Here is some ammo for every dad out there when his punk kid wants him to buy a bigger boat

[escmanaze]

It happens every day in Anytown, USA. Mom and Dad love skiing, but the dang kids just want to surf or wakeboard, so before you know it, the dad is out shopping for a "crossover" boat. He buys it, hates the wake, and practically just gives up on skiing.

 

Well, if you want to fight back against the punk kids (I'll be up against this fight in about 4 years, that's why I'm preparing for it now) here is some ammo of some top notch ski boats crossing over pretty decent.

 

 

 

I also wakeboard and wakeskate a little bit so even for myself I'm concerned with having at least something semi-decent for when I decide to ride sideways. Until my kid can do all 4 wake to wake 360's though, he has absolutely 0 claim to say that my ski boat is what is holding back his wakeboarding progression.

[oldjeep]

Alternately stop being such a puss and learn to ski in less than perfect conditions, there is no reason you can't ski behind a crossover boat ;) The main draw to the crossover anyways is the usable space you get. I love skiing but hate DD's with more than 2 other people in them.

That being said you can jump a wakeboard behind anything. This is my oldest son behind my old 3.0L 195 Bayliner with nothing done to enhance the wake.

 

http://www.oldjeep.com/images/Skiing/P8080031.JPG

 

 

[Fatroll]

Easier to turn a ski boat into something that boards well, than vice versa. I had a custom sac made for my Ski Nautique 206 that accomodates the step in the rear. Great boarding wake. The fact that is is a 206 and not a 196 sacrifices the wake at slower slalom speeds. For me at 34 mph its not an issue.

Plus the big wake actually inhibits the development of young boarders as they take a bad fall and lose their aggressiveness at the wake. My ten year old has just started adding a little wake in the rear for a little pop, but not enough to increase his risk of a bad fall.

 

[Kelvin]

Yep, I see many of the kids in our neighborhood that simply ride outside the wake one one side of the boat. The massive wakes are so intimidating to the little tykes.

[ski6jones]

Not sure that first video says much. That guy busted out a flip in the flats with no wake, so he has skills.

 

Agree with Kelvin. See lots of people with big giant boats and nobody riding behind them can take advantage, but they've got the big giant boat, so there's that.

[BraceMaker]

Probably more important to have small wakes to progress in slalom than large wakes to progress in wakeboard.

 

But a big good surf wake to progress in that does eventually need a big boat.. but if you can afford that you can buy a used closed bow ski boat on the side no problem.

[epnault]

I got suckered into this with our first boat. Crossover MasterCraft with a tower. Sucked skiing behind and my kids never did any fancy. I saw a guy on my parents chain of lakes with a deck boat loaded with people and a homemade tower killing it. My kids were embarrassed and I felt the buyer remorse immediatley. :smile: Now we have the new ProStar and happy with it. It skis the best and can do everything else we need too.

[BrennanKMN]

If I could I'd rather have 2 older boats than one newer crossover boat. A TSC1 SN or a 1994 MC 190 and a early 2000's wake boat. Best of both worlds.

Too bad it isn't feasible to store 2 boats for most people so I get it. Maybe someday I'll be lucky enough to add a vdrive to my collection of boats.

[oldjeep]

@BrennanKMN - or alternately get the crossover/wake boat and just ride the course with someone else. Typical day at the local lake course - 3 guys in the boat skiing, all 3 of them own a dd - 2 of them are parked. Few blasts up and down the lake and the one remaining boat gets parked. Pretty easy to find a ski ride ;)

[swc5150]

I dodged the v drive bullet this year:) My wife was petrified of the wake. Liked the sun deck, but thought it was a huge PITA to climb over to access the platform. I didn't think of it, but she was also concerned our 3 year old would sneak to the platform without us immediately noticing (kids do that stuff!), and felt safer with her at an arm's reach at all times. I had to smile and agree, "ya these V drives can be dangerous! We must never get one"! :blush:

[bigskieridaho]

Do the same behind my Response. My wife loves to surf and I get on it also. Some weight and wedge down and we are off! Wake boarding is good as well for some we take also. Buy a direct drive and some bags and have the ultimate crossover..... well ski boat first.

[FSSPCat]

@oldjeep we ski every morning and everyone had a crossover or wake boat. Finally bought a ski boat and so much happier. We ski behind my RLX all morning then surf behind our friends for the rest of the day.

[BraceMaker]

@oldjeep very accurate however IMO is is water time that is the commodity so if the other guy doesn't show always nice to have a boat. The ZO ruins being able to ski cheap

[escmanaze]

@oldjeep In Utah, the land of the giant families, big huge wakeboard barges are everywhere and it is ski boats that are an endangered species. So it's a lot easier to make a friend and get myself the occasional wake tow than it is to try to drum up somebody with a great ski boat.

 

Surfing is the one place where it's tough to get a ski boat to cross over. That's why I'm so impressed with Brooks' video. It gives some hope to maybe keep the kids satisfied a little longer while they keep getting better at skiing until the point they become addicted.