Best Surf Boats for 2020

There’s no question about it, wake surfing remains one of the hottest activities to hit boating in years and it’s easy to see why. Unlike water skiing or wake boarding where the rider does their thing way behind the boat on the end of a rope, wake surfing takes place right behind the transom where the surfer remains part of the group. The inevitable falls are far more gentle at the slow speeds wake surfers use, allowing aging baby boomers to wake surf every single day without ever feeling the muscle soreness that normally follows an afternoon on skis. Perhaps the biggest appeal to wake surfing is that anyone can do it, so it’s one activity the entire family can enjoy together. Wake surfing boats keep getting better and better with more advanced features and greater versatility. Ready to take the plunge? Here’s a sneak peek at some of the best surf boats for the 2020 season.

Campion WS Series

Campion WS18

Campion’s Volvo-powered WS 18 gets a new L-shaped interior for the 2020 model year, with a passenger-side flip backrest and increased storage. The company’s popular WS 20 and WS 23 surf boats carry forward unchanged for 2020, while the WS 25 is being replaced by a new model intended for a mid-year introduction.

Chris-Craft Launch 28 GT

Chris-Craft Launch 28 GT Surf

Chris-Craft unveiled an all new Launch 28 GT Wake Surf Edition at its 2020 dealer meeting, marking a first for the company as it celebrates its 145th year in business. With amenities including a side entry door and an overall length of 8.72m, the Launch 28 GT offers a folding sport arch as standard equipment and a wide range of options including underwater lighting and a bow thruster.

Four Winns HD Series

Four Winns HD220 Surf

Four Winns has revised the stern sections on all 2020 HD surf boats this year, including the company’s popular HD200, HD220, HD240 and HD270 Surf Series models. Featuring Volvo Penta’s Forward Drive system, wake tabs, quick-fill ballast systems and touch-screen controls with Zero Off GPS positioning, all HD Surf models come ready to play. An enticing option list allows owners to personalize each model to their own tastes.

Malibu Wakesetter 23 MXZ

Malibu 23 MXZ

Malibu greets 2020 with an all-new Wakesetter 23 MXZ model. Key features include Malibu’s Stern Turn feature to improve maneuvering in tight spaces, forward and rear cameras, and an all new Malibu Operating System makes the boat even easier to use. An optional motorized GX tower is also available. Power comes from all-new Monsoon M5Di and M6Di direct injection engines said to have the lowest emissions in the industry.

MasterCraft NXT Series

MasterCraft NXT 20

Mastercraft celebrates the 2020 model year with all-new updates to the popular NXT 20 and NXT 22 surf boats. Each gets an improved driver’s seat, analog gauges and black anodized accents, a phone holder and an 11 cm screen that’s loaded with factory profiles for the Gen 2 Surf System.

Also new for 2020, MasterCraft has replaced the base 5.7L Ilmor engine in all of its XT and NXT models with the more powerful 6.0L MPI Ilmor engine as standard equipment.

Monterey Surf Boats

Monterey 218 SS Surf

Monterey builds a full line of Volvo Penta-powered surf boats now augmented by the new 218SS and 238 SS Surf Edition models. An innovative helm design featuring Zero Off GPS speed control, a high volume ballast system and Wake WorX surf tabs make the most of the Volvo’s high torque to create crisp, controllable wakes.

Nautique Updates

Super Air Nautique G25 Coastal

Nautique is unveiling new software this year rather than new boats, starting with an all-new integrated connectivity platform called MyNautique that lets owners remotely view their boat’s fuel level, location, battery voltage and other important information from any phone or laptop. Also new is a Garmin watch app that allows users to adjust boat speed, music volume, ballast or change the wave side and transfer on the fly on compatible Nautique models.

Other changes for 2020 include new G-series transom seats, a new windshield on GS-series boats, wireless charging for cell phones in G models, and new engine options from Pleasurecraft.

Regal 25 RX Surf

Regal 25 RX Surf

Regal’s all-new 25 RX Surf features a Volvo Penta Forward Drive, a PowerTower, the Regal Surf System consisting of wave-shaping tabs, a ballast system and a touch-screen RegalVue multi-function display with simple icon controls for controls for speed, ballast tanks, wave direction and tabs.