Our First New Boat

[CDAWake]

We just purchased our first wake boat (2023 A24) and the first new boat we have ever had. We had an old Glastron many years ago and I grew up on boats and learned to drive them as a kid, but we are basically newbies with this boat. 
 

I have read just about every thread on this forum, but I haven’t seen this asked recently. What are the things you wish you would have done or not done to your new boats, or gear you bought for it that you love or never use. Can’t get it in the water until April or May, so we are anxiously waiting.

 

Cheers!

[CaptainMorgan]

congrats, that'll be an awesome boat!

1) i got a $5 carabiner so i can quickly attach our surf rope on either side of the tower to create a side-tow point for beginners.  

2) i wish i had actually taken a buddy out for a day to practice low-speed maneuvers of an inboard; your A24 is gonna be a big difference from your Glastron around the dock and learning with a full crew of guests was way stressful for me.  

3) if surfing is a priority, don't skimp on boards.  our first season i tried using a single hybrid 'value' board for all the adults (100 lbs to 250 lbs) and it didn't work great for anyone.  Once i got an appropriate sized, quality board for me (i went Soulcraft), and a 'big' guy board for some heavier guests, everyone had a better time.

enjoy!

[CDAWake]

Awesome, thanks. I will definitely be practicing a lot on slow speed maneuvers without a crowd! I am looking at the hyperlite broadcast for my wife and I and a kids boards for the little guys. I have ocean surfed for many years, but have never wake surfed. 

[Cole2001]

Get someone who knows what they’re doing to teach you the basics. Everything from docking to getting a surfer up the proper way. I don’t know where you are but most local pros or surf schools will come out on your boat and teach you. I’ve spent hours with clients practicing driving onto boat lifts or picking up surfers. 
 

Babz or let’s tie up boat fenders are great. Absorb everything and don’t scratch the gel. Don’t waste your money on the foam ones. 
 

Lots of decent life jackets (Costco is good for the money). But I’m sure you already have some. 
 

The broadcast isn’t a bad board for beginners but you will outgrow it very fast. Look at the hyperlite shim or if you do get a broadcast look at getting a skim style to compliment it. 
 

For the kids phase 5 scamp is the best board out there. Options for 3 fins for stability or progress to a single fin down the road. It’s also not super buoyant, most lighter kids struggle flipping the board up. 

[formerathlete]

If your boat lives on a trailer, consider replacing the cheap carpet bunks with Gatorbak bunk covers https://gatorbak.com. Gelcoat on boats built after 2007 (if I remember right) is not the same quality and most boats that live on trailers will develop gelcoat blisters under the carpeted bunks that dry out very slowly. Nobody notices this damage when it's sitting on the trailer because the bunks block it. And gelcoat warranties are typically only 1 year (because they know quality is not great). Gatorbak bunk covers help prevent that damage and are much cheaper than a gelcoat blister repair. This is not a paid endorsement, haha. We did make this switch with our setup because our boat lives on the trailer when not in use.

Edited January 24, 2023 by formerathlete

[Slurpee]

5 minutes ago, formerathlete said:

If your boat lives on a trailer, consider replacing the cheap carpet bunks with Gatorbak bunk covers https://gatorbak.com. Gelcoats on boats built after 2007 (if I remember right) is not the same quality and most boats that live on trailers will develop gelcoat blisters under the carpeted bunks that dry out very slowly. Nobody notices this damage when it's sitting on the trailer because the bunks block it. And gelcoat warranties are typically only 1 year (because they know quality is not great). Gatorbak bunk covers help prevent that damage and are much cheaper than a gelcoat blister repair. This is not a paid endorsement, haha. We did make this switch with our setup because our boat lives on the trailer when not in use.

My ‘16 had the Reuben red hull repaired due to major blisters. After the repair I put Snapttraxx on my trailer and boat house cradle lift. Same idea as Gatorbak. Works great. Don’t have that boat trailer anymore but the cradle is going strong 7 years later with no maintenance. 

[rennis]

Huge congrats!  such a great feeling ordering a new boat!

- What Cole said about the Babz is 100% spot on.  I love them and won't use any other fenders.  On that front, get lots of high quality dock and fender lines so you can tie-up safely anywhere you go.  Especially on CDA, where the wind and waves get big.

- Second what captain morgan said about practice driving.  That's a big boat and you'll want to spend many hours getting used to how it maneuvers at low speed and with wind (spoiler alert: it's not great.)  Just getting them onto a trailer or lift takes several rounds of practice before it starts to feel remotely natural.

- Get good interior and hull cleaning products and keep that thing clean.  Wipe it down when it comes out of the water and regularly clean and protect the vinyl so it lasts as long as possible. 

- I was not a fan of the board rack options from the factory and quickly upgraded to Skylons.  Worth every penny IMHO. 

- Get Domed Numbers registrations for the hull.  Best looking option on the market, no brainer

- Start shopping for a spare prop and a weekend saver kit.  Gonna cost you $1k but it's worth it.  Everyone dings their prop, it's just a matter of time. 

[CDAWake]

I was looking at the babz and they look great, do you deflate them to store them on your boat?

[Cole2001]

I keep 2 inflated. Can fit them under the passenger side dash or just keep them in the bow. I do have the smaller versions I believe the newer ones are bigger so might not fit quite as easily. 

[Slurpee]

1 hour ago, rennis said:

Huge congrats!  such a great feeling ordering a new boat!

- I was not a fan of the board rack options from the factory and quickly upgraded to Skylons.  Worth every penny IMHO. 

- Get Domed Numbers registrations for the hull.  Best looking option on the market, no brainer

Domed Numbers are awesome.  Take your time and get a really nice color set.  They're also nice to communicate with and can help you pick the right color for your boat if you call or email since colors don't represent well online.

I did the same thing with the Skylon Skylock racks.  I believe there is an option from Skylon to remove the factory forks from the rack and put on Skylock forks.  You don't have to buy all the mount and pivot hardware.  Explore Skylon or Malibuparts.com websites to investigate that.

[wdr]

For the BABZ if you don’t have the factory installed Phender Pros, or an Amazon equivalent already installed, I would order some. It is not an absolutely must have, but the PP’s are really convenient and free up your cleats for ropes. It is also an easy, albeit potentially nerve wracking DIY install if you have the inclination. 

[CDAWake]

Great stuff, thanks! All going on the to do list as the budget allows.

[rennis]

4 hours ago, Slurpee said:

Domed Numbers are awesome.  Take your time and get a really nice color set.  They're also nice to communicate with and can help you pick the right color for your boat if you call or email since colors don't represent well online.

I did the same thing with the Skylon Skylock racks.  I believe there is an option from Skylon to remove the factory forks from the rack and put on Skylock forks.  You don't have to buy all the mount and pivot hardware.  Explore Skylon or Malibuparts.com websites to investigate that.

Yup, if you ordered the Axis swivel racks the Skylon forks bolt right up to the factory swivel mounts.  Very slick and cost effective.  Robby took great care of me last year. 

[rennis]

4 hours ago, CDAWake said:

I was looking at the babz and they look great, do you deflate them to store them on your boat?

We keep three onboard and deflate them when they're not in use.  A compact 12v air pump fills them very quickly when you are headed to tie-up. 

[gtfish]

Congrats and you got a lot of great responses.

1.  I added a stern thruster to my T250 and it wasn't cheap but has saved my bacon a few times.  I have a narrow entrance to my slip and it is often windy in the evening.   I justify the expense that it is cheaper than gel coat and creates a less stressful day. 

2. See if you have a local shop that demo's boards.  We have a bunch of boards but everyone migrates to a couple and the rest are just "decoration" 

 

Edited January 27, 2023 by gtfish

[gtfish]

Also if you do a lot of floating in the coves we found a great alternative to foam Lily pads.  It is call a Sun Chill float, when deflated it is about the size of a sleeping bag.   https://sunchill.com/  

 

[Slurpee]

9 minutes ago, rennis said:

Robby took great care of me last year. 

He's the best.  Hooked me up with some new mounts for the GV tower since I had them on a G3 before.  Such a good design.

Oh, I thought of a first new boat thing.  Practice tossing your throw cushion over board and driving around it to "rescue" or retrieve folks.  That way you won't kill anyone or scratch up your boat.  My wife still spontaneously throws it out while we're tooling down the lake as revenge from 20 years ago when I did it to her. LOL.  So, beware how enthusiastic you are with that training method.

[CaptainMorgan]

On 1/21/2023 at 6:37 PM, Cole2001 said:

The broadcast isn’t a bad board for beginners but you will outgrow it very fast. Look at the hyperlite shim or if you do get a broadcast look at getting a skim style to compliment 

2nd this.  Especially if you have surfed in ocean, I expect you'll take to wakesurfing easily and want something better pretty fast.  Demo's are great but sometimes hard to find places willing.

Leads to another suggestion: make new friends!  look for other wake boats at gas docks, boat ramps, on lifts, out surfing and wave them down.  Most will gladly share info with another wakeboat owner and maybe swap boards for a set. You may even gain some regular riding buddies.

[shawndoggy]

don't buy a kneeboard. ;-)

buy the right sized boards.  Lots of newbs try to buy one board for everyone (we did) and that leads to marginal results.  Especially for beginners, a too big or too small surfboard will really slow progression and make the sport frustrating.  This is ESPECIALLY true if you have folks on the small end (women and kids 120lbs or less) or the big end (say over 190).  The light folks will have a real hard time getting a surfboard to edge into the wave (rather they will be riding the board "flat," which leads to lots of slip outs and caught heel edges), and the heavy folks will never be able to find the push.

I don't have much experience with the grom boards other than the original phase 5 scamp, which made all the difference for my then 85lb son to start really surfing (that was 12 years ago and he's 185 now).  There are definitely lots of choices now.

For adults I'm very partial to victoria boards (we've had great success riding them and getting newbs up and riding successfully).  link to their clearance board section here: https://wakestore.victoriaskimboards.com/product-category/sale/

Tubes: we all hate 'em and we all pull 'em.  Once kids are 10 or so, the "lay flat" style tubes are much better than the "floating couch" style.  The lay flats are easier to stow, easier to deflate, and easier to throw the kids off of (which for some perverse reason they seem to enjoy).  Tossing kids from a "couch style" tube often means high speed ejector seat style dismounts, which can lead to injuries.

Once your crew is competent, surf style boards are a LOT of fun for speed (with pumping) and airs.  And on those you'll definitely want to go high end/custom (many imposter boards that "look" right but lack performance).  Seek feedback here when you get to that point.

No power turns.  Learn how to turn around by letting your surf wave pass by you before heading back for your rider.  It's faster and minimizes the chance of taking your own roller over the bow.

Develop good safety habits!  I'm sure we all have our own routines and each of us could always do better, but getting into the habit of having your crew check that the ropes are clear of the prop, the rider is clear of the prop, etc. will make the whole process go more smoothly.  Once your family and crew are trained on your protocol, this sort of stuff goes off without a hitch, because the crew is proactively helping the captain.

Be patient with kids and spouse.  It's supposed to be fun!!!

Get your kids to bring their friends.  No better place to get to know your kids' friends than trapping them on the boat with you for a day.

[barefootpaul]

2 hours ago, shawndoggy said:

don't buy a kneeboard. ;-)

...

lol. The rest of your advice is amazing, but if there will be an endless supply of small children, I put a kneeboard high on the list. Ours is used regularly. A kneeboard with a hook is by far the easiest thing to ride. Especially for the once a summer family visitors.

[shawndoggy]

19 minutes ago, barefootpaul said:

lol. The rest of your advice is amazing, but if there will be an endless supply of small children, I put a kneeboard high on the list. Ours is used regularly. A kneeboard with a hook is by far the easiest thing to ride. Especially for the once a summer family visitors.

For us it's a function of how we use the boat... trailer from home out on the lake all day.  That dumb thing takes up a lot of real estate in relation to how much use ours ever got.  

[Cole2001]

I've found for the real little ones using a large beginner surf board is a great to get them comfortable. Just have them lay down on it and hold the handle. Pretty much the same as a kneeboard without needing to keep one on the boat. 

[BlindSquirrel]

1 hour ago, barefootpaul said:

lol. The rest of your advice is amazing, but if there will be an endless supply of small children, I put a kneeboard high on the list. Ours is used regularly. A kneeboard with a hook is by far the easiest thing to ride. Especially for the once a summer family visitors.

Our kids use a skim style surf board to knee board. I too vote no on getting one. Only real difference is no knee strap and a little less buoyant, but no big deal when they are moving.  

[rennis]

If you buy a kneeboard there is only one place to buy it

 

 

[Bozboat]

Get a can of air horn.   You will feel better when you can direct the sound straight at the lake lice that is jumping wakes behind your kids or the boat that is coming straight for you when you are picking up riders.