SEE THE
VIDEO
SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATIONnaut. stat. n. mi. s. mi. sound
rpm knots mph gph mpg mpg range range angle level
1000 4.95 5.70 0.90 5.50 6.33 381 439 0 79
1500 6.52 7.50 1.60 4.07 4.69 282 325 3 80
2000 8.43 9.70 3.20 2.63 3.03 183 210 6 83
2500 11.38 13.10 5.80 1.96 2.26 136 157 9 85
3000 19.12 22.00 7.10 2.69 3.10 187 215 8 90
3500 24.51 28.20 9.40 2.61 3.00 181 208 6 96
4000 27.63 31.80 13.20 2.09 2.41 145 167 6 97
4500 30.85 35.50 16.90 1.83 2.10 126 146 5 97
5000 33.63 38.70 21.80 1.54 1.78 107 123 4 98
5400 35.45 40.80 29.00 1.22 1.41 85 97 4 99
MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED
High Points
XZoned audio system adjusts the
music anywhere in the boat.
XHigh-defi nition rearview transom
camera plays live on the MaliView
screen at the helm.
XMalibu’s Command Center, a pair
of touchscreen helm displays, pro-
vides control of the ballast, Power
Wedge, Surf Gate, speed and more.
XPower Wedge also keeps the bow
down for quick planing and great
forward vision.
Specs
· LOA: 25' · BEAM: 8'6"
· DRY WEIGHT: 5,600 lb. · SEATING/
WEIGHT CAPACITY: 19/2,679 lb.
· FUEL CAPACITY: 77 gal.
How We Tested
ENGINE: Indmar Monsoon 575 6.2L
DRIVE/PROP: Acme 2277 15" x 15^3 / 4 "
4-blade Nibral
GEAR RATIO: 1.76:1
FUEL LOAD: 77 gal.
CREW WEIGHT: 350 lb.
Price
Unavailable (at press time)
MALIBU
Wakesetter 25 LSV
and cleaning up the wake’s shape on a
rider’s preferred side. Thanks to the fast-
acting gates, switching the focus from one
side of the wake to the other takes mere
seconds and enables skilled surfers to
quickly work both the left and right sides.
For those inside the boat, the Wake-
setter 25 LSV is packed with creature
comforts. Between the bow and the wrap-
around cockpit seating, it can hold up
to 19 people. Flip over the aft WakeView
bench for a front-row view of the action
in the boat’s wake. Our test boat featured
an Indmar Monsoon 575 inboard. With
the ballast tanks drained, it climbed onto
plane in 3.5 seconds and hit a top speed
of just over 40 mph, fast for this category.
That means you’ll get the best spot on the
lake to make that giant wake.
The Wakesetter 25 LSV is Malibu’s biggest
boat, so it should be no surprise that it
throws a big wake. But being big isn’t the
only reason for its killer waves. Start with
Malibu’s Wake Plus hull, designed specifi -
cally to ride deeper in the water at lower
towing speeds, increasing
displacement and, therefore,
creating bigger wakes. Add
in all the surf and wake tools
and there’s a lot to work with.
The Wakesetter 25 em-
ploys a ballast system that
can total up to 1,825 pounds
of wake-producing weight
thanks to the rigid built-in
tanks located below both the
bow and stern. For the truly
hardcore watersports en-
thusiasts, more ballast bags
can easily be added via plug-
and-play connections. Addi-
tional wake boosting comes
from Malibu’s exclusive Power Wedge II.
This optional transom-mounted hydro-
foil helps the boat climb onto plane in lift
mode, then creates a bigger wake when
set to the “rider” position. Combined with
the optional, stylish G4 watersports tower
that anchors the towrope high above the
cockpit, the Wakesetter is fully capable of
launching boarders high off the wake.
Want to surf instead? Malibu’s pat-
ented Surf Gate, a set of twin vertical tabs
that lie adjacent to the swim platform,
shape the wake for a clean, powerful and
eminently surfable wave. When the port
or starboard gate is extended outward,
it disrupts the convergent point of water
coming off the hull sides, further boosting
PHOTOS: COURTESY MALIBU BOATS
MALIBU BOATS
Loudon, Tennessee; 865-458-5478; malibuboats.com
To watch our
video review of
the Wakesetter
25 LSV, scan
this tag or visit
boatingmag
.com/bbg18/
malibu25lsv.
C
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BOAT BUYERS GUIDE 2018 | 50 | BOATINGMAG.COM