Should I buy a new or used wakeboard / wakesurf boat?
I have had several people ask me over the years if they should buy a new or used wakesurf boat.
The answer is always YES. Spending the day on the lake with family and friends is one of the best ways to bring people together. You know the old saying ‘ A family that goes boating together stays together!’ We have loved our time on the water with family and friends. I always recommend a boat purchase as long as it does not take food off the table. However, there are usually a few follow up questions to the new or used wake boat question. Questions like, do you want to ski, wakeboard, surf? How much to you want to spend? How much do you want to tinker with the wake or do you want to just get in, hit a button and go?
New or Used?
Like most things in life, money matters, and when money matters I typically recommend getting a high quality used wake boat within the buyers price range, especially when that price range is under $70,000.
There are great wake boats, inboard v-drive configurations , starting as low as $20,000. These boats are capable of producing good ski, wakeboard and wakesurf wakes. It just depends on the budget and what the buyer feels is most important.
I Want New and Price is No Object!
I have had friends that don’t want to tinker with the wave at all. They want to just get in, hit a surf setting and have the boat able to generate a very good wave for surfing. The new, big $ surf boats are able to provide a very nice wave right off the showroom floor. Just get in, hit the button on the screen and go, so simple anyone can do it. Some of those friends have also been blessed with the financial means to write a check for $130,000 and not blink, sweat, or go into uncontrollable convulsions. The convulsions would definitely kick in if I tried to do something like that. If you have that budget and want those qualities in your boat, then new is for you.
There are great wakesurf boats out there from Centurion, Malibu, Mastercraft, Nautique, Supra, Supreme, Tige and others. However, be aware that there will be a decent amount of initial depreciation associated with that new boat smell. Go to the dealership and check out the dealership experience and boats. Go read reviews of the boat and dealership and then go demo the boat. Boat dealerships are selling very expensive toys, not bread and milk, so the customer service should be top notch. Be prepared to spend at least $100k for these top line, high end surf boats. Smaller ski specific boats will be less. Also, be prepared to lose anywhere from $20k to $50k in depreciation the first 5 years of ownership. These boats represent the leading edge of wakesurf boats in the industry and are priced as such.
I Want New, But Price Matters.
There are some really good ‘affordable’ wakesurf boats from manufactures such as Axis, MB, Moomba and others. Some smaller entry level boats from the surf machine manufacturers listed above like Mastercraft and Tige have starting prices just under $70,000. If you are really set on having a new boat and can live without some of the computerized frills and plushness of the big $100k+ surf machines, this may be a good option for you.
Be careful when checking option boxes as most of these boats prices can go up rapidly. Checking the option box on that thumping stereo, custom wheeled trailer and cool metal flake gel coat will cost you. Expect to spend anywhere from $65k to $90k for one of these ‘affordable’ boats. In this category you are generally going to see depreciation of around $10k to $25k depending on your deal. Also, resale price will depend upon how well you care for and maintain your boat. These boats often represent some of the older tried and true hull technology from the manufacturers.
Used – A Boat for Every Buyer
The used watersports boat market is really the market that I love. There is a boat for every need and price point out there. Yes, the more money spent the more of those little nice things come with your boat. We all like GPS based cruise control, nice stereo systems, factory and additional ballast systems, wakeplates / surfgates, collapsible towers with bimini tops and board racks and the list goes on. However, I could fairly easily go out and find a $20k to $30k v-drive boat. Then by adding some ballast bags and pumps, making a suction cup based wake plate and inviting 6 to 12 of my family and friends, it would make a very good surf wake.
There are also boats that sold for $120k to $140k within the last 2 years that are out there for around $100k. These boats have all the bells and whistles of the new ones and often with a few extras that were added by the previous owner. I really like boats in the 2 to 4 year old range since the initial depreciation hit has occurred. So, what I tell people is that there is a boat out there for every budget. It is just a matter of doing the leg work to find the best boat for your money.
Experiment
I also like to experiment with finding the best wave my boat can create. Playing with weighting in the front, middle, back, and sides of the boat. People are awesome ballast because thy can move at any time to change wave characteristics. Move passengers from the back to the front to see what effect it has on wave height and length. Create wakeplates to stick on the side of the boat to create a longer wave. Differ speeds in small increments to see where the wave is at its best, with the most power and largest pocket. If you like to tinker and make the best wave possible, this is the sport for you even as a driver.
Resale Values
The other great thing about used is the resale values. The wakesurf boat market has been going crazy with pricing the last 10 years. 10 years ago a new, top of the line wakesurf boat was around $70k, now you can spend more than twice that. So what does that mean to the used market? Well, boats that are a few years old and under $60k seam to be holding their values and not depreciating.
The last two wakeboard / wakesurf boats that I have owned, I was able to use them for 5 years each and sell them for as much as I paid for them. I had purchased them slightly (2-4 years old) used and always took very good care of my boats. Taxes, registration fees, fuel and maintenance have been my total costs on the last 10 years of boat ownership by going the used route, so I highly recommend from a financial perspective.
What are Your Intentions With This Boat?
Most people looking at a tournament quality wakesurf boat have owned a boat before. They typically understand the benefits of an inboard/v-drive boat. The question on which boat is right for you once you have established a budget is … What is this boat going to be used to do?
Are you primarily slalom skiers that occasionally wakeboard and surfing has no appeal to you? Well then you may want an inboard boat like a Malibu Sunsetter LXI or another inboard that can lay down a great ski wake and still throw a decent wakeboarding wake.
Do you ski, wakeboard, and surf equally? Perhaps a smaller v-drive like a Tige RZ2 or other similar v-drive that still produce a decent ski wake when empty, but can be weighted to produce a good wakeboard or surf wake may be the right boat.
My family skiis, wakeboards and surfs behind our boat, but 90% of the time we are surfing, so that became the highest priority for our latest boat. For my family I was looking for a boat with more than 15 degrees of deadrise (the v in the hull at the back of the boat). Also, I wanted some additional freeboard (verticle distance in the hull on side of the boat). Deadrise angle allows the boats wave to lay over more easily when properly weighted. Freeboard height allows me to have more storage room to weight the boat. After a couple of years of owning and experimenting with weight and wakeplates the wave is dialed in. I have people that ride behind those $100k+ boats that get behind mine and ask how I get a better wave than their big $ boat. It is not always about the money you spend.
Do Your Research
If a person has figured out what their budget is and what activities they want to do behind the boat, then it is time to do your research. If you want a surf boat then start researching boats in the price range you will be buying. For instance, if my budget was $40k then I would go out and Google – ‘best wake surf boat under $40k’ or something along those lines. You should get multiple opinions as you read different posts or forums. Eventually you will start seeing a trend that a few boats keep getting mentioned. Try to keep an open mind as far as brands so that you don’t make your search extremely narrow.
Buying Time
Now it is time to find and buy the boat that will be perfect for your family. I look locally first at dealers and Craigslist, but on my last two boats I have used sites like boattrader.com and onlyinboards.com to find the best deal. Have your friends and family throughout the country help you out if you find a boat online near them. I had a brother that lived close to one of the boats I found online, so I had him check it out. After it passed his inspection I drove 1,100 to pick up the boat and also have a visit with my brother’s family. My last boat purchase I drove 400 miles to look at / purchase it, but I saved over $5,000. I don’t mind a little road trip to save that much money. Be ready to buy with your financing or free up cash so you can write that check. Good deals will disappear quickly, so you have to be ready to be a buyer. Get a good deal on a used wakesurf boat and it may be one of the slowest depreciating assets you ever own.
Yes
The answer is Yes, go find the boat that is right for your budget and your uses. Don’t put the family in a financial position to where you are living out of your boat, but enjoy time with family and friends. A boat is one purchase that all of our family can enjoy at the same time regardless of our kids ages.