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We boat on KY Lake- often choppy waters and shallow. Wanting a multifunctional boat- slalom ski, wakeboard, tube, wake surf, but also comfortable going down main lake in rougher water with family. At least 24' length.
Considering the R5 Surf, but nervous about the forward drive. Have also considered MastercraftX23, or 26, XT 25 and Malibu 247 LSV.

Any general thoughts, experiences?

With those options, I wouldn't be nervous about a forward drive if your considering a V drive. Apples to Apples I would compare Cobalt to Nautique or Malibu in terms of quality over Mastercraft though. Check out the Nautique G25. Storage and seating beat out the R5. You mention skiing as part of your water sports so the R5 would be your better choice for all around boating/water sports over a "wake" boat.

Thanks for the insight. A dealer near me has a Nautique GS24. The seating and interior lay out is very impressive.

How would you rank those 3 brands- nautique, Malibu, and mastercraft- in terms of quality, comfort and resale value?

The main issue with sport boats for me is the supposed rough ride on those types of hulls, compared to a typical deep V hull. Ky Lake has a tendency to get pretty rough at times, especially in the main channel.

mbobo24 wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:37 am Thanks for the insight. A dealer near me has a Nautique GS24. The seating and interior lay out is very impressive.

How would you rank those 3 brands- nautique, Malibu, and mastercraft- in terms of quality, comfort and resale value?

The main issue with sport boats for me is the supposed rough ride on those types of hulls, compared to a typical deep V hull. Ky Lake has a tendency to get pretty rough at times, especially in the main channel.

I would rank those as you've listed. Out of the known brands not incl the moombas, tiges etc. 1. Nautique 2. Malibu 3. Mastercraft. Not the biggest fan of Mastercraft over the years. Seems they got stagnant and followed while the rest of the crowd innovated. True on the ride but they have improved. Take a test ride and see.

I've rode in my buddies mastercraft a ton when we are out doing water sports and I can tell you on a rough day at my home lake Table Rock. Rough is 2-4ft chop it is not a fun ride. I also didn't like how cruising speed on his mastercraft was about 20-25mph. That was essentially why I ended up ditching the idea of a wake board boat and went with a traditional V-bottom

If your only concern is the forward facing drive I wouldn't worry too much. You just have to be aware of it. Make sure you get the appropriate trailer if you are going to use one. Remember that the inboards can't back up very well so you also loose some maneuverability with those, and yes the ride isn't nearly as nice and top speed is significantly slower.
I have been looking at the surf's and just ordered an R7 surf (for the extra storage over the R5). I was talking to two dealers and both said they have yet to replace a prop on the forward facing drive and talked about how many forward facing drives they have sold. If you are in shallow enough water that the couple inches of the forward prop is going to make a difference you are in a bad spot anyway IMO.