Axis A20: Wakeboarding Wonder
The Axis Wake Research A20 offers a lot of tow boat expertise for less than you might expect.
May 24, 2015
The A20 is the smallest boat in the Axis line-up.
How has the company achieved that? Well, it helps to have help and a profound knowledge of the tow boat market and of manufacturing top-shelf water sports products. Axis had both in that it launched as an independent brand within Malibu Boats LLC.
Back in 2007, the peak of the tow boat market just before the financial crisis tanked the global economy, Malibu realized that a portion of the market was being left behind. With tow boats costing upward of $100,000—yes, really—there was a segment of buyers priced out the market completely. That’s where Axis Wake Research boats come in, and, with a price tag about half as high as that painful $100,000 mark, where the A20 excels.
Though
some of the frills and fancy features are left off the Axis to keep
cost relatively low, important wakeboarding needs are attended to with
items like the Surf Gate system.
The A20 packs a lot of the fundamental equipment and know-how into a tight package. What you get are things like a standard 350 horsepower engine (with options available up to 450 horsepower), and high-flow ballast pumps that fill in seconds. It also comes with wakeboarding and wake-surfing essentials like a power-operated Wedge wake-tuning hydrofoil and the same Surf Gate system used on Malibu boats.
What you don’t get is what drives the prices up on top-tier products, and that means electronic touch displays that control all boat systems, video cameras, and all the gee-whiz bells and whistles that are by all accounts cool, but by no means necessary. The A20 has everything you need to learn and improve on your skills behind the boat.
Inside, the A20 comes well equipped for a price point model. It features a blade-style windshield and an all-new tower with an optional Z5 hard-shell Bimini. The A20 also comes with LED interior lighting, automatic stereo volume control, a Wedge position indicator, and three metal flake gelcoat colors.
Seating arrangements include a playpen-style pickle-fork bow with nonslip treatment on the forward lip. The playpen cushions lead to the observer seat and wrap around to create a fully wraparound seating area. As you would expect, stowage is available under all cushions, and to either side of the engine. Hatch covers are hinged at the side so you can access them from the cockpit or the swim platform.
There's plenty of room for a full crew aboard the A20.
The swim platform is treated with nonskid foam matting. The trailing edge is dovetailed toward the water, which makes gearing up and slipping into the water that much easier.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Length | 20'0" |
| Beam | 8'2" |
| Draft | 2'1" |
| Deadrise | NA |
| Displacement | 3,500 lbs |
| Fuel capacity | 42 gal. |
It’s impressive to see what Axis Wake Research has done in a short time on the market. It’s nice to see the company winning the hearts and minds of the consumers, who now have another choice in value-priced tow boats. And besides, it’s just plain fun to grab a board and go wakeboarding or wake surfing from behind an A20.
I Want One!
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