2013 Ski Nautique 200V Sport

[Fatroll]

Today I had the opportunity to ski behind a 2013 Nautique 200 Sport V drive. I ski at 34 mph and can get into deeper 32 off in most sets and will usually start at 22 off. I typically ski behind a ’03 SN 206 and a ’94 SN both with PPSG. I am of the philosophy that DD boats are by far the most versatile despite the industry shift to the V-drive (let’s face it, most wakeboarders only do heelside jumps and do very little even with massive wakes... just saying). For review purposes, I started at 15 off. At -15, there is a significant wake that can be alarming at first, but with good body position across the wake is manageable (think late 80s Nautique but a little better). That said, if you are out of position, you will likely pay a price. 22 off had a lesser bump, but still significant compared to 3-event boats. 28 off was not an issue and was smooth. These passes felt great!! I did not attempt a pass at -32 as some other boats had started circling our lake. My concern at the shorter lengths would be the rope hitting the tower. Further, the pylon is removable and did not seem overly sturdy. The zero off model in this boat did not have course mapping either, so a true 34.2 is suspect. I would also be curious as to what the 26-32 mph free skier thinks about the wake.

The owner of this boat used to be a show skier for Sea World and is more inclined to barefoot or wakeboard (although, I am working on turning him into a course skier, he would be a natural). I had the opportunity to pull him longline barefoot as he stepped off his flipturn for a backwards ride. The boat definitely feels larger than I am used to, but the slightly smaller open bow, tames the feel of a wakeboard boat. Acceleration felt pretty good, but it may have taken an extra second to plane off. I will need to drive it more to get a feel. Because I am used to driving older boats, getting used the gauges could take a couple more sets. The analog speedometer moves up counterclockwise – MIND BLOWN!!

As for the finish of the boat, it definitely has the “WOW” factor with a nice stereo system, great interior, storage, etc that has become commonplace in the wakeboard boat sector. It looks great in the water and there is plenty of room for people which is definitely a benefit to the V-drive.

Overall, this is a boat that is not perfect for anything, but can do everything pretty well. I feel the same way about my ’03 SN 206. However, the SN 206 is more 3 event friendly while, the 200V favors the board sports. This boat is a great family boat for the family focused on wakeboarding, but a slalom or barefoot set is very do-able. Our lake also has a 20 ft restriction making this a great crossover boat for our “mud puddle”.

Given the opportunity to ski or drive it again, I will add to this, but it sure is pretty!!

 

and tubing still sucks!!!!

 

Fatroll

 

[Andre]

Nice review!

Thanks!

But no v-drive for this guy!

[Fatroll]

me neither

[oldjeep]

So they started putting a pylon in the traditional DD spot in addition to the popup behind the rear seat? I noticed that in the 2014 VTX as well.

 

Also curious, did you use any ballast in the front tank? Most of the folks who ski behind the Malibu version (VTX) are recommending a couple hundred lbs in the bow tank to help flatten the boat out. I'm still waiting to try skiing behind mine due to the high water and no wake restrictions.

[Fatroll]

Had three kids in the open bow with no ballast

[Alan Coelho]

I just purchased a new 2013 Sport 200V. You are spot on regarding the wake at 15 and 22. We rarely chase ball, but free skiing at 28 off is a joy. I am intrigued at putting some ballast in the belly to see what happens. Please let me know if anyone else has tried this and your results. Would like to get the longer line bump down for the wife and more recreational skiers

[DefectiveDave]

I had a chance to ski behind one of these today at a ski club get together. All-in-all I would say it was a very nice general purpose boat. I really liked the layout and it had lots of nice places to store stuff. That being said I'm not sure I would want to chase buoys behind it.

 

I generally start at 15 off skiing 30 mph warm-up, 32 mph working sets, and 34 mph intensity sets. Maybe it's just the speed and line length, but I felt that the wake was huge at 30 mph compared to the 92' ski nautique I normally ski behind. I haven't missed my opener in over a month before today, and I missed it 2 out of the 4 times I tried. It could be indicative of my own bad technique, but I chose to stop for the day rather than develop bad habits.

 

Has anyone else tried this boat at 15 off at lower speeds? What was your impression? It's shocking me a bit that I lost a pass and a half on a day with beautiful water.

[oldjeep]

I was told by multiple people that the wake didn't clean up on my VTX until 32MPH and then it is nice. My experience last week says that was actually the case. You might be able to clean it up some at 30 by filling the front ballast tank up. At 32 on mine I didn't notice any difference with the front tank full or empty (maybe 250lbs)

[oldjeep]

One question, on the 200 Sport were you skiing off the stub pylon or did they have a center pylon as well?

[DefectiveDave]

Thanks @oldjeep,

 

This particular boat had a detachable center mount pylon. It seemed just as sturdy as any other pylon I've skied behind, so I wasn't worried about it. I'm guessing the front ballast tank was not filled on this boat given that the driver pulled a wakeskater directly after me.