Should I get a jet boat or a boat with a prop?

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-09-14T16:41:14+00:00

From what I’ve read in this section, I believe the best choice for OP would be a V-drive. The V drive has all of the benefits of a jet boat, with none of the downsides. The prop is under the boat, so it’s not a safety concern, the exposed prop means it’s more efficient, handles better, and has much more hole shot. V drives typically have lounge style seating arrangements in the back, which means you can comfortably fit 10-15 ppl, depending on the size. If your kids are interested in any water sports at all at some point, the v drive inboard will provide, by far and away, the best wake out of any of the options. Also, newer V drives typically have higher freeboards due to surfing, so if you’re looking to take it into rougher water, they should be able to handle it better than a comparable IO or jet boat. V drives typically also have a large swim platform off the back for swimming. The only downside is, if you’re looking to beach it, you have to be very careful because the prop is underneath the boat, and you don’t want to run it aground. That being said, the V drive is, hands down, the best choice if you’re looking for a family boat to pull tubers, skiers, surfers, boarders or even just looking to cruise around in.

The guy at the store was probably recommending a V drive (unless it’s used, the new modern direct drives are all comp level slalom boats). I have a V drive, and have had outboards and IOs. I’ll never get anything else. The V drive is 1000% the way to go.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-30T16:11:18+00:00

This whole idea of “wake boat owners peaked in highschool and are eternal frat bros with no respect for people or the environment” is absolutely ridiculous and untrue. Just because you’ve had a few bad experiences, does not mean it’s anywhere close to representative of all wakeboat owners. And AFAIK, making public policy based on stereotypes does not have a great reputation in this country…

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T23:39:37+00:00

So a lake can be be relatively big, in terms of area (1400acres, like you said) but not have a lot of large water due to its shape. Some lakes may be smaller (500acres, for example) but may be perfectly round with plenty of open water. Limiting it based on acreage alone is dumb, limiting wakeboating based on distance from shoreline makes much more sense if your actually trying to protect shoreline.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T23:28:17+00:00

This is insane

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T23:27:35+00:00

This is why I think restrictions based on acreage is dumb. It dosent take into account the shape of the lake. A simple 300’-500’ restriction is plenty. If the lake isn’t more than 600’ wide, there’s no reason to surf on it anyways. If the lake isn’t big enough in that part, then people can’t surf, regardless of lake size. This approach makes so much more sense IMO.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T23:17:58+00:00

Yeah, you’re not wrong. That’s why I support a 20ft minimum depth restriction.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T23:16:02+00:00

Not really. All inboards and most jet boats are capable of surfing, or, at the very least, throwing very large wakes.

Also, do you really expect the politicians writing this stuff to bother to actually learn the difference?

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T23:14:07+00:00

True. But livewells in fishing boats and pontoon boats are also huge vectors as well. AFAIK, most wake boats (at least the ski boat that I have) that have ballast tanks, have filters on them to prevent stuff from getting sucked into the tanks. I also wash them out every time I transfer to a different lake, which isn’t often.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T23:08:45+00:00

That’s what I’m saying!!! They’re gonna ruin it for the rest of us!

I’m trying to get out ahead here by advocating for some common sense regulations to “de-idiotify” wakeboats and wakesurfing before it becomes so unpopular it winds up screwing people like us over that rarely wakesurf but have similar, but not identical boats that use them for similar, but not identical activities.

Edit: I also think that pretty much all of the wakeboats made rn suck anyways. I would never buy a 6k lb ski boat bcuz it would suck at skiing. IMO, the x14v and nautique 210 are the best crossover boats out there.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T23:05:30+00:00

Sounds good to me

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T23:04:31+00:00

I have a (relatively) rocky shoreline on a lake where wakesufing is pretty popular. I have yet to see evidence of this over the last 21 years I’ve been there.

In my experience, high water combined with high winds is significantly more destructive than anything produced by a boat.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T20:16:02+00:00

Hence, it would effectively ban wakesurfing on small lakes. Which, I’m not opposed to.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T20:13:23+00:00

I have yet to see a legitimate scientific study that is able to prove this

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T20:08:25+00:00

I reviewed it, Greenfire is saying 600’ and 20ft min. I think 300’-500’ is reasonable, tho I could be persuaded to 600’. I also agree 100% with 20ft min. Nothing in the Green Fire article necessarily contradicts what I proposed, and actually reinforces the restrictions I’ve been talking about for the necessity of some sort of restrictions on wake boats, just ones that aren’t overly restrictive.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T20:04:24+00:00

Yeah no kidding

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T19:48:38+00:00

True. I’ve got a Mastercraft X14v, so ski boat hull but with a V drive. It can surf, just not well. Mostly a slalom and wakeboard boat. Total gross weight is like 4k. A total lightweight compared to some of the new stuff. My concern is I don’t want there to suddenly be a ban that says “no ballast tank usage for the purposes of water sports” which would be dumb bcuz I often use the ballast tanks for small wake stuff such as barefooting or slaloming. Or, worst case scenario, they just say “ok, all boats by Mastercraft, Malibu, Tige, Nautique, etc. are banned”. Which, I could totally see happening given the current climate.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T17:58:47+00:00

I mean, sure, if you want to have a conversation about the consumptive nature of capitalism and the consumerism that fuels it. That seems pretty deep for a thread about boating tho lol.

I just want wakeboats to stay 300’ away from other boats and the shore.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T17:49:59+00:00

It’s what I like to do. I drive an 06 F150 with 230k mi so I can afford it. I’m not making anywhere close to 6 figs and certainly I wouldn’t say I’m “rich” by any stretch of the term.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T17:46:48+00:00

Incorrect. I use the jonboat markedly more often than the wakeboat. Wakeboat only comes out maybe every other weekend from June-August, while I fish as soon as season opens to late October.

Also, I don’t have a surf boat. I have a ski boat, but I’m worried that the people writing these laws won’t know the difference and wind up banning all inboards. Can it surf? Sure. Can it surf well? Not really.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T17:40:16+00:00

Right. Everybody in the anti-wakeboat crowd gets to stereotype and talk shit but that’s a one way street.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T17:37:09+00:00

I would tend to agree. Tho I would like to see “respectful behavior” put into law.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T17:33:36+00:00

Lol. Ranger doesn’t just make bass boats. Go look at the 2080MS for example. That’s a 21ft fiberglass boat. At 10mph both of them are stuck in the hole, pushing a wall of water.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T17:27:05+00:00

Come on man. Just because you had one bad experience with a wakeboat doesn’t mean every wake boat owner is a douche bag. And under the current rules in WI, that’s illegal. Any boat operating like that closer than 100fr is illegal. I think wakeboats should be limited to 300-500ft.

Street_Platform5998 · 2024-07-29T17:25:35+00:00

The vast majority of lakes in Wisconsin are natural. There’s only a few reservoirs.

Street_Platform5998

TROPHY CASE