V-Drive Boats

The difference between a v-drive and direct-drive is the drive shaft itself. A v-drive is shaped like a V. The shaft goes from the motor to a transmission inside the boat and back toward the prop. A direct-drive has a straight shaft that goes from the engine out to the prop. A direct-drive engine is located mid-boat, whereas v-drive boats have engines in the rear. Skiers like direct-drives because they have flat bottoms which create small wakes and handle well, but depending upon how the ballast tank of a ski boat is filled, a v-drive can maneuver a boat through the water, cutting the surface and creating a wakeboarder or skier's dream wake.