What Do You Like About Your Inboard?

[Blackntan90]

Man you guy's are right on! The looks you get at the ramp from the I/O crowd keep me smiling all day, or it could be that I love my supra so much! Oh, Salty that comment about the bridle was great!

[Bazel]

I have to agree with most of the comments. My family started with an outboard when I was a kid. We loved skiing, I went to a summer camp and slalomed behind a SN2001, and was bitten by the bug. After getting married we bought an IO (1991 Rinker) and rode with friends with Malibus. My wife loved it and a few years ago we bought our first inboard. My wife loves the handling and the boat in general.

As for the comments about reversing, after some pratice I promise, that you will be able to manuver your inboard anywhere and with more control than a clumsy I/O. Learn to use the prop spin and tapping the throttle. It is amazing to be able to easily turn within the length of the boat.

The other great thing is the looks from the dock or others at the ramp. I know it sounds bad, but our Supra's are SEXY boats, by the way I mean mine and all of yours too. There is nothing better than the owners events and seeing 20-30 supras of all ages.

[Irish_Jack]

Hell yeah Bazel!
I can turn my boat on a dime, change direction on command, and stern it in at slips better than my I/O.
Oh, and the comment about being the envy of the boat launch... Amen!
I got something to add to that... I absolutely hate all the fake ski boats that are nothing more than an I/O puddle jumper with a tower that has all the wrong characteristics for skiing or wake boarding!!! Was that too harsh?

[rludtke]

I, like many of you I am sure, am an "Old School" Skier. I learned to ski behind the tournament boats of friends who were fourtunate enough to own tournament ski boats (wake boarding barely existed, and dedicated wakeboard boats were still a decade or more in the future). These boats were expensive then, but held their value like nothing else.

Fast forward about 25 years, and I decided that I was ready to buy a boat for family fun. An I/O would certainly have been much more practicle for the Puget Sound, but I wanted nothinng to do with one. No doubt, I had been spoiled by my previous experience with the inboard tow boats. Unfourtunatly these boats only seem to get mere expensive over time, but I found an older Supra TS6M that has proven to be very satisfactory, and I enjoy operating it as much as I enjoy skiing behind it. I am even learning how to wake board (it gives me a rough water option), and we plan to try to surf it too. This year will be a first with a water ballast system (500 lbs), but I suspect I may need more weight for surfing.

I think of the low speed and reverse handling issues as a challenge, not a problem. Becoming skilled at docking and trailering just adds to the fun in my mind.

What I really enjoy is the high speed handling. The way these boats corner, Man! And the acceleration! Wow! You just gota love it!

These boats are special use, and not very practicle to be sure, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

[michael hunter]

Hell yeah Bazel!
I can turn my boat on a dime, change direction on command, and stern it in at slips better than my I/O.
Oh, and the comment about being the envy of the boat launch... Amen!
I got something to add to that... I absolutely hate all the fake ski boats that are nothing more than an I/O puddle jumper with a tower that has all the wrong characteristics for skiing or wake boarding!!! Was that too harsh?

Irish
I don't mind the fake-wake boats they only make the real thing stand out even more.
Its a good feeling knowing all eyes are on your rig when you pull into the ramp.

[riveredge]

How about the fact that I can still get OEM parts for an 89 supra, when manufacturers like SeaRay don't carry some parts for boats as new as 2002. Or Starcraft - couldn't get some major parts for a 2000 boat, back in '06. Inboards, though, you can still order, from a dealer, ALL the decals for a 1991 Ski Nautique. Mastercraft is pretty good too.
To be fair, some brands have a following, like Glastron, but really nothing like the support you can get with old inboards... that's my 2 cents

[87SunSportMikeyD]

I am even learning how to wake board (it gives me a rough water option), and we plan to try to surf it too. This year will be a first with a water ballast system (500 lbs), but I suspect I may need more weight for surfing.

rludtke I have not personally ridden behind a Comp, but I suspect you will be able to surf it without too much trouble. There are many ways to perfect a surf wave, but it's really pretty easy to get something surfable. If you can put your 500lb sac on the floor on the port rear corner, and get a couple people to either sit on the rear seat or on the port rubrail (don't let the DNR see) you should be able to surf it. Ocean surf boards work great and the Hyperlite Landlock is good for smaller waves although there are better boards out there if you like it (I sure did!). Give it a shot and most importantly let us know how it works!

[WadsworthSunsport22V]

Although I have now been a proud owner of my “baby” 07 22 Sunsport, I still consider my self a newbie in the wakeboard/ inboard world. This is my first “motor boat”. I grew up on sail boats, and as I got older, spent a lot of time on friends or charting 40 foot + sail boats. However, I just love being on the water, and owning a sail boat is a very expensive proposition!

So two years ago, my wife and I started to look for a boat. My friends all had Malibus, and the only other brand names I new of at the time were Sea Ray, Four Winns, and Mastercraft. The Four Winns dealer was doing what he could to keep my wife and I to not look at an inboard boat. Stating poor performance, poor turing at slow speeds, no reverse, impossible to dock. I figured it I can back in a 44 foot sail boat into a slip with a 60 hp inboard with a 15 or 20 knot x-wind, I could handle a 300 + hp 22 or 24 powerboat. So I left the Four Winns dealer annoyed. The next dealer we went to was Malibu, and I was impressed the seating configurations, the tower, everything. Across the street was the Sea Ray dealer, so that was our next destination. However, the Sea Ray dealer, also carried Moomba and Supra. Once my wife and I saw the black Sunsport, we were hooked. Especially when you see an inboard sitting next to a Sea Ray on the show room floor. The Sea Ray has a horrible seating configurations, no storage, a tower that looks like an alien space ship lost its landing gear and a helm stations out of the 60s!

We have had our Supra for two years and I love. My kids are wakeboarding like crazy. My seven year old pops right out of the water, and plans to learn how to jump the wake this season. I even have lost the water skis and now wakeboard too. (Although, I am a little scarred to jump that tidal wave of a wake, but if my seven year old does, I guess old man dad can too.)

In regards to reverse or slow speed, I have no problems, all it takes is patients, and understanding the boats characteristics. The only thing I do not like (and it is not the boat) is the boat buddy.

[RED WINE ROCKER]

When I was young dad had a SEA-RAY(1975)....first boat i got to use.....MERC. lower unit always messing up

Then i got my first BOAT...Merc. lower unit messing up, power unit would fail couldn't lift or lower it....then one mornig went for a spin in the spring came back to the dock for breakfast...went up & ate....came back / boat sunk!( stick poked a hole in the exhaust boot of my lower unit...down she goes)....plus you want to change the impeller?....that's a major hassle.

It's been inboards ever since....(SUPRA'S actually)....Inboards are the "sports-cars" of the lake....and i like direct over v-drive but they are both very nice.



..... i will say that the damn props cost an arm & a leg!

[chautauquasun]

I too grew up with I/Os but my rich friend's Dad bought a brand new 1986 Supra Sunsport when we where in high school and I immediately fell in love and never could shake it. It made my 1975 MFG 165 I/O look pretty weak.

Fast Forward 22 years and I was finally in a place to buy a boat and found a 1984 Supra Rider with the 351 PCM motor. Again...the boat has a lot of problems. I am losing sleep at night worrying about the stringers, I seem to have a pretty serious leak, I think the choke isnt working correctly, the upholestry needs some work......but......

Man I took it out last night for a 45 minute run....OMG that sound of the inboard, could there be a more beautiful sound. The instant power, the sound of the 4 barrels opening up, the amazing handling...the smile on my 11 year olds face. No doubt I am sold. All my worries went away. Standing there looking at it on the dock...it has the low stance in the water which makes it look meanacing. Even after 22 years I am still amazed at how good that design still looks.