There is new competition for those very expensive Wake Surf or Wake Skate boats at The 2017 Toronto Boat Show. Are you looking for an option that is under 90K but can completely fill more than high level family watersports needs? In January this year Campion Boats will unveil their class leading 595 and 645 Wake Surf Family bowrider which joins Monterey Boats, Regal Boats and the rumored boats underdevelopment from units Four Winns and Chaparral. These new bowriders represent perhaps the newest and freshest approach to bowriders in the last decade. The marketing of boats such as the 595 and 645 Campion Boats Wake Surf are targeted directly at the water enthusiast boating family that previously only had to part with bags of money on a competition level direct drive boat from such brands as Malibu, Ski Nautique and Moomba among others.
Until this year families had essentially just two choices to purchase for high level watersport activities. You literally remortgaged the house for a competition level wakeboard boat from such builders as Nautique, Supreme, Malibu or Mastercraft or settled on a more reasonably priced bowrider with a wakeboard tower. There were problems with both purchases…first of all the Nautique or Mastercraft was built for high level competition…was extremely expensive and ride like a brick in waves not to mention you needed to own shares in a gas company. The bowrider while it had superior ride characteristics in rough water…you could not shape the wake or wake skate…but you were definitely happier with the costs.
Fast forward to 2017 and the Canadian dollar has tanked in the last few years versus the US dollar and with the exception of Campion Boats….boats are build in the USA. We are looking as of today at an exchange rate of 35% converting US made boats into Canadian dollars. So breaking out the calculator a high level tournament level wake boat is now $150,000 and climbing….yikes…with $200,000 or more not being out of the question! Outside of the kids really wanting one to look cool…there is for most families no logical reason to purchase a tournament level boat of any type….if you want it…you want it…I get that but the actual difference is wake between a tournament level boat and one of the new wake surf convertible bowriders is not significant enough for family recreation!
Problem solved! Volvo Penta developed the forward facing sterndrive for bowrider applications which now protects the surfer from the rotation of the propeller. All tournament level boats were or are direct drive which means the propeller is under the hull. Great for protection but the requirements for a rudder for steering control always meant that docking was a spectator event with wood splinters especially if any reverse was needed. Nothing like scraping or bashing a $150,000 plus boat into a dock to get the heart pumping. The forward facing Volvo sterndrive solves this issue as you can back up under control without taking handfuls of antacids and a defibulators with you.
Below is a recent review of the Campion 595 IO WS edition. The Campion 595 IO WS will be at the 2017 Toronto Boat Show with a price tag of $75K to $84,ooo….something to consider!
Campion 595i Watersports Edition Review
