Best new slalom boat? (2019+)

[Drasband]

I’m transitioning from free-skiing on a large lake to course skiing on a private lake. I’m fortunate enough to be able to purchase a new boat, and want the best. I’m not that great in the course yet (PR=32mph@15’off) and my wife and kids are well behind me. I know all of the big 3 have spectacular short line wakes, but what about a boat with wakes that help the beginners progress to the shorter lines and faster speeds? Every pro I ever ask only tells me that they like their sponsors boat. I’m looking for some unbiased opinions! I know that technique trumps wake, but it’s still a factor.

[ScottScott]

Prostar

[mbabiash]

I’m a nautique guy but the prostar by far has the smallest wake at most line lengths.

[The_MS]

Prostar. Got a smoken deal on a 16 for you

[MuskokaKy]

Prostar forsure.

[TEL]

I am looking at buying a used demo boat spring 2021. With that in mind i have been skiing and driving new boats. All three ski great, driven the Ski Nautique and Mastercraft will have a chance soon to drive the Malibu. You will need to do the same there will be things that you will like and dislike about each one. In my case I like a closed bow and i want room to move around The Ski Nautique is tight around the motor box. The Master craft and Malibu have much more room. My GF liked skiing behind the Malibu at 26mph and 28mph said it had the smallest wakes. Their are changes that make it worth while to buy a 2020 Mastercraft has a 6L base engine, Malibu has it's own engines and the Ski Nautique is in it's second year of production. The Nautique 200 is another alternative with more room inside but for me not on my list as it only comes as an open bow. I know this may not help but all three manufactures make great boats. For me if the Malibu drives as well as the other two that will be what i will be in the market for if not it will be a Mastercraft in the boathouse.

[BraceMaker]

Another recommendation for the Prostar. It just has such a wide bench seat, plus the removable front cover means you can have the nice warmth of a closed bow and can open it up to put around with more people in it.

 

The 2019 + nautique is a cool boat but the interior does not have the roomy walkways etc.

[Horton]

It is like comparing Ford vs Chevy or Lexus vs BMW. You can't go wrong with any of the three top brands. A lot of the differences are personal preferences. If you are looking for consistently good wakes at all speeds there has never been a boat better than the ProStar.

 

It is no secret that I do business with MasterCraft. I feel like extremely lucky that I do business with the company that makes the boat that I strongly prefer.

 

[mmskiboat]

In my research most people pointed to the ProStar and this was the main reason we got one. They changed the Hull in 2014 and I believe aside from engine the wakes should be the same from 2014 thru 2020.

 

For 2020 MC did up the warranty to 1000hrs on the engine and 5 years bow to stern on the boat.

 

[swc5150]

Prostar has the best all around wake. Nautique drives/handles/tracks the best. Drive and ski them all is the best advice.

[6balls]

I'd go Prostar with the 6.0, lightly used. Not that you have to have a 6.0...but wow.

[Jody_Seal]

"Choke" cough! Er!! Um! Overall wake? ProStar!! There! I said it!!

 

Although the Bryant built 200 is a close second..

[Ski_Dad]

i also vote for the 2020 Prostar with the 6.0L MPI engine. i would avoid the DI engines as I feel the 6L is a simpler and better design for a ski boat.

 

[MichaelWiebe]

Love the ProStar.

[Horton]

FYI the last 2019 5.7 promo boats are going fast and are a deal if you can find one

[KRoundy]

Any of the three will work well for you. I prefer the Nautique, but have skied the Prostar and it is OK too.

[skierjp]

Best 3 event boat is the Ski Nautique,

[DW]

@Drasband - as noted try all 3 top brands (Correct Craft, MasterCraft, Malibu) before you buy as all are excellent although each has specific strengths. If you peruse this site, you will uncover various reviews on each brands 3 event model. As hinted in some posts, the 3 event slalom crowd tends to be one, if not the most brand loyal group of customers on the planet. That loyalty can be captured in the responses.

[Killer]

As big, ugly and crazy expensive as the new Ski Nautique is, I think the wakes are best from 22-35 @34, just slightly more so than the prostar. Some feel like a harsh pull, others not at all, could be drivers or earlier models. I've been behind 3 different ones, including a master's boat and a new 2020.

 

Overall I still love the 200 both 5.7 and 6.0, but can't beat a prostar, most consistent from boat to boat and I don't care what motor is in it. Never been behind a new Malibu.

[swc5150]

After owning a '15 Prostar, numerous 196's, and spending hours in my brother's 200, if I'm buying today it would be the "new" 200. The price is right when putting pencil to paper, but it really comes down to how it drives. It's just so easy for a not-so-experienced driver (like my wife) to keep straight. The Prostar takes some tweaking and weighting to get it right, and it's still not quite there...but the wake is unreal. Shopping and testing is half the fun though, so enjoy the process.

[Not_The_Pug]

@Drasband are you looking at brand new or slightly used Promo? There are a bunch of Nautiques and MC's that are getting turned in after the season for less than new and dialed in. Also really depends how you are going to use the boat. If slalom only, the MC's have a great wake. But if multiple events or other wake activities, the Nautique is a better 3 event boat. It is nice with the trick ballast tanks. My wife skis 30 - 32mph and 15 - 28 off and likes the wake on our 2019 Nautique.

[BrennanKMN]

Coming from a huge Nautique fan if I was given my choice of a new boat today I would be getting a ProStar. The new Nautique is just too damn ugly for me to want. The Malibu seems like a solid boat, but not leading the pack in anyway. The ProStar has a crazy good wake, looks sharp, good resell, proven hull now after 6 years.

Just my opinion.

[Dacon62]

Was a Malibu guy but after skiing both versions of the new hulls I went with the Prostar.

[jpattigr]

Best Winter thread reading by Far! Love hearing everyone argue / discuss which boat! I almost bought @swc5150 Prostar that he had for sale and I am a Nautique guy. Love the new Prostar but my wife vastly prefers driving Nautique's and she wanted to wait. The wakes are awesome behind both, but the Nautique drives and functions way smoother, tracks better, sounds quieter. The Prostar does not track as well, is MUCH louder (stupid bandaid fan) and the steering, throttle etc are no where near as smooth. Both boats are awesome, Love Prostar screen and layout and perfect wakes!

[jercrane]

I'm just slightly ahead of you in the learning curve @Drasband. Got into 28 off at 34mph for the first time this past summer after getting back into skiing seriously about 4 years ago.

 

I wholeheartedly agree that the Prostar is the best slalom wake for slower speeds and longer lines. However, last year when I was buying a new boat I ended up going with the an open bow Ski Nautique 200 for several reasons.

 

- Its far far better boat in rough water. We use our boat on a public lake and use it for a lot more than just closed course slalom skiing. It's a family boat. The design aspects that make the SN have a worse wake at slow speeds and longer lines make it light years better for general lake use imo. Hydrogate, heavier, deeper attitude, pushes more water. It also feels more solid in terms of build to me. Thats pretty qualitative though.

 

- Unlike a lot of folks we actually really like the saddle bag storage. When we go out on the lake for several hours of skiing (not in the course) with a pile of skis and people the storage is so great for keeping crap out of the way.

 

- The coast guard plate says 9 passengers instead of 7. This is silly but our marine patrol on the lake is super annoying about crap like this. They will write you a ticket if you are over the person capacity even if you are under the weight. When we have guests up to the lake we regularly go out with 8 in the boat (4 adults, 4 kids). They gave me a ticket once in my Prostar 197 when I had the 4 adults and 4 super young kids even though we were well under the weight capacity.

 

Do I wish I could own a Prostar AND a nice Pontoon boat for cruising? Definitely. That is however not an option for us right now. When the kids go to college I'll probably move to a Prostar or whatever the best of the best is at that time.

 

If you are looking for a pure dedicated slalom machine that is the best of the best ... Prostar.

 

If you want a fantastic slalom boat with the ability to flex and use for family time then I'd suggest looking at the Nautique 200 (the rebranded version of the same hull). It does lack the saddle bags but maybe you don't care about those.

[ScottScott]

I'll take the opposite view for general use. The roominess inside the prostar is second to none. We've taken it scalloping with 6 adults, and all their snorkeling gear. The convertible bow gives you the best of both worlds. We keep our bow cover on 99% of the time, but the once or twice a year we take the family out....we have our bow rider. I haven't been in a 200 on a large choppy lake, but I've had my prostar out in the gulf of mexico with 3-4ft swells and it did great. My girlfriend has no issues keeping the boat centered in the course (unless she decides to adjust the mirror 1/2 way through.) She doesn't have experience in a 200, but I've driven down to 35 (maybe 38?) off in both boats and don't see a big difference.

[markchilcutt]

Prostar all day long.

[Nando]

I'm a Nautique guy and still think it's the best three-event boat, but if I were buying a brand-new boat, I'd sure consider a Prostar. I don't like open bow boats, but the fiberglass cover for the open bow is genius. Wakes on all three are so good that it's tough to find issue with any. Driving, the Nautique is my preference. And I find the new Nautique ugly. If the 200 were available as a closed bow or with a hard bow cover, that might be my choice, but I really like the new Prostars.

[swc5150]

I would've said the Prostar has the most interior space until checking out the new 200. No saddle bags really opens it up. Now if they'd either do a closed bow or bow cover. Prostar bow cover is awesome and must have option for me. New SN/200 screen is better than MC. In the end, it really is like trying to decide which super model is the hottest though.

[Drasband]

So appreciative of everyone's input on this thread. I think "which super model is the hottest" might be my favorite comment so far! There have been lots of Prostar votes, not quite as many SN, but almost no Malibu votes. Are there no Response fans on here? The Malibu is hands down the best local dealer (and I have a VTX so there's already a relationship there). I've been offered crazy good deals on the Malibu and SN, but the MC dealer hasn't yet matched them.

 

Please, if anyone has direct knowledge/experience with the Response, chime in!

[mbabiash]

Problem with Malibu is the engine. Hull and design is fine but crusader engines didn’t work well in the 17 and 18. The new engines are marinized by Malibu but they can’t get engines from GM so they are resorting back to pcm. With all that up in the air it’s hard to pull the trigger on a response. Resale absolutely sucks.

[RAWSki]

If you have a good relationship with the Malibu dealer and you know they will be there to support and service the product that is huge. The Bu doesn't seem to have the promo or tournament representation the others do but that doesn't mean it's not capable. @DW is right in his observation of ski-boat brand loyalty. If you can demo them go for it!

 

You said you are transitioning to a private lake so you may not need the space or versatility of the Pro-Star or the storage of the SN "saddlebags".

IMO the best boat is the one at your dock that is paid for.

[6balls]

@ScottScott you go scalloping in your 3-event ski boat? Geez I want to go scalloping...whatever that is sounds like a great time!

[bigtex2011]

I have the 2020 Response with the new 6.2L It is awesome

[ScottScott]

@6balls While our obsession with skiing led us to getting a ski boat, we enjoy a variety of boating activities. If the weather isn't conducive to skiing on the weekends, then we'll find any number of other places/activities to take the boat and go boating.

 

Scalloping would be snorkeling and hunting for scallops. There are a number of bays off the gulf along the northern west coast of Florida that have scallops settling into the grass beds. Its no more than snorkeling in 4-8 ft depths looking around for scallops in the grass below, then diving down and grabbing them by hand. Scalloping season is usually between early July and mid September.

 

The swim platform on the back of a ski boat is actually a lot more convenient for getting in and out of the water with snorkeling gear than a lot of other boats out there.

 

I bet we're one of the few ski boat owners that actually have an anchor on board.

[mlange]

Spend some real time in all three and choose the one you like most.

 

[Golfguy]

I have both a 2019 and 2020 promo boat for sale. The 2019 is a 5.7L and the 2020 is the 6l Please let me know if I can be of any help in your decision making process.

[Cnewbert]

@Golfguy where can one see info on your Prostars?

[liquid d]

Get a SN 200...nothing is easier to put straight in the course and hold the line. Fantastic wakes past other than 22, 28. Nothing drives like an SN.

[6balls]

@ScottScott u shud provide scalloping tours. My wife and I would be your first customers!

[Golfguy]

@cnewbert Here is the 2019 SIA52196 located in AZ on ski it again. PM me and I can send you pictures of the 2020.

[DaveD]

Go with the brand that has the best local dealer. A bad dealership can ruin a summer if your boat has an issue.

[DSP]

I’ve owned or had a club boat I’ve partially owned for the last 15 years. Nautique Malibu & Mastercraft.

 

I’m not selling anything right now so no angle here. My favorite has been the Nautique 200. Why? My wife and kids can drive it well, the throttle is super easy to control, wakes for slalom and trick are fantastic.

 

The new Ski Nautique and Pro Star are wonderful but require more driver input. The Malibu’s we’ve had all have had quality issues. Malibu’s would also heat up at elevation.

[dshock]

I am a Nautique Promo Team member, so please know that I realize I am biased.

 

However, I have an 11 year old competitive slalom skier and have spent a lot of time driving and watching skiers at slower speeds and longer line lengths the last 4 years. Here are my observations:

 

1) Nautique: The Nautique 200 performs really well at slower speeds and has a small wake with the hydrogate deployed at all speeds. The boat is the best tracking boat of the lot. It is not super sensitive to balance, though I am pretty anal about this. The new SN is very comparable to the 200. The wake is slightly different, but it is still pretty flat at all speeds. One advantage of the Nautique is that it is a superior trick boat to the ProStar. Between the hydrogate and the new ballast system, it makes a very nice trick wake. At tournaments, very few skiers choose the ProStar for trick.

 

2) Mastercraft: The Mastercraft has always felt very similar to the Nautique in terms of wake. All of the B1 and B2 skiers seem to post similar scores behind these two boats in slalom. At 34, I don't have any complaints about the wake on the Prostar, but have always felt the pull was a little softer - I probably should play with my ZO setting for the ProStar, but haven't done so yet.

 

3) Malibu: The Malibu is fine for 34 mph - I usually ski about the same behind it as other boats. However, the slower speeds are very tough. Comparing tournament scores behind the Malibu with other boats for the B1 kids there was consistently 4-6 balls difference in scores. This was really discouraging for the kids and several of them developed an attitude about the boat. There are different schools of thought here, but generally I lean towards trying to help my son enjoy practice and competing as much as possible and having this boat on our dock would be a deterrent from practicing. It is a solid trick boat and plenty of people choose it for the trick event at tournaments.

 

As others have said, go test them and the relationship with your local dealer should be a major consideration.

 

Thanks,

Dan

[coach3]

ProStar. Slow or fast it is best for slalom.

 

[2Valve]

I'm partial to my buddy's '18 ProStar. All of the boats in our club have great wakes, but the newer PS wakes are just another level of refinement. 32, 35 off is the best.

2Valve

[UWSkier]

Do you plan on pretty much using the boat as a ski-from-the-dock slalom tractor, or will the boat pull crossover duty (i.e. public water use, pulling kids goofing around on wake surfers, wakeboards, tubes)?

 

If doing non three-event stuff, Malibu's wedge makes it really versatile and it's roomy with the biggest open bow of the big 3.

 

But if you're primarily only beginner level slalom skiing on a private lake, ProStar. And I'm a Malibu fan.

[Boo]

My starting speed is 28mph (15 off) and top speed is 30mph. I mainly slalom behind the SN 200. I find that the wake behind the 200 feels softer than the MasterCraft. Regardless, both are great. I much prefer the SN 200 and/or the Ski Nautique for trick skiing.

[blagrata]

I regularly ski behind both a 2018 Prostar and a 2011 Ski Nautique. I have always liked the 200 better. To me the wakes feel softer at 15 off 28-34 mph behind the Nautique. Others have skied both those boats and don't notice much of a difference. My wife thinks there's no difference at 26 mph 15 off. Maybe some of it's in my head and I just need to keep on edge. I'd love to come up with a way to do a blinded comparison. I also regularly pull my 9 year old at a full line between 15.5 and 21 mph. He can make the course pretty smoothly. He thinks the Prostar is a little bumpier at 15.5 through about 18 or 19 mph..... after that he thinks they're the same. To me the wakes on the PS do look a little taller at that speed... and further apart. Both boats are awesome to drive. Nautique seems to take a little less effort. Prostar has a great interior.... very versatile. I'm very interested to try the new Nautique 200 someday. Pictures and video look great.