Few types of boats have seen such an increase in demand in recent years as ski and wake boats. These vessels are designed for wake sports, including wake surfing, wake boarding and water skiing. Check out our Wake Boats Guide if you think this might be the right type of boat for you and your family, but if you’re already eyeballing the market looking to buy a new wake boat, you’ve probably been on the lookout for the latest and greatest models around. Be sure to check out these top picks below before you make any moves, because as the new model year hits these cool introductions are going to be setting the wake boat world on fire.
2023 Axis Wake T235
The T235 is big news from Axis for 2023, an all new model that replaces their popular T23. At 23’5″ long, 8’6″ long, and 5,400 pounds it carries a whopping maximum factory installed 4,700 pounds of ballast, nearly doubling its own weight to make masisve wakes shaped ideally for surfing. It’s designed with Axis’s “Wake Plus” hull, with surfaces customized for ideal wake-generation. Another high point is the available Premium Sport Dash incorporating a seven-inch touchscreen and integrated wireless cell phone holder/charger. You’ll love this boat if you love enjoying watersports with a large crew, because the T235 has a whopping-big maximum capacity of 16 people.
See Axis Wake T235 boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 Centurion Ri230
Centurion’s 2023 Ri230 is an all-new model, and this one’s jam-packed with an insane selection of wake-making features. It’s rigged with up to seven different ballast tanks and can hold 5,400 pounds of additional water weight – significantly more than most other 23-footers. And those tanks are filed via the high speed Ramfill 2 system with two-inch stainless-steel ball valves, not plastic, which can fill those tanks in a mere 90 seconds. Like many high-end wake boats the Centurion interface is a touch-screen, but in this case you get not one screen but a pair of 12″ HD units mounted side by side. And unlike other boats this one’s also equipped with Centurion Rov, a third display which shows the view of forward- and aft-facing cameras
See Centurion Ri230 boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 Chapparal 30 Surf
First unveiled for the 2021 model year, Chapparal’s 30’2” long, 9’0” wide 30 Surf is the biggest dedicated wakesports boat you’ll find out on the water. For the 2023 model year this remains the case, so the 30 Surf retains its position in this year’s roundup. It’s powered by forward-facing Volvo-Penta stern drives as opposed to the inboards favored by most wake enthusiasts, but it’s also outfitted with Malibu Surf Gates, a 1,080-pound ballast system, and a dual touchscreen MFD display. Competition-level watersports purists may find the 30 Surf’s size and power system a bit unusual, however, there’s no denying the enhanced comfort level and capacity that comes along with a boat of this size. Plus, Chapparal offers it up with luxury-level components like an EFX electric folding tower, a custom leather steering wheel, an enclosed head compartment with vanity, an Infinity Power Step swim platform, and a windlass with foot controls.
See Chaparral 30 Surf boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 Heyday H22
First unveiled last year, Heyday rolled out a platform with a more traditional look and feel than their previous models, which have a distinct bow shape with a raked topside. Just as substantial is the new stern and transom design, which incorporates twin recessed aft-facing seats protected by transom gates (which transforms into a sunpad), three step levels, and an aft cockpit seat that slides forward to become a rear-facing couch. Unlike older models in the line-up, the H22 also benefits from a standard-issue nine-inch MFD display with a touchscreen interface plus Mercury VesselView and SmartTow. The H22 won multiple awards upon its introduction including a NMMA Innovation Award, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the boat retains the same form for the 2023 model year.
See Heyday H22 boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 Malibu Wakesetter 22 LSV and 26 LSV
For the 2023 model year Malibu offers up new and improved versions of its 22 and 26 LSV models. The core of these offerings remain the same, but these models are now available with new graphics and color patterns on the hullsides, and matching color patterns in the soft-grip flooring options. The sound systems in these models also gets an upgrade, with new amps, subwoofers, speakers, and transom remote controls. Finally, Malibu added a rudder position indicator to the “Command Center” helm screen.
See Malibu Wakesetter 22 LSV and 26 LSV boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 MasterCraft XStar
Although the XStar has been in MasterCraft’s lineup for a long time, 2022 brought a number of notable developments and upgrades that continue for the 2023 model year. The boat is now outfitted with MasterCraft’s SurfStar updated software, which allows for adjustments in the wake that can be made from the helm. There’s even a graphic wave display that shows how setting adjustments will affect the wake, as the new actuators with position sensors kick into action. In addition, for the new model year the tower has been redesigned, and the number of options has been expanded for the boat’s gel coat and upholstery. Beyond these tweaks the basic boat retains its core characteristics, with a 23’ LOA and 8’6” beam, seating for a 16-person crowd, and a 4,100-pound ballast capacity in the Switchback ballast system.
See MasterCraft XStar boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 Moomba Mojo
First introduced for the 2021 model year, the 2023 Moomba Mojo becomes even more appealing than ever thanks to the introduction of the Moomba App. The app allows you to design and colorize your “dream boat” in augmented reality and virtual reality. Of course, you’re probably more interesting in the boat itself, and although this is a 23’ model it’s designed to maximize passenger space and has a rather amazing 17-person capacity. It carries up to 4,000 pounds of ballast, and features AutoWake tech which includes graphic displays on the touchscreen showing you where to shift ballast to create the ideal wakes, then holds the hull in position when factors like shifting weight in the boat would otherwise affect pitch and roll.
See Moomba Mojo boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 Super Air Nautique GS20 and GS22
The Super Air Nautique GS20 and GS22 enjoyed complete redesigns for the 2023 model year. These multisports boats are designed to do it all: wake surfing, wakeboarding, and water skiing alike. The hull blends traits from Nautique’s Ski and G series, and is able to make the flatter wakes desired by skiers. But when you pump full the 1,700 integrated ballast and trigger the Nautique Surf System (a wave-shaping plate that redirects waterflow) you can shape the wake as desired for surfing. The helm includes a LINC panoramic display, a wide-angle camera pipes in views from behind the boat, and Nautique’s Helm Command rotary dial lets you quickly select between menus and configurations.
See Super Air Nautique GS20 and GS22 boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 Supreme ZS252
Supreme introduced the new ZS252 in October 2021 at the annual World Wake Surfing Championship held on Lake Conroe in Texas, and reintroduces it in a newer form for 2023 with 5,100 pounds of ballast divvied between six tanks and QuickSurf system and Stinger Wake Plate options. We got to test this high performance wake sports machine, and were impressed with not only the standard features, but the numerous options and fine touches. If you’re looking for a wake boat on the high end of the “value class” with a very competitive sticker price, but that also provides a level of luxury and attention to detail usually found on higher price point boats, it’s hard to beat the ZS252.
Touted as the longest wake surf boat in the “entry class” she is 25’2″ long, holds up to 17 passengers and has 5,100 pounds of available ballast. If you’re looking to ride in style and create the perfect waves for surfing, the ZS252 is your ticket.
View Supreme ZS252 boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 Tige Z1
Wake boat aficionados will recognize the Z1 name as a model that was discontinued a few short years ago, but it was brought back to life by Tige last year and for 2023 represents this builder’s most compact multisports boat. It comes packing the company’s Tige Clear system, an 11-inch touchscreen interface allowing the driver to control everything from the TAPS T3 wake-shaping tab system, to the Zero Off cruise control, to the ballast system, to the lighting and stereo. That means you get the single-touch ability to switch between surfing, boarding, and skiing modes. The Z1 also features Tige’s convex V hull design, which curves up towards the transom with continuous rocker similar to that of a surfboard.
See Tige Z1 boats for sale on Boat Trader.
2023 ATX 24 Type-S
The ATX name may still be relatively new to the wake sports market, but the company behind them is one of its biggest players — Tige. That means models like the 24 Type-S feature many of the same features, construction and style that make Tige a perennial favorite, but at lower cost of entry.
The 24 Type-S boasts cockpit space and plenty of seating for 18 passengers. Crew forward benefit from a picklefork bow shape that maintains much of the boat’s 8’ 6” beam. Behind the windshield, scatter the rest along a wraparound perimeter lounge, with an abundance of storage space below. Sunpad seatbacks and reversible seating allow passengers to spread out and create their own conversation spaces or come together.
Type-S models feature Tige’s familiar Convex V hull, which naturally squats at the stern at board riding speeds to beef up the wake. Onboard ballast has over 3,500 pounds of capacity, while TAPS 3T wake plates further increase the size and definition of wakes for both wakeboarding and surfing and can also level the hull when it comes time to hand the towrope to that slalom enthusiast in the crowd. Other standout features include a 2023 Type E tower that raises and lowers in seven seconds at the press of a button, a Wet Sounds audio system, and a 7” touchscreen with simplified presets. For power, the 6.2L Indmar 400 Raptor Engine comes standard, although there are upgrades available. ATX offers their 20′, 22′, and 24′ Type-S boats in special editions, such as the Ghost Edition, that come with a custom graphics package, additional amenities, and optional extras.
View ATX 24 Type-S boats for sale on Boat Trader.
For more information on how to buy a wake boat – or how to buy any boat, for that matter – see How to Buy a Boat: The Ultimate Buying Guide.
Editor’s note: This article was last updated in March of 2023.