Axis Wakeboard Boat Forum

greetings everyone ! First time poster here, but was reading the board for a while

I am contemplating getting into the world of towing boats, and the axis models immediately cought my eye. Especially so, since around my parts in the EU I can mostly only get seadoo stuff (wake230 awesome, but out of my league), some 10 year old used mastercrafts from the local "rent-a-tow" and now the axis offer. There are of course other versions, the searays and the bayliners, et al, but id like to get something completely focused for sport.

To make something clear, I am not a wakeboarder, by the standards of you guys here, by a longshot. With what we currently pull, there is practically no wake at all, and we pull in the adriatic sea, which is saltwater, and windy practically every day.

So what I am basically inquirying, is how would the a22 act as a more general all rounder, sports oriented boat with the occasional trip ? I am eyeing the 410 and the 450hp engine variations, the pylon for additional tow and not much else. For the moment at least, I am not that concerned about the wake, or its lip, etc. so Id skip the balast tanks and the pnp system. If I understand correctly that is optional, and quite frankly for my entry level, I cannot yet appreciate the esthethic and art part of wake-crafting. Just general towing, wake, kneeboard, tubes...id love to try wakesurfing though !! I know the axis engineers crucify axis tubers, but Im gonna have to take it the hard way

Id be very thankful if anyone can give me a rough $$ ballpark with that configuration, and some performance numbers, if anyone has em ? Like fuel consumption, speed-rpm, stability in rugher waters...considering no additional balast tanks, 5-8 people on board.

kind regards
vele

Vele,

If you aren't towing, skip the big engines. You won't use them, and you'll burn up more fuel. The boat comes standard with ballast tanks, so you'll get that. I would get the wedge for two reasons - one, you or your family may grow into the boat, and adding it later would likley not be all that easy. The PnP is easy, so skip that.

I had been on a wakeboard once in my life when I bought mine, and within a couple of months, I had grown into it, meaning full ballast and wedge down. And I don't do it that often, because the rest of my family just isn't into it that much. And if you do wakesurf, you will need as much ballast as you cn get.

If you will mainly use it for pulling tubers, don't get the boat, get an inboard-outboard. These boats are not at all suited for tubing, they don't turn well, and when the tubes cross the wakes, they do it so slowly that it often drops the front of the tube, which lets it dig in and throws the riders.

If you are in rough waters every day, I'd also be inclined to think that a deeper v type hull would be a better bet for you. Rough water isn't that much fun in these boats, as they don't really cut through waves very well.

Otherwise, if you've got young kids, it probably is a gret boat you can grow into. If they start doing more watersports, you'll get more out of this boat than anything else you'll find for the price. And its nice, big open space makes it a safe bet for a runabout. But again, if you just want to tool around on the water, and occasionally tube, it isn't a very good choice.

No idea what a saltwater package boat with the options you are looking at will run, nor what kind of tarriffs and tax structures you'll have to pay. I would GUESS a base boat with few options, but a big engine and saltwater package would be well north of $60K, though.

much obliged for the reply 67King

you bring valid points into my decision making process....

let me clarify a few things , so you will understand my position better, and help accordingly.

We are a group of 12 friends, all in mid 20s. We are going on seaside holidays together for the last 5,6 years. Watersports, action and filming said action, has always been the highpoint of everything we did there. Wether it was wakeboarding, skiing, tubing, or just fooling around everything evolved around the boat. Up to now, we were using a regular hypalon-poliester hybrid, with an outboard, something like this : http://www.yamaha-split.hr/yamaha/marin ... ar_530.jpg
but this year, and the majority of last also, we had constant issues with the engine, boat, electrics...etc. And to top it off, the boat while capable of doing much of what we did, isnt tailored for our activities. The ropes keep dangling up, the anchor point is to low for waking, or anything else but towing another boat for that matter. So we said, f**** this, lets get something completely tailored for what we do....

and that brought me here. And now, for my reasoning on what i wrote above

about the engine : the 410 or 450hp choice was made on the grounds that since theres 12 of us (and sometimes a few additional guests), and we can go on trips sometimes, biger hp, minus the additional ballast, could grant us higher speeds, meaning you get further quicker, at less gas. It was an intuitive guess of course, based on my experience with the current outboard rpm-mileage calculus...

about waking : i completely agree, that just watching the axis in action makes me wanna try proper waking, behind something that actually makes a wake! But for starters, I would try to keep the additional costs at a minimum, besides the engine

about tubes, and other towables : hmmm now this has me worried. Not the specific tubing part, but what you said about maneuvrability. Could you explain what the "reference" point of a solid maneuvrable boat is ? I mean our current hybrid can turn, but it takes a while, so I guess I have low standards for that, haha! I have also seen some seadoos (boats and jetskis) turn, and if that is 10, ours is 1.5

about high seas : high seas might be an overstatement , since the adriatic can have only so much high seas. I guess a normal, average day has a beaufort 1.5-3 scale (20-40 inch waves), if you are familiar with it. And we rarely venture out at anything higher than that...for the lack of a better case, it looks sort of like this : http://www.maca-apartments.com/tolteam/ ... age/03.jpg

gahh another wall of text. Sorry for that.

regards from Slovenia
vele

I agree with most of what 67king said, except for the part that inboards do not turn as well as I/O's. I disagree. Inboards turn incredibly well and track the whole time no matter how sharp or fast you are going. I/O's rear ends slide around and the rear ends get pushed out. sea-doo style jet boats can slide out into a spin. So ignore the maneuverability concern because if you went out with me, I could put us into a near 2G turn on my boat. (I have done it before with actual measurements, 1.8G i think). However, I haven't done a side by side with my boat and a 22' I/O

As for the rest, he has valid points.

335 horse (or 350hp option if you get a 2013) will get you up to 40 mph with 12 people and no ballast with the correct prop. Stock prop will get you up to 44-46, not sure how fast you can go with 12 people though, some guys on here run that prop and could tell you.

I disagree with the turning statement as well. As Johnnydefacto said- stock acme 537 or 5 blade will do 40mph and you don't need anything more than the 335 with salt package. I'd opt for an aluminum trailer.

like john and nastya20 say, the axis tracks very well.
Although, if I was in 40 inch waves consistently, I would not want an inboard. I have been in big lake chop about the same (30 - 40 inch) and its not fun. when you have that size wave its easy to take water over the bow. Especially with 12 people in the boat.

Y'all really think these things turn as well as an I/O? I mean, if you think about it, they are designed to do the opposite - go straight. And that big honkin' fin in the middle of the boat certainly doesn't do anything to help it turn quickly, either. Sure, I've gotten my boat to spin as well. But it doesn't turn NEARLY as well as a friend's Cobalt 242, which is a foot bigger and 1000 lbs heavier than mine.

yeah king, no real data, just my opinion. It would be interesting to see a birds eye view of two similar size and weighted boats making a tight turn. The tracking fin(s) do help turn, it keeps the boat from sliding sideways in a tight turn. Axis offers a 2nd fin for $600 or so and I was told it helps the boat turn significantly better.

MC r&d guys tested a bunch of competitors boats out on my lake last year with their laptops and software and g-force accelerometers on all the boats during high speed ( 35+ ) turns, as well as other tests. I can not imagine doing the tight turns and full speed power turns in an I/O... anyhow, either way, you can tube behind an inboard just fine.

30-40" swells = no fun. Like Ed said, an bigger I/O with a real deep v all the way back would be better for this application

These boats turn when you want them to turn. The do not do so much of the roll of listing when they turn like I/Os do. I don't care about your guys feeling when it comes to tubing because I love it. To me a my friends (mid 20s) tubing is dangerous and gives us a thrill. At least the way we drive for tubing. I miss my I/O for the tubing aspect. It seemed we could fling a tube back and forth very quick. With a inboard the tube does travel across the wake as fast. This is my opinion. If the member up top is wanting to get the bigger engine and tube I feel bad for his pockets. They will be empty from the fuel all summer.

Also John and Elc are ride about a rough ride with swells and waves. I would hate to be in the boat in those kinds of waters. At least in a wake boat. I live in VA Beach. You can experience everything here when it comes to water condition. I also use my boat in salt. I don't have a salt water series vandall just the regular one. I flush and clean religiously. I do have a galvanized trailer.

John have you looked into adding the second fin to our 11s and previous models? The fin helps the boat with driving a nice line for riders too.

thank you very much for all the input guys !

So I guess the maneuvrability question is in perspective....i might look at that second fin. Im gonna go and ask the dealer if I can try one of the boats for myself and see it firsthand, think its best that way. but if johnhnydefacto made 2g turns, that should more than answer my question I think.

about fuel consumption....can anyone state some of their own numbers, so i have a ballpark figure ? I am not definitively taking the higher hp engines, just thinking out loud basically, that with higher hp you can achieve same speeds at lower rpms, especially with the a20, which is 200kgs lighter (400 lbs i think)....but as I said, that was the case with our old hybrid at least, I dont know if it sticks here also, thats why I asked. Please correct me if I am wrong, of course.

nastya20 I appreciate the aluminium trailer advice. Never really thought of that one. What did you mean with "you dont need anything more than the 335 with salt package " ? I have to look into the prop options too.

gibster786, you use the a22 for tubing ? How does it fare ?

anyhow Im mostly convinced with axis. Just not yet on which model, engine and accesories. Thanks a bunch !!

kind regards
vele