2004 22v wakeboard wake compared to 04 wakesetter vlx?

[joswing]

Hello,

I'm very close to making the decision to purchase a 2004 22v. I began looking at these after reading many posts about how great the surf wave is on these boat for both regular and goofy footed.

I've demoed the boat which is in good shape but it was not properly weighted (zero ballast) to truly see the wakeboard wake and surf wave.

How are the wakeboard wakes on these boats? Is it rampy? steep? How's the transition? How's the lip? clean?

How does the wakeboard wake compare with a Malibu wakesetter vlx from the same year 2004?

Likewise how does the surf wave (particularly on the starboard side) compare?

Thanks in advance!
Jason

[knochels]

I own a 2003 22V. We wakeboard 90% of the time. The wake shape has some adjustability, it all depends on how much weight you want to run with. I teach a lot of beginners and the unweighted wake is perfect for them. With 700# in the front I can make anything from a rampy wake to a steep wake, just by adjusting the taps setting. I run the front weight only a lot because of the flexibly of the wake shape. When I add 1500# to the rear lockers I loose the ability to change the wake shape. The wake gets bigger and ends up in the middle of wake shapes (imo) its not rampy or steep. With that much weight I have to run 21-22mph to keep it clean on both sides. I've added more weight another 500#bag + people and it does not make the wake much better only more difficult to keep clean. I would say the 22V is a perfect family boat for people with different skill levels. I've pull a pro rider behind my boat a few times and he could throw a lot of advanced tricks (whirlys, 540s, raleys, tantum to bind, etc). But, if you crew is full of advanced riders (720s, whirly 5s, etc) the wake size will not get as big as the newer boats and the 22v may not be a good fit.

By rampy I mean a wake with a longer transition and a mellow top
By steep I mean a wake with a shorter transition and a peaky top

[topaz surfer]

This boat will make a great surf wave. image.jpg

[topaz surfer]

Sorry don't know how the photo rotated

[joswing]

Thanks knochels for the great description, that is the info I'm looking for. Do you have any pictures of your different wakes with the different weighting options?

Topaz, great pic! That definitely is a nice surf wave for sure and I am goofy footed so it's great to see it clean up on the dark side. What is your weight distribution?

[knochels]

PIC_0001.jpgIMG_1692.jpgIMG_1696.jpg

joswing, I do not have many pictures since I'm typically driving or riding. These pictures are of 0 ballast, 2 people in the boat, and running around 20. In the picture where I'm throwing the tantrum the taps are at 1 (trim tab all the way down) which makes a rampy/mellow wake. In the pictures of my brother, the taps setting is at 4 (not quite half-way down).

[robert theisen]

Taps at 3 or 4 is really all most people need if they have ballast. This is true for surfing as well as wakeboarding. Tige's like weight up front to mellow out the wake.

[joswing]

Thanks for the pics and the info!

I think I am going to go for it. I'm going to see if I can get the boat into a mechanic tomorrow to do some sanity testing. I didn't see any issues when I test drove the boat but just to make sure... then if that goes well I'll probably pick it up next week.

In the mean time if anyone else has pictures of a fully weighted 2004 22v wakeboard wake I'd love to see that too.

As of know I believe I will be very satisfied with the goofy surf wave for this era of boat on my budget, but I think that may come with a bit of a compromise on the wakeboarding wake when compared to the wakesetter which would be the opposite (better for wakeboarding not as good for surfing)... We are doing more and more surfing each year, currently about 50/50 so I think this will be a good boat for my family. Plus it's in much better condition than any of the wakesetters I have found near me in my budget.