Ski and wakeboard boats are purpose-built inboard powerboats designed to tow athletes in water skiing, wakeboarding, and wakesurfing disciplines. The defining characteristic is a hull and ballast system engineered to produce specific wake shapes — clean and flat for slalom skiing, large and steep for wake tricks — rather than simply maximising speed or fuel efficiency.
Hulls are fibreglass, typically in the 5.5–8.5 metre range. Propulsion is always inboard with a direct shaft drive — the absence of an outdrive or exposed propeller is a safety requirement for tow sports. Ballast tanks, filled with water, are built into the hull to increase displacement and enlarge the wake; the distribution of ballast weight alters the wake shape for different disciplines. A tower arch above the cockpit raises the tow point, improving the rope angle for aerial tricks.
Seating capacity is generous relative to hull size, with wrap-around cockpit layouts suited to groups. Audio systems — often substantial — are a standard specification category rather than an afterthought. Most ski and wakeboard boats can be trailered, which reduces marina costs and extends the geographic range of use to lakes and rivers away from coastal access. They are not appropriate for open-sea use or significant wave exposure.
