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Ski vs Wakeboarder Family Fued :)


stephming

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We have the dilemma that my husband and I slalom ski and my kids all wake board and wake surf.  We found a happy medium for both with our Malibu Sunsetter 2005 that we bought new 15 years ago, but now we have been left stranded in the middle of the lake one too many times.  We are shopping for new/used boats 2018 or newer and wondering what our best options are.  I have read the Malibu reviews and can't quite get the answer we are looking for.  The sunsetter wasn't perfect for neither skiing nor wakeboarding but it was a happy medium.  Anyone else have this issue and could share what boat works for them?

So excited to have found this forum

Thanks in advance!!!!

Edited by stephming
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welcome to The Crew.  see the link below, its got a deep dive on the VTX which is probably an option to consider for a do-it-all-kinda-good approach.

 

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Getting stranded on the lake is no fun, but is usually preventable with preventive maintenance.  You could probably do a lot of preventive maintenance on your boat for the cost of one payment on a newer one.

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3 minutes ago, justgary said:

Getting stranded on the lake is no fun, but is usually preventable with preventive maintenance.  You could probably do a lot of preventive maintenance on your boat for the cost of one payment on a newer one.

ah, @justgary's idea leads to another idea possibility -- a re-power?  new boats are way expensive, so an overhaul to the existing one isn't a terrible idea to explore if the boat itself still works for your situation (other than getting stranded).  I'm thinking along the lines of the Wakemakers project boat series you can find on YouTube; new upholstery, a new tower, a new ballast system and some tabs on the back would make it feel like new.  Along with a repower, that's still probably way less than half the cost of something new, but its a lot of work for you (or someone you pay).

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I'd have to agree with the above comments.  Keep your Sunsetter going, it's well worth investing the money and you'll be surprised it'll probably be less than maintaining a newer boat.

My 1997 Tantrum never lets me down, but I am proactive with maintenance.

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I wasn't thinking so much about a repower as just plenty of maintenance.  You could probably take the boat to your dealer this fall and tell them that you want it showroom perfect and still spend a whole lot less than a new boat.

@stephming, we need a lot more information before we can spend your money properly, which is what this site is known for.

How old are these kids?  I'm a fan of teaching them to ski and enforcing a ski first, wakeboard/surf later rule so they at least can see if they like it.  Maybe get a boom and teach them to barefoot.

If they are getting older, remember that they will fly the coop soon enough.  It sounds like you don't want to be stuck with a surf tub after they leave home.

Is your DH mechanical at all?  Maybe spend the money on mechanic school at the vo-tech for Father's Day....

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You guys are AWESOME!!!!  I love the review on the 20VTX and got so excited, but then saving the "boat load" of money and having our old faithful just refurbished back to show room quality makes me happy too.   We have had it reupholstered two years ago.  And we are very vigilant about getting our boat in for its annual maintenance, and I think that is truly where the problem lies.  My husband wants to save money and go to a local mechanic that is great on cars and just putters with boats.  For sure we need to take it to a better qualified mechanic.  You all gave us a lot to think about and steering us in the right direction!  Can't thank you enough!!

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IDK…i had a 2000 sunsetter and loved it! If I had to do again with my kids younger, I’d have bought a crossover. 

I say go for it and get the VTX! Even with regular maintenance the electrical and electronic systems degrade over time. I maintained mine meticulously, but you can’t do much to predict and prevent loose wires, rubbed off insulation, and electronic board failures.

the VTX is the best for what you are looking for. Don’t wait another 1-3 years realizing it. Your kids will be that much older and less likely to get the bug.

my $02

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24 minutes ago, jjackkrash said:

My vote is to buy the kids skis and get a direct drive.  :)

If we are voting, I say get a SkySki Hydrofoil and use whatever boat that is around! Don't need a wake but they are also fun to launch from. Works either way.image.png.a80b7de97b48f56b2d33e2fbf292bf05.png

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