Opinions needed on Axis A22.

[Joel70]

Hi, I’ve put a deposit down on a 2019 Axis A22. I’ve never been in an axis or Malibu other than at a dealership. Unfortunately I’m unable to test drive. I’m trading up from my old 2009 Supra 21 V. I’ve read almost everything I can find on the web about axis. My biggest concerns are with the surf system it has , surf gates and power wedge. In theory sounds great but there are some bad reviews floating around online that give it a poor rating.  For example, fuel economy and difficult steering when using the wedge. Any opinions from actual owners would be greatly appreciated. 
Thx for any feedback.   

[klntime]

Will be a big upgrade from your 2009.  Surfgate and power wedge is a really good combo and makes setting up surf wave very easy.  There might be more fuel efficient boats but I don't see that a concern for the majority of surfers - it's not a fuel efficient activity in any boat.   as for steering, i would not say it's difficult.  you will feel an initial pull when surfgate deploys, after that it's fine.

 

[abovewater]

Huge upgrade. I've had an A22(pre surfgate) and an A24, and I can assure you, the steering will not be an issue. It tugs for a second and then you just drive. I can't speak for fuel economy as I don't pay much attention to that. If you're looking for assurance that you're making the right decision, I can only say I have zero regrets on the purchase of our a22 and then the upgrade to the a24.

[shawndoggy]

The SG boats do take a little bit of adaptation to learn to drive smoothly (especially downed rider pickup) but as long as you are already used to turning around correctly (i.e. not power turning back into your own wave or something) you should adapt in a day or so on the water.  The "opposite side" deployment of the gate makes the boat spin the right way for pickup every time.  You just have to work with the system not against it.

[ORsurfer]

We came from a 2005 Wakesetter VLX to a '21 A22. The push-button nature of the MLS + PW combo is a game changer - not only in the consistency of the riding experience, but in the amount of work that you - as the captain - need to be responsible for as you're getting your crew ready to ride. I have definitely noticed that the wheel feels heavier with SG deployed and power wedge increased, but I actually like it as it helps the boat track a straight line while surfing. There is also an adjustment in orientation when you activate the Surf Gate (meaning you'll need to correct steering if you made a side-to-side transfer, for example), but I have had similar experience with driving other boats, and I certainly wouldn't consider it anything negative. As with everything - you can find 100 people who love it and 100 people who swear they'd never buy one (usually owners of other boat brands) - so not sure you'll find the absolute answer you're looking for here, but happy to answer questions where I can. RE: fuel economy - I could be mistaken but have to believe that any difference in economy between systems would have to be pretty incremental, and imagine so many other factors (how you drive, how you load, how you prop, elevation, weather, etc. etc.) will have a much bigger impact on economy than SG or some other wake shaping system. 

I've been very happy with our decision. I also bought without ever having ridden / driven an Axis. I bet on the consistency across Malibu (drivetrain, surf system, dealer etc.) and how much we loved our Wakesetter, and while there are always small decisions that you will shake your head at (how do we not have hinged seats solve for yet?) I think the boat has a great size/layout, super enjoyable wake, looks great and works great for our family. 

 

[rennis]

for anyone who came from surfing with either a heavily listed boat or one with a suck gate wave shaper - the modern surfgate boats drive and steer a LOT better than many alternatives or band-aid technology.  There is a small learning curve but once you have it down it's cake.  People online love to whine.  I bet half of those "poor reviews" were by people who didn't even drive a boat or don't know what else is out there in the segment.  They all suck at low speed maneuverability.  :shrug: 

[trungsc156]

I have nothing to compare to, but my first and only boat is a 2019 Malibu 22MXZ I bought 1-1/2 years ago. Surfed with it all season long last year and it was great using the power wedge and surf gates. Steering wasn't difficult at all, even my wife had no problem driving the boat while I surfed. Regarding fuel economy, I didn't really pay attention to it, just went out and had a lot of fun with the boat. One less thing to worry about...enjoy it!

[CaptainMorgan]

Concur with all said above.

Ill add that Surfgate boats will feel hard to turn while surfing (to one side at least), but then again all surf waves will suffer when you turn so you want to go in straight lines regardless with only minor corrections as necessary 

For fuel economy, ive seen YouTube videos showing 12-15 gal/hr on multiple surf brands while surfing, but I have a 2019 A24 and have a tracked fuel use over 300 hrs - I'm right around 4.5 gal/hr total. Thats a mix of probably 1/3 cruising, 1/3 tubing and 1/3 surfing.  For rare adult surfing days where everyone can surf and we take long runs, still is <7 gal/hr - I think due to fact that idling between runs/riders and to/from docks takes up more time (and less fuel) than you realize.  

[formerathlete]

We have a 2019 A22. Our experience with fuel economy sounds similar to @CaptainMorgan, if not slightly better since we have an A22 and not an A24. As always, it will also depend on crew size and the ballast you are running.  If you have a large crew with full ballast and maybe lead in various places, fuel economy will suffer more...as it would in any boat. Prop selection also plays a bit of a role here but there's a lot that goes into that and everyone's needs are different. Our boat came stock with an ACME 2249 that does better with bigger loads but the engine also runs at slightly higher RPM's (especially when wakeboarding and cruising) compared to the prop we run most of the time now, the ACME 2279. We run at sea level up to about 1300' and spend our time 1/4 cruising, 1/4 surfing, 1/4 wakeboarding and 1/4 tubing. Hoping to decrease that tubing as our daughters get older.

Our boat has the PW3 and Surf Gate and what everyone is saying on this thread is consistent with our experience. When surfing, Surf Gate seems to deploy at around 7-8mph and when it deploys, you will notice a pull one way or another depending on surf-side (it's slightly worse with a surfer on the port-side of the wake). You quickly adjust to it and as long as you are not trying to turn (and who would while pulling a surfer?), you just adapt to it and it's no big deal. The PW3 has no impact on turning, at any speed up to 25mph, in our experience.

We didn't get a chance to demo an A22 before we ordered our boat and there really weren't any surprises when we took possession. The biggest challenge for us was finding the best way to load it onto the trailer. Make sure your guide poles don't allow the back end to drift too far right or left or you'll ding your prop on the trailer if you power load it on. Some launches we use are so steep that this was something we had to be very wary of. In those situations, we just float the boat onto the trailer to avoid any issues. Overall, it's been a good boat and we really wouldn't change anything on it if we had a chance to order it all over again. We didn't order the transom platform on the trailer due to garage space/accessibility concerns but would probably add those if we had a chance to do now.

BTW, we came from a 2000 Toyota Epic X-22, so this was quite the jump up in MANY ways.

Edited April 27, 2023 by formerathlete

[scrupulous]

Also have a 2019 A22 and we love the boat.  Agree with the comments from  @CaptainMorgan and @formerathlete.  As far as gas consumption I can't track it specifically however we are 60 wake / 30 surf / 10 cruise and depending on crew size and where we place weight, I notice the difference.  IMO getting weight in the nose can actually help.   Absolutely 0 issues turning, my wife drives 50% of the time and she has no complaints.  

We have dealt with some electrical issues, but most have been easy to work through with the dealer or by doing our research on here.  (just needed to calibrate the surf gates for the first time)

 

[PopsA22]

On 5/18/2023 at 5:59 AM, scrupulous said:

Also have a 2019 A22 and we love the boat.  Agree with the comments from  @CaptainMorgan and @formerathlete.  As far as gas consumption I can't track it specifically however we are 60 wake / 30 surf / 10 cruise and depending on crew size and where we place weight, I notice the difference.  IMO getting weight in the nose can actually help.   Absolutely 0 issues turning, my wife drives 50% of the time and she has no complaints.  

We have dealt with some electrical issues, but most have been easy to work through with the dealer or by doing our research on here.  (just needed to calibrate the surf gates for the first time)

 

How and why did you calibrate the surf gates?  I have the same boat and never considered this.  I'd like to be prepared when the need arrises.