2021 Moomba Makai

[Billy Jack]

Looking to purchase a new wake boat next month and looking for some help making a decision. I've narrowed my search to a 2021 Moomba Makai or a 2021 Axis A24. I'm new to wake surfing as of this summer. I surfed behind a friends 2019 Axis A24 a handful of times this past summer. I was able to surf without the rope fairly quickly and easily. The wave was tall, fairly long, and had lots of push which really helped. I really prefer the Makai but when I demoed the the boat and surfed behind it the wave was disappointing. I could surf behind it without the rope but the wave was not nearly as tall as the A24, the pocket was small, and the wave lacked push. I know the boat was underweight as it was only myself and the boat salesman on the boat with 250 lbs of lead. So now I have a dilemma......do I go with the boat I like less (Axis A24) but that I know I like the wave OR do I take a chance and go with the boat I like (Makai) but remain unsure of the wave it will generate when properly weighted. Does anyone have any experience on both with the waves dialed in? Any help would be appreciated.

[Chuds]

Wake9 has a really good review of the Makai wave on youtube. As for axis it is really a personal opinion but I felt like the moomba had a better fit and finish overall when we were shopping at the last years boat show but both are nice boats. wake9's video should put you mind at ease regarding the Makai wave potential when properly dialed in.

[svienb]

I did the same excruciating analysis and demos 2 months ago and ended up with a very lightly used Supra SA.
I was going to order a new Moomba but the SA came in.
Bottom line for Moomba against Axis.
The wake is great, bow rise is ridiculous, engine sounded in pain and the fit and finish looks like it was put together in a high school shop class.

If your requirements are all about the wake and have no other needs for comfort (keeping Wife happy) then go for Axis.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[svienb]

I did the same excruciating analysis and demos 2 months ago and ended up with a very lightly used Supra SA.
I was going to order a new Moomba but the SA came in.
Bottom line for Moomba against Axis.
The wake is great, bow rise is ridiculous, engine sounded in pain and the fit and finish looks like it was put together in a high school shop class.

If your requirements are all about the wake and have no other needs for comfort (keeping Wife happy) then go for Axis.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using TapatalkOne more thing. I really liked the Supreme ZS238 but they couldn't get me out on a demo so I went out on a S238 and the wake was shocking, but later found out the ballast didn't fill properly (sub floor ballast).
I also liked the ATX ghost edition. Had a good steep wave but wasn't as long as moomba. Very good sound system.

Get out on as many as you can. If you were buying a 100k plus car you would definitely test drive all options.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Guppydriver]

Looking to purchase a new wake boat next month and looking for some help making a decision. I've narrowed my search to a 2021 Moomba Makai or a 2021 Axis A24. I'm new to wake surfing as of this summer. I surfed behind a friends 2019 Axis A24 a handful of times this past summer. I was able to surf without the rope fairly quickly and easily. The wave was tall, fairly long, and had lots of push which really helped. I really prefer the Makai but when I demoed the the boat and surfed behind it the wave was disappointing. I could surf behind it without the rope but the wave was not nearly as tall as the A24, the pocket was small, and the wave lacked push. I know the boat was underweight as it was only myself and the boat salesman on the boat with 250 lbs of lead. So now I have a dilemma......do I go with the boat I like less (Axis A24) but that I know I like the wave OR do I take a chance and go with the boat I like (Makai) but remain unsure of the wave it will generate when properly weighted. Does anyone have any experience on both with the waves dialed in? Any help would be appreciated.


Two great boats my friend. Obviously this is a Moomba Forum, so I'm sure you already know what the consensus will be. Maybe a duplicate thread on Malibu Crew would give you two good subjective opinions to help you formulate the most unbiased one yourself.

I was in your boat recently (sorry), just in the 22-23 foot range instead of th 24. I had more hours of research than I am willing to publicly admit, but when the dust settled, I had it narrowed down to three manufactures. Moomba and Axis were two of them. Like you, I had a buddy who has a 2020 Axis (T23 in my case). His boat is what put Axis on my short list and his boat, ironically, is what took it off my final list.

First off...without debate....the Axis is a better wave out of the box completely stock. The A24 is also all new with a deeper hull, and I have never seen one, but I'm sure it's similar to the others in the line. The Axis to me is the "Surfing for Dummies" boat, not calling Bu' owners dumb, just saying the gate is a "set and forget" system. I was blown away with my buddy's T23 wave. Absolutely loved it and we had a great time. Axis changed the game when it was introduced, however I think the competition has more than caught up while Axis just rests on it's wave laurels. If the wave put the T23 on map, is was the fit and finish, lack of technology, and antiquated helm design that eliminated it. I just had a hard time spending close to 100k (more for you) on a boat whose dash looks like a 1993 fish finder. There were a lot of quality control issues on my buddys as well (things just popping off the dash). Also...that tower....I can't believe they haven't redesigned it completely considering the fierce competition in the budget line market.

Without question, the Moomba has a much more upscale feel both in and out and it feels substantially better built. Heaps of size and freeboard means there is a lot of boat to have to sink to produce an awesome wave. I honestly feel that with a little work and lead, you could match and even exceed the size (especially length) of the A24. The Moomba has a far more adjustable wave as well. The Makai feels like a mini Supra while the Axis does not come anywhere close to feeling like a mini Malibu.

They are both definitely sweet boats, but also remember that you are going to absolutely need the M6Di motor in the A24, it's going to be a pricey boat. I think the Moomba is a better value proposition, but you may have to invest in some extra lead ot upgrade the bags.

For me, the key thing you said was "Do I go with a boat I like less"? When you are spending that much money, go with the boat you like most! You can always work on the Moomba's wave but I doubt you could improve on the things that make you like the Axis less. I'm sure a lot of Makai owners will chime in on the wave and if you check out wake9's youtube of the Makai, it looks like an epic wave to me.

[tre]

Good answers so far. You will want to add extra weight to the Makai. Skip the Axis unless your wife likes to stand up when she drives. The Axis bow rise alone is enough to eliminate the boat from contention for me.

[Guppydriver]

One more thing. I really liked the Supreme ZS238 but they couldn't get me out on a demo so I went out on a S238 and the wake was shocking, but later found out the ballast didn't fill properly (sub floor ballast).
I also liked the ATX ghost edition. Had a good steep wave but wasn't as long as moomba. Very good sound system.

Get out on as many as you can. If you were buying a 100k plus car you would definitely test drive all options.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


The "Zues" S232 and the S238 are two different animals. I looked at a S238 hard because it is a lot of boat for the money. At 23'8" for less than 90k, it's the most size for the money you can get. Regardless of what they tell you though, it's not a "baby centurion" and the wave needs a lot of work to get to an acceptable (not great) level. By a lot of work, I mean like adding an additional 1500-2000 pounds. I can do buying 10 bags of lead for 500 bucks and spreading it around, but anymore than that, I'm finding a more surf ready boat out of the box.

[Billy Jack]

Thanks for the input and feedback.

[Guppydriver]

Thanks for the input and feedback.

Let us know what you decide... you'll love either of those two boats.....

Also remember (I'm sure you already know) that you are not just buying a boat, you are a buying a dealer as well....A crappy dealer can make a great boat a bad experience and vice versa...