Best Ski/Wakeboard boat?

[1BADBAHNER]

Well, looks like it's time to sell the Bahner (mini day cruiser) I am wondering what is the best boat for this combination #1 Skiing #2 Wake boarding and all around performance. I have been used to speed with the boat we have now and know that I will probably loose about 10-15 mph with a ski boat. I am leaning towards the Ski Nautique, and want to stay under 20' but the Calabria caught my eye at the local ski store.
Opinions Please, Thanks
-Tony

[Flying Tiger]

We bought a Tige 22iR three years ago.
Our impression of most the Wakeboard boat builders are they just re-packaged ski boats with decades old designs and pass them off as new design wakeboard boats.
Existing hulls from pre-wakeboard days production for years that simply just went through a graphics and name change.
Most will only do about 38 to 48 mph, and most give a very rough ride because they are mostly flat bottom for skiing.
The bigger V's looked too much like Bayliners and turned us off.
We bought the Tige' because it was a new-dedicated-for wakeboarding-hull.
Can't say it was any better than the rest, but the ride was nice, and it was wider, and it really held it's value, and turned nicely.
The wake sucked, as does with most wakeboard boats to be honest with you.
Ya dont want a foamy small wake,, and to be real,, most wakeboard boats give you just that.
The galvanized plow that bolts to the back throws a good wake that some are now using, but a few of our friends have bottomed them out and it annihilated their boats, and the put the skier at risk.
I didn't like the attitude from the Tige employees,, but I understand that's kinda the arrogant norm for the Ski / wakeboarding community of builders.
Ya meet some really wooden people.
Most the builders we felt, we lying to us about the history of the design of the boat they were featuring as a wakeboard boat, except Tige'.
They all lie about the competition as well.
Not sure if I'd buy another one,, dedicated wakeboard boats are very limited in what you can do.
That prop hangs down and draft and depth is always on your mind.
Go for price and resale and if you feel comfortable in it, but most of all, can you stand the ride, and does it in fact put up a big clean (no foam) wake?
And dealer service?
The foam is a BFD as skills improve.

[lakewake]

All of the tow boats have something good to offer. My last one was a Ski Centurion Barefoot Bowrider .Now I have a Tige bowrider. The newer boats have lot more seating but you can get a great deal on an older boat with low hours, leaving some coin for a tower and sound system. Are you looking for new or used? Check out used in Nevada an Az as well.

[Outnumbered]

Correct Craft and Master Craft are the best quality, IMHO. I think the Sanger is a great boat for the money and has a pretty good V in the bottom for a smoother ride. Malibu also makes a nice boat. I really like the Orion wake/custom boat too. It seems to be a great bang for the buck but I'm not sure about the build quality or re-sale. Maybe someone else can chime-in. Looks very nice though.

[Riomouse911]

IMO 99.9 percent of it has to do with your desires. I have my preference, and I even started working part-time for a dealer based on the boat and the people at the shop. I've found that when asked, most people are sold on their particular ride, and they'll talk down the others based on the "rivalry factor." But I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone who wants a ski/wake boat:
1) How does it drive? If you like it on the water in a demo, you'll like it when you're paying for it every month. (Remember, because they can't set the trim angles and are somewhat flat-bottomed in the rear they don't handle all that great in rough water. this is hard for folks used to outdrives sometimes)
2) Does it fit your needs? A closed bow 19'6" Ski Nautique is perfect for slalom runs for 2-3 people, but won't fit you both, 3 kids, their friends, Rover and the water toys very well. A 13 seater Tige' 22V will.
3) What do you want to spend? Remember, you'll never get a 7-series BMW if you refuse to pay anything over Hyundai Sonata prices :rollside: . Top end ski-wake boats are getting pricy, and a few (Nautique, Tige', Master Craft for example) hold value much better than less expensive/desireable boats... but they run into the 70k range for the bigger ones.
ANY decent dealer will allow you to demo a boat, and a truly good dealer will tell you to demo everyone else's boats after you demo their product. Try as many as you can, and buy the one that matches up best for your situation. I've driven or ridden behind all the big makes and most of their ski/wake models since I started boating, and some definately handle/ride/run better than others. give them a try, and go with what you like best!
Good luck!

[1BADBAHNER]

I've been in several boats over the years, ski, pleasure and speed boats. I used to be into slightly more speed and performance and have had the luxury of a great ski boat. The problem with my boat is that during the outer cuts (skiing) it really drifts from side to side and doesn't stay on course which makes it harder for me to pull out because I'm kinda dropping into the water more than digging in and pulling out. I'm looking to start wakeboarding more and my boat is really bad for that, but I still do not want to loose the ability of a small wake when I want to ski. I haven't started test driving them but it looks like that is what I need to do to start feeling the difference. I usually don't go out if the water is choppy, we are almost always in still conditions when we ski (Delta in California ) so a smooth ride in rough water really does not concern me. I'll post up when I find one that I think is right for us.
Thanks for the help.

[1BADBAHNER]

All of the tow boats have something good to offer. My last one was a Ski Centurion Barefoot Bowrider .Now I have a Tige bowrider. The newer boats have lot more seating but you can get a great deal on an older boat with low hours, leaving some coin for a tower and sound system. Are you looking for new or used? Check out used in Nevada an Az as well.
I'm looking for a brand new fully loaded, I figure I can get a pretty good deal on one during the winter time when things are not moving and save the trouble of having everything installed later on. But your right, what ever you can save the better off you are down the road.

[NautiTwins]

My opinon is very very biased! I grew up on many different types of boats, From a flat bottom Kurtis, to a tri-hull to my cole jet, to what we have now a Nautique. Hands down the most fun I have had with any of these boats was the Cole. Speed and the wake was amazing for skiing. But sucked for boarding. I could only hold four people and so on and so on.
The Nautique was purchased to be able to take people out on the water with us. It is really boring to drive unless you have a skier/boarder behind you. The hole shot is pretty good and I like the fact that I can still run in the same parts of the river that I did with the jet. Direct Drive boats will handle much better then the V's, allthough the dealers claim that thier v'drive will handle like a direct drive it is not true.
The customer service that I have recieved from my Nautique dealer has been short of amazing and very friendly. The fit and finish is hands down the best in the industry. next time you are at the lake, try and look at the different boats and will see for some reason the Nautique will always stand out. A fully loaded 206 is going set you back a nice chunk of change, but you will not be dissapointed. Before our purchase we looked at just about every maker of touney boats and test drove them as well. Nothing handled better then a Nautique. Tige's bow is too low, Sangers seemed cheap to us for some reason, we could not figure out why. Centurion and Malibu were pretty close, both drove great and I liked the look of the hulls. However after all of this looking we rode in our buddies 206 and were just blown away at how well the boat was thought out. Stupid things like cup holders were just at the perfect spot. Getting in and out of the drivers seat was easy. You will notice it if you sat in a Mastercraft then a Nautique.
The next thing to look at is wake. The malibus and Nautiques have very good skiing wakes. I find Malibus wake to be a little hard, kind of like hitting a curb at 50 MPH, where as the Nautiques are like butter, but not to soft. When you slow the boat down both of these boats had really good wakes. Nautiques use ballast, Malibus use the wedge. Both are effective but for some reason I just did not like the idea of something hanging off the back of the boat.
Everyone is going to have thier own opinion and like said above, figure out what you want to spend and then start looking. Find a used boat 2-3 years old.

[1BADBAHNER]

NautiTwins, I saw the boat at our local dealer but in black, white and grey my favorite colors for a boat. It caught my eye right when I saw it and the price tag $55K "ON SALE". I was told by the same dealer that the Calabria was a better boat for the price, I'll have to wait and test drive the two and see what's up. The Calabria is a V-Drive and was designed for the skier/boarder, it "is" a really nice looking boat and I like everything but the really big ass swim deck in the back.

[lakewake]

NautiTwins, I saw the boat at our local dealer but in black, white and grey my favorite colors for a boat. It caught my eye right when I saw it and the price tag $55K "ON SALE". I was told by the same dealer that the Calabria was a better boat for the price, I'll have to wait and test drive the two and see what's up. The Calabria is a V-Drive and was designed for the skier/boarder, it "is" a really nice looking boat and I like everything but the really big ass swim deck in the back.
Take a look at Moomba also. Some of the newer companies start the design process from the customer perspective and overcome the problems of retooling an older design. They got bought out in the early 90's by a big company in Tenn. Lots of extras at a lower price point.
http://www.moomba.com/mobiuslsv.html