Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

[IQRaceworks]

I got rid of my last boat a few years ago, and I?m ready to start looking for another one this fall. My last boat was light, fast, and made for screaming around the lake on smoother water. I had my fun with it, but now I?m in the market for something that is a little more ?family friendly?. Something that will hold 6-8 people comfortably, pull wakeboarders and other water toys, handle rough water well, and still be able to cruise around on the lake at 30-35mph while not getting too carried away with fuel. My spending limit is right around 25K, and for that price there seems to be several nice boats out there around 21?-23? long and in the 2001-2004 age. It sure looks like you can get a lot more boat for the money if you go with a bowrider vs. a wakeboard boat.

I?m going back and forth on either getting a 21?or 22? bowrider , or a dedicated V-drive wakeboard boat like a Supra, Mastercraft, or Nautique. I know that if your main concern is wakeboarding?.and V-drive boat is the way to go, no questions asked. But I will just be pulling friends that are beginner/intermediate boarders at best?..not pros who are wanting the biggest and sharpest wakes to jump. I?m wondering if a bowrider would get the job done ok? Also, I?m just a little gun-shy about the boarding boats for all of the negatives I hear about them. 1. They cost more than a similar sized bowrider, 2. They use a lot more fuel than a bowrider, 3. They don?t handle rough water as well as a bowrider.

What am I missing here? Based off of my needs, what should I go with?

 

[agallant80]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

Bowrider with a wake tower. You can always add balast tanks if you really get in to wake boarding.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

+1 ^

 

[emilsr]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

For tow sports, you can't beat a dedicated towboat. Sure they have downsides, but they're a specialty boat, built for a specific purpose, and they do it well. A bowrider is more of a "swiss army boat", suitable for many different uses (but not great at any of them).

It's really going to depend on how you use it. For occasional tow duties you could probably get away with a bowrider....and it would be a better "all around" boat. If however the primary function is tow duty (especially if you take boarding seriously) you're going to be regret not getting the right boat for the job.

IMO of course.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

I, too, would go for the runabout with a wake tower. Your main issue is the rough water handling, as there isn't any way to trim a v-drive to combat choppy water. You can get pretty darn close on the wakeboard boat wake with an I/O using the ballast bags, at least close enough that only tournament wakeboarders would know the difference. MY main point is: a wakeboard boat is mainly good at one thing: wakeboarding. They generally aren't any better for water skiing, have no ability to trim for choppy water or increased speed/cruise efficiency, and cost a good deal more.

The runabout has it's downsides, too, but will do everything decently enough for you. The only thing wakeboard boats can do that isn't really advised for I/O's is the wakesurfing. I personally don't care anything about wakesurfing at all, so it's not a factor for me, but if you intend to do it the I/O presents a problem with the prop spinning back there.

 

[jonny rotten]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

We have a 19' bowrider with a 350 we use at our lakehouse.We pull skiers,tubers and beginner wakeboaders.It will get the fattest unexperienced skier up no problem.Im all about the "everything" boat.I look at it this way,Fishing boats are great for fishing but who wants to bring friends and family on a fishing boat for the weekend yet I can still fish off my boat if I choose.I have a 19' cuddy here at home and REALLY miss the space of a bowrider.The bowriders are nice and light and with a 350 its mighty fast when we need it.Our 19'bowrider is rated for 12,shows ya how much room there is in a bowrider.Nice to pile everyone on for a sunset cruise!!

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

We have a 19' bowrider with a 350 we use at our lakehouse.We pull skiers,tubers and beginner wakeboaders.It will get the fattest unexperienced skier up no problem.Im all about the "everything" boat.I look at it this way,Fishing boats are great for fishing but who wants to bring friends and family on a fishing boat for the weekend yet I can still fish off my boat if I choose.I have a 19' cuddy here at home and REALLY miss the space of a bowrider.The bowriders are nice and light and with a 350 its mighty fast when we need it.Our 19'bowrider is rated for 12,shows ya how much room there is in a bowrider.Nice to pile everyone on for a sunset cruise!!

Piling 12 people into a 19' boat sounds awful. My 20'er is rated for 10, but I think 7 adults is my limit for comfort.

 

[jonny rotten]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

Piling 12 people into a 19' boat sounds awful. My 20'er is rated for 10, but I think 7 adults is my limit for comfort.

Weve done it more than once and allways had a blast.I don't know how other boats are laid out but our Larson has a ton of room in bow.4 adults on the back to back,1 on either side of the motor kids up front.Its a full boat don't get me wrong but,thats half the fun. it never feels over tight. On a calm lake with a couple of cocktails at slow speed at sunset its nothing but a good time.We only pack it out when everyone wants to enjoy an evening cruise together.My point was it has the room and no one gets left behind

 

[noclutch]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

Piling 12 people into a 19' boat sounds awful. My 20'er is rated for 10, but I think 7 adults is my limit for comfort.

LOL my 20' BR is rated for 9, but more than 4-5 and I'm feeling claustrophobic!!

 

[moosehead]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

+5 for Bowrider with tower. Ours is plenty for recreational towsports and handles all else you describe.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

They generally aren't any better for water skiing, have no ability to trim for choppy water or increased speed/cruise efficiency, and cost a good deal more.

Most of the wakeboats in the last 10 years have wakeplates on them, basically one big trim tab mounted in the center. They have quite a bit of trim authority also. That said, the hull design becomes the limiting factor. The hulls ride rough, at least rougher than many typical bowriders.

 

[Yachtsman1304]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

A major factor in my decision would be where I am boating. Inland lakes? The wakeboard boat would do it. In my area (Michigan), I go out on the great lakes and unless it is glass calm, I would not want to be in a wakeboard boat. They seem to sit so low in the water...too low for my taste.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

I disagree. Direct drive competition ski boats ride rough, most v-drive wakeboard boats ride much smoother.

Also, you said the following cons:

1. They cost more than a similar sized bowrider,

-- and they hold their value better

2. They use a lot more fuel than a bowrider,

-- same towing speed this is not true.

3. They don’t handle rough water as well as a bowrider.

-- true of the older ones, especially the direct drives, not true of the more modern v-drives.

Here are the other cons of the IO:

Harder to hold plane at wakeboard speeds without a foil or tabs. Tabs negatively affect the wake. If you prop down to help planning you are putting your IO at a gas mileage disadvantage to the wakeboard boat.

IO's do not have as functional of a place to put on the wakeboard. Yes, some have huge swim platforms, but they are elevated.

Seating limitations.

Loss of storage in IO if you add ballasts, where as wakeboard boat generally has them built in.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

I disagree. Direct drive competition ski boats ride rough, most v-drive wakeboard boats ride much smoother.
1. They cost more than a similar sized bowrider,

-- and they hold their value better

3. They don’t handle rough water as well as a bowrider.

-- true of the older ones, especially the direct drives, not true of the more modern v-drives.

Here are the other cons of the IO:
IO's do not have as functional of a place to put on the wakeboard. Yes, some have huge swim platforms, but they are elevated.

So a couple counterpoints... I just spent 5 hours on and behind a friends 2 year old mobius this evening. Loaded up about an hour ago actually. (fairly nice v drive wake boat)

1) The ride sucks when at decent cruising speed... (25+ mph) I'd be hard pressed to find a typical I/O bowrider of similar length that is rougher. Maybe there are better riding wake boats out there, this isn't one of them.

2) value. Depends entirely on area. In my area, wakeboard boats tank in value, there is far too limited of a market, so the number of potential buyers is very, very limited. I/O's in my area tend to be far overpriced!

3) I've owned I/O's with swim platforms that are 100% identical to a v drive. Yes, they were aftermarket, but they served the purpose of being nearly level with the waterline.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

Show me an IO with a platform at waterline please. I would like to see it. If you were in a moomba you know the platform is at the water line. All IOs I see start above the waterline and then come up several inches. This is why they need ladders on them but direct drives and V-drives dont have ladders. You don't need a ladder at the water line.

If you dig in the past threads I did something a while back where I pulled the nada values for yamaha jet boats, ios, direct drives, and v-drives and showed depreciation at 3 year or some similar internal. The results were clear. The wakeboard boats held the most.

I have a stingray. It does ride better than my buddies malibu direct drive. It does not ride markedly better than my other buddies supra launch.

Where do you live, because I now know where to sell my IO if and when I decide to transition.

Lastly, I love my Stingray IO. I am not an IO basher.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

Show me an IO with a platform at waterline please. I would like to see it. If you were in a moomba you know the platform is at the water line. All IOs I see start above the waterline and then come up several inches. This is why they need ladders on them but direct drives and V-drives dont have ladders. You don't need a ladder at the water line.

I don't understand what difference it makes in regards to whether the swim platform is on the water line or 2" above it. You put on the wake board while sitting on the sun pad/standing on the platform. Then you fall/hop into the water. Does it make a difference if you drop an inch or two before getting into the water? The ladders on many runabouts are to assist people in getting up that 2-3" from deep water. Many people couldn't pull themselves up easily onto any platform at the water level, V-drive/DD included.

Here's the 232WSS, right on the water line. Yes there is a guy sitting on the end of the platform, but it's pretty darn close even if you remove him. I can darn near guarantee this boat takes chop/waves better than any similar size v-drive wakeboard boat. It's just a limitation of the hull design/drivetrain of the traditional "wakeboard boat". It's just an inherent difference in the two boat designs, not really much to argue about.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

I do agree that right now Cobalt and Chapparal have some serious wakeboard boat contenders and fully expect to see one pulling a competition soon.

That being said, this is the same size mastercraft wakeboard boat to what you just posted: MasterCraft Boat Company

Look at that V on the front and the deadrise. I guarantee that thing rides just as smooth.

That Cobalt with the lower second section on its platform at the water line is also an exception not the standard swim platform. Do the standard ones work. Yes. It it nicer putting them on at water level. Yes.

 

[moosehead]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

+1 to big swim platforms, kinda cures the twofootitis:



may as well add carpet to the living room:



or a grill to the back deck:

 

[OrangeTJ]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

How about drivetrain maintenance? Are the overall requirements similar is scale between the two types of boats? With an I/O, aren't you supposed to pull the outdrive every so often to do maintenance on gimbals, check motor alignment, etc.? Obviously there's no lower unit on a V-Drive, but what about what's inside the hull?

 

[StayOnTheWater]

Re: Do I want a bowrider, or wakeboard boat?

I would say you're okay with a bowrider. Ive got a Bayliner Bowrider 19' with an outboard, and ive always been fine doing any kind of tow sports. And im a big guy, 6' and 260..... pulled me out of the water fine. IMO go with more versatile