search: 

-do you need more space than the 21ft you have now to accomodate large crew?  if routinely taking 10+ people, you'll want those 23 and 24ft options, but you can surf nicely on a VTX for example and its smaller/cheaper/versatile if that works for you.

-Do you care about traditional bow (LSV or "T" from axis) vs picklefork (MXZ or "A" series)?

-are there trailering limits you want to stay in? (these boats are a significant towing load, may tip scales at 6k, 7k, or even 8k behind your truck).

for reference, my family of 4 was in a 20 ft bowrider like yours for a couple years; didn't take many trips with another family of 4 to realize 8 people in that boat for 4+ hours was tight.  so i originally got the green light to get a bigger bowrider...then convinced wife that we might as well get something with flippers to let us surf too.  Malibu was out of our price range, but A24 still nicer than any boat i've previously owned and has been great for us as it has room to easily take 10 comfortably, and 16+ in a pinch.  But Axis means seats aren't on hinges so accessing stowed stuff is awkward, setting up for surfing takes some knowledge and driver attention, etc vs a Malibu thats more automatic/feature rich.

Personal preferences/opinions:  wife insisted on the picklefork bow and kids love having the space up there, we couldn't go back to a traditional bow.  If switching between adults and kids surfing, the Power Wedge is a HUGE help to make wave small vs tall on demand.  And once you start surfing, board selection is almosst as important as wave setup -- my opinion of my surf setup improved dramatically when i got an appropriate board under my feet!

good luck!

 

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6 hours ago, shawndoggy said:

@Stevo the way back machine!  We need to get another crew day on the books (and I have a boat to fit us all now too). 

Yes we do, I’m boatless til August, so holler atcha Boy

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11 hours ago, CaptainMorgan said:

when shopping, i'd also suggest thinking about your use case -- e.g. is this a surf-first machine thats gonna be slammed with max lead/people and thus needs most powerful engine possible...or is it a family boat that surfs as one of many activities so priority is versatility or how many kids it can carry?  

We most likely won't be slammed with people all the time, more of a family boat, I assume this boat will attract more guests as well.

other questions that will narrow your search: 

-do you need more space than the 21ft you have now to accomodate large crew?  if routinely taking 10+ people, you'll want those 23 and 24ft options, but you can surf nicely on a VTX for example and its smaller/cheaper/versatile if that works for you.

We have such a large lake, (Eufaula) that it gets pretty choppy at times, so that is why I am pushing for a bigger boat to accommodate the area, and have more room. 

-Do you care about traditional bow (LSV or "T" from axis) vs picklefork (MXZ or "A" series)?

I don't have a huge preference one over the other, I assume I would love either one, however, having the extra space up front I'm sure would be nice for the family and kiddo's.

-are there trailering limits you want to stay in? (these boats are a significant towing load, may tip scales at 6k, 7k, or even 8k behind your truck).

The boat will eventually stay at the lake, getting the boat there will be the challenge, especially if I have to drive 200+ miles.  I have found several nice options in Texas.  We have a big Sequoia with a 5.7L, (7500 towing capacity) so it should pull it decent. 

for reference, my family of 4 was in a 20 ft bowrider like yours for a couple years; didn't take many trips with another family of 4 to realize 8 people in that boat for 4+ hours was tight.  so i originally got the green light to get a bigger bowrider...then convinced wife that we might as well get something with flippers to let us surf too.  Malibu was out of our price range, but A24 still nicer than any boat i've previously owned and has been great for us as it has room to easily take 10 comfortably, and 16+ in a pinch.  But Axis means seats aren't on hinges so accessing stowed stuff is awkward, setting up for surfing takes some knowledge and driver attention, etc vs a Malibu thats more automatic/feature rich.

^ This is generally where I am at right now.  I am still on a wall, back and forth, on getting a newer (not as glammy) low hours boat, or starting with the nicer older one.  I am leaning towards the Malibu.

Personal preferences/opinions:  wife insisted on the picklefork bow and kids love having the space up there, we couldn't go back to a traditional bow.  If switching between adults and kids surfing, the Power Wedge is a HUGE help to make wave small vs tall on demand.  And once you start surfing, board selection is almosst as important as wave setup -- my opinion of my surf setup improved dramatically when i got an appropriate board under my feet!

Good to know, I haven't surfed as of yet (I know) but really, really want to! Wakeboarded hard for years, until I wrecked my knee on a double up.  Started Kitesurfing to make up for it...

good luck!

 

 

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16 hours ago, Stevo said:

My 2014 23LSV had the 350 monsoon with 2419 prop and was maxed out with 6 adults , all stock ballast + 750 sumos in rear lockers and a 650 triangle bow bag, this generation of 23 really likes bow weight to get the longer wave with legitimate push. 
 

the 350 did ok up to about 2000 elevation (Shasta, Berryessa Oroville, bullards/ englebright etc) but any higher and the ballast was 35-40% max and definitely needed bow weight
 

here’s some @shawndoggy on the delta for reference 

10037A2D-D80C-4205-86F0-44F2151D37A7.jpeg

C230F014-97C3-4C22-9FDF-4FB1ECEC6F73.jpeg

39478A64-D0FE-4086-8EA7-5FDE2B43A458.jpeg

I used to race motorbikes, and I understood that I needed to change the jets in my carburetors when I was at elevation, but excuse my ignorance but what causes the boats performance loss @ elevation?

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Just now, JpCrOOked said:

I used to race motorbikes, and I understood that I needed to change the jets in my carburetors when I was at elevation, but excuse my ignorance but what causes the boats performance loss @ elevation?

The air is thinner so unless it is being "pumped" in (supercharger or turbos), the air coming in is less dense and therefore you can't create as much power with it.   It isn't a boat issue - all IC engines are impacted by it whether in a bike, car, or boat.   

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6 minutes ago, hethj7 said:

The air is thinner so unless it is being "pumped" in (supercharger or turbos), the air coming in is less dense and therefore you can't create as much power with it.   It isn't a boat issue - all IC engines are impacted by it whether in a bike, car, or boat.   

Gotcha!  

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19 minutes ago, JpCrOOked said:

 

given your responses (if staying in the Malibu/Axis family), i wouldn't go below 23 ft.  So i'd suggest looking at a 2015-ish Malibu 23 LSV or a 2019-ish Axis T23 or A24.  All would be <$100k, and gettable with a power wedge and move plenty of water for surfing and any other activities you want. 

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18 hours ago, JpCrOOked said:

I am starting to lean towards a 2016+ 23' LSV after this research. 

You will never be disappointed with the surf wave behind that boat, right out of the box. However, if you add bags to the back for more than stock ballast, be sure to move a couple people into the bow for better performance in the wave. The only thing folks ever say negatively about the boat is that the Raptor is "too loud". I think it sounds like a boat motor is supposed to sound. Growly. 

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10 hours ago, Stevo said:

Yes we do, I’m boatless til August, so holler atcha Boy

Does that put you into a 2023??

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Put me in the 409 minimum camp.  Great motor at most elevations.  very robust and easy to work on.  Quieter than the raptor motor, can push a 2419 prop really well and makes an awesome wave.  I like being able to start emptying the ballasts when I'm done surfing and haul butt back to marina asap rather than having to wait for the ballasts to get below 50% to get on plane with the 350.  I use my boat at less than 500 feet of elevation 90% of the time too.  I would not own a 350 powered wake/surf boat after demo'ing a couple before I bought my 2014 boat.  My current 2015 boat is a lot better in nearly every way but I can honestly say that my 2014 had a tiny bit better surf wave.  I assume its because it had the extra bow hard tank vs the 2015 with the walk through bow.  That said, I probably just need to spend some time upgrading the bow ballast bag in my 2015 to match that performance.  The tech upgrade going from 2015+ is hands down worth it in every way.  I love the look and vibe of the newer axis boats, I would definitely put them on the list although I have not spent any time in them personally.

Edited by PNWoke
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OK, I have been looking pretty hard, but most are priced too high for my budget.  I have made a few offers, with little luck.

I have found this: BOAT   

Little higher hours then I first wanted, but this is at my budget cap, unless I can sell my and add that to my funds.

Any constructive criticism would be grateful.  I can wait until winter if that does sound like a better idea, otherwise, I would try and sell my current boat and start work on getting this one shipped.

One additional item would be shipping ideas, I received one quote and it was $3800. :shocked:  

TIA

Edited by JpCrOOked
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45 minutes ago, JpCrOOked said:

OK, I have been looking pretty hard, but most are priced too high for my budget.  I have made a few offers, with little luck.

I have found this: BOAT   

Little higher hours then I first wanted, but this is at my budget cap, unless I can sell my and add that to my funds.

Any constructive criticism would be grateful.  I can wait until winter if that does sound like a better idea, otherwise, I would try and sell my current boat and start work on getting this one shipped.

 

TIA

pictures look sharp and it seems to check your boxes (power wedge, 23', 409 engine) and you like the Malibu features so thats good.   Vinyl definitely not new but for 7 yrs old looks solid.  Hours don't bother me as 7yr old boat with that many hours means it actually got used 50+ hrs/year vs staying idle in a garage. 

Lets assume words in the add are true about being taken care of correctly (benefit of the doubt), my primary hesitation would be spending that much money on something only from a few pictures, and not being able to test-drive.  that may just be the market right now, but i'd sure like to ride/try it before committing to buy and ship.

personal projection, this fall there will be a LOT more inventory to choose from (and with potential for $$ negotiation) - thats usually the case as season winds down, but throw in economy/gas prices and september may see lots of folks looking to move on.  I'd say it hinges on how eager you are to upgrade and when you are comfortable taking the leap of faith to a new-to-you boat (never a guarantee).

good luck!

  • Like 2
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54 minutes ago, CaptainMorgan said:

pictures look sharp and it seems to check your boxes (power wedge, 23', 409 engine) and you like the Malibu features so thats good.   Vinyl definitely not new but for 7 yrs old looks solid.  Hours don't bother me as 7yr old boat with that many hours means it actually got used 50+ hrs/year vs staying idle in a garage. 

Lets assume words in the add are true about being taken care of correctly (benefit of the doubt), my primary hesitation would be spending that much money on something only from a few pictures, and not being able to test-drive.  that may just be the market right now, but i'd sure like to ride/try it before committing to buy and ship.

personal projection, this fall there will be a LOT more inventory to choose from (and with potential for $$ negotiation) - thats usually the case as season winds down, but throw in economy/gas prices and september may see lots of folks looking to move on.  I'd say it hinges on how eager you are to upgrade and when you are comfortable taking the leap of faith to a new-to-you boat (never a guarantee).

good luck!

This is the first boat that checks the boxes, I do also hate the fact that I can't drive or take it out for a test drive.

The current owner was giving me the Malibu's dealer # to call and verify any information that I have regarding the boat.  (service details etc).

I do like your projection with the inventory, wiggle room, and current state of gasoline prices.  

 

Depending on high these shipping quotes are may really determine if an out-of-state transaction will work or not!  

 

The seller lives in Utah, would you be opposed to purchasing a boat that presumably boated on the Great Salt Lakes?

Edited by JpCrOOked
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1 hour ago, JpCrOOked said:

This is the first boat that checks the boxes, I do also hate the fact that I can't drive or take it out for a test drive.

The current owner was giving me the Malibu's dealer # to call and verify any information that I have regarding the boat.  (service details etc).

I do like your projection with the inventory, wiggle room, and current state of gasoline prices.  

 

Depending on high these shipping quotes are may really determine if an out-of-state transaction will work or not!  

 

The seller lives in Utah, would you be opposed to purchasing a boat that presumably boated on the Great Salt Lakes?

I mean... If you're serious about it, go test drive it. What's a plane ticket/ hotel cost... $1,000 max? That's pretty cheap insurance when you are about to drop ~$85k on something. I agree, by the pictures it does look clean. Also, I very much agree with the captain :salute: .... you will soon be able to negotiate a great price on one in a couple months if gas stays high and the world remains crazy.

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7 minutes ago, BlindSquirrel said:

I mean... If you're serious about it, go test drive it. What's a plane ticket/ hotel cost... $1,000 max? That's pretty cheap insurance when you are about to drop ~$85k on something. I agree, by the pictures it does look clean. Also, I very much agree with the captain :salute: .... you will soon be able to negotiate a great price on one in a couple months if gas stays high and the world remains crazy.

I agree, I am just super pumped I have the ability to upgrade at this point.  

I am going to continue looking and getting a better handle on the prices/upgrades/market etc.  

Patience is a virtue, I will start working on it...

  • Haha 1
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1 hour ago, JpCrOOked said:

The seller lives in Utah, would you be opposed to purchasing a boat that presumably boated on the Great Salt Lakes?

nobody takes wake boats on the GSL.  And if they had, you should run.  it's like 7x the salt content of the ocean.  But nobody does.  It's smelly and gross.

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I would strongly encourage an initial FaceTime walk thru of any boat you are looking at with the seller.  Have them go slow asking questions along the way.  Also ask to show you the known issues/flaws the boat has.  Every boat will have issues/flaws, it’s just up to you to find them if they don’t disclose and use that to negotiate.

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