Help a New Boater, How is the Makai in choppy waters as a "cruiser"?

[cmargosi]

Hello Everyone,

I'm looking for some feedback and help from Makai owners. We are looking at an 2019 Makai for use on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. I have two kids (7 and 11) and they like to surf and I also enjoy surfing, although admittedly we are all novices. My wife has no interest in surfing and is primarily concerned with comfort of the boat, ride and handling. Lake Geneva tends to get very busy on weekend afternoons with a lot of chop and wind. We won't be surfing afternoons, but we do want to be able to "cruise" in our boat and anchor for the kids to enjoy time on a maui mat, swimmng and sunning. I'm concerned with the low freeboard on a wake surf boat that we might be better off looking at a Penta Sterndrive even if we give up a bit of wave functionality. We like the roominess of the full inboard and can live without the creature comforts that we might get on a comparably priced I/O. Here are a few questions:

-Has anyone had their Makai in 3-4 foot waves and chop? How does it handle the chop?

-How wet is the rear of the boat in chop?

-How does it handle chop and cruising?

-We took a lesson behind a Nautique G25 (totally different boat and price point, can't splash out that kind of money), but we found the handling of chop and freeboard acceptable. Does anyone have a comparison on Makai and the G25 on those fronts?

I have very few concerns about the wake, I know that will be great, but if my wife doesn't like the boat and isn't comfortable, this is going to be the wrong boat for our family. Feedback and thoughts are appreciated.

[dakota4ce]

Couple things: it’s solid as a rock in big chop. I boat Lake Okoboji which is horribly chewed up on weekends. 3’ rollers from every direction. Makai does extremely well. Better than my former boats which included a 24Ve, MB F24 and Supra SE.

Freeboard is huge. Rear is bone dry unless of course you’re out in 25mph winds—which I have been. Even at that it’s still amazingly good.

Wave is as you stated. Solid.

Also: you should buy mine. She’s a beaut! Wink wink....

No complaints whatsoever about Makai. It is as good as it gets for the wave+size+luxury+price factor. It can’t be touched when you consider all of that together. IMHO

https://www.onlyinboards.com/2019-MOOMBA-MAKAI-450-Upgraded-ballast--for-sale-Sioux-Falls-South-Dakota-94450.aspx


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[rdlangston13]

I'm concerned with the low freeboard on a wake surf boat

Amazing that the Makai is considered to have low freeboard! You should have seen the old LSVs and outback Vs haha. I have a Mojo and compared to a Makai it has low freeboard and its way taller than my old 08 LSV.

[TXSurf4]

Ya Freeboard is not a concern for us on this boat. We were on Lake Conroe for Memorial Day and it was nothing but 3' chop all day and it handled it great! The boat is super comfortable as far as space goes on the inside and with the chop/rollers the size makes it equally as comfortable to ride in/drive.

[larry_arizona]

This is why some would say the Makai has a relatively low freeboard.

Makai and SE comparison both are 24’5”

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190624/7d4f171e07291482ec361c440c994e2b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190624/beb49994ba4c3bb4238c04240760ba87.jpg


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[dakota4ce]

This is why some would say the Makai has a relatively low freeboard.

Makai and SE comparison both are 24’5”

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190624/7d4f171e07291482ec361c440c994e2b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190624/beb49994ba4c3bb4238c04240760ba87.jpg


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Very odd post. Makai has MASSIVE freeboard. Simply massive.

If it’s less than an SE, it’s not by much. Mind you they’re sitting on different trailers in a pic like this.

On the water, it’s a beast.




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[dakota4ce]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190624/840d4128fe3c04a2c6020a1f2481b955.jpg

Here is one at rest with 1700# of lead in the back of it and full of gas.


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[dakota4ce]

Makai and SE nose to nose.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190624/b7c98abc5b21cc7704e24d53d1e4620e.jpg


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[rdlangston13]

Very odd post. Makai has MASSIVE freeboard. Simply massive.

If it’s less than an SE, it’s not by much. Mind you they’re sitting on different trailers in a pic like this.

On the water, it’s a beast.




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Yeah I would think the extra 1,000 lb of dry weight in the SE would result in about the same amount of freeboard in the water. Which your picture displays perfectly.

[larry_arizona]

Yeah I would think the extra 1,000 lb of dry weight in the SE would result in about the same amount of freeboard in the water. Which your picture displays perfectly.

Although both are rated at 28” of draft.

Dry weight delta of SE and Makai is 1650#.

I recall both trailers at the boat show being twin axle boatmates. Just the side by side at the show was eye opening.


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[dakota4ce]

Delta is 950# as far as I am aware. Bunk arrangement on 2 trailers would likely not be the same. And on the water, Makai actually has what appears to be more freeboard.

It is the furthest thing from what would be called “low freeboard” in the class of wakeboats. It’s actually someplace near the top of freeboard ranking.

So the trailer pic is not representative of freeboard in the least.


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[rdlangston13]

Although both are rated at 28” of draft.

Dry weight delta of SE and Makai is 1650#.

I recall both trailers at the boat show being twin axle boatmates. Just the side by side at the show was eye opening.


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Not sure how it is possible for both to be 28" draft when they are the same exterior dimensions and one is 1650# heavier than the other. Seems to defy logic there.

[larry_arizona]

I stand corrected, 950# delta

But both draft 28”

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190624/4234ad8f62e23af521bb2d71ebacc8ef.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190624/a1ed941444727777a8275408125b634c.jpg


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[dakota4ce]

Draft obviously varies in some way and doesn’t matter here—I would think it’s hull specific anyway. Freeboard is sidewall above water level. Makai has a buttload. End of chat.


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[HFarr]

I know I am coming in Very late on this conversation, but I had to throw in a comment since I JUST went through a very similar situation concerning the original question about cruising ride quality on the Makai. I just, and I mean yesterday, sold my 2005 Crownline 240EX , Volvo Penta dual prop drive and replaced it with a 2021 Moomba Makai. First day on the lake we had a huge storm. I Love this Moomba, but as far as just cruising goes, especially in big waves/heavy wind chop, the Crownline was far superior in smooth ride quality. But you have to keep in mind, they are two totally different boat designs. The Crownline really just cut the waves better and didn't give you any of that pounding feeling on waves. It also had a bone dry ride. Again, different hull angles and made for different purposes. The Makai is plenty tall enough not to get splash and spray over the bow, unless you have the front ballast full and a couple of big guys sitting up front and hit one of your own huge rollers dead on while turning around. And I am not talking about taking on water over the bow. Just a good splash/spray. Again, different boats for different purposes.

[HFarr]

Red hull is the Makai on my lift. White hull is the Crownline. Same exact bunks, which I think I need to adjust a bit too for the Makai now.

29521 29520

[Isaguel]

That Crownline was the Shiznit back in the day. But I agree, they are different boats which cannot be compared. The Crown is a purpose built cruiser so it will certainly do that better.

[SONIC]

I'm always amused by the different opinions on this subject.
You just can't trust other people's opinion on ride quality, you have to try it for yourself.

IMO none of these wake boats are going to cruise comfortably in 3' waves. Not a one. Maybe a centurion but still unlikely.
Maybe at 4 mph just rolling up and down the waves but certainly not at cruise speed.
My SA does fine but im 100% not going to be cruising 20mph in 3' waves comfortably.

I also wonder if people are exaggerating wave size, I've not seen 3' waves in my lake unless it's thunderstorming something fierce.
The best surf boats out there throw a 3' wave if they are lucky, so we're talking cruising through 100's of surf waves in a row.

[larry_arizona]

I'm always amused by the different opinions on this subject.
You just can't trust other people's opinion on ride quality, you have to try it for yourself.

IMO none of these wake boats are going to cruise comfortably in 3' waves. Not a one. Maybe a centurion but still unlikely.
Maybe at 4 mph just rolling up and down the waves but certainly not at cruise speed.
My SA does fine but im 100% not going to be cruising 20mph in 3' waves comfortably.

I also wonder if people are exaggerating wave size, I've not seen 3' waves in my lake unless it's thunderstorming something fierce.
The best surf boats out there throw a 3' wave if they are lucky, so we're talking cruising through 100's of surf waves in a row.

Great points, 1-2 footers suck in a wake boat.


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