Re: V-drive vs. direct drive.
Kelly makes a very good point. Either a V-Drive or Direct can be a real challenge to handle at slow speeds. Especially in reverse. It's not that they can't be mastered, it just takes a good deal of practice. Every boat will have its own handling quirks.<br /><br />The reason is that the propeller does not swivel like an outboard or I/O. Thus, the rudder has little effect unless there is a fair amount of water flow around it.<br /><br />As mentioned earlier, the V-drive came into popularity, again, with the wake board craze. Wakeboarders love big wakes and the engine sitting astern helps with making a larger wake.<br /><br />If you're really into wakeboarding, as opposed to skiing, I would go with the V-drive. If the opposite is true, nothing skis like a true competion direct drive ski tractor.