Malibu Wakesetter VLX

Brief Summary

The Wakesetter VLX is an all around boat with lots of torque for wakeboarding and waterskiing. She sports state-of-the-art features and provides good handling and superior control.

Key Features

One of the most important features on the Wakesetter VLX and any Malibu for that matter is her hull, which is specifically designed to handle wakeboarding and skiing speeds. The Wakesetter’s rear engine configuration and wrap around seating layout work together to give the cockpit more room. The collapsible Titan tower is a great feature that helps beginners get up and out of the water, and it also gives advanced riders bigger air.

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	21' 0''
Beam	7' 9''
Dry Weight	2,900 lbs.
Draft	1' 6''
Deadrise/Transom	N/A
Max Headroom	open
Bridge Clearance	3'6''
Fuel Capacity	35 gal.
Water Capacity	500 lb. ballast

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	5.5 sec full ballast
0 to 30	6.1 sec full ballast 0-36
Ratio	1.45:1
Props	14x17 4-blade
Load	2 persons, full fuel, no water, min. gear
Climate	70 deg., 70% humid., wind; 5 knots; seas: 1 foot

Engine Options

Tested Engine	1 x 325-hp Indmar Monsoon gas inboard
Std. Power	1 x 325-hp Indmar Monsoon gas inboard
Opt. Power	1 x 365-hp Indmar Hammerhead gas inboards

Captain's Report Learn More
Watch Our Video

Let’s face it…you COULD wakeboard behind just about any boat on this website. By the same logic, you COULD try taking a rope-tow all the way to the summit of a ski mountain. But you wouldn’t because if you’re going to the top, you’ve reached a certain level of expertise and you’ll be on the gondola, not the rope tow. The same holds true for the use of Malibu’s Wakesetter VLX. You don’t have to be a tournament level pro to get big air behind it (and 99% of the boarders behind it are not), but you look for a pro-level towboat like the Wakesetter because wakeboarding’s your sport and the Wakesetter is specially designed to help you get sky-bourne.
The Wakesetter VLS has the same hull found on the towboats used in the U.S. Open Waterski & Wakeboard Championships, so you know the performance is there. In fact, according to Malibu’s R&D supervisor Danny Gasper, “The natural design of this hull created a perfect wake [for wakeboarding]. Our tests showed that the Wedge didn’t help it…” since no additional downweighting aft is required. The Wakesetter DOES, however, come with the Malibu Launch System (MLS), an easy-to-use water-ballasting system located amidships that—with the push of a button—brings 500 additional pounds of weight aboard for an even bigger wake while towing. Our tests showed that speed didn’t matter that much to the shape of the wake…at 18 mph or 24 mph it was just as well-shaped for any level of boarder.
The Wakesetter proved to be a solid performer for the driver as well. We liked the oversized 5-inch Servo gauges for precision speed-keeping, and that was further enhanced by the easy-to-use “Zero friction” throttle cables and rack-and-pinion steering for precision course-keeping. What does that mean to you? The Wakesetter runs like a thoroughbred race horse and does just what you want her to do—set the revs for 22 mph and there’s no throttle slip. You can forget about your speed until your spotter says its time to make a pickup. And then you get tight cornering control. Other key features include deeply padded seating for up to ten persons, including three in the bow area which quickly converts to a big sunpad with a standard filler cushion that stows neatly away when not in use. And if you really want to be king of the road, get the Titan Tower for stowing boards and towing high-altitude fliers. Though it looks rugged (and it is), you can easily fold both sections this tower down across the cockpit by removing a single threaded knob...it's a one-person operation that can be done in 30 seconds or less.
So perhaps Paul Singer, Malibu’s marketing director, summed it up best. “99.9% of our buyers are not tournament skiers, but they’ve had the others and now they want the best. We simply deliver.”