Malibu calls the M235 its alpha boat, meaning it’s the top dog in its tow-boat lineup. Does it live up to its billing? The short answer is yes. For the long answer, read on.
The M235 boasts more luxury features than anything previously available. The 12-inch touchscreen is glare-proof, extremely water-resistant, and it houses all your major driving functions with big, intuitive menu buttons. The smaller 7-inch auxiliary screen has everything you need to dial in the surf specifics, so you’re covered from top to bottom.
The M235 is, by far, the deepest, heaviest boat Malibu has ever built. A bigger boat with higher freeboard means a heavier dry weight, more and safer seating, deeper stowage and, of course, more ballast capacity — up to 5,000 pounds of ballast.
All the plush amenities are awesome, but you’re buying this boat for its wake. With the Integrated Surf Platform, you get the Surf Gate vertical tab system, which is still one of the best out there. You can surf one side or the other without moving any weight; with the Surf Band on your wrist, you can switch from side to side while you’re riding. The Surf Band also controls the speed and the Power Wedge II, which can tweak the wave face while you’re riding so you can get exactly what you want.
How does it all come together? From the moment we got behind the M235 for a surfing session, it was clear that this boat makes the largest waves of any Malibu. Every aspect of this wave was absolutely unbelievable, from the size to the configurability. The wave was clean all the way through and had a ton of height. Along with the size, we were really impressed with the transition on this wave. It has a perfect progression of mellow to steep from beginning to end. Another thing you’ll notice when surfing behind the M235 is just how far back you can drop. It also has a world-class wakeboard wake. Malibu put everything it has into the M235, and it’s unquestionably one of the best surf and wake boats to ever hit the market.
High Points
* Deep, heavy hull with lots of ballast capacity, plus the Integrated Surf Platform technology, translates into one of the biggest, cleanest and longest waves around.
* 12- and 7-inch touchscreen displays make operating the boat and controlling the wake easy.
* Has up to a 5,000-pound ballast capacity standard.
How We Tested
Engine: Indmar Monsoon 575 6.2L
Prop: 17″ x 14″ Acme 4-blade Nibral
Gear Ratio: 1.76:1
Fuel Load: 45 gal.
Crew Weight: 380 lb.
Ballast Tanks: Empty
Price
See local dealer
