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Top 10 Boats for Watersport Towing in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Malibu Wakesetter 21 LX
Direct answer

The Malibu Wakesetter 21 LX is the best boat for watersport towing: it seats 13 and is built to pull skiers, wakeboarders, surfers and tubes, starting at $120,747. The ATX 20 Type-S and Super Air Nautique GS20, both 12-seat three-sport boats, are #2 and #3.

At a glance

#PickMax capacityBest for
1Malibu Wakesetter 21 LX13 peopleA family that wants to ski, wakeboard, surf and tube from one boat
2ATX 20 Type-S12 seatsA 20-foot, three-sport boat with heavy ballast
3Super Air Nautique GS2012 peopleSkiers who also surf and wakeboard
4Sea Ray SPX 21012 peopleTubing and casual skiing from a sterndrive bowrider
5Tahoe T2111 personsThe lowest published price for a family tow boat
6Malibu Wakesetter 20 VTX11 peopleSlalom skiers who also want surf and wakeboard wakes
7Yamaha AR20510 peopleA jet boat for tubing and wakeboarding on a budget
8Malibu Response TXi7 peopleSerious slalom skiers
9MasterCraft ProStar7 seatsSkiers who want a flat, clean wake
10Ski Nautique6 peopleThree-event skiers (slalom, trick, jump)

Pick by what you want

Best overall
Malibu Wakesetter 21 LX
Best value
Tahoe T21
Best bowrider for tubing
Sea Ray SPX 210
Best jet boat
Yamaha AR205
Best for slalom skiing
Malibu Response TXi

The ranking

1

Malibu Wakesetter 21 LX

Malibu Wakesetter 21 LX
Answrs VerdictThe most complete family tow boat here.
Max capacity: 13 peopleTow sports: Wake, surf, ski, plus a pop-up tow pylon "to pull a tuber or slalom skier"Price: Starting at $120,747Length: 21 ft 5 inMax factory ballast: 3,425 lbs

The Wakesetter 21 LX seats 13 and is built for wake, surf and ski, and its pop-up tow pylon lets you pull a tuber or slalom skier. It is 21 ft 5 in with up to 3,425 lbs of factory ballast, starting at $120,747.

Go ifA family that wants to ski, wakeboard, surf and tube from one boat
Skip ifYou only slalom ski and want the softest wake
Why #1 over #2: It seats 13 to the ATX 20 Type-S’s 12, and it has a published starting price.
2

ATX 20 Type-S

ATX 20 Type-S
Answrs VerdictThe most ballast of the 12-seat boats.
Max capacity: 12 seatsTow sports: Wakesurfing, wakeboarding, waterskiingPrice: Not publishedLength: 20 ftBallast: 2,750 lbsWeight: 4,500 lbs

The ATX 20 Type-S seats 12 and is built for wakesurfing, wakeboarding and waterskiing in a 20-foot hull with 2,750 lbs of ballast. ATX does not publish a price.

Go ifA 20-foot, three-sport boat with heavy ballast
Skip ifYou want a published price before visiting a dealer
Why #2 over #3: Its 2,750 lbs of ballast beats the GS20’s 1,700 lbs standard ballast at the same 12 seats.
3

Super Air Nautique GS20

Super Air Nautique GS20
Answrs VerdictNautique’s compact multi-sport tow boat.
Max capacity: 12 peopleTow sports: Wakesurfing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, with a pop-up ski pylonPrice: Not publishedLength: 20 ftStandard factory ballast: 1,700 lbsMax horsepower: 450 hp

The Super Air Nautique GS20 seats 12 and covers wakesurfing, wakeboarding and waterskiing, with a pop-up ski pylon and up to 450 hp. Nautique does not publish a price.

Go ifSkiers who also surf and wakeboard
Skip ifYou need a published price
Why #3 over #4: Its 1,700 lbs of factory ballast gives bigger wakes than the SPX 210, which lists no ballast.
4

Sea Ray SPX 210

Sea Ray SPX 210
Answrs VerdictThe family bowrider for tubing days.
Max capacity: 12 peopleTow sports: Wakeboarding, tubing, waterskiingPrice: Not publishedTow gear: Ski tow eye and full-size ski lockerLength: 21 ft 8 inEngine: 200 hp standard, 250 hp available

The Sea Ray SPX 210 seats 12 and is made for wakeboarding, tubing and waterskiing, with a ski tow eye and a full-size ski locker. It is 21 ft 8 in with 200 hp standard and 250 hp available.

Go ifTubing and casual skiing from a sterndrive bowrider
Skip ifYou want ballast for big wakeboard wakes
Why #4 over #5: It seats 12 to the Tahoe T21’s 11 persons.
5

Tahoe T21

Tahoe T21
Answrs VerdictThe value pick.
Max capacity: 11 personsPrice: Base price $43,995 (NO HAGGLE national price, Mercury Pro XS 150)Tow gear: Standard removable ski pylon; wakeboard tower optionTubing: Tahoe: "Tie on a tube"Length: 21 ft 5 inFuel: 42 gal

The Tahoe T21 holds 11 persons and comes with a removable ski pylon, with a wakeboard tower option, and Tahoe pitches its boats for tubing. Its base price is $43,995 with a Mercury Pro XS 150.

Go ifThe lowest published price for a family tow boat
Skip ifYou want an inboard with surf and ballast systems
Why #5 over #6: At the same 11-person capacity, its $43,995 base price is far below the 20 VTX’s $119,607.
6

Malibu Wakesetter 20 VTX

Malibu Wakesetter 20 VTX
Answrs VerdictThe ski-first crossover.
Max capacity: 11 peopleTow sports: Waterskiing, wakeboarding, wakesurfingPrice: Starting at $119,607Ski certification: Malibu: the only crossover boat that is AWSA certified for private lakesLength: 20 ftMax factory ballast: 3,585 lbs

The Wakesetter 20 VTX seats 11 and does waterskiing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing; Malibu says it is the only crossover AWSA certified for private lakes. It starts at $119,607 with up to 3,585 lbs of ballast.

Go ifSlalom skiers who also want surf and wakeboard wakes
Skip ifYou need 12 or more seats
Why #6 over #7: It seats 11 to the AR205’s 10.
7

Yamaha AR205

Yamaha AR205
Answrs VerdictThe jet-drive option.
Max capacity: 10 peoplePrice: Starting at $58,399Tow gear: Aluminum folding wakeboard tower with tow hook, ski lockerTubing: Yamaha 3-rider deck tube sold as an accessory ($330.99)Length: 20 ft 1 inFuel: 40 gal

The Yamaha AR205 seats 10 and has a folding wakeboard tower with a tow hook and a ski locker, and Yamaha sells a 3-rider deck tube for it. It starts at $58,399.

Go ifA jet boat for tubing and wakeboarding on a budget
Skip ifYou want inboard ski wakes
Why #7 over #8: It seats 10 and handles three tow sports; the Response TXi seats 7 and is built for skiing.
8

Malibu Response TXi

Malibu Response TXi
Answrs VerdictThe ski specialist with a published price.
Max capacity: 7 peopleTow sports: Tournament waterskiing; 13 world records; official IWWF towboatPrice: Starting at $110,983Length: 20 ft 6 inFuel: 40 gal

The Response TXi is the official IWWF towboat and has pulled 13 world records. It seats 7 and starts at $110,983.

Go ifSerious slalom skiers
Skip ifYou also want to surf or seat a big family
Why #8 over #9: Both seat 7, but the TXi has a published $110,983 starting price and the ProStar does not.
9

MasterCraft ProStar

MasterCraft ProStar
Answrs VerdictThe classic ski boat.
Max capacity: 7 seatsTow sports: Purpose-built waterski boatPrice: Not publishedLength: 20 ftWeight: 3,300 lbsFuel: 30 gal

The MasterCraft ProStar is a purpose-built waterski boat that seats 7, weighs 3,300 lbs and carries 30 gallons of fuel. MasterCraft does not publish a price.

Go ifSkiers who want a flat, clean wake
Skip ifYou want to wakeboard or surf
Why #9 over #10: It seats 7 to the Ski Nautique’s 6.
10

Ski Nautique

Ski Nautique
Answrs VerdictThe lightest ski boat here.
Max capacity: 6 peopleTow sports: Three-event waterskiingPrice: Not publishedLength: 20 ftDry weight: 2,800 lbsMax horsepower: 450 hp

The Ski Nautique is a three-event waterski boat that holds 6 people, weighs 2,800 lbs dry and takes up to 450 hp. Nautique does not publish a price.

Go ifThree-event skiers (slalom, trick, jump)
Skip ifYou tow tubes or wakeboards for a crowd

How we ranked these

Boats whose builders name three or more towing sports (waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, wakesurfing) rank ahead of single-sport ski boats; within each group we ranked by maximum people capacity, then published starting price, then factory ballast. Every spec comes from the builder’s own 2027 model page. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

What is the best boat for watersport towing?

The Malibu Wakesetter 21 LX: it seats 13 and is built for wake, surf and ski, with a pop-up pylon to pull a tuber or slalom skier, starting at $120,747.

What is the cheapest boat on this list for tubing and skiing?

The Tahoe T21, with a base price of $43,995, a standard removable ski pylon and room for 11 persons.

Can a bowrider pull a wakeboarder and a tube?

Yes. Sea Ray says the SPX 210 is made for wakeboarding, tubing and waterskiing, with a ski tow eye and a full-size ski locker.

Which boat is best for slalom skiing?

For pure skiing, the Malibu Response TXi is the official IWWF towboat with 13 world records, starting at $110,983. For skiing plus surfing, the Wakesetter 20 VTX is AWSA certified.

Maximum people capacity (as published) at a glance

Ski Nautique6 people
Malibu Response TXi7 people
MasterCraft ProStar7 people
Yamaha AR20510 people
Tahoe T2111 people
Malibu Wakesetter 20 VTX11 people
ATX 20 Type-S12 people
Super Air Nautique GS2012 people
Sea Ray SPX 21012 people
Malibu Wakesetter 21 LX13 people
Maximum people capacity (as published), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Sources

Prices, specs and availability change; confirm on the official site before you buy.