MALIBU 20 VTX | WATERSPORTS TRIATHLETE
One boat, three sports, zero compromises—that’s the all-new Wakesetter 20 VTX.
Introduced in 2016, the 20 VTX is known as the crossover king, recognized as the best ski/ride/surf boat on the market—and now it’s even better. Ideal for the those who love wakeboarding and surfing as much as waterskiing, with the removable center pylon it maximizes skiing performance.
The VTX impresses the pros with its ability to create world-class slalom flats, great surf waves and huge wakes. Skiing, wakeboarding or surfing - the 20 VTX can do it all, thanks to a Diamond multispot hull and Malibu's exclusive Integrated Surf Platform technology. The 20-foot length makes this boat agile, while your choice of Monsoon enginesputs up to 450 HP torque on tap. No wonder it's the leading crossover on the market.
Malibu’s Integrated Surf Platform combines an array of our innovations to create the perfect wake and wave suitable whether you are a beginner, a Professional, or anywhere in between. The ISP starts with performance hulls and swim boards tailored to each boat model. From there it builds in several industry-firsts, including the unique and patented Surf Gate that transforms a perfect watersports wake into a surfable and customized wave.
The ISP’s Quad Hard-Tank Ballast system lets you add up to 2,270 kgs of wake-creating ballast (depending on the model) at the tap of your finger on one of the dual touch-screens forming our Command Center.
Also at your command, Malibu’s Power Wedge II, our second-generation patented hydrofoil, adds up to 680 kgs of additional wake-generating water displacement.
For the last word in wake and wave control, the Malibu ISP puts it right in the surfer’s hands with the patented Surf Band wrist remote. Easily transfer with the use of Surf Band, as well as audio and visual signaling.
| Length (excl. Platform) | 20' / 6.01 m |
| Length (incl. Swim Platform) | 7.96 |
| Beam | 98" / 2.50 m |
| Weight | 3,500 lbs / 1,588 kg |
| Draft | 27" / 0.7 m |
| Standard Ballast | 750 lbs / 340 kgs |
| Maximum Ballast | 3,600 lbs / 1,633 kgs |
| Optional Bow Ballast | 300 lbs / 136 kgs |
| Optional Plug'n'Play | 1,100 lbs / 499 kgs |
| Optional Power Wedge II | 1,500 lbs / 680 kgs |
| Hull Type | T-Cut Diamond |
| Fuel Capacity | 136 ltrs |
| Maximum People | 11 |
| Disclaimer |
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New Helm Seat
New Upholstery
New Windshield Design
New G3.2 Tower Hoop Color Options
Larger Phone Holder
Phone Profiles Via Bluetooth
Malibu-Branded Drop-In Igloo Coolers
Wake Technology
Ballast Monitoring System (BMS)
Rear Ballast HI FLO Malibu Launch System
Midship Ballast HI FLO Malibu Launch System
Tower
NEW G3.5 Tower
New for 2017, the G3.5 tower offers outstanding value without sacrificing renowned Malibu quality. It's got all you need for fun and safety on the water, including a new easy latching solution, powerful lights, stainless-steel hoops and anodized and powder-coated components. The G3.5 introduces a new latch design, new LED tower and anchor lights and optional side pull points for surfing.
On both towers, you'll find Malibu's renowned attention to detail in every part. Our aerospace-grade anodised aluminium swivel board racks are corrosion-resistant and ratchet down with the slightest tug on a single lever, securing any board. Wakeboarding Magazine called these "the best board racks ever."
To give the rider a dynamite soundtrack, option the G3.5 with the swivel-mounted, high fidelity G-Force Wet Sounds speakers.
Rack - Slide Off Spinner Combo (PL)
Rack - Slide Off Spinner Combo (SL)
Hardware
Stainless Steel Rub Rail
Cockpit Options
Helm Seat With Flip-Up Bolster
Cockpit Flooring - Snap-out Carpet Insert
Locking Glove Box
Graphics
Wakesetter Hull Graphics
Hardware
Rear Grab Handle Incorporating Ski Tow Bar
Pylon - V-Drive - Brushed Gray Anodized
Billet Gauge Panel
Fibreglass Engine Chassis System (FibECS)
Malibu MSST Sound Suppression
Engine Accessories
Water Cooled Shaft Seal
Silent Rider Mufflers
Misc Options
Blueprinted Hulls and Decks Merged with WeldOn TM
Composite Flooring System
WaterSki Mag
Malibu’s Wakesetter 20 VTX is the company’s luxury multisport boat with a hull that compromises as well as any inboard on the water. If you’re looking for a wakeboard boat that can still pull recreational slalom in the Malibu line, this is your boat.
The VTX is able to pull anything from slalom to wakeboarding to surfing, and it’s all thanks to the Cut Diamond hull, which has a wake when you want it and flattens out when you don’t. The new-for-2015 dash was incorporated into the VTX for 2016. This boat inspired the entire dash redesign with the first iteration of the anodized finish, but it didn’t get the massive 12-inch touchscreen and the 7-inch secondary screen until this year. Rider profiles within the touchscreen really pull their weight on the VTX because you can hit a button to set a profile for speed, ballast, wake-shaping and surf characteristics, then hit another button and completely reconfigure the boat for another sport. Opt for the Sport Package to get the multifunction rotary switch, which makes it really easy to tweak your settings while underway. Surf Gate has a decent amount of push with this hull, and when you add in the Power Wedge, you’ve got a winning combination for a decent wave despite the boat’s small footprint.
Water Ski Magazine
THOMAS DEGASPERI
THIS IS THE WORLD'S BEST CROSSOVER.
Not only does it lay down flats for slalom and have a great wake for riding; it's also super-smooth to drive and handles like a sports car. If you want to do it all, take a close look at the 20 VTX. If Dad wants to Slalom, the kids want to Wakeboard, and Mum wants to Surf, no one has to sacrifice their fun.
THOMAS DEGASPERI, Malibu Pro Team
BOATING
Malibu's Wakesetter 20 VTX is versatile enough to cover all your watersports bases with aplomb.
Malibu calls its Wakesetter 20 VTX the Crossover King, which is another way of saying it’s versatile enough to cover all your watersports bases with aplomb. Here is a V-drive boat capable of producing a great wake as well as flattening out when it’s time to water-ski.
After surfing behind it, we had to remind ourselves that this 20-footer was a multisport crossover boat. The wave was so nice that it was easy to believe this boat was made solely for surfing. For such a small boat, the 20 VTX throws a powerful wave. There was a ton of push, even as we went really far back. Many 20-foot boats don’t produce a wakesurfing wave with long pockets, but the 20 VTX is different. And we were stoked by the steepness of this wave, which was actually on par with the waves produced from Malibu’s bigger models. Thanks to the Integrated Surf Platform technologies, the waves on this boat can easily be adjusted to accommodate riders of all ages and skill levels. And with Malibu’s Surf Band, you can control the wave right from your board, making it more steep or mellow, faster or slower, and even transferring sides, all at the touch of a button.
When it’s time to ski, the VTX relies on Malibu’s diamond hull, a smaller-footprint design that it also uses for its pure tournament-level inboard ski boats. The standard ski pylon mounts in the middle of the boat like a traditional ski boat so you can drain the ballast tanks, get up and go, and run a slalom course within a matter of minutes. It tracks straight and true like a ski tow boat should.
With no ballast, we got the 20 VTX to hop onto plane in 3.5 seconds. When we hammered the throttle, we achieved a top speed of 38.1 mph, a fast speed for a boat designed to perform best at surfing and towing speeds. Best cruising speed for a jaunt around the lake is 23.7 mph, burning 3.34 mpg. So you can do that all day if you feel like it, too. Since the boat is truly multisport, whatever you want to do depends on you.
High Points
* G3.5 tower holds speakers and lighting, and it easily folds down for stowage.
* Integrated Surf Platform technologies include Power Wedge, Surf Gate and Surf Band to complete the ride experience.
* Ski pylon mounts amidships to keep the pivot point in the center of the boat for water skiing.
Boatingmag.com
WaterSki Mag
The Malibu Wakesetter 20 VTX has everyone in mind. If you want to wakeboard or surf, you get surprisingly big wakes. If you want to slalom or trick, you get a center-mounted pylon and slim, smooth wakes. That’s the whole idea of this boat, but it’s an idea that’s harder to execute than you might think, which is why we’re so impressed with the 20 VTX year after year.
The 20 VTX can produce a surf wave you simply won’t believe is possible from a 20-foot crossover. With Surf Gate, you can transfer from side to side while the boat is evenly weighted, and with Surf Band, you can control the wave while you’re riding so you never have to bark orders at the driver.
This boat is loaded with tech from the tower to the touchscreens. The tower is the most advanced on the market.
Ballast adjusts, Surf Gate enables, the Power Wedge sets automatically, and GPS speed control kicks in — all to your specifications. A 12-inch center touchscreen takes pride of place and handles every major detail. The smaller screen sorts out all the auxiliary features that you’ll dive into when you really want to get to know the 20 VTX.
Water Ski Magazine
