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WATERSKI MagazineAs the popularity of wakeboarding continues to soar, boatbuilders have turned their attention to the special needs of this new breed of boarding enthusiasts. Just as the ultra-specific requirements of shortline slalom specialists spawned a whole genre of tow boats, expect wakeboarding to influence inboard design in the near future.
For one company, the future is now. Ski Centurion long has been known for innovative concepts and right-angle thinking. While other companies were still trying to decide if extended pylons had a place on in ski boats, Ski Centurion was already at work on the Wave, the world's first wakeboard-specific tow boat.
With its low profile and open-deck configuration, the Wave might be mistaken for one of the increasingly popular jet boats now on the market. But on closer examination, similarities vanish. The Wave actually has more in common with tournament-style inboards than with “entry-level” jet-powered sport boats.
From the waterline, the Wave bears close resemblance to a traditional inboard design, and in fact shares many of the construction methods and features of Ski Centurion's premier models. It rides on a hand-laminated, all-fiberglass hull that is strengthened with full-length stringers, and it fits a 5.7-liter engine into a center-mounted engine box, with a shaft-
driven propeller and rudder below.
Unlike slalom boats, however, the Wave's hull was designed to make wakes. A big part of that wave-making ability lies under the extended platform in the form of two 25-gallon water tanks that, when filled, add some 400 pounds of additional weight to the stern. The tanks use the forward motion of the boat to fill, and drain by opening a valve and letting gravity take over.
In place of the usual full-width windshield and segregated seating, the Wave has a wide-open cockpit and wraparound seating for up to eight. In keeping with the boat's big-air mission, a removable 6-foot pylon is included as standard equipment, and its mounting bracket is bolted directly to the stringer system for rigidity. To accommodate the crew's gear, the Wave incorporates a full-width wakeboard locker just behind the engine box.
From the driver's perspective, the Wave also has more in common with traditional tournament-style boats than with jet boats or runabouts. Although it sits behind a small Plexiglas wind screen, the driver's console features full tournament-style instrumentation, including a pair of AirGuide speedometers. Throttle and steering response also match that of traditional inboard designs, although turns seem somewhat wider when the ballast tanks are full.
Standard power for the Wave is a 260-hp MerCruiser V-8. The boat we tested was equipped with the optional 260-hp MerCruiser, which gave the boat a top speed of 44 mph and provided acceleration times of just over eight seconds.
If wakeboarding were to be your crew's only pursuit, the standard engine would provide plenty of low-speed fun. But by opting for the bigger engine, the same crew could break out the skis, tubes and even take a footing run.
Why would you want to do anything else behind this wakeboard-specific boat? Because you can. Our test team found overall good tracking and wakes that are unexpectedly ski-friendly. Spray and wake hardness might hinder you at shorter line lengths, but wake size will not.
As expected, the Wave earned good marks for its signature sport, causing our boarding team to christen it “a fun boat to drive and to board behind.”
The Wave might not fit your traditional definition of a ski boat, but the designers aren't interested in sticking to tradition. They're working to create some new traditions.
