Buying Used Wakeboard Boats? Tips to Consider

Posted by Superior Boat Repair & Sales on October 7th, 2019

Purchasing new or old boats for surfing entirely depends on the buyer. Even though there may be some conditions to consider beforehand, your safety, as well as its service history, will help you to choose between a new and used one.

Most people have resulted to buying used wakeboard boats due to various personal reasons. If you are contemplating buying one too, consider the following tips and use them as a checklist while shopping.

1. Test Drive It

Just like you would not buy a car without testing it, the same should happen with used surf boats. Since boats can be such finicky animals, they require more attention as well as maintenance checks before running them.

So, before you make a run about boats, make sure to test drive it and carry with you several people to help you out. While on it, check the following things:

• Vibration: - does the boat vibrate, and at what intensity? If it vibrates, it could mean several things including a bent propeller or other engine issues and the more the intensity, the greater the degree of issues.
• Response: - in a rapid but careful manner, test the steering functionality of the boat. You can try this by steering it from one direction to the other to see how long or fast it responds.
• Functioning Trim:- if you need an outboard or inboard boat, checking whether the trim works would be highly advisable. The trim is responsible for allowing the motor to keep moving from the angled to down positions.

The other things to check include the reverse mechanism, gauges and instruments, bilge, shifting, and planning after takeoff.

2. Mileage

This word is common with buying cars. When it comes to boats, this is indicated by the number of hours it has served. If it has run for over 400-500 hours, it may require upgrades and maintenance.

3. Marine Surveyors Can Help

A marine surveyor can also help to inspect the boat for you thoroughly. The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors – SAMS can give you a list of trusted surveyors. If you can do it yourself, check the belts, strainer, hoses, alternator, engine alignment, shift cables, and blower among others.

Buying a boat needs you to do due diligence. Since the safety of the users will have to be guaranteed from the onset, you can explore the tips above to ensure you get the right boat.