Originally Posted by
r3ccOs
this is quite intresting. When wakeboarding or skiing on any boat, I/O stern or direct drive I've never lost slack from doing any maneouver, but chances are that you are a superior watersports athelete to me and most.
So are you saying for pure wakeboarding that an I/O stern drive is better at maintaining speed than a V or direct drive with equivillent power? I find that very intresting but again you probably put the boats to their limit.
power wise, the old girls from the late 90s to mid-2000s were all very atypical 5.7 indermar/mercruisers making 350hp and less. I think not until the big 6.2 Ford motor that power went bezerk, especially once paired with Roush supercharging.
I've been able to wakesurf on an older moomba ski boat with alot (alot) of ballast with a high hours 5.7 as well as on a Malibu with the Raptor motor, and the push, height, etc... felt very close to me BUT the freeboard was awkwardly low that it would be scary if there was alot of chop
I think wakeboarding must have the most drag on the boat, so I could see why power is a necessity, but not sure why I/O would have that much advantage. Also a runabout's V hull design just will never, even with a forward drive, give the same surf as a Wakeboat's semi flat I don't think.
edit: In reading more... yes a stern driven I/O mounted to the transom is more effecient as is the hull's they are mounted to. I can see how that effects top speed, but in terms of maintaining say 27mph or 11mph... I thought thats what watersports/wake boats were built for