Malibu Wakesetter 25 LSV

The biggest Malibu water-sports boat, the Wakesetter 25 LSV is all about producing that perfect ride, whether your sport of choice is wakeboarding, wakeskating or wakesurfing. All three activities benefit from a supersized, cleanly shaped wake. Malibu achieves the size portion of this equation first with ballast, adding up to 1,475 pounds of hidden weight that is split evenly between rigid built-in tanks located below both the bow and stern. For the truly hardcore water-sports enthusiast, additional ballast bags can easily be added via proprietary “Plug ‘N’ Play” connections. Further wake-boosting capability comes from Malibu’s exclusive Power Wedge II. This optional, transom-mounted hydrofoil helps the boat to plane when in “lift” mode, and then creates a bigger wake when it is set to the “rider” position. Combined with the optional, stylish G4 water-sports tower that anchors the tow rope high above the roomy and amenable cockpit, the Wakesetter promises to launch riders high off the wake for maximum airtime.

Fine-tuning that wake for the surf crowd is Malibu’s proprietary Surf Gate, or twin vertical tabs that lay adjacent to the swim platform. When the port or starboard gate is extended outward, it disrupts the convergent point of water coming off the hull sides, further boosting and cleaning up the wake’s shape on a rider’s preferred side. Thanks to the fast-acting gates, switching the focus from one side of the wake to the other takes just seconds and enables skilled surfers to work both the left and right sides without pausing to shift ballast.

Wrap-around cockpit seating offers room for a crew numbering 19. Flip over the aft bench and the most avid fans can enjoy a front-row view of the action in the boat’s wake. Aboard our test model, the task of hauling all this wake-producing weight fell to an Indmar 6.2L Monsoon 450 HO. It pushed the unweighted hull onto plane in 4.6 seconds, powered to 30 mph in a quick 7.4 seconds, and peaked just past 37 mph.

High Points
*Malibu’s Command Center, a pair of touch-screen helm displays, provides control of the ballast, Power Wedge, Surf Gate, speed and more.
*Optional analog control dial offers physical control of the above features while allowing focus to remain on driving.
*Power Wedge II can also be used to keep the bow down for quick planing and great forward vision.

How We Tested
Engine: Indmar 6.2L Monsoon 450 HO
Prop: Acme 15″ x 12″ 4-blade Nibral
Gear Ratio: 1.76:1
Fuel Load: 77 gal.
Crew Weight: 350 lb.

Price
$158,672 (MSRP as tested )