Best Boats For Tubing: A Fun-Filled Guide

Water sports enthusiasts know that waterskiing boats can be expensive, but there are a few affordable options that provide a high-quality experience without breaking the bank. The type of boat used for tubing depends on the preferences of the user, but some boats are more versatile than others and can be used for multiple water sports.

The MasterCraft ProStar is a well-known name among ski boat enthusiasts, and for good reason. With a length of 20 feet and a beam of 8 feet, it offers seating for seven people and is priced at $74,995, making it an affordable option for those looking for a tournament-level dedicated ski boat.

Another great option is the Malibu Response TXi, which is a proven tournament-winning machine with 13 world records under its belt. This boat offers both open and closed bow configurations and features a split aft seating arrangement for easy access to the water.

For those looking for a more versatile boat that can be used for multiple water sports, the Nautique Super Air GS20 is a great choice. It is designed to produce excellent wakes for boarding and surfing, and its hull design allows for slalom skiing as well.

The Tige 20RZX is another excellent option for those seeking a heavier and beamier boat. With a 46-gallon fuel capacity and seating for up to 13 people, it is well-suited for producing big wakes.

Lastly, the MasterCraft XT21 is the longest boat on our list, measuring 21 feet and 4 inches in length. It has a fuel capacity of 51 gallons and can hold up to 14 passengers, making it a great choice for those who need a spacious option.

Tow boats for water skiing

When it comes to tow boats for water skiing, there are a few key things to keep in mind. Firstly, water skiing requires the smallest and flattest wakes possible, so a boat designed specifically for water skiing is best. Additionally, the fewer people on board, the better. Here is a list of some of the best tow boats for water skiing:

MasterCraft ProStar

MasterCraft originated as a ski boat builder, so it's no surprise that their ProStar model is one of the best tournament ski boats on the market. The ProStar is a top performer, with a direct-drive inboard, a driver-focused helm, a two-up observer seat, and a split bench at the rear. It also has plenty of horsepower and uses hull technology to create smooth wakes for an improved skiing experience.

Malibu TXi MO

Malibu is a well-known brand in the tow boat market, and their TXi MO model is an excellent choice for water skiing. It features a three-fin T-Cut Diamond Hull that leaves behind soft, flat wakes and tracks like a laser. The boat also has a lowered dash for improved sightlines and a simple, uncluttered dash with full control and instrumentation.

Centurion Enzo SV244

The Centurion Enzo SV244 is a great option for those looking for a used boat. This boat dates back about a decade and offers excellent performance for water skiing. It has a strong tow rope and a spacious interior, making it a great choice for those who want to hit the water.

Nautique Super Air Nautique 230/230 E

The Nautique Super Air Nautique 230 is another excellent choice for water skiing, especially with its all-electric E version. This boat is rare on the used boat market, but its 230 model is more readily available. It offers a pop-up ski pylon option, which brings the tow rope to a lower angle, providing better control for skiers.

MasterCraft XT21

The MasterCraft XT21 is a longer boat with a sleek design, a large fuel capacity, and seating for up to 14 passengers. It tracks true in slalom runs and has a minimal wake when at higher speeds with no ballast. It is equipped with the Gen2 Surf System, which includes an integrated ballast system and shaping devices to customize the wake or wave for each rider.

These boats offer a range of features and capabilities that make them well-suited for water skiing. Be sure to consider your specific needs and preferences when choosing a tow boat, as the right boat can greatly enhance your water skiing experience.

Tow boats for wakeboarding

When it comes to tow boats for wakeboarding, there are several options available, each with its own unique features and capabilities. Here is an overview of some popular choices:

Malibu TXi MO

Malibu, a well-known brand in the tow boat market, offers the TXi MO, an open-bow tournament inboard boat. It is designed with a three-fin T-Cut Diamond Hull, which allows it to leave behind soft, flat wakes and track smoothly. The TXi MO features a Sea Dek foam deck covering, providing a comfortable experience for all passengers. Additionally, its lowered dash design improves sight lines for the driver, and its minimalist displays offer full control while maintaining a simple and uncluttered look.

Tigé RZX3

The Tigé RZX3 is a popular choice for wakeboarding enthusiasts who want to bring their friends along. It offers ample seating and adaptability, ensuring a fun experience for everyone on board. The bow area is spacious and can accommodate a large group, while the rear bench seat is convertible and can face forward or backward. The helm seat also swivels, allowing the driver to join in on the fun when not focused on driving. The Tigé RZX3's low sight lines and uncluttered dash make it easy for the driver to focus on navigation.

Malibu M235

If budget is not a concern, the Malibu M235 is a top-of-the-line choice for wakeboarding. This boat boasts the latest technology and design innovations, offering everything one could desire in a wakeboard boat. It has ample ballast to satisfy both professionals and novices, and its adjustability makes it a versatile option for all skill levels. Additionally, the Malibu M235 has plenty of seating to accommodate a large group of friends.

Nautique G25

The Nautique G25 is another high-end option for those seeking the ultimate in wakeboarding experiences. Introduced in 2016, this boat has a lot to offer. It features 2,850 pounds of ballast and utilizes the Nautique Surf System to redirect water flow off the hull sides, creating the perfect wave for wakeboarding. The G25 can accommodate up to 19 people and has ample storage space for gear and boards, ensuring a comfortable and uncramped experience.

Centurion Ri257

The Centurion Ri257 is a powerful tow boat introduced in 2017. It boasts an impressive 5,500 pounds of ballast capacity with the optional Ramfill system, which can be loaded in just 45 seconds. The boat measures 25 feet 7 inches in length and has a dry weight of 6,150 pounds, making it a substantial option for those seeking a larger tow boat.

Moomba Mondo

The Moomba Mondo is a value-priced tow boat that delivers a lot for its cost. It comes equipped with features such as the Moomba Flow 2.0 surf system, the Moomba SmartPlate 2.0, the Moomba Launch System, and the AutoWake system, which automatically adjusts ballast. The Mondo offers a great balance between performance and affordability.

When choosing a tow boat for wakeboarding, it's important to consider factors such as budget, desired features, seating capacity, and the latest technology. Each of these options offers a unique experience, so it's worth researching and selecting the one that best suits your specific needs and preferences.

Inboard-powered ski/wake boats

Malibu TXi MO

Malibu offers the TXi MO, an open-bow tournament inboard with 10 world records to its credit. It features a three-fin T-Cut Diamond Hull, which leaves behind soft, flat wakes and tracks like a laser. The Sea Dek foam deck covering makes everyone’s day on the water better, and the lowered dash improves sightlines. The TXi MO blends the best of both worlds, offering old-school hull magic to make flat wakes and new-think technology to make them repeatable.

Nautique Super Air GS20

The Nautique Super Air GS20 is a crossover boat, a style of inboard-powered boat equally capable of flattening the wake for a slalom run, ramping it up for a boarding launch point, or sculpting it for a surf session. The Nautique Configurable Running Surface (NCRS) includes an adjustable plate that automatically moves according to user settings in the in-dash Linc Panoray control system. Sensors in the NCRS help it electronically adjust to the ride conditions, similar to auto trim tabs found on many recreational boats. The pop-up ski pylon is a safer towpoint for tubing.

Tigé RZX3

The Tigé RZX3 is a crossover boat that delivers on seating, adaptability, and breathless ease. Up front, the bow area is a full-boogie playpen design that fills in and holds a bunch of people. Farther aft in the cockpit, it has a convertible rear bench seat that flips forward to face the rear, with aft-facing lounges to port and starboard. The helm seat swivels to face your friends, but when it’s focused ahead, it’s all business. With low sightlines, an uncluttered dash, and the Tigé Clear dashboard, the driver has no problem focusing on the task at hand, regardless of how many people are on board.

MasterCraft ProStar

MasterCraft originated as a ski boat builder, so it's no surprise that it builds one of the best tournament ski boats on the market. The ProStar performs at the top of its game, and its latest model has more horsepower than anyone thought possible from a small-block V8. It also makes prudent use of 50 years of hull technology to lay down buttery-smooth wakes that make slalom skiing better than ever. The interior layout is still centred on a direct-drive inboard, with a driver-focused helm, two-up observer seat, and a split bench at the rear. There's now a step-through to the swim platform, made of the same teakwood that came on the first MasterCrafts in 1968.

General-purpose sportboats

Models designed for wakeboarding often have internal water ballast bags, and some even have devices on their sterns to help create more wake or to shape it. Because these boats generally have an exposed prop behind the transom, they are used exclusively for towing sports where a tow rope is used. They are not intended for wake surfing, where the enthusiast is on a board close to the transom.

The single exception to this configuration is the few sportboats that use the Volvo Penta Forward Drive, which has a lower unit with the props facing forward. The props are 26" forward of where they would be in a conventional sterndrive unit, making it a safer choice for wake surfing.

Virtually all boats built specifically for skiing and wakeboarding have a single inboard engine. Inboard boats generally have their propellers several feet forward of the transom, and as a result, the vortex of the props' thrust that goes up hits the bottom of the boat and is flattened out by the time it exits from under the stern.

The broad appeal of sterndrive-powered runabouts, especially in fresh water, means that many enthusiasts use them for wakeboarding, but their wakes are still on the large side for water skiing. Because sterndrive boats have their props close to the water surface, some thrust is directed upwards as well as aft and down, which adds to the boats' natural wake.

Outboard-powered boats have been used for skiing for decades. Today, outboard-powered boats are also used for wakeboarding. Properly selected outboard engines offer plenty of torque and are in many cases just as quiet as an inboard or I/O application. There is, of course, the safety concern of having the propeller closer to the person being towed, but it's hardly any different from a sterndrive. Outboard-powered boats are lighter and are much easier to maintain in a saltwater environment.

The new breed of outboard sport boats often have large swim platforms to each side of the outboard engine, offering almost as much launching space as that found on a conventional sterndrive.

For the last decade, jet boats have become increasingly popular. They are famous for getting on plane faster than virtually any other boat in the size range. Since they have no external propeller, they are safe for people in the water. That, together with the fact that they produce a large wake, makes them a prime candidate for casual wakeboarding and wake surfing.

Crossover ski boats

If you're looking for a boat that can do it all, a crossover boat might be the perfect choice. These boats are designed with versatility in mind, capable of flattening the wake for slalom runs, creating a launch point for wakeboarding, or sculpting the perfect wave for surfing. Here are some top options for crossover ski boats that offer a range of features and capabilities to suit your needs.

Malibu 20 VTX

Malibu's 20 VTX is dubbed the "crossover king" due to its exceptional versatility. The key to its performance lies in its Diamond Hull design, which generates respectable wakeboard and wakesurf waves while also allowing for slalom skiing. The boat can produce a soft, crossable wake at tournament slalom speeds without the need for ballast. For wakeboarding, the Power Wedge III hydrofoil adds the equivalent of 1,500 pounds of ballast, creating a more substantial wake. The standard ballast system fills up to 765 pounds, but you can upgrade to a capacity of 3,575 pounds. The Malibu 20 VTX is priced at $105,690.

Nautique Super Air GS20

The Nautique Super Air GS20 is a crossover boat with a rich history in water-skiing, as many world records have been set behind Ski Nautique models. The GS20 features the Nautique Configurable Running Surface (NCRS), which includes an adjustable plate that automatically moves according to user settings. This allows the boat to flatten the wake for slalom runs and provide pinpoint direction and speed control. For tubing, the pop-up ski pylon option brings the towpoint down to a safer height. When it's time to surf or wakeboard, fill up the 1,850 pounds of internal ballast and adjust the NCRS plate for a clean, quality wake. The Nautique Super Air GS20 starts at $110,024.

Tigé 20RZX

The Tigé 20RZX is a heavier and wider crossover boat, providing ample fuel capacity and seating for up to 13 people. Its patented Convex hull design can produce a slalom-ready wake at tournament speeds (34-36 mph) without ballast. When it's time to wakeboard, the driver can fill up the 3,000 pounds of ballast with the press of a button. The TAPS 3 System allows for precise control of the pitch, list, and yaw of the boat to optimize the surf wave. The Tigé 20RZX starts at $101,829.

MasterCraft XT21

The MasterCraft XT21 is a sleek crossover boat with a traditional V monohull design. It tracks true in slalom runs and has a minimal wake at higher speeds without ballast. When a wake is desired, the Gen2 Surf System comes into play, with an integrated ballast system providing up to 2,640 pounds of ballast. The system also includes shaping devices (tabs) to help sculpt the wake or wave to each rider's preference. The MasterCraft XT21 starts at $99,495 and offers a range of customization options, including the Dockstar Handling System, which makes docking and manoeuvring a breeze.

Supra SR

The Supra SR is a crossover boat with a focus on both water-ski and wake sports. It features the AutoWake system, an advanced autopilot that utilizes onboard sensors to control the boat's pitch and roll, optimizing the shape of wakes and waves. The Swell 3.0 Surf system further enhances the rider's experience by using inclinometers to adjust the ballast and Supra Launch settings. The Supra SR is powered by a 400 or 450 Raptor engine, providing the torque needed for surfing and the speed for skiing. The boat starts at $120,200 and includes features like the FX1 Folding Power Tower and a wireless phone charging pad at the helm.

Frequently asked questions