Moomba Mojo vs Axis T23

I’ve read previous threads about Moomba vs Axis boats so I will try to not rehash previously discussed topics. I am debating a 2022 Moomba Mojo vs an Axis T23. I’ve sat in each but never been behind either. I’m a complete novice to the surf world but with young kids look forward to getting into it. Here in MN there’s a fairly big bias towards Axis it would appear. I believe that’s due to a very strong dealer so kudos to them. That said, I find the fit and finish lacking…especially for a 10-15% premium price. But I will say I rarely hear people speak ill of the wave of an Axis and I do hear some gripping about moombas. Can folks who run the ‘21 or ‘22 confirm they are getting a quality wave right out of the box? Or are you having to add lead and tinker with settings? I hear a lot of talk about Axis is so simple…surf left or surf right…one button plus a wedge setting. Moomba SEEMS every bit as simple from what I’ve been shown…am I missing something? I’d love to find some unbiased views. Thanks!

I have a 21 mojo. I can fill the bags to 100% and surf with just my wife and 6 year old on the boat but the wave is short. In order to get a longer wave i have added lead. I can't compare to axis wave because i have not ridden one. I looked at one arty the dealer bit wasn't impressed. The research i did also said the fuel economy on the gate boats was significantly less.

The T23 is an excellent surfboat. Although it is probably easier to set up for surfing, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. I absolutely admire all boats and manufacturers, but we focused on Axis since that's what I wanted. Until I started looking at them, that is.

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Originally Posted by Bigs28

I have a 21 mojo. I can fill the bags to 100% and surf with just my wife and 6 year old on the boat but the wave is short. In order to get a longer wave i have added lead. I can't compare to axis wave because i have not ridden one. I looked at one arty the dealer bit wasn't impressed. The research i did also said the fuel economy on the gate boats was significantly less.

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How much weight does that require? This sounds like a situation I am likely to find myself in with young kids.

I had 500 lbs and it made a big difference. Obviously when we had a full boat the wave was even better so for Christmas i got another 500lbs that isn't in the boat yet. I didn't need it but i wanted it. Boat holds 2500lbs of people and gear. That creates allot of displacement. At the end of the day these boats are 100k now. 1% more for 1000lbs of lead seems like a no brainer. If it was a factory option like underwater lights im sure it would be selected 100% of the time.

Something to consider is Axis uses the wedge as ballast. I have heard many complaints and watched many online videos where there is very steep bow rise on the Axis. I have also read a lot of comments that state Moomba’s are surfable out of the box, but adding weight will really make a great wave come alive. I have not surfed either boat. Without adding any weight and not adjusting any settings, I have heard the Axis may be easier out of the box/stock. But, learning your boat and settings is part of the fun. I have sat in both in showrooms and I would lean toward a Moomba over Axis on build quality alone. Of course being on a Moomba site that will probably be the majority opinion.

shopped both in the past and came up with the following:

if you want the best wave hands down out of the box, axis will own moomba all day long. if you want a better fit/finish and boat you don't have to stand to drive all day long, buy the moomba and spend 2k in added lead/bags and you have a boat that will surf as well as the axis if not better AND a boat that is easier to drive and better finish.

one sit on an axis seat in '20 told us we would be buying the hardest, stiffest and most lazily built interior on the market had we gone with axis.
they do sell a lot of boats tho.

Im comparing between a 2016 Axis T23 however even new really something no one has really mentioned is
Cruising, seriously I can always beat my buddies axis to the dock and when we pass them they are thrashing and beating about sideways
So overall ride quality basically which has to do with moombas auto wake go home settings and wake plates

His wave out of the box is better however no doubt about it. Now I've had 16 people in the completely stock boat and the wave is massive and much longer than the axis wave. I can surf consistently ridiculously far behind the boat where his wave is more of a wall. Now you can't ever fall out of his wave but my wave is for me much more enjoyable. At the point of a loaded down Moomba vs Axis it comes down to opinion.

But Moomba wins out in every other category imo
Now if they would add some tech to the axis and reduce the price slightly it would have probably won me over.

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Originally Posted by Firsttimemoomba

How much weight does that require? This sounds like a situation I am likely to find myself in with young kids.

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Realistically, since you've never surfed before, either of these boats will seem like it puts out a good wave off the bat. Depending on how heavy you are and if you buy the right board for your weight, either boat would surf you just fine at the beginning. Once you start to get the hang of it and you want to start progressing, no matter what boat you buy, everyone is going to recommend you put more ballast in. That will allow you to get the bigger & longer wave to progress. Regardless of which one you buy. Honestly it comes down to pure preference, they look a little bit different & they cost a little bit different, but overall, they're going to operate very similarly. You asked this on a Moomba forum so 99% of the people on here are either going to have no experience with an Axis or just say Moomba cuz they like theirs. Personally, I would go Axis if I had the option and a similar price. This is because I prefer their bow design & if you're going to add weight either way, may as well start from a better starting point. Again though, either way I can guarantee you're going to add ballast too, just a matter of when not if.

Also, as to the comment about them cruising slower or getting thrashed about, it's been mentioned quite a few times on these forums as well that these boats are made for surfing. That means they're going to have poor fuel economy & the shape of the hull is not designed for a gentle trip across the water. No matter whether you get an Axis or a Moomba, it's not going to zip across the lake as fast or smoothly as an I/O.

I live in ND, but utilize the lakes in west - central MN. There are a few Axis boats around, but way more Moombas. If you have more Axis around your part of MN, that's impressive. They really must have a strong dealer wherever you are.

I love all boats, but i would NOT buy malibu or axis. I had my eye on a axis to start but once i got inside and checked it out the quality just isn't there for the price. I then looked at moomba and although the moomba needs more weight its fit and finish was 10x that of axis. Just be sure whatever you buy you have good dealer support first. Your buying the dealer too don't forget.

I added bigger bags, and some lead on my 19 mondo and i can surf it with one adult in the boat.

I feel the same way, I’m in the twin cities MN and I feel like the only moomba around. I ride a lot of different surf gate boats including a buddy who has a new T23. Being a novice and if you’re looking for a boat that will not require as much tinkering, the axis wins out a little bit on that a bit. But my buddies with surf gate boats still have to tinker to get a good wave. But that’s just messing with settings and weight distribution. The mojo will require adding more weight to get a good wave. I did that with a custom ballast set up and lead. You have a be just a little handy to do that and willing to spend the time, but it’s not hard and there are people who have shared their new mojo set up with upgraded wakemakers bags.

The waves are still different after doing all of that, so if you have friends who ride surf gate boats, get ready for them to come on your boat and say your wave isn’t as good. It’s not, they are just used to the surf gate wave. They are different shapes and you have to ride in a different spot.

Good luck, you’ll enjoy either! I know I do.

I have experience on a 2015 t22. The wave is very very steep. Might could be fixed with adjusting. The Moomba line has more of a roll. With added weight I like the Moomba wave better.


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Originally Posted by schwan

I feel the same way, I’m in the twin cities MN and I feel like the only moomba around. I ride a lot of different surf gate boats including a buddy who has a new T23. Being a novice and if you’re looking for a boat that will not require as much tinkering, the axis wins out a little bit on that a bit. But my buddies with surf gate boats still have to tinker to get a good wave. But that’s just messing with settings and weight distribution. The mojo will require adding more weight to get a good wave. I did that with a custom ballast set up and lead. You have a be just a little handy to do that and willing to spend the time, but it’s not hard and there are people who have shared their new mojo set up with upgraded wakemakers bags.

The waves are still different after doing all of that, so if you have friends who ride surf gate boats, get ready for them to come on your boat and say your wave isn’t as good. It’s not, they are just used to the surf gate wave. They are different shapes and you have to ride in a different spot.

Good luck, you’ll enjoy either! I know I do.

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Thanks for the input. I'm also in the Twin Cities...MN Inboard appears to dominate this marketplace for sure. I'm pretty committed to going down the moomba pathway at this point. I'm hoping to avoid a custom ballast setup, but am planning to place lead at some point. I'll be cruising this forum for how folks have setup their Mojos for sure. Thanks again

There are some great YouTube videos that show where to put the weight specifically on the mojo. Also if you have three 2022 software update then the screen will actually show you exactly where you need weight.

First off- you will love either boat, this is a fact.

Don’t base your decision on what folks tell you about the surf wave size/potential for each boat- Both boats will make a wave more than big enough for you and your family to surf with or without added weight.

We looked at a couple other brands before buying our Moomba and we choose Moomba because it was the hands down the best boat for the money. Moomba has great quality, features, looks, reputation, reliability..etc.

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Originally Posted by Firsttimemoomba

Thanks for the input. I'm also in the Twin Cities...MN Inboard appears to dominate this marketplace for sure. I'm pretty committed to going down the moomba pathway at this point. I'm hoping to avoid a custom ballast setup, but am planning to place lead at some point. I'll be cruising this forum for how folks have setup their Mojos for sure. Thanks again

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Honestly, I wouldn't be intimidated by the ballast upgrades. I bought my first surf boat last year, Makai, and the ballast upgrades are pretty easy. I've used wakemakers stuff and it's plug and play. I am going a bit above and beyond this year with some more midship bags piggy backed on but you could just put in the rear upgrades and some lead in the mojo and probably be done in 15 minutes of install and a session of surfing to dial in the settings with the new weight. I looked at Axis before I bought my Moomba as well since it seemed like the comparable boat in the segment. Bought the Moomba based on bow height while surfing seems wildly different and the fit finish was was much better in the showroom on the Moomba. I think someone mentioned earlier, you're on the Moomba forums so we are all probably going to skew Moomba but those were a couple of the reasons that I ended up with a Moomba rather than an Axis. tldr, don't sweat the ballast upgrade it's pretty easy.

When cross shopping before we bought our Kaiyen, it took all of 30 seconds of my wife walking around an Axis for her to throw the "meh" face and climb back out of the boat.

Ride quality (especially in chop) dramatically improves after adding lead too, so there are also secondary advantages of going the Moomba / displacement route to creating a surf wave.

To be honest, you and the family will love either. Focus on colors, features, availability, and dealer service network that will enhance your ownership experience.

Thanks for all the input. It's nice to know that the choices are between good and great =)
We're moving forward with the Mojo. There's one built and ready to hit the water here locally. While I'd love to build our own and pick each every option...this one hits 98% of the boxes and gets me on the water before July. Excited for the summer...the ice can't melt fast enough! No doubt I'll be back often when it comes time to tinker this spring with ballast

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Originally Posted by Firsttimemoomba

Thanks for all the input. It's nice to know that the choices are between good and great =)
We're moving forward with the Mojo. There's one built and ready to hit the water here locally. While I'd love to build our own and pick each every option...this one hits 98% of the boxes and gets me on the water before July. Excited for the summer...the ice can't melt fast enough! No doubt I'll be back often when it comes time to tinker this spring with ballast

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You won’t be disappointed, great choice. Are you buying the one from Midwest at the boat show?! All of the points above are my experience as well. On top of the less desirable fit and finish, bow rise on the axis is terrible. MN inboard is great at marketing and have really anchored themselves around the twin cities. We got our Kaiyen last year from Midwest and the entire experience was great and our break in service was quick and easy along with winterization. I don’t see many Moombas around here either, but more Moombas than MB’s. Still wish MB had a dealer here, my B52 was great. Congrats.


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It’s not always about the wave or ease of making one. I shopped and demoed both Axis and Moomba. Also have a video giving my thoughts on YT. The short of it is the Axis makes a taller wave than the Moomba out of the box but has nowhere near the adjustability as a Moomba or any boat with a tab surf system. The quality was much lower on the Axis than the Moomba both in what you could see and what you couldn’t unless digging inside the compartments. The ride quality was pretty rough on the Axis in what I would consider light chop. It beat us pretty bad at wakeboarding speeds as the boat just wanted to pound and slap against everything it seemed. The Moomba by comparison rode much more solid and less jarring by far. The Axis drove bad when the surf system was deployed and wedge dropped. You can definitely feel the drag and resistance. It rides really bow high when surfing and my wife wouldn’t care to drive a boat like that for sure. Add in the dealer support and the Moomba simply checked more boxes than the Axis did stock for stock despite the Axis wave being larger and easier to setup. Anyone can add ballast to a boat to make it have a better and bigger wave, so don’t let that get in the way.

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Originally Posted by Schlanseay

You won’t be disappointed, great choice. Are you buying the one from Midwest at the boat show?! All of the points above are my experience as well. On top of the less desirable fit and finish, bow rise on the axis is terrible. MN inboard is great at marketing and have really anchored themselves around the twin cities. We got our Kaiyen last year from Midwest and the entire experience was great and our break in service was quick and easy along with winterization. I don’t see many Moombas around here either, but more Moombas than MB’s. Still wish MB had a dealer here, my B52 was great. Congrats.


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Yes. The one we’re buying was there at the boat show…white and metallic blue. From everything I can tell, Midwest seems to be great crew. I’ve yet to encounter folks with negative experiences. Here’s to hoping that continues

I’ve had good luck with their service as well, I’ve had them do a few things over the years and they have been very competent.

Im trying to upload a picture of the boat you bought but the upload manager isnt working. :(

I was going to ask if anyone snapped a picture while it was at the boat show.

@Firsttimemoomba congratulations on the new boat, exciting times ahead for sure!!

Congrats! Nice colors

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1906e5a61e.jpg


Similar to my Kaiyen

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...04293587fb.jpg


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It had tower speakers in my picture from the boat show. Did they remove them or different boat?

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Originally Posted by Bigs28

It had tower speakers in my picture from the boat show. Did they remove them or different boat?

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Yep! You saw it as I bought it. It has Rev10’s speakers with Triton board racks. I believe the photo shown is from the online posting from the dealership. Looks like I’ve got a nearly twin Moomba. Safety in numbers 😉