SUMMARY
Inboard watersports boats
produce wake waves that
let pro surfers shred. These
Forward Drive surf boats are
well on their way to claiming
a piece of the inboard surf
pie by creating great waves
for recreational wakesurfing.
The Forward Drive system
touts impressive fuel economy
(particularly at cruising
speeds) and high top-end
speed compared to inboards,
but every sterndrive we tested
created turbulence that
ranged from noticeable to
powerful enough to take the
board out from under surfers
on submerged starts. To avoid
this, initially turn the drive
away from the surfer when
PHOTOS: (FROM TOP) BILL DOSTER, COURTESY COBALT BOATS (2), COURTESY STARCRAFT MARINE (3)starting out.BOATINGMAG.COM JUNE 2016 89