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WATERSKI MagazineNo boat at our tests received more stares, had more manufacturers checking it out or skiers wanting to take it out for a set than the Fineline Wave. As you can see from the photos, this is no ordinary ski boat. In fact, it's not a ski boat at all. It's a boarding boat. And it's the wave of the future.
“This is a great big-air, launching boat,” says former world wakeboard champion Shannon Starling. “The wakes could use a little more lip to them, but once you load up the water tanks [a factory-installed item] – and add about 10 other riders [the Wave legally seats eight] – you're in for some serious air.” How serious is Fineline about delivering that air? Very. The company built the Wave specifically for wakeboarding, incorporating a seating arrangement, extended pylon and twin water tanks into a design that gets folks off the wakes.
The tanks, located directly behind the engine, hold approximately 25 gallons of water apiece and add an extra 400 pounds to the total boat weight – and plenty of inches to the wake height. They're filled by flipping a lever near the driver's left foot. As the boat moves forward, a valve opens near the fins and water is drawn into the tanks. Once they're filled, you can either close the valve and shut off the water flow, or leave it open and let the water continue to move through the tank, where it is purged on the sides, kind of like a bilge pump. To drain them, riders simply pull the double plugs on the back of the transom and let the water seep out while under way or pull them once the boat is on the lift or trailer. At press time, Fineline was considering some cable-actuated plugs that could be accessed from the helm.
From a seating standpoint, the Wave is built to create bigger wakes too – eight riders' worth. It features a large open compartment with wraparound seating, affording everybody the opportunity to watch the fireworks at the end of the rope. The seating won't pamper you, but it won't kill your lumbar either. Contoured pads on the gunwales act as adequate back support.
For even more hang time, Fineline created a factory-installed extended pylon. The 6-foot rope attachment sits in a frame lag-bolted to the stringer system. It's a clean system, and the three cables you see in the photo have now been reduced to a single forward attachment. For trailering, the pylon comes out and stores in the rear locker.
With all of this attention to wakeboarding, you'd think Fineline forgot about the rest of the watercrowd, right? Not so. Of course, it pampers kneeboarders too. Interestingly, we found good longline and slow-speed slalom wakes behind the 21-foot Wave, and noted that the extended pylon might be a good training tool for junior skiers as it gives a solid upward pull. The boat handles well (turns are a bit slow and wide, however) and will hold a host of skis, tubes and other fun stuff.
After so many years of boat companies trying to create a smaller, flatter wake for slalom skiing, it's refreshing (though a little bit odd) to see one working so hard to do just the opposite. What may be even more amusing is that there are likely to be others following Fineline's lead.
