Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Email
Wake sports are popular, wake surfing is the most popular of them all, and the best wake surfing boats are so advanced that they let surfers create their own personally sculpted wakes. They’ll be a bit different from the best wakeboarding boats, too, tweaked and tuned to give the ultimate experience to ropeless riders. Between ballast tanks, tabs, and computer-controlled wake-tuning systems, these boats aren’t just impressive—they’re also jaw-droppingly well-designed and well-equipped. But, which deserve to be called the best wake surf boats around? This debate will rage, but we think these picks belong at the front of the pack.
Best V-Drive Surf Boats
Serious surfers will want a boat with an inboard V-drive powertrain. There aren’t many inboard engine manufacturers in today’s market so this means limited power choices, but the ability to get all that weight aft yet keep the propeller tucked safely under the boat, far forward of the swim platform, is critical to making the best surf boat possible. Add in the reliability and simplicity of a V-drive versus other options, plus the more efficient powertrain (a V-drive loses about eight percent of the power from engine to prop while a stern drive loses more like 13 percent), and the choice becomes clear.
Centurion
Centurion builds a wide-ranging lineup, with six different models from 22’ to 26’6”. All of them are powered with V-drives hitched to 5.3- or 6.2-liter marinized GM engines produced by Pleasurecraft Marine (PCM). These boats are rigged with all the wakesurfing goodies ranging from Bimini-equipped towers with board racks, to wave-sculpting plates, to monstrous loads of ballast. Even the smallest model carries up to 5,150 pounds of additional ballast in seven tanks arranged to distribute the weight evenly throughout the boat. Their hulls are designed for prime wake-making abilities, too, with an “Opti-V” surface that directs the flow of water off the stern of the boat.
Centurion Fe22. Centurion photo.
MasterCraft
When it comes to watersports boats, few brands have the name recognition or top-shelf reputation of MasterCraft. This builder has been in business since 1968—long before wake surfing was even a thing—and offers a huge lineup including 17 wake boats (plus a water skiing boat). Their boats are known to be as well-finished, comprehensively equipped, and as luxurious as anything on the market, period. They also have a well-deserved reputation for incorporating some serious tech into their surf boats, equipping them with touch-screen controls, computerized wave-style presets, and savable rider preference profiles. Every boat in the lineup with the exception of the ski boat runs via a V-drive powered by an Ilmor inboard.
Mastercraft XStar S. Mastercraft photo.
Malibu
Malibu is another longtime wakeboat builder and has been in business since 1982. This brand is known for staying on the cutting edge of innovation and was among the first to introduce a hull designed specifically for making waves, then adds wedges and gates to sculpt that wave to perfection. Power is provided via V-drive (excluding their water-skiing models) and Malibu’s own M5Di, M6Di, and LT4 Monsoon direct-injection engines. Their current wake sports boat lineup includes 11 models from 20’ to 26’5”.
Malibu Wakesetter 25 LSV. Malibu Boats photo.
Best Forward Drive Surf Boats
While the hardcore surfers will choose V-drive boats, many wake sports enthusiasts who are also family boaters will opt for a boat with Forward Drive. The Forward Drive system is essentially a stern-drive with a lower unit turned around to face forward under the boat, moving the propeller far from where it could present a potential hazard to surfers. Unlike V-drives, Forward Drives are trimmable, and while boats rigged with these systems can be used to create big wakes, they can also be used to create rather small ones when it’s time to tow the kids around on an inflatable or try some water skiing.
Four Winns
Four Winns has been around for more than four decades and is best known for building bowriders and deck boats, but they also have a line of surf models with Forward Drive including five models from 22’ to 26’6”. These are very much like their established bowrider and deck boat lines, but with the different drive systems and the addition of wakeboard towers, ballast systems, and wake enhancement tabs. They’re also rigged with touchscreen controls and the ability to adjust wake shape to fit a surfer’s specific desire. Four Winns boats for sale.
Four Winns H2 Surf. Four Winns photo.
Cobalt
With five Surf models in their lineup, Cobalt caters to the Forward Drive market with boats from 23’5” and up. At the extreme end, they build one of the largest boats intended for wake surfing, the R33 Surf, a monster boat with a 10’6” beam, almost six tons of displacement, and options to rig it out with all the comforts of home including air conditioning and a galley with an electric grill. Cobalt is known for building exceptionally well-detailed luxury family boats, and the Surf series is no exception. Plus, did we mention that they have a wake boat with air conditioning?!
Cobalt R33 Surf. Cobalt Boats photo.
Regal
Regal is another builder known for crafting family boats, and they equip five models with Forward Drive to satisfy the surfing set. The lineup begins with a 22’4” model and stretches to an unbelievable 39’2” long, 11’11” wide model: the 38 Surf. This is the largest dedicated surf boat in our roundup and the largest we’ve ever seen. In fact, Regal claims it’s the largest surf boat in the world, and we don’t doubt them. It’s also the only surf boat we’ve run across that has everything you need for weekending aboard, including a mid-cabin with a settee (which converts to a berth at the press of a button), an outdoor galley with grill, air conditioning, and more. In fact, we hesitate to call this creation a surf boat—it’s really more like a surf yacht.
Regal 38 Surf. Regal photo.
Best Jet Drive Surf Boats
There aren’t many jet boats out there doing double-duty as surf boats, but a couple of builders do produce them. These are essentially the same as their non-wakeboarding models, but with added ballast and/or tabs. Pros will still be opting for V-drives but some boaters with young children like the idea of having no propeller at all, much less one far forward under the boat, as an added layer of safety. Plus, their awesome high-speed handling and performance makes driving these boats almost as much fun as surfing behind them.
Scarab
The Scarab lineup of seven wake sports boats mirrors their sport boat line, plus it adds one unique twist in the form of a center console jet wake sports model, the 235 Open Wake ID. They get a 1,150-pound wake-boosting ballast system along with a tower with board racks and on some models, add their “Surf Stream Wake Enhancement” system, which redirects the jet thrust on one side to make the wake firmer and give it more push (the forward energy the wake creates to carry the boarder forward). In the case of the 235 Open Wake ID, the tower is replaced by a center console T-top. This may be the only center console T-top on the planet to sport board racks rather than fishing rod holders. Scarab boats for sale.
Scarab 195 Wake ID. Scarab photo.
Yamaha
Yamaha boats are not merely popular among the jet boat crowd, they’re among the most popular runabouts of any brand. Their jet wake sports lineup includes five models from 22’ to 24’6” that mirror most of Yamaha’s runabout models. Wake-sports-enhancing upgrades include the Connext touchscreen control with user-defined profiles for speed, ballast, and acceleration; Yamaha’s electric-actuated WakeBooster tabs; towers with board racks and an extended Bimini; and 1,600-pound ballast systems.
Yamaha 222XD. Yamaha photo.
Best Affordable Wake Surf Boats
If you’ve been shopping around looking for the best wake surf boats you’ve undoubtedly noticed one theme: foot for foot they’re among the most expensive boat models on the water. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t find a few models that are notably less expensive than most competitors and deliver a big bang for the buck.
Chaparral
This builder has long been known for delivering boats that are quality built but undercut the competition when it comes to pricing. Their surf models are very similar to their bowriders but are powered with Forward Drives. The experience gets enhanced with the addition of a tower and racks, a ballast system (which grows with the size of the boat but will be a bit smaller than the common systems found on most dedicated surf boats of similar length), and the integration of a Malibu Surf Gate tab and actuator system. The Surf Gate has a reputation as one of the best wake-creating tabs on the water, and Malibu has licensed it to Chaparral since 2016.
Chaparral 28 Surf. Chaparral photo.
Heyday
Heyday is the only brand focusing solely on building dedicated wake surf boats with V-drive inboards that one could argue is “affordable.” Affordability means different things to different people and plenty of folks will find their pricing out of range, but if your budget has its limits and you demand the professional-level V-drive system, Heyday will be your best bet. They offer four wake boat models from 20’ to 22’4” designed with wake-shaping hulls featuring 117-degree angled transoms and radiused corners to create a natural curl. They’re also equipped with hard-tank ballast systems and towers that can carry board racks, Biminis, and bullet speakers.
Heyday WTSurf. Heyday photo.
Starcraft
Another option for a surf boat that costs less than many competitors is the Starcraft MVX Surf. This is the one and only surf boat model built by Starcraft, which is a well-known builder but mostly offers pontoon boats, fishing boats, and deck boats. The MVX Surf is similar to their deckboats in form and features, but it’s rigged with a Mercury Marine Bravo Four S forward-facing drive. It also gets integrated tabs, Mercury Speed Control, a tower with Bimini, and a ballast system. That ballast system is fairly hefty for an entry-level surf boat, too, carrying 2,200 pounds. Bonus perk: This is the only surf boat around that has a bow platform as well as a stern platform, so it will also work great for beach access.
Starcraft MVX Surf. Starcraft Marine photo.
Best Wakesurf Boats for Beginners
Just what constitutes a beginner boat in the world of wake surfing? Generally speaking, cost, simplicity, and general boating flexibility will be the key factors. And as a natural result of using those parameters, you’ll see some of our prior picks popping up for a second time in this category.
Chaparral
This brand warrants another mention because on top of the relatively low pricing, their models offer a bit more versatility than most when the kids simply want to go for a cruise across the lake or hit the beach for a swim. Features and options like an integrated anchor locker, dinette tables, onboard air inflators, and converting swim platforms mean you can expand the boat’s use beyond surfing alone.
Chaparral 26 Surf. Chaparral photo.
Yamaha
We need to mention Yamaha here again, too, as their smaller models cost less than most dedicated surf boats and make great runabouts as well. Maybe the best thing about them, though, is the sporty feel and handling you get when you open up the throttle and blast across the waves. Jet boats are just plain fun to run, whether you’re surfing or not.
Yamaha 255XE. Yamaha photo.
Try a day of wake surfing, and you’ll no longer wonder why surf boats are some of the most popular types of lake boats around. You’ll stop questioning whether or not they’re really worth the cost. One good dose of riding down the curl—much less spinning, sliding, and jumping—and you’ll be sold. The only question left? Which will be the very best wake boat, for you.
