Malibu vs Surtees:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Surtees had more branded searches than Malibu among boat brands in New Zealand. Surtees had about 330 branded searches, while Malibu had 260. Surtees made up 4% of all boat brand searches we track, and Malibu accounted for 3.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about boat brands, Surtees appeared in all five answers and Malibu in none.
Who do people search for more?
Surtees, about 27% more searches than Malibu
Who does AI mention more?
Surtees, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Surtees, the only one of the two named
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Top boat brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Surtees appeared in all five answers. Malibu did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Stabicraft1st
Surtees2nd
Senator Boats3rd
Extreme Boats4th
Rayglass5th
Haines Hunter6th
Buccaneer7th
Smuggler–
Malibu–
Quintrex–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Stabicraft5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Surtees5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Senator Boats4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Extreme Boats3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Rayglass2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Buccaneer2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Haines Hunter1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Smuggler0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Malibu0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Quintrex0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about boat brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which boat brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best boat brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best boat brand in New Zealand for trailering and fishing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“boat brands nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“small boat brands”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is Malibu or Surtees more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Malibu and Surtees by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten boat brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Surtees, Malibu. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Stabicraft | Haines Hunter | Rayglass | Senator Boats | Extreme Boats | Smuggler | Surtees | Malibu | Quintrex | Buccaneer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 40.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 2.6% | 3% | 3.6% | 1.5% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 45.6% | 9.6% | 10.1% | 12.3% | 10% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 39.3% | 12.3% | 10.9% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 6.8% | 1.4% | 0.93% |
| Jan 2026 | 38.2% | 12.9% | 10.4% | 13% | 8.7% | 2.3% | 3.3% | 8.7% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 39.4% | 10.8% | 12% | 13.2% | 10.8% | 2.3% | 3.4% | 6% | 1.3% | 0.83% |
| Mar 2026 | 37.7% | 10.4% | 13.8% | 11.7% | 9% | 2.4% | 3.8% | 4.3% | 5.9% | 0.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.8% | 10.9% | 11% | 15.1% | 10.2% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 4.5% | 1.6% | 0.93% |
| May 2026 | 41.4% | 8.9% | 12.1% | 13.9% | 10.7% | 2.8% | 4.5% | 3.4% | 1.5% | 0.96% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.5% | 11% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 11% | 4% | 4.2% | 3.2% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Jul 2026 | 39.6% | 11.6% | 12.5% | 12.7% | 9.1% | 3.3% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Aug 2026 | 44.9% | 10.1% | 10% | 13.9% | 9.4% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 2.8% | 1.3% | 0.64% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.8% | 13.9% | 13.1% | 10.7% | 8.7% | 4.2% | 4% | 3.2% | 1.5% | 0.97% |
How has the Malibu and Surtees comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending September 2026: Surtees took it in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Malibu’s share of searches among boat brands in New Zealand moved from 3.6% to 3.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 390 to 260.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Surtees’ share of searches among boat brands in New Zealand moved from 3% to 4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 330.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand boat brands in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Smuggler overtook Surtees to rank 6th among boat brands in New Zealand, with 4.2% of the searches.

Estimated monthly branded searches for Malibu in New Zealand fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 390 to 260 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Malibu’s and Surtees’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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