Torn... next Yamaha vs an actual Surf boat

[OrangeTJ]

Heyday and ATX are both under $100k

Quite a few very nice surf boats can be bought new for less than $100K. Sanger, MB, Supreme, Axis all come to mind. Yes - most of those builders also make boats that are above $100K list price but many can be had for under (or well under) that figure.

 

[1969mach1]

I've had my 2006 Yamaha for several years now. I've completed just about every mod on here and added 8k in Wetsounds Equipment. I love my Yamaha but...

Here comes my friend with a 2018 Wakesetter. Have you tried surfing he asks? No.. that was last summer and we've been surfing ever since. Malibu, Mastercraft, Supra, Axis.. everyone has them!

My wife has finally approved the purchase of a new boat. I want to surf. My friends want to surf. My kids want to surf. I LOVE the Yamaha but... I don't want to put an 800lb fatsac on the swim deck just to surf. How do you even switch the sac side for varying riders?

Everything I want in a boat = Yamaha, minus the ease of surfing. It's just not there yet.... is it?

What to do, what to do...

I have a 252SE on order, but am still struggling with this question. Getting it to surf for the kids. I know a wakebooster and some properly placed fatsacs will work for the kids, but was a PITA. My struggle is that we want a family boat but the kids will want to surf. Nobody wants a dedicated wake boat and our lake is 19 miles long and can get some chop. We want to be able to cruise and handle it in 2+ foot waves and maximize comfort.

Although we've put down the deposit, I am still looking at alternatives that will give me a good wave and still give me the family cruiser feeling. WE looked at a Chaparral 23 Surf yesterday. Here is the kicker, they license the Malibu surf gate and it has a fatsac as well with one touch surf set up. No, it's not going to create a wave like a malibu or other dedicated boats, but I am thinking long and hard. 2022 23 Surf Series - Features

we also looked at the next model up as a possibility which is the 26' version.

Chaparral 26 SURF

Chaparral Boats is the leading manufacturer of quality fiberglass boats including SSi, SSX, OSX Outboards and SURF series models.

www.chaparralboats.com

Both have forward drive. Also on the list is the Crownline E255 Surf..

I love so much about the 252SE. It's almost the perfect boat.

 

[2kwik4u]

^^yup same for us. We don’t surf 100% of the time with our Max. Probably like 40% of the time is used for surfing. The rest is just cruising, exploring or hanging out in a quiet cove just as we did with our jet boat. The only thing my Yamaha did better than my Moomba was be able to go to the Gulf to boat in salt water. Everything else is just better for us. Granted the Yamaha was lighter so it is easier to tow with my old truck but we don’t really tow much these days so it’s a non-issue. I don’t miss getting bounced, tossed and beat on in rough water. Or screaming at each other to talk while underway, bad handling around docks, much less storage space, manually setting up heavy ballast bags, floppy windshield, jet boat spray in the face of doing watersports.... I could go on but you get the point. Everything I did on my jetboat is easily repeatable and doable on my Max. I’m not one of those who seeks 10” of water in a jet boat so the whole shallow draft thing was never a selling point for me. I will say it’s nice to have a dedicated anchor locker and a scupper on the Yamaha for those times you want to clean the floors.

These are all great points. Friends with wake boats also spend about the same amount of time surfing as they did "normal" boat things.

How do you feel about the complexity of the driveline in the V-Drive versus the relative simplicity in the jet? Winterization any different? Maintenance any different?

Anchor locker, scupper with fiberglass floors, and salt water usage (I'll never go to FL without a boat again) are big pluses for me to stay with Yamaha, however I really like the idea of the quietness, weight (and associated smooth ride), look and no spray of the V-Drive.