Steve&Steph

Tell us more..

@NKCI am happy to answer all of these questions but why don’t you email me. I hate to get deep into a conversation about a Malibu on a Chap Forum. I’ll send you my email in a private message(sorry, I hate having my email on a public area).

Don’t take it personally, @Phillbo launches that response any time some even thinks about mentioning surfing.

You are an odd duck, and I will never understand your rhetoric... but it’s highly entertaining (to me).

It’s MUCH more involved than weight and horsepower. A plowing, non v-hull creates the wake, a surf system fine tunes it. There is a reason that these boats(I/O surf boats) are getting very little traction, even with so many companies are trying. I have said it many times, I would love to have one, once the surf wake is better than barely surfable.

Yes, all the time. We are on Grand Lake, which can get very rough... it does really well. I have owned a 20’ Crownline, 22’4” Chap, 20’ Mastercraft and now my 22’ Malibu. My Malibu will tolerate rough water as well as all of my boats. I will say, as mentioned in here once, they don’t really plane(plow more than plane) and are incredibly inefficient. If you are worried about gas money, don’t buy a Wake boat. The 23 LSV is an incredible boat, a very close friend and I have spent a lot of time on it. I have a 22 VLX(now called a 22LSV), which is a very similar boat to the 23LSV performance wise.

There are several other I/O brands that have Surf boats, although I think the surf system that Chap uses(Malibu’s surf gate) is the best. I currently own a Malibu, but I used to own a Chap. I thoroughly enjoy surfing(while leaving other boats and docks alone) but also enjoy cruising in my boat. I have never surfed behind an I/O but here it’s marginal, at best. One of the main reasons that I continue to monitor this site is the see the feedback on the I/O surf platform.

2nd this. Boards can make a huge difference. Phase 5 boards are extremely “fast” and will provide maximum push.

Dangerous..

Gel is typically warranted for 1 yr.

I would try to add more weight to the rear. The further back you can get it the better. Might even try to drain some out of the center. Try speeds 9.5-10.5.

Get it figured out? Should just be able to pick a side that you want to surf, select it, fill ballast, set cruise and go.

I have had several danforth anchors and if you are in mud and give them enough rope they have always worked perfectly for me. I would say that 90% of the people that I see having issues it is because they aren’t putting enough rope out. I have a small box anchor and I am not overly impressed. First of all “small” is a little far fetched, it’s a heavy beast compared to the danforth that I had. I don’t think it holds as well ether. My properly deployed danforth would hold several boats(and I used to boat in ks, so it’s always windy). My box anchor seems to struggle holding my 22’ boat.

There are 40-50-60’ boats on my lake, I am not really concerned about the wake my 22’ boat puts out when these boats are cruising the cove at 15mph. I have been on the dock when both go by... not even close.

Wait until the I/O industry figures out how to compete with inboards. I talked to a Cobalt engineer last weekend, they are getting close. It’s why I follow this forum, I am curious how the I/O surf variants are coming along (and I used to have an 08’ 224)