HP for wakeboarding behind 18'

22Davidson22

Recruit
Joined
Aug 13, 2017
Messages
1
Hey there, I'm in the market for my first boat. I have my eyes set on a new glastron gtsf 185 with a wakeboard tower.

I'm undecided between the 200hp and 250hp mercruisers. Fishing will likely be the primary use of the boat. However it will be used for tubing/wakeboarding as well. I feel like the more HP the better. Would I be wasting money paying for the extra 50hp or would the 200hp leave me disappointed? I doubt I will ever have more than 6 adults in the boat when using it for watersports.

Thanks.
 

Scott06

Vice Admiral
Joined
Apr 20, 2014
Messages
5,542
I've never heard a boat owners say they had too much power. I think you'll like the 250 hp in a boat that size.
 

Rick Stephens

Admiral
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,118
I've pulled with a 3.0L at 130 HP and with the 4.3L at 225 HP. Either did just fine. HP is not much of an issue for wakeboarding. More so for skiing, especially so for multiple skiers. Wakeboards pop up so easy that HP is not so important. A good wake, now THAT is important. And a boat that can hold a speed while generating a good wake. My ski boat tends to roll out into plane even with the drive trimmed up to hold it down plowing through the water giving a good wake. Makes it more work since it wants to plane out, which causes it to speed up, then you lower the throttle, it falls off plane and speeds drops a little too low, so add a little power and it slides up into plane a couple minutes later, speeding up. Endless cycle. I may figure a way to add a little drag, see if I can change enough to hold off plane at 18-20 MPH or so so the kids can board a little easier. Engine power ain't the issue though. It was just the same before I swapped out to the larger motor.
 

Silverbullet555

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
621
Buy the bigger motor. Though you can wakeboard with less, having a few extra ponies never hurt. Hell, I have 375 ponies and would like more.
 

QBhoy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Messages
8,286
Most would probably agree that more hp is always a good thing...except when it becomes rediculously more expensive to run. Second hand retail value would be helped by the bigger top spec option too. Heck, you likely love across in the US...what am I talking about ? Bigger the better, haha.
 
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