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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Trussville, AL
    Posts
    88

    Default Considering 08 Outback....

    Today was the day I test drive my first direct drive boat. I am seriously considering an 08 Outback. Note that I have only been pulled behind I/O's. I currently have a 19ft 135 hp and believe it or not it pulls me up on a slalom fairly well and the wakes are not too difficult to manage. Back to the test drive. I seriously thought I would be so impressed that I would not be able to overcome the temptation to purchase. I was expecting a lot of power from the 325 HP and a very flat wake. The power was there on the bottom end but the wake....not so much. As I looked back, for some reason, the wake did not "look" as smooth as I was expecting. We actually rode in a LS model as it had been in the water a few times. I was told the Outback would have a very similar wake. Is this true? Do I need to actually ski behind it to appreciate it?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Saint Paul, Minnesota
    Posts
    48

    Default yes buy it

    I dont know where you live?? but my dealer in MN was awesome! I did aLOT OF RESEARCH AND JUST BOUGHT AN OUTBACK v-DRIVE ITS FANTASTIC!!! Its the best boat for the money. If you have any questions feel free to ask or I can shoot you my e-mail address good luck!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Eugene OR
    Posts
    1,786

    Default

    I also purchased the Outback V. I looked around at a lot of different boats and this one was the best one for the money. I have had a few problems with the amp and PP system but I still love my boat.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Springfield Missouri
    Posts
    3,391

    Default

    The Outback is 350 lbs lighter than the LS so one would expect the wake to be flatter on the Outback. The wake plate flattens the wake even more. The boats of all makes keep getting bigger and a good flat wake is hard to find. A V drive will not help someone looking for a flat slalom wake.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Tigard, Oregon
    Posts
    3,017

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mparker2997 View Post
    Today was the day I test drive my first direct drive boat. I am seriously considering an 08 Outback. Note that I have only been pulled behind I/O's. I currently have a 19ft 135 hp and believe it or not it pulls me up on a slalom fairly well and the wakes are not too difficult to manage. Back to the test drive. I seriously thought I would be so impressed that I would not be able to overcome the temptation to purchase. I was expecting a lot of power from the 325 HP and a very flat wake. The power was there on the bottom end but the wake....not so much. As I looked back, for some reason, the wake did not "look" as smooth as I was expecting. We actually rode in a LS model as it had been in the water a few times. I was told the Outback would have a very similar wake. Is this true? Do I need to actually ski behind it to appreciate it?

    Thanks
    I would insist on test driving and skiing behind the actual boat (or exact same model) you plan to buy. That's what I did when I bought our LSV. We brought our wakeboards to the boat dealer and they took us out and pulled us behind it.

    I agree with Zabooda - the other posters on this thread are obviously excited about their new "V"s but they don't address your concern. And a V drive is not what you want if you are after the flattest wake possible.

    Al

    Al
    Al

    2006 Mobius LSV

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Saint Paul, Minnesota
    Posts
    48

    Default v-drive

    Thats true, flatter wake on the reg moomba, but V-drive has great seating layout, and if you get into wakeboarding and wakesurfing, its much more adaptable then trying to make a traditional inboard throw out a big wake!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Pensacola, FL
    Posts
    1,585

    Default

    My first few pulls behind my 08 Outback (with wake plate) had me thinking that I had made a big mistake. However, it all depends on your speed.My wife wasn't used to the new boat and we were only going 30-31 mph. Once she got the speed up to 34-36, the wake got much smaller. If you can get the rope in to less than 15' off, you will find the wake goes away. If you ski at slower speeds, you will have a big wake. My MasterCraft had a much smaller and narrower wake at slower slalom speeds (27-31mph). A few other factors about inboards, you should have really noticed a lot more power to pull up a skier. Perhaps your driver was taking it easy on you. An inexperienced driver can slam the throttle down and make a skier wish he only had 135hp. Once up skiing, an inboard (especially with cruise) will hold a speed better than any I/O. Also, no I/O handles as well as an inboard.
    I have not heard too many people talk about trick skiing, but the table on the outback seems perfect for trick.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    257

    Default

    You need to get what is best for you and what you can appreciate. If you enjoy skiing behind the i/o, and don't notice enough difference to write a big check, then keep enjoying your i/o.

    I learned to ski behind a 17 foot Sea Ray with a 135 i/o. It struggled bad to pull me up but once it did had a manageable wake to ski recreationally. It was a nice small family boat.

    That said, I noticed a huge difference with my OB LS. The power difference is tremendous. I'm guessing you didn't actually ski. If you did, you would notice the difference unless the person driving just really babied you. Also, make sure you look at the model you are interested in. If slalom is your sport, look at the regular old Outback. It has a slalom specific hull and is a competition certified ski boat. Terry Winter, one of the top west coast slalom ski stars, has one. You should notice a huge difference in the wake at slalom speeds. While the wake may be bigger around 18-25 mph, above 25 mph it should really start to settle down. The faster you go, the smaller it will be. At 30-34 mph you should see a large difference. You should have no problem holding your cut all the way through the wakes without falling, whereas that was a problem for me with the old 17 foot i/o, especially on my offside. It would cause me to lose a lot of angle and made running the course impossible, at least at my low skill level.

    The Mobius LS is actually a wakeboard hull. It is the same boat as the LSV, just with the engine in the middle. The hull is designed to have a bigger wake, at least at wakeboard speeds. I think you would see a pretty big difference between the Mobius LS and the OUtback. The Outback V is more of a slalom hull, with the engine in the back, and might be worth looking at, too, if you enjoy the engine in the back like in your I/O.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Trussville, AL
    Posts
    88

    Default

    Thanks for all of the replies.... A lot of information here that will help me make a decision. I love the Moombas. I just want to make sure I get the right one if we get one. I was looking at the wake of the LS at 30 mph which is the speed we ski at now. I should have bumped it up to 34 or so. I will also insist that we ride in the exact boat we are considering. I think we will take the Outback and Outback V out for a run to see if we can manage the V wake. The layout of the interior is so much better. It really would be more enjoyable as a family.

    Anyway, thanks again. Great forum! Hope to be speaking as a Moomba owner soon.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Lake Elmo, MN
    Posts
    81

    Default

    I was in a similar situation 3 years ago. Only cared about slalom skiiing. Had an outback picked out and went to the boat show to order it. The Mrs. sat in the V drive and said "how come we're not getting this?" I replied that it was $5,000 more and the Outback was a lot better for skiing. She reminded me that we had three kids and the room and freeboard of the V drive made more sense.

    Hmm.... guess who won. We ordered the V drive and like it very much. I can say that the slalom wake in the V drive is better than the i/o that we had but it is not as good as the dd outback.

    I now end up wakeboarding as much or more than I slalom ski. 1. Easier on my 35 year old has been body. 2. Easier to pull someone at 20 mph than 35 mph. 3. Most importantly, you don't have to have perfect water conditions to have a good run on the board compared to water conditions you need to have a good slalom run.

    I have even gone as far as installing a tower last weekend. I still ski, but am glad we bought the boat that we did. Offers a lot of flexibility in space and function. You will notice the power difference when you ski behind it. I had a v-6 i/o that I would pull all over the place when I would ski. The inboards with 300hp do not even flinch when you cut.

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