I may be buying a boat. Why? I don't ****ing know. Anyway... we like to wakeboard and surf. We don't have any upcoming pros in the family. There's a pristine 2011 X45 close to me for $90k. Or, I could look at a new NXT 24 for $110k ish.. NXTs must be stripped down considering how inexpensive (it's all relative) they are compared to their X brethren. The simple logic would be to spend a bit more for new but the X45 would have some advantages right? Any advice is appreciated! GT
X Star series boats are incredible. My first boat was a pro star. The boats of today are simply incredible. If your looking to mainly wakeboard and surf, look for one that caters more in that direction. You don’t want to be adding ballast bags or lead when you want to surf. Having all that built in is so convenient and easier on your back. Cause god knows, wakeboarding isn’t. 3 ACL surgeries from it should tell you that lol. I have a buddy who’s son is 9 and he’s sponsored by master craft. The boat is solid and has so many bells and whistles. My last boat was a Super Air Nautique 210. And seeing the generation difference is incredible, not just in the weight and size, but capacity. That is a very good price for a new NXT. I think the X45 might have a larger wake
I owned a 2010 x45. It’s a nice boat and well built. I suggest you look at wake boats built from 2014 and newer. They have “3rd gen” surf tabs and massive ballast systems. I’ve surfed behind the NXT with three adults in the boat, the wave is rather small. I’d suggest a current malibu in the 24 foot size if you are looking at a new boat. The wave is over three feet and awesome. I also like the Nautique G23 for a used boat. This is what I currently have. Buy a 2014 or newer G23 if looking at a used boat. They are simply awesome also.
Thanks for the info! I'm looking seriously at a 2012 X45. I've read reviews of the surf tabs (what the pre 2014 models have) vs. Mastercraft gen 2 and it's not comparable. Gen 2 (latest) is really great. Here's the problem... I can't find anything even close to the size off the X45 (big family) that I can reasonably afford. However, there's a company called Go Surf Assist that seems to have a good product. I'm not sure that it's as automated as the Gen2 surf system but the waves looks great. It's $5k but the closest boat (feature wise) is $30k more expensive with fewer other options. It's a stupid time to buy a boat but we'll use it and should be a lot of fun.
I've never heard of ACL issues until my BIL mentioned it an hour before I read your post. I'm sure that I can google it but what causes the knee issues?
Hitting double ups and coming down wrong from flips. Needless to say, I only wakesurf now. I learned my lesson after 3 surgeries.
All the newer wake boats are pretty good. I had a Tige RZ4. Loved that boat. Nicely laid out interior. Large front bow. Good electronics. Had it about 8 years with no issues. Had a huge wake for surfing. I test drove a master craft and Malibu. The Tige felt much more solid and better built and had better “bells and whistles”.
Ski/ wake boats are so much fun and you live in one of the best places in the country to use one with a family. I spent a ton of time on Ouachita and Hamilton. I think tournament boats were much easier to buy. Generally owned by fussy users. Wake boats are tougher because the kids may be running the boat or maybe not. I can look at one and in less that 5 minutes know if it’s a good boat but that’s tough unless you have a lot of experience. Just like the guys that can tell a sorted 355. For me, the drivetrain is pretty easy to sort and they can run a lot of hours if cared for. If it’s in great shape cosmetically, the keel is not scraped, the skags and prop look untouched, it was probably run by someone that knew what they were doing. Horrible market to buy as you know but even now I’d need a 20% discount to new to be interested in preowned.
