Boat question

[snacksnack]

Haha as far as poor mans wakeboard setup goes we started in 95 area with a 16' inboard outboard and a scurf board. Ballast consisted of all the ice chest we could find filled to the top and all the people that wanted to go. Oh yeah and cant forget the pilon pole mafe out of a fence post with a trailer ball welded to the top and ski ropes all over the place to hold it in place.

[GeorgeG.]

It all depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to surf AT ALL... your only option is an inboard, direct or V drive but the V Drive will generally have a much greater capacity for people and storage and is easier to place ballast. If you surf behind an I/O or an Outboard, you will eventually lose life or limb. DO NOT DO THAT!

As for wakeboats, they don't lose value nearly as fast as others since they are already expensive and the price keeps going up every year. Malibu, Mastercraft, Nautique, Tige, and Supra are the biggest names. I've personally got a Supra 24 SSV and it's one hell of a boat. It can cruise around fairly comfortably on rough water (for a wake boat), and throws a massive wake and huge surf wave. Your budget will determine what you can get, but I wouldn't hesitate to get a early 2000's Super Air Nautique Team Edition as those are great boats but they are only 21' so they are on the smaller side compared to mine. I've always got a big group with me (usually family) so my 24 can even feel cramped at times.

whao....what!?!?! We have tossed the idea of getting a Tahoe I/O boat for a little tubing and, as confidence goes up, maybe skiing or wakeboarding. Is there something I don't know about?

<---- doesn't know squat about boats.

[snacksnack]

The prop is literally behind the boat vs under the boat like a direct drive/vdrive is.

[White90GT]

The prop is literally behind the boat vs under the boat like a direct drive/vdrive is.

That all comes down to responsible boating. #1 your captain should not be drinking, because he is responsible for all the lives onboard the boat (whether it be big or small, he is still responsible). #2 the boat should be in neutral at a minimum and preferably powered off when you have a swimmer/skier in the water behind the boat. Some boats even have a kill switch if the ladder is down in the back it won't start. I have never had any kind of incident involving the propeller on an I/O or Outboard boat and I've been around power boats since I was around 10 years old (38 now).

[bird_dog0347]

whao....what!?!?! We have tossed the idea of getting a Tahoe I/O boat for a little tubing and, as confidence goes up, maybe skiing or wakeboarding. Is there something I don't know about?

<---- doesn't know squat about boats.

Look closely at the pic... that's me surfing, actually surfing. You can see I don't have a handle and you can even see the rope hanging off the tower. You cannot do that with an I/O unless you don't really want to have arms/legs. My prop is all the way up under the boat, there's no way to fall into it. Also, it's a REALLY good idea to make sure your boat has a fuel injected engine with cats or you will have a hell of a headache after 20 minutes of surfing.



There's 900#'s of ballast in the back locker you can't see in the pic, a 750# bag on the floor, another 750# bag on the seat, a 400# bag in the front locker and some big dudes for extra ballast in that pic.





This is how you get up and get started... my buddy Blake on the board. I'm driving.





As you can see, no rope, just surfing.

[Rick Modena]

We have a small 97 Chris Craft Concept and the Volvo Penta I/O setup with the 4.3l Vortec engine has been great.

Holy fuck, what lake is that, Lake Antifreeze? I haven't been to a freshwater lake since I've been to Floridas west Coast of the GOF...

[snacksnack]

That all comes down to responsible boating. #1 your captain should not be drinking, because he is responsible for all the lives onboard the boat (whether it be big or small, he is still responsible). #2 the boat should be in neutral at a minimum and preferably powered off when you have a swimmer/skier in the water behind the boat. Some boats even have a kill switch if the ladder is down in the back it won't start. I have never had any kind of incident involving the propeller on an I/O or Outboard boat and I've been around power boats since I was around 10 years old (38 now).

He was referring to surfing in which you are literally on the ass of the boat from time to time.

[runin90lx]

bird dog…what lake do you go to normally? we live in east texas but i want to come visit some DFW lakes this summer.

[GeorgeG.]

Ah, thanks Nick and White90GT...looks like I was confusing surfing with something involving a rope and being pulled some distance behind the boat.

[Mysticcobrakilla]

Buncha ballas up in here!

[Rreemo]

The #1 biggest question that needs to be answered is how you plan to use it, and #2 how much previous experience you have in a boat.

There is absolutely no reason for you to go buy a high dollar/name wake boat if you are just looking to hang out on the lake and occasionally ski or tube. They are indeed cool boats, but also very purpose built, and if you aren't very experienced driving one, they are also a whole different animal than a traditional I/O style deep-v....not intended for higher speed or rougher waters, can be easily swamped if you don't know what you are doing, and they don't reverse (or dock) nearly as easy as an I/O or even outboard....something to consider when you first start out.

I've owned quite a number of boats over the years myself, and the most versatile (and easy) were the ones in the 18-22' deep-V I/O variety. Don't spend a ton up front unless you are sure you are going to use it...spend a little less on a more modest boat, get yourself some experience in it, and then if you want more you can always upgrade later. One thing a lot of people overlook is just how much you really will use a boat...for us it was always pretty safe to say between memorial day and labor day every year....so ~4-months out of the year. Of those 4-months, how many actual days do you think you'll be on the lake? To be honest, it felt like a lot when my daughter was younger and we went to the lake about every other weekend in the summer months.

Just food for thought.

If you know what to look for, you can certainly find a decent boat under $10K too. Popular to common belief, interior is one of the most expensive things to repair/redo, and ragged interior is also usually a sign of a ragged boat. Make damned sure the floors are solid as well as the transom.

My last one was a 90's Four Winns 180 Horizon....had the 4.3 in it. I bought it from the original owner who had all the service records, rinsed and flushed it after use, and kept it inside. I paid $6200 for it, maintained it the same way, added about $500 worth of stereo equipment, and sold it 3-years later to the first looker for $7500.

I even towed it all the way to Destin one year to use in the bay (and had a blast!).....I was hesitant about putting it in salt water, but just made sure that we rinsed and flushed it extremely well after we pulled it out. Never had a single issue out of it.

[bird_dog0347]

That all comes down to responsible boating. #1 your captain should not be drinking, because he is responsible for all the lives onboard the boat (whether it be big or small, he is still responsible). #2 the boat should be in neutral at a minimum and preferably powered off when you have a swimmer/skier in the water behind the boat. Some boats even have a kill switch if the ladder is down in the back it won't start. I have never had any kind of incident involving the propeller on an I/O or Outboard boat and I've been around power boats since I was around 10 years old (38 now).

Oh, I didn't realize all you had to do was not drink and be responsible in order to surf behind an I/O and not risk THIS... The RESPONSIBLE thing to do is NOT surf behind an I/O. You've been warned, now go do as you please.

bird dog…what lake do you go to normally? we live in east texas but i want to come visit some DFW lakes this summer.

I keep my boat at Texoma at my uncle's lake house. If you feel like going up there, c'mon!

Ah, thanks Nick and White90GT...looks like I was confusing surfing with something involving a rope and being pulled some distance behind the boat.

You start out that way, 15' of rope and 5' of handle... get up on the wave, then toss the rope back in the boat.

Buncha ballas up in here!

It ain't "Choo Choo" money for me, just a single "Choo"...

[bird_dog0347]

The #1 biggest question that needs to be answered is how you plan to use it, and #2 how much previous experience you have in a boat.

There is absolutely no reason for you to go buy a high dollar/name wake boat if you are just looking to hang out on the lake and occasionally ski or tube. They are indeed cool boats, but also very purpose built, and if you aren't very experienced driving one, they are also a whole different animal than a traditional I/O style deep-v....not intended for higher speed or rougher waters, can be easily swamped if you don't know what you are doing, and they don't reverse (or dock) nearly as easy as an I/O or even outboard....something to consider when you first start out.

I've owned quite a number of boats over the years myself, and the most versatile (and easy) were the ones in the 18-22' deep-V I/O variety. Don't spend a ton up front unless you are sure you are going to use it...spend a little less on a more modest boat, get yourself some experience in it, and then if you want more you can always upgrade later. One thing a lot of people overlook is just how much you really will use a boat...for us it was always pretty safe to say between memorial day and labor day every year....so ~4-months out of the year. Of those 4-months, how many actual days do you think you'll be on the lake? To be honest, it felt like a lot when my daughter was younger and we went to the lake about every other weekend in the summer months.

Just food for thought.

If you know what to look for, you can certainly find a decent boat under $10K too. Popular to common belief, interior is one of the most expensive things to repair/redo, and ragged interior is also usually a sign of a ragged boat. Make damned sure the floors are solid as well as the transom.

My last one was a 90's Four Winns 180 Horizon....had the 4.3 in it. I bought it from the original owner who had all the service records, rinsed and flushed it after use, and kept it inside. I paid $6200 for it, maintained it the same way, added about $500 worth of stereo equipment, and sold it 3-years later to the first looker for $7500.

I even towed it all the way to Destin one year to use in the bay (and had a blast!).....I was hesitant about putting it in salt water, but just made sure that we rinsed and flushed it extremely well after we pulled it out. Never had a single issue out of it.

Listen to this man, he knows what's up. Decide what you want to use it for BEFORE you buy it. There's nothing wrong with an I/O as long as you do not use it to surf. They aren't great for wake boarding, but you'll at least learn to get up and you'll have "fun" getting the shit kicked out of you learning but that's any boat, not just an I/O. If you have been wake boarding before and have decided you REALLY want/need to get good at it, go test drive numerous boats first, and take your board and ride behind them on the test drive. If the dealer/seller won't let you ride, DON'T buy from them.

If you want a family boat for tubing, floating, chilling... don't get a wake boat. As stated, they are a PITA to launch, dock, put back on the trailer, etc.

[Baron Von Crowder]

I'm feeling less broke than usual, thrusting myself into boat ownership might just do the trick!

[Rreemo]

I'm feeling less broke than usual, thrusting myself into boat ownership might just do the trick!

If it flies, floats or fucks.....RENT IT!