Increase In Water Ski Boat Prices

[SilentSeven]

....nobody wants to put in work or take on anything that requires skill, muscle, toughness and work...it's all about instant gratification....

Pretty much spot on. Instant gratification for the instagram post. :/

[morfoot]

Yes because nothing is cooler than catching a beer 5 feet behind the boat while surfing at 10 mph.

[MN Ryan]

This certainly got off topic in a hurry.

[Scooter G]

I think it started with boat prices Ryan, can't remember, lol.

[MN Ryan]

For the record, both of my kids (10 and 8) ski, but they like to surf, too. I love slalom skiing too, but as I get older, my body protests more and more.

I'm proud that neither of my kids cares for tubing, though.

Now, what about those boat prices???

[jjackkrash]

Don't tell my boy, his cousins and their friends slalom skiing is dead. If they believed you I'd be stuck pulling just trick and jump all day.

[GMLIII]

I think it started with boat prices Ryan, can't remember, lol.

I was thinking just the same. Post was not meant to bash wakesurfing but just the inflated cost increases of these boats in general

[jmo]

The continuing rise of new boat prices fuels higher prices for used ski boats, which was made worse by Covid demand, and CC and MC both reducing the # of promo boats they sell, which reduces the inventory of 1 year old boats for people to trade up for. I’m not convinced CC actually makes a profit on selling the current generation SN - probably part of the driver behind slashing their promo program. IMHO: Both Cc and MC are shifting build slots to wake surfing boats given the margin is better.

while new boat costs continue to grow out of control, at least the mania for used has slowed down as evidenced by the # of boats on ski-it-again and seeing price reductions starting to show up.

[Scooter G]

...annnd, we're back on track. Good job jmo!

[FMSKI]

Reflective of the income/wealth gap that is leaving behind the Riley Green listeners and catapulting the business owners, investment and high-tech income earners.
But having said that, lots of boats are club, family, shared ownership across people.

And the price of seadek/decals hardware etc.

[Scooter G]

Well now wait, I like Riley Green.

But then again we're in a '16 G, lol.
Expensive, but affordable, but way more than I thought I would ever pay for a boat. 3 times more than my 1st house, but we love it.
The way prices are going, I'm thinking we'll get close to what we paid for it in a couple of years. Hoping not, because that means we put a huge rack of hours on it...

[srock]

Perhaps the level of technology put into what was a pretty basic platform is part of the escalation in price over incomes. The boats have a lot more stuff in and on them. In the later 80's we would use a boom box over an installed stereo system because we would constantly throw out head units. Hmmm...perhaps I just explained the exponential increase in maintenance costs as well.

[Scooter G]

Indeed srock.

Hang on, while I turn on the seat warmers, and thaw out my feet under the heat vents. Would you mind handing me the hot water shower while I contemplate that thought, as I set up my pebble watch & set the Linc to Scooter Surf...

[Kmayotte]

These are no longer towsports boats …….the shift is now luxury inboards. I’d be willing to bet 50% of sales don’t ever se a rider behind on their boat on a regular basis if at all. They’ve priced the average Watersports enthusiast out of the market. Can’t fault them , it’s obviously a great business move, but the mfg have completely left the people they built their product on in the dust

SO ACCURATE. Back of the hand math I'd say 90% of the towboats I see on our (very large) lake are never out doing any sort of watersport.

[CVAGS20]

The upside is that depreciation on towboats is almost non-existent. I have owned 10 boats of varying sizes and configurations (up to a 46 ft ocean going flybridge yacht) over my lifetime with my last three being towboats. My first, a Mastercraft PS205, I sold after about 5 years of use for $500 less than I paid for it. My second one, a MB Sports B52, I sold last weekend for 165% of what I paid for it 5 1/2 years ago. After factoring in all my maintenance, taxes, operating costs, and upgrades, I still made about $5000 on it. My new boat is a 2018 GS20 with 55 hours on it. I feel I paid an extremely good price for it and, if these price increases continue, should not loose a lot of money on it during my ownership. As an aside, we looked at a number of different boat brands and felt the Nautique's are in a class by themselves when it come to manufacturing quality. Everything else looked cheap in comparison.