Malibu VTX

[Daddyodaman]

Just chasing people's opinions on skiing behind an 07 VTX with the cut diamond hull. I'm just fantasising about a boat to upgrade from my 04 wakesetter 21xti (diamond hull) and wondering how different the VTX would be to my boat at 15 off and 32-34mph. I ride a 2016 radar senate graphite. Never been through a course, not that serious, just want a boat that I can ski hard behind and advance my skills, whilst having the versatility to wakeboard and even surf. Having tried surfing it's a great fun, low injury alternative to slalom for every other day. I know the VTX is a v drive ?, but it's also a foot shorter thany current boat. Thoughts?

[Fam-man]

@oldjeep don’t you run a VTX?

 

One of my ski buddies has a VTX of about that year, his focus is hydrofoil however we have skied his boat more than one.

Not as flat wake as a DD ski boat but is definitely ski-able. IMO it is a good way to reinforce good technique and edge strongly through the wake. If you go flat through the wake you will feel a large bump.

Have skied it successfully at 15 off 30 and 32 mph in the course. That was 2017 season and was right in line with my PB at that time.

[oldjeep]

I ski behind a vtx, mine is a 2012 diamond hull. I think the wake feels as good at 32 and up as my inlaws 04 lxi. Lower speeds and the wake gets bigger. I ski behind mine on a vapor with no issues.

[blagrata]

I used to have a 2011 VTX. Loved that boat. At 31 mph and above the wake was actually very nice for free skiing.... not too much different than the lxi. Not a very course capable boat unless you can already make it course at 32 mph and above. The pylon is above the v drive compartment too... which makes the boat wag back and forth a bit. (in 2012 the vtx got the option of a removable center pylon). I have also skied an xti of about the vintage you have. I think the VTX wake is definitely better. Lots of room/storage in the vtx for a 20 foot boat. I don't think you'd go wrong with the vtx. Tower folds nicely too. Only reason I traded mine in is the family got more into pure slalom skiing... so we went to a DD

[HPskier1]

I moved from my lxi to a 15 vtx last year.I miss my direct drive, I’m not going to lie but the wake on my vtx with the right setup starting at 22 off and above 30 mph and the center pylon is not bad at all!! The handling is still snappy like a dad. I run it through the course and it just feels wide but is skiable. My family is much happier and we spend way more time on the water instead of just early and late.

[oldjeep]

And the funny thing on the wide comment is that a 2015 and older VTX is 98".

2019 Nautique is also 98"

[Horton]

@oldjeep boat widths are measured at the widest point not he water line. It is a BS number since every design has a different taper from the top of the gunnel to the bottom.

[oldjeep]

I suppose, but Beam is a universal measurement to provide on a boat. Looking at that nautique at the boat show last weekend I believe it is every inch as wide as my VTX. Doesn't have much usable space, but it was big.

Same length, same beam, the nautique draft is 1" less (21 vs my 22")

 

Point is that the Big 3 are pretty big these days

 

[Daddyodaman]

Thanks for the input guys. I had a friend who's a good skier swing behind my xti and he said it wasn't much different to his 05lxi, so that's why I was wondering just how different the VTX would be. I love the idea of more versatility, but definitely don't want to go backwards with the ski wake. I'm still trying to learn to cross the wake more on edge, as I know that helps, but it takes more balls than I've currently got to cross at that speed. I'm not sure if get the wife over the line (unless I can find a more pretty colour ?) but I'm loving learning, for just in case. Maybe for now I should spend my cash on more ski lessons. Having said that, the local ski/wake school boat is a 21 VLX with a diamond hull! ? (They claim it's not bad for skiing, but I can't imagine)

[HPskier1]

@oldjeep is right it’s the same width andit’s still the diamond hull but sitting up higher with higher sides so it’s the feel of a wide boat compared to my lxi were I felt at bouy level and could see them go by easier. I won’t tell my wife it’s no wider because she thinks it’s the boats fault when she runs over bouys more when she drives the vtx. Lol

[Robbo5252]

@HPskier1 - care to share how you set your vtx up for slalom? Friends have just bought one and are still trying to figure it out.

Cheers

Robbo

[blagrata]

@Robbo5252 we used to have one person sit on the floor just forward of the windshield....others on passenger seat. The person in front helped counterweight the engine in back and made wake flatter. Make sure boat is well balanced side to side and you'll have a great ski wake

 

[oldjeep]

Or if you have the bow tank you can just fill it

[Daddyodaman]

One thing to ad about my current boat (the xti) is that the three things it doesn't have that would be nice are fuel injection, cruise control of any sort, and a wedge. The motor doesn't really struggle at all, I just know EFI offers easier cold starts/warm ups. I'm debating whether to put perfect pass in it, or just spend (a lot!) more and get a newer boat with all the bells and whistles. I haven't really needed a wedge so far, but if I was to get into surfing it would help a lot I'm sure.

[HPskier1]

@Robbo5252 I’ve got 2 50lb bags of lead in the front( I don’t have the front ballast.... mistake) but this does allow me to move it side to side to even out the wake if needed. No more than3/8 tank of gas and I can still have 3 people in the boat and get a pretty darn good slalom wake. Driver only and at 22 off or less it’s great. Even 15 isn’t bad just a little kick you have to edge through. I’ve found the gas load is key as well as the weight in the bow.The gas less the better. I’m very happy with my VTX but it’s not as good as my DD.

[Robbo5252]

Thanks for the responses. Will go out with them and give it a go.

Cheers and happy skiing

Robbo

[6balls]

As @oldjeep mentioned when searching consider only the boats with the optional bow ballast. You will want it for slalom, and if you fill it, it's better for surfing too with all other ballast filled (including plug and play in rear storage compartments next to engine compartment), wedge down and a wake shaper like mission delta.

I just missed on two of those...one sold before I could offer, the other refused offer and sold.

[WoodySkier]

I had a 2010 VTX for a few years, loved the boat for a number of reasons -spacious, comfortable, family friendly. Ski wakes were good above 32, slow it down more and it got big quick. In the course it didn’t track that well because the pylon was just in front of the engine in the back. I used to like to wakeboard but now I’m older and it just isn’t as fun sending big jumps when you get hurt.

 

I ended up getting a pontoon for the family cruising and a 200 for skiing, and I put more hours on my 200 because I love skiing behind and so do all my ski buddies.

[Daddyodaman]

If people are saying the VTX has a better wake with the front tank full, and currently there's no boats for sale in my budget with a front tank, wouldnt throwing an adult or a couple of kids up the bow have the same effect?

[6balls]

@Daddyodaman yep

[oldjeep]

Yeah, but at 32mph I'd use some weight bags rather than people. It is a safer bow than most ski boats, but still sketchy at speed. Funny you are finding so many without bow tanks, I've seen very few. Local dealer must have ordered them on most boats.

[oldjeep]

Not sure where you are looking geographically, but here is a cheap 2008 with bow tank. https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/boa/d/fremont-2008-malibu-wakesetter-vtx/6815555818.html

 

[Daddyodaman]

I'm in Melbourne Australia, and we have a Malibu plant here, so almost all Malibu's you see are Australian built, and from what I see, options cost a lot more here than they appear to in the states. A lot of imported Malibu's here have showers and heaters etc, but not many locally built ones do. If I want front ballast I'm looking at newer ones (2012 onwards) and they are more like 75-80k plus here. ?