Need boat recommendation

[kirkbauer]

I grew up slalom skiing, but only on inexpensive boats. Then, 20 years later, I spent a few years behind wakeboard boats. I really hate the wake, and on a few occasions that I have been able to ski behind a real ski boat (Ski Nautique, Mastercraft, or Malibu) I really enjoyed the minimal wake.

 

Now I'm moving to a lake house and want to get back into skiing in a big way. I also want to get a good boat. My wife would like a nicer, newer boat. I just want something that can pull me up quick and give me a small wake. It seems a direct-drive, mid-engine ski boat would meet my desires pretty well. We also want to have ample space for guests, and finally it would be ideal if the boat could also be usable for wakeboarding for the younger ones.

 

I'm the kind of person that would rather spend $100k on a new boat that I'll love for 20 years than $50k on a more marginal boat. So more or less, cost is not a concern here, although I don't want to waste money unnecessarily on things I don't need or won't enjoy. Unfortunately, I have never been on a course (and there isn't a course on my new lake), I just love skiing, and going fast (I typically ski at 35mph). I can't even tell you how many feet off I ski at, because most of the boats I'm skiing longer than standard to try to find the best wake. So assume I'm starting at zero off and working my way up from there.

 

Finally, some sort of speed control is a must-have for me, so it is easy for my wife to keep a consistent speed. I'm sure that Zero Off can do that, but I'm not sure about the Prostar. I'll probably ski 99% of the time in the same cove that my house is on, so even without a course can Zero Off help with a consistent path through that cove? Does it steer the boat or just control the speed? And is there any sort of "launch control" that can provide a consistent power curve for deep starting?

 

I wanted some feedback on my thoughts so far, and I wanted to know if there are options I'm missing.

 

Ski Nautique 200: wife loves the style of the new ones, we love the open-bow option for extra seating, plus the seating in the back (when nobody is skiing). We'd get the wake tower as well. I can't tell if we can adjust the wake to make it at all useful for wakeboarding though?

 

Ski Nautique: As I understand it, this is more of a pro-skier model? I can't imagine I need any of the improvements from a skiing perspective. It looks like it might have more wake options for wake boarding. But it doesn't seem to offer an open-bow.

 

ProStar: I see one picture with an open-bow, but I don't see that option in the online configuration tool. I don't see a middle seat next to the driver like in the Nautique. I can't tell if there are rear seats? Is there any sort of speed control? Can it adjust at all for wakeboarding?

[Mastercrafter]

All three boats mentioned will have Zero Off speed control which will use every bit of HP available to maintain the set speed-- nothing controls steering and pull-up except the driver. If you turn with Zero Off engaged, the engine will again work as hard as it can to maintain speed which feels pretty weird to the skier, so plan to keep the boat path straight.

 

I cant comment on the Nautiques at wakeboard speeds, but the Prostar pretty much sucks. It's a small wake to start, and anything above about 18mph gets pretty flat. It does have GREAT low speed ski wake for beginners and it only gets better with speed. Prostars are ALL open bow with optional bow seating and fiberglass bow cover, and optional back seats. All Prostars have a fold-down walkthrough jump seat in the middle. Super roomy inside as well. Can you tell I'm a Prostar guy? I think bang-for-the-buck, it's the best boat, except wakeboard wake is going to suck. Maybe you could throw some ballast in the back?

 

I've been behind both a Ski Nautique and 200 and both felt great as well at 30-34 MPH, -15, but I haven't felt shorter rope length wakes. Nautiques are surely great boats as well.

 

@kirkbauer -- where are you from?

[bananaron]

The best way to find out is to drive and ski the boats.I have recently had many different boats and I enjoyed all of them......

[Jody_Seal]

Get the Mastercraft! Best bang for the buck on the market right now.

After riding in the nautique this weekend I found interior parts already falling apart everywhere.

I have a buddy that just ordered a new "closed" bow malibu. looking forward to the feedback on that boat.

[BraceMaker]

If I was budgeting 100K I would be getting some combo of boats not just one.

 

No offense to 100K ski boats but for your purposes I'd look for a nice used ski boat around 40-50k I would consider a malibu for the wedge which when deployed is a reverse hydrofoil that pulls the stern down for bigger wakes but can be swung up for less wake. With a tower this boat would wakeboard well.

 

You could also certainly do the new prostar with a tower and maybe a ballast bag for the kids wakeboarding they will do fine if theyre younger kids.

 

I would then spend the money you saved on a nice boat lift and dock and a pontoon.

 

Size the pontoon for the body of water. And by that I mean always get a good sized pontoon but if youre on a big lake get a bigger engine and probably a tritoon.

 

My wife and her friends love pontoon cruises and theyre great for taking out all the kids fishing. Or to go out and swim from.

 

I also use ours when I have a bunch of people who want to ski like a mobile dock and anchor it out by where the skiers are actually skiing lets people see their kids

[robmollysilverlake]

Definitely agree with @BraceMaker - get a ski boat and a pontoon for your needs!

 

[escmanaze]

Remember that while the kids are still young, a ski boat with a tower is actually the BEST scenario for them to learn wakeboarding. The tower gives them the tall tow point, and then the smaller wake is actually better for learning, especially while they are small. And in fact, all the way through intermediate, the small wake will encourage them to continue to work on fundamentals and spin tricks etc. and it will be easier for them to resist the urge to become "heelside heroes". Until they can do wake to wake 360's both heel and toeside and both regular and switch, your boat is absolutely not the constraining factor in their progression.

 

The 200 will give them a better slow speed wakeboard wake with the hydrogate in trick mode, but the prostar will give you a better all around ski wake at all line lengths and speeds. Both are quite roomy, by ski boat standards at least, especially with the open bow. Also, for everybody but a hardcore skier, your standard tow point will be the tower, and that opens up the back seats for people to sit in as well. Also, some fat butts in the back seat will make the kids wakeboard wake bigger and rampier, so for them, you will only need fat sacks once they are intermediate AND the boat is empty.

 

I don't like the new malibus, but if you can find one of the old designs before like about 2016 or so and get it with the wedge, and of course, a tower, then that would be a pretty good option as well. That would leave you more money to put toward an additional pontoon, or eventually a wake boat if your kids ever get to the advanced level.

[rayn]

The after 2014 Prostar’s has an open bow standard and is not optional. The bow cover is optional but most boats have it, the middle seat is standard also but also folds down to access the bow. Rear seats are optional, with most slalom tugs the backs seats are removed and never seen again.

[malibuduude]

If you were me, you would look at Prostar 214/ x14 or Malibu VTX . probably SN200 if looking for top slalom wake.

[Horton]

[jpwhit]

When my wife and I bought our Lake House 2 years ago, we faced the same boat choice dilemma. Like you, I grew up slalom skiing behind relatively inexpensive boats.

 

To give you a little context. The first boat I owned was a 1997 Four Winns Horizon RS 180. By sheer luck, it ended up being a pretty good cross-over boat. I found out after owning it for years, that it was one of the few I/Os that was reviewed by Waterski magazine for course skiing and was deemed fairly adequate. When my daughter were early teens, we bought a portable course, I installed Perfect Pass, and we all learned to ski the course behind that boat. I also had a lightweight minimal tower on the boat, and it was a darn good wake board boat too. This was all pre-surfing.

 

When my daughters went to UNC, they both skied on the waterski team and we joined a private ski club that had a Nautique 196. I sold the Four Winns and bought a Nautique 200. UNC went to Nationals all four years my girls skied there and that was a wonderful experience for them and for my wife and I getting to attend and watch some college tournaments.

 

When we bought the lake house, I knew from our past experience that we weren't going to be happy with a crossover boat. I sold my 200 years earlier when my girls were no longer at home, and I was only skiing at the ski club. During the years when we owned the 200, we missed having a "big lake" boat. I used the 200 on the big lake some, but with the ease in which the open bow would take over water when we had more than 3-4 people, it really wasn't adequate. And surfing, wake boarding, air-chair, while doable, simply weren't good enough.

 

Again, by sheer luck in timing, I ended up buying the lake house, a 2014 MasterCraft X25, and a 2019 Prostar at pre-pandemic prices. The X25 was a little rough and I've done a lot of work on it to get it into nice cosmetic and into 100% mechanical shape. But I saved a lot of money by fixing up the X25. I mention this because I ended up getting the 2 boats in the general range of cost you mentioned. Pandemic prices likely won't last forever....

 

I have absolutely no-regrets going the 2-boat route. Actually, the opposite, after going this route I couldn't imagine going the single boat route. When we're out at the slalom course at the big lake, we use the X25 sort of like a pontoon boat for people to hang out while others are skiing. I'm actually looking for an old pontoon boat right now that I can rebuild into a floating dock for the same purpose --- because I haven't figured out a way to install a fridge and gas grill on the X25 :)

 

[jjackkrash]

We skied behind all the 2021s a couple weeks ago at a tournament (SN [not the 200], MC, Malibu). They are all good boats and they all ski great, IMO. My personal favorite is the Nautique, especially from the driver's seat and the fit and finish. I also prefer the closed bow for storage and visibility. I would suggest driving the boats before you make a decision and crawl around them to see the differences and how you would use them.

[Edmund]

I agree with @BraceMaker

Malibu with wedge and a pontoon boat. Lots of fun with the amount of money spent.

[ironhorse]

I'm in the "same boat" as @jpwhit. The best of both worlds requires two boats. I run a 2021 Prostar for my use and a 2014 X2 for the kids to surf. If I was only to run one boat I would look at the Nautique GS, Mastercraft XT or the Malibu VTX. You will be sacrificing the ski wake on any crossover though.

[jpwhit]

That there is pretty funny ...... I'm in the "same boat" as @jpwhit.

[6balls]

Go back to a Nautique 196 or if you need an open bow a Malibu Response Lxi or a Prostar 197, then get a pontoon. Dollars ahead, all the versatility. Crossover boats are kinda worthless for anything IMO.

[walstib]

I agree 100%.....oh, wait - I'm in the same boat as jpwhit. We ski behind a 2009 196 and have a 2013 Malibu 23 LSV for surfing, foiling, and as a party boat. I think it's the perfect combination, and can't imaging compromising on one boat.