2001 Air Nautique - good crossover?

[escmanaze]

Hey Ballers,

My brother is shopping for a crossover. I would love to get your opinion on this one.

 

https://www.ksl.com/classifieds/listing/51631840

[CBR51]

Great all around recreation boat. But depending how much you like to Slalom it won’t be very good for that.

This hull was really designed for Wakeboarding

[tlarocque]

Isn't the Air Nautique a TSC hull? I think its the Pro Air Nautique that has the wakeboard-specific hull. As a crossover, I would think that's a great boat.

[jpattigr]

I owned that model and year, I sold it to buy a MC Pro tournament 197, The Air Nautique had a better wake! Great fun all around boat, sack it out and it will even surf ok. Great deal on that boat with 550 hours.

[Jmoski]

The Air Nautique is a sister to the Sport Nautique (open bow SN that’s 1.5’ longer) with a tower, rear ballast, and different graphics.

 

I might have the catalog from 2001 in my closet, if I can find it I will get you the exact specs.

 

It will ski well assuming you don’t fill the ballast!

 

It’s the Super Air Nautique that has v-drive configuration that’s designed for wakeboarding and hence crappy for slalom.

 

Unfortunately this boat has the dreaded teleflex gauges. The GT40 block doesn’t store hours, but the ad says it has perfect pass which should have it under the “system info” screen.

 

My ski nautique from that year had the GT40 block - awesome low torque & growl on take off.

[aupatking]

@tlarocque is correct. The Pro Air Nautique of that year had chines added fore, to essentially lift the bow and lower the rear. The standard Air Nautique should have a decent wake for open water slalom. Maybe even an occasional course rip.

[BraceMaker]

Dreaded teleflex gauges meaning medallion mdc?

[Jmoski]

The stock teleflex digital gauges on the nautiques of this era were faulty and would develop moisture problems causing the display to become unreadable over time. This primary affected the speedo and the tach/hour meter.

 

They don’t make them anymore, so most people replaced them with Teleflex Analog (this was what I did) or Faria gauges.

 

Of interest, notice on the dash the “N” filler panel for the center gauge is still there. Had the boat been ordered with PP - that’s where the gauge goes.

 

SO - my guess is someone removed the broken speedo gauge and put PP in its place in the dash, which means IMHO the boat has more than the 400 hours it’s reading since it I doubt it has been there all along.

 

Possible the current seller is unaware given he is the second owner and the gauges most likely went bad during the original owners time.

 

@bracemaker - I don’t follow your question?

[Ski_Dad]

I've skied one - it's a nice boat for sure and the GT40 is a beast. I think Malibu crossovers in that era have a slightly better wake if you get the diamond hull.

[6balls]

Free ski at 28 off, 34mph I bet it's fine in front of the 22 hump.

[slow]

I have a1999 sport Nautique which was the same hull as the air. My buddy has a 2006 206 ski Nautique. They both ski the same at 28 to 35 off. The sport definitely handles chop on our public lake better and is less sensitive to extra weight in the boat.

[BraceMaker]

@Jmoski thanks - I was asking if this era was equipped with the medallion gauge controller.

 

Basically when airguide left the new gauge business medallion was making tractor and motorcycle digital gauge systems. They designed a gauge controller with dual out of tube pressure transducers which have since caused many people trouble and are hard to source replacements.

 

Sounds like you are describing a different issue. Medallions those pressure transducers would get water in them, freeze and leak ruining the controller.

[Jmoski]

@BraceMaker - ah, I see. I hadn’t heard of that issue.

 

Of interest on my 01 nautique it had a box in the back that the traditional pressure tubes from both pitot static tubes connected to which averaged & converted it to a digital signal that was routed forward to the digital gauge.

 

When I swapped to the analog gauge it had the traditional barb connector for the pressure tube, hence I just had to pick one and runs new tube from the back to connect it.

[Tom351]

I also have a 99 Sport Nautique- it skis very well, we use it in the course a bit (I am a 34mph15-22off skier). It is great for wakeboarding with some ballast, and we even get a solid surf wave out of it (with a LOT of ballast and a surf-gate suctioned to the side)

 

It is definitely not a shortline slalom boat, but if you need more space than a 196-sized boat and are not using it for 100% skiing then it is a great crossover choice.