2003 Outback LS wakeboarding?

[jarrod_bridges2000]

Hi everyone new here. Well let me start off about my current boat. I have a 1992 Four Winns 180 Horizen. Dont get me wrong I absolutly LOVE the boat. This was the first boat we owned. It looks really good and runs great with a chevy 454 in it ( this is the inboard outboard ) with the OMC outdrive. It runs really good and I like it but I have a 13 year old son. He is quite the athlete. And he absolutly loves watersports. Got him skiing on 2 skis with a bar last year. Just this summer he got rid of the bar, 2 weeks later started jumping wakes, 2 weeks later hes slalom skiing and swooshing around the wakes with a slalom. Now he wants to wakeboard. Our boat is really a ski boat and has almost the worst wake I have ever seen. I have been looking around for not too pricey inboard wakeboard boats ( cant spend alot just got a new 08 Ford F-250 super duty King Ranch and 2 yamaha SHO pwc's and if i get another expensive toy the wife wont be too happy.) And Ive seen some 2003 Moomba Outback LS go for around $17,500. How are the wakes on the boats for wakeboarding? And i would like the boat to be kind of quick and nimble. My son absolutly loves the water. We live on a 12 mile by 2 mile private lake called Lake Cherokee in Texas and on that lake if you take your water saftey course and pass and your 13 years old you can drive PWC's on the lake by yourself. So Hes been skiing and tubing and riding his jet ski all summer and now wants to move into wakeboarding. ( he also thinks if we get a wakeboard boat it will have a good wake for him to jump on his jet ski ) So sorry for writing a novel here. Basically. What are your opinions on the 2003 Outback LS? Is it a good boat for wakeboarding? Good wake?
Thanks,
Jarrod.

[Sled491]

Lets put it this way. If you are into watersports like you say, then what has taken so long? The Moomba is the only way to go. Quick and nimble? You'll be amazed how your 454 18fter can be blown away off the line by a almost 22 ft boat with a 350. Handling will also scare you as again it is at a whole other level. Plain and simple, comparing your Run about to a tournament ski boat is like comparing a Ford taurus to a Corvette.

Trade offs, and there always are some, will be top end speed, a learning curve docking a DD boat, and rough water capabilities.

[jclay5]

All I got to say is moomba is a fantastic choice. However if he really gets into wakeboarding and then maybe some wake surfing I really would try and find a V-drive moomba even if it costs a few thousand more. It will save you money in the long run. I bought my first inboard about a year and a half ago, which was a Direct Drive, and after about 3 months all I could think about was how bad I wanted a V-drive. the LS if weighted down will put out a decent wake but a V-drive moomba will throw down a much larger wake.

I have wake boarded behind an LS many of times and love the boat but the wake just doesn't compare to something like the Mobius V or LSV.

Welcome to the boards good luck and let us know what you end up choosing!

And of course feel free to ask all of us anything.

[jarrod_bridges2000]

Thanks for the info guys. How would it compare to an Air nautique or a crossover nautique like a 2003 crossover 210? And you said top speed? Is it slower than my boat? My four winns is only about a 48mph boat. And i think i made a typing mistake it is 20 feet not 18 feet sorry. You say get a V-Drive? What exactly is a V-Drive? Whats the difference in the regular inboard boat? Is there an Outback that has the V drive? Because the outback seems like the perfect size boat for us and in our price range but if i really need the V-drive I dont mind throwing down a few more Grands to get it if it is really worth that much. As i said before I would be getting a new Moomba if i didnt already have this new truck, the 2 new jet skis, and the ATV's. So technically its not that we wouldnt be able to afford something more so thats why its possible for me to put down a few thousand more for a V- Drive if its neccessary, I just really dont want to put alot more money into more toys. Oh and you said rough water capabilities. We wont have to worry about that. Like I said its only a 12 mile long by 2 mile wide private lake so there is no such thing as nautral chop out there. Just boat wakes.

[jclay5]

The difference between a V-drive and a Direct Drive inboard boat is the engine location. The V-drive is in the rear of the boat, which gives more seating room and also a bigger wake because it puts more weight in the rear of the boat. A direct drive of course puts the engine in the center of the boat. The outbacks have been available in a V-drive version since 2002 with a length of 20.8 feet, however in 2009 they completely redesigned the outback V to a shorter version at i think just a tad over 20 feet or right at 20. I'm not sure what the top speed is on a outback V or outback LSV, but I can tell you the top speed on my 2002 Mobius V, which is 22 feet long, is a little over 40 maybe like 44 MPH and that's pushing it. I usually keep it around 36 for a nice cruise down the lake. It's not 100% necessary to have a V-drive but in my own humble opinion they are far superior for seating room and no doubt wake size.

Check this out to get an idea on what Moomba has offered over the years

Moomba Archives

I can't really help you out much as far as the comparison to the Air nautiques as I've never really ridden in one. I can tell you generally Air nautiques will cost more because they are much more expensive to begin with and they are known for holding their resale value better. However Moombas in my opinion are of the up most quality at a great price. Moomba is owned by skiers choice INC. who also make supra luxury inboard boats in the same factory as Moombas in Maryville, TN.

HERE you can read about the history of moomba and skiers choice as a company. I encourage you to do so. I'm sure you will have many more questions so feel free to ask.

[jarrod_bridges2000]

Is there a big difference between the outback lsv and the mobius lsv? I heard about getting the outback LS because its more of a wakeboard boat but now that i know i need a V drive so there is the LSV is the boat i need. Whats the price difference between a mobius lsv and an outback lsv? 2003-2004 models? What about size? Speed? Wake? Thanks for answering all my questions guys.

[Sled491]

What Jclay said is all correct, but let me add a little. The DD has the motor facing forward as with a standard vehicle. The transmission is then next and then a straight shaft to a prop. Last is the rudder. So unlike your inboard the prop is way inder the boat and instead of the outdrive turning the prop thus turning the boat the prop on a tournament boat pushes the ater past thr rudder which turns the boat. this affords a much tighter and quicker turning boat, but makes backing up a B^%$#.

The V drive is as claimed with the motor in back, but the motor faces rearward with the tranny towards the cock pit. The drive line then comes to a point and v's back to the standard shaft location of a DD. Thus the name V drive. The idea of course is to move all the mass of the engine as far back as possible for greater wake enhancement. A side effect of this layout is the great big open cock pits which are great for entertaining and just hanging out.

Most DD'w will top out at about 45mph, some will get to 48mph but not many. Most V drives run around 40mph, with some getting to about 44mph.

[Sled491]

Depending on year the Outback LSV and Mobius LSV were the same boat. The Mobius had more standard options. Later the Outback V came out as a smaller version. The LSV is a great boat, and if I heard correctly is the #1 selling V drive in the country. So lots of used units to choose from. But a used LSV will run more than the 17500 you spoke of originally.

[jarrod_bridges2000]

What Jclay said is all correct, but let me add a little. The DD has the motor facing forward as with a standard vehicle. The transmission is then next and then a straight shaft to a prop. Last is the rudder. So unlike your inboard the prop is way inder the boat and instead of the outdrive turning the prop thus turning the boat the prop on a tournament boat pushes the ater past thr rudder which turns the boat. this affords a much tighter and quicker turning boat, but makes backing up a B^%$#.

The V drive is as claimed with the motor in back, but the motor faces rearward with the tranny towards the cock pit. The drive line then comes to a point and v's back to the standard shaft location of a DD. Thus the name V drive. The idea of course is to move all the mass of the engine as far back as possible for greater wake enhancement. A side effect of this layout is the great big open cock pits which are great for entertaining and just hanging out.

Most DD'w will top out at about 45mph, some will get to 48mph but not many. Most V drives run around 40mph, with some getting to about 44mph.

LOL thats one of the few things I knew about inboards, that its a shaft that extends at an angle downward under the boat and a rudder steers the boat. Thats why people can always be around the back of the boat without getting chewed up . And im a total noob when it comes to ballast in the mobius or outback lsv ( ive decided to get either one of those ). I heard it comes with some ballast but not a very big one. How much would a good weight be and where should i put them? Like side compartments or all in the back or center? And does the ballast system already have hookups in these locations? Just attatch the sac to the ballast system and turn it on and fill them up?

[jarrod_bridges2000]

Well i jsut looked. The mobius ls I was looking at was $20,800. The only other LSV i could find was a Mobius gravity games addition LSV for $27,900