Competition Barefoot Boats, Non CC

U.S. Competition Barefooting has seen many boat changes through the years, inboards, outboards, i/o's from a few different mfrs. Since the time the BFN was at the top of the heap(80's), We saw Centurion, Flightcraft and Malibu and Sanger outboards. Then it swung back to inboards and Malibu and Sanger and Gekko. Currently Sanger is the only boat company buiding a competition barefoot boat in the U.S.


    Year(s) Approved Boat Company Model
93-94 Brendella Barefooter
88 Centurion Outboard
79-92 Correct Craft Barefoot Nautique
86-89 Fineline/Ski Centurion Barefoot Warrior O/B 200hp
90 Fineline/Ski Centurion Falcon Barefoot
84 Fineline/Ski Centurion Ski Centurion
94-95 Fineline/Ski Centurion Warrior Barefoot Comp
89 Flightcraft 18XL Outboard
87-89 Flightcraft Flightcraft
02-06 Gekko GTR 22
85 Glastron Ski Machine O/B 150hp
85-86 Hydrodyne O/B 150hp,235hp
84 Hydrodyne O/B 150hp Johnson
84 Hydrodyne O/B 150hp Mercury
90-92 Malibu Flightcraft 18XLT
90-99 Malibu Flightcraft 20XLOBT/Barefooter
02-04 Malibu Response Barefooter
03-07 Malibu Response LXi
06 Malibu Response LXi 383
08 Malibu Response LX 383
91-99 MasterCraft Barefoot 200
92-93 Moore Marine Ski Pro 2000 Footer
94-97 Moore Marine Ski Pro Footer EX I/O
85-87 Moore Marine Ski Pro I/O
02-04 Moore Marine Ski Pro Extreme Comp Barefooter
98-10 Sanger DXII Barefooter 5.8L, 6.2L 340 hp or 380 hp HO, 8.1 L 370 or 420 hp
87-97 Sanger Barefoot O/B
92-94 Sanger Ski Sanger DXII
87 Sanger Sanger TX
Not listed
1999 or 2000 MasterCraft Powerstar O/B 200HP



Sanger has a hull design that is shared by the DXII and the Outboard called the Delta Pad, a triangular flat at the transom extending forward all the way to the tracking fins(This from Sangers Flat bottom racing heritage).

Most people don't know about Sanger DX's, SX's, they are the inboard cousin to the outboard from 87 on. Sharing hull design characteristics. The DXII has a different top deck which has the one pc curved windshield, the DX/SX's have a split flat windshield with the DX having teak on the bow and one gelcoat design and the SX having no teak, and a different gelcoat design.


A 72 Sanger V drive


A 66 Sanger, Sanger is a true custom boat builder it is very rare to see two Sangers that are identical due to the factory customization. If you want it they will build it.


A 94 SX


All white SX, tan interior




Clean choice


So it should be noted that the SX and DX have the same exact hull, then comes DXII the new topdeck/one pc curved windshield and some very minor tweaks to the hull, shortening two of the lifting strakes by about a foot which I've been told was to improve the barefoot wake.

The DXII hull remains unchanged since 1992, yes 1992!







So if a footer has been bitten by the footing bug and wants a great barefoot boat but maybe cant buy a brand new boat...there are so many eligible Sanger DX, SX, DXII's available and all one has to do is some engine upgrades and add a fixed cavitation plate aka barefoot plate to the transom and you have the best wake on the planet for barefooting.

I built one using a 1990 DX because I liked it's older style and THE TEAK!

It's been through many transformations, I don't have any qualms about originality(except for a few things!), or drilling holes, or hiding them later, LOL.

here's how it looked when I got it.



putting a plate on





If anybody is interested I'll add some more.

I went right to changing and upgrading things, the merc 260 horse would pull us about 44 max and I ran it hard for a few years until water turned up in the oil. I wanted a new engine so bad I pretty much tried to blow the 260hp up   






It got a tower and a super flyhigh(tower extension) for a while

Loved that black one since they rolled it out. Love that I'm not having to keep it clean even more.

Very interesting post Andy! How much difference is there in the old DX hull and its wake from the current DXII? Did adding the plate to your DX give a wake/table close to what the DXII produces?

some other things to note

Some DXII's did get the plate but were not offically barefoot pkg boats, once again Sanger will add or delete whatever a buyer wants.

The wake without the plate on the DX or DXII is just OK/decent but nothing to brag about. Both are AWSA approved without the plate. Since the DX was during the time of the Outboards being used in comps nobody ever put a plate on a DX/SX, the DXII earned it's AWSA/ABC ratings with a plate on.
The plate makes an amazing difference in the wake.

Cool thread Andy, thanks.

There are two "Ski Sangers" on our lake, a blue and a red one. Once it stops snowing and the ice melts I'm definitely going to be taking a close look at them to see exactly what is going on. I'm pretty sure both have the flat split windshield, and they may both have teak... but not sure.

Here is KSO skiing my old DXII 2001 Super Scorpion 377, then me, then Willie behind the Malibu.

GlassSeeker wrote: The new LS series small blocks are supplied by Indmar and being all aluminum they are about 200 lbs lighter than a SBC.

Which LS motors are they using that are all aluminum? The 6.2L maybe?

I believe all the 6.0L marine engines are iron block/aluminum heads.

oops guess I read too much about the 6.2 LSA, That is my dream Barefoot Boat engine. yes the 6.0 is cast iron block, the LSA goes to the all alum. and gets 550hp out of a small block.

Looks like within the LS series there are both cast iron and alum blocks available.

I have a friend who just ordered a new 2013 Sanger DXII Barefooter with the 6.0 409hp, I could not talk him into getting the LSA try though I might.

Sangers are great tubing boats

GlassSeeker wrote: I have a friend who just ordered a new 2013 Sanger DXII Barefooter with the 6.0 409hp, I could not talk him into getting the LSA try though I might.

andy whats the going price on that package if I may ask?

Yes HW, I mean't SE not SX. There is no SX. I've been told that SE was Special Edition but don't know that to be fact. Those TX's are fast that's what I footed behind at 59mph an 86 TX, the first one Sanger ever made. Wake is no DXII though.

Kap, I think it was just over 50k, thats why I like to build my own.

In fact, talking with Scott Pellaton, he said he would just get an older DXII and build a motor for it, and go carbed, get rid of the complications caused by EFI since it's really not necessary to going fast.

In the first pic, the guy on the left is the driver, right? That's more stupid than the ghost surfing.

GlassSeeker wrote: Got you Ford guys covered too...a rare 351 Sanger 351 Indmar

Looks like it could be a good deal on the start of a project....the 4300 mile round trip doesn't sound so good though.

Andy I always thought The Malibu Sportster was the best barefoot boat in their range. It does not appear in that approved boat list at all.

Are they a good barefoot boat??