Daddyodaman

I have to say, the one I'm planning to look at certainly looks the part

Hi all, I still haven't found THE boat for me and my family yet. I've looked at several but I'm surprised how poorly some are kept and "prepared" for sale. At the moment I'm considering a 2003 Mastercraft X9, for a mix of recreational slalom (no coarse work) and wakeboarding, and family use. I'd love to hear from anyone with experience with this model, and if there is a better suggestion for the above duties. I'm also considering a 2004 malibu sunscape 21lsv, in case anyone has opinions on this boat too. I recently bought a HO TX and want to get better at skiing as well as wakeboarding, but it has to be a family friendly boat. (Average 3-4 adults and 3-4 kids)

While I'm at it, what are people's thoughts on the 02-04 malibu sunscape 21 lsv? I know it's a v drive (!!), but it runs the sv23 diamond hull, the same as the xti, so I'm wondering, how much worse can the ski wake be? My friends v ride is the sv23 wake hull, and it's not great to ski behind, so I'm curious how much difference the diamond hull makes? I only ask because I've read good things about them. Bear in mind, I'll never ski a course, just aggressive social/ free skiing. I also want to wakeboard, but I don't need surf capability, so a family boat that leans towards smaller wakes would suit best. Looking forward to hearing your advice

I went back to have a more detailed look at the Sunsetter and it's riddled with rust, especially on the motor, to the point I don't want it anymore. A salt water special. It's a real shame, as the interior was really good. However there is an 04 wakesetter xti for sale not far away, and it has the same diamond hull (from what I can tell of the crappy photos he's posted), but a 340 EFI monsoon motor, so maybe that is a better option anyway?

I am into wakeboarding as well, I'd say I intend to do about 50/50 boarding skiing depending on the day, and unfortunately a dedicated slalom boat won't do the family thing well. The wife wants a decent all round boat too. I'm not looking for a Moomba masters quality wake, just something noticeably better than a v drive

Sorry, I wrote that a bit confusingly. It's a 2003 xti, the same hull as the 04. It's the diamond hull, not sure if the wakesetter xti is on the diamond or wake hull, but either way, your experience is a good sign. The only malibu I've skied behind is my friends 06 V ride, which is less than enjoyable, even at 32mph, so I'm confident the XTI would be better. I'm no gun at either skiing or boarding, but having just purchased a $1000 ski I want a boat that will help me advance beyond beginner. Thanks for your comments

Hi all, I took the family to look at a malibu Sunsetter xti yesterday, and I'm wondering what people think of it as a crossover boat. The unusual seating arrangement is the bit we aren't sure about, I was wondering if anyone here had experience with this model. It's an 03 with the carby indmar 310hp engine on the diamond hull. It's got a wedge and its in fairly good condition, though it does show signs of salt use (has new risers though). At the moment I'm thinking between the Sunsetter Xti and the Sunsetter lxi, there is a 2000 model I've looked at recently. I'm wondering if the layout of the XTI is annoying to live with, especially for skiing, prof it's better than the traditional setup of the LXI. Any thoughts on wake/ practicality/ suitability. It would be a family boat with a mix of ski/ boarding.

Thanks for the tip. I actually called that owner about the tige 21v, as Im currently in the same town as it so looking would have been easy, but it's sold. Now I'm thinking a Sunsetter lxi would be top of the list, and I called a guy with one but I won't be able to look at it for a couple of weeks unfortunately. There are a couple of mastercraft 205's up the same way too so I might try to see more than one boat, given its a 4 hour drive from home. No real hurry now that the cold weather will be setting in soon I guess

Update: I've finally been on the ski twice now, and I love it! Got up first time both times, and it's happy to go straight but also feels like I can really get stuck into it as my skill progresses. After the first ski, I moved the bindings slightly forward and that seems to have helped me ride flatter and less on the back foot. I went out behind my friends V Ride, and at about 31-32 the wake is bearable, but I'm hoping to have a shot behind my other friends Response, as then I reckon I could really start to lean it over. I think this ski has made my upcoming boat purchase a bit more certain for getting a direct drive, as I think my wakeboard to ski ratio has now gone from 80/20 to 50/50!

Ok now don't hate me, but I took the P6 back to the store before using it and upgraded to the HO TX. After reading a LOT of reviews and forum opinions on various sites I came to the conclusion that a Radar Theory would be more suitable as a ski I won't need to upgrade from in a couple of years as I progress, but still suitable for a novice. Since the wife gave permission to buy a more expensive ski originally, and I'd get in less trouble spending more now and not more later, I thought best to get a ski I'll keep forever now and be done with it. The only problem was the shop had no Theorys left, but had the HO TX, which he said was their equivalent of the Radar Theory. Apparently it is the new Triumph in the HO line. Either way it's made in USA which I like and seems top quality, and has a similar base shape so I'm hoping it's gonna be great. Truth be told I much prefer the HO bindings, especially the rear one. They seem like I can crank them up more and still come out in a crash, which makes me feel a bit better. It's only a few more days til I can try it but I'm feeling confident it's the right decision. I still appreciate everyone's opinions on the P6, I'm just the type of person that would rather keep something long term, and I know I'm never going to be good enough to outski the TX. (Although probably the same with the P6!) I hope you guys don't think I'm a tool for my decision! I'll let you know how I go on it regardless.

Cool, looks like a sweet boat! The only problem is im in Melbourne Australia, so the shipping would be huge. The sunsetters here are mostly built here at the Australian plant, and I believe they put carbys in for longer than in the states. Plus our malibus tend to have less features standard than their American counterparts. That sucks. I'll just have to keep looking I guess! I'm not looking for world class slalom or wakeboarding wakes, so I'm sure I'll find a good all round boat. Eventually!

Thanks for the suggestions. The Sunsetter is on my hit list if I can find a decent one, although most in the age I'm looking at 99-2002 have carbys which I don't think is ideal, especially since virtually every other manufacturer ran EFI by then. Also, everyone seems to suggest the Nautique 200 or 211, and malibu VTX, but these are WAY out of my price range unfortunately. ($60k vs my budget of $35-40k). I'm only considering a v drive because I would most likely board 60- 70% of the time (at this stage), and they are generally a bit roomier, plus they usually have factory ballast. I want a boat that can go from small to largish wakes, I don't care about making a surf wake. I just thought maybe the original x star would have the nicest v drive wake of the 99-2003 era boats. I've also been keen on an air Nautique dd, and considered a pro air Nautique, as there are a few cheaper ones available, and they are direct drives with ballast. Any thoughts?

As the title suggests, I'm curious if anyone has skied behind an early mastercraft X star, the one with the same hull as the prostar 205. Now I know I'm going to get a bit of "v drives suck for anything but wakeboarding", but given this is effectively highly regarded ski boat just with the engine in the back, I'm thinking maybe it's gotta be better to ski behind than say a v drive malibu or super air nautique. I'm not looking at running a course (ever), just being able to ski aggressively behind it at about 30mph (on a river). I'm only a novice skier but hoping to improve, although I'm predominately a wakeboarder, and I want a boat that can do that and take the family and teach the kids to ski and board behind. I'm hoping it skies better than my friends malibu v ride, as that isn't much fun on a ski. I don't do 34 at 22 off or anything like that, I just want to rip it up a bit. Don't worry, I'm not trying to compare an x star to a response, just want opinions. I keep hoping a 205v/ x star/ x2 could work as a crossover?

Actually one of the things I like about the prime boots on the P6 is the pull cord is exactly the same as my Ronix wakeboard (sister company), so it made it a bit more familiar than the old rubber slalom bindings I'm used to. Sure, my wakeboard bindings feel more natural, but I put that down to not having experience with modern ski bindings. I can't wait to try the ski at Easter. 10 days and counting! Geez I hope I like it! I was close to upgrading to the theory before even trying the P6, but I've read so many good reviews of it I figure I can get up to speed on the P6 then update to a more aggressive ski down the track if slalom really grabs me enough. Second hand skis seem to hold their value from what I've seen. I'm very grateful for everyone's advice on here.

Cool, thanks for the input guys. I just needed some reassurance from those with experience. As long as the p6 is gonna be ok for me I might jump on it. I'm in Australia and water skis are a fair bit more expensive here, so if the p6 is gonna be fun and not hold back progress then I'll save a few hundred by not going for the theory or HO TX. Maybe I could spend the savings on some lessons instead!

Any particular reason? Or experience with the ski?

Hi, I need advice choosing a new ski. I'm predominately a wakeboarder, but I wanna get back into recreational slalom after years out of it. I'm 5'9" and 72kg's, and I'd ideally ride at about 28-31mph. I don't want to do the course but would like a ski that would help me progress and start throwing walls of water. I have been at a store and told the radar p6 or the HO tx would suit. The HO is more expensive and I can get a better deal on last years radar p6, but I'm worried as the p6 is a "wide body" ski that it may be a bit too beginner or suited to heavier blokes and not suitable for slightly aggressive skiing for a lightweight like me. The HO looks cool as, but I know thats not what's important! . I'm not a great skier, but I'm not a beginner either. I've also read the radar theory could suit but I'd like others experiences.