scorban2

Pretty much decided on the 91-94 MC unless I can get a tsc1 for only a bit more. Found a tsc1 nautique with 1400 hrs. Treated well, is there any issues buying a boat with that many hours? I was shooting for 1000 or less hours, but may be interested if the price is right.

The lack of hole in the battery box is what I was wondering about. It had been on a lift for a while, so I didn't think it would have been too bad. I wasn't looking at buying it (just a friends boat) so I didn't snoop around a whole lot. When it just sat in the water with no one in the boat, the swim platform was ~1-2" above the water, so I don't think it was that bad. It also alarmed me how much it shook when we took off. He said his kids have hit a few things in the lake and the prop is a bit dinged up. I've read that can affect wake, but figured those effects to be relatively minor.

@BraceMaker - Are you talking about an upgrade to electronic ignition over points? Didn't see anything about that on PP's website, but that's not an issue @MISkier - I got a chance to ski the 96 PS last Friday. At ~32 mph and 15 and 22 off, the wake was quite a bit bigger than I expected (and bigger than the TSC1). He mentioned that his exhaust and shaft seal leak a bit, and there was some water under the battery when I hooked up the cables, so I'm wondering if there was a decent amount of water in the bottom of the boat. Is the battery compartment sealed from the bottom, or would that be indicative of water in the boat? I never opened the engine compartment to look (kicking myself now).

@Przybyla I'm at a similar skill level right now and am on a Radar Senate. I love the ski. It's forgiving, yet fast when you're on edge and stacked. Pretty sure it's not what's holding be back at this point!

I've been doing some more research and have a few more questions for the group: 1) Carb'd boats have never scared me in my search, and I've been around them my whole life. However, a friend mentioned that he'd go EFI so that the acceleration is smoother, making it easier to teach new skiers. We've really never had that issue with our I/O's, so I was wondering if any of you guys fought that with carb'd boats? 2) I've considered a few Malibu's as well, and only personally have experience with a 02 SS LXI. The one thing that sticks in my mind about that boat is how loud it was riding in the boat (you'd have to yell from drivers seat to back seat). I've been in MC's and Nautiques from the era, both of which were nice and quiet. Is that pretty typical of the late 90s/early 00's Malibus? While I haven't got to ski on the 96 MC yet (just getting over a sinus infection), I did get a chance to experience a TSC1 Nautique thanks to @Skoot1123, which I enjoyed. Should hit the MC by the weekend.

@TallSkinnyGuy Agree 100%. When I got my Senate, the CX or TX weren't really considered. The Omni seems like it's trying to fill that gap.

@MISkier When I looked through all the replies again I saw the link to the 97 Response you posted and also came across another 97 Response yesterday. That's pretty much the same boat hull/shape wise (SV23) as the earlier Echelon's correct? Other than EFI, wake and tracking should be similar, right? Is the long line bump on those boats better/worse than the 95-97 190s? Chatted with an old coworker that's got a 96 MC he barefoots with, and he's going to give me a pull to try that out.

@ScarletArrow I've been using the chest strap, and you can alleviate a lot of your arms if you shorten up the straps so that it's as high as it can go, just below the base of my neck.

I've come across a few of the 95-97 190's with asking prices that are not much more (some less) than some of the 94 PS 190's with EFI I've seen, and it looks like they are noticeably bigger inside. Seems like the consensus is the wake may not be quite as good at the 94, but still very good. Is the difference in interior room noticeable?

Mississippi river near the Cordova nuclear plant, north of the Quad Cities. Pretty rare to see the main channel this smooth (wind and boats), but we decided to take advantage of it.

In addition to @gregy 's comments, make sure you're not pulling past the wakes. I've got a friend with the same issue, and he's still trying to break the habit of continuing to pull out once he crosses the wake. You should pull through the wakes, then coast/glide out with the momentum you've built.

@foxriverat That's one of the main ones I've got my eyes on. I also found another one on SIA yesterday (though a bit far of a drive) that tweaked my interest. One concern is that it's got one of the wakeboard poles on it that's attached/replaced the pylon. Should I be concerned about damage done to the pylon/mount from having one of these on the boat?

As someone who skis behind both an i/o and a tournament boat, the difference to me is night and day. Whether you hit it hard, or roll into it on an I/o, the boat is also struggling to get on plane between 10 -15 mph, at which point its hard for you to stand up. The fact that a DD ski boat planes out so much faster means that the acceleration is more constant, and you're up on the water much faster. I'll also second the deep V rope (or cheater rope as we call it). It's what I learned with, and what we teach everyone with. Helps new folks keep the ski in front of them before you start standing.

@BraceMaker which of the two do you get wet more often?

@DW Good point. I'll be doing all of the normal maintenance myself. Not sure where the closest Nautique dealer is for something major, but Liquid Edge in Farmer City isn't too far, and I work with them for coaching too.

Thanks again for all of the responses. I'd like to stay <$10K budget wise, but am not opposed to flexing a bit for the right boat. I've found multiple 91-93 (non efi) boats that fit that range. I'm in North Central IL, but am open to a 6-7 hour drive to get something. Is there much of a difference in interior room between the TSC1 196 and the 91-94 Prostars?

All, thanks for the comments. You're helping to reaffirm my thoughts on going for the ProStar. I currently only ski behind an i/o other than a handful of sets behind a 2016 ProStar during lessons, so likely any these boats will be much better than what I'm used to. I've done very little course skiing, so the wake at 15 and 22 off is what I'm most concerned about as that's where I free ski, and where I'd be in the course for a while. From what I gather, the 91-94 PS is superior at those lengths specifically compared to some of the others. @ALPJr How many hours did your's have that sold for $7k? That seems a bit lower than most of what I've been seeing. Might be a negotiating point. I've been eyeing these two that I've found over the past few weeks. Not FI, but that's by no means a deal breaker. 93 on SIA 91 on Craiglist

All, I'm looking to pull the trigger on buying an actual ski boat. Looking at the 91-94 ProStars, but also came accross a 93 Malibu Echelon in my searches. 93 Malibu. I know the ProStars are great slalom boats, but does anyone have any experience with the early Echelons? Also, I've also found references to the 91-94 prostars being a rougher ride than most in chop. While we try to avoid it, at times we cruise through some chop on the way to smooth parts of the river when the winds are right. Is the ride really that much worse on these boats than other ski boats of the era?

Another nod for the Senate alloy. Ive been on one now for almost 2 years, and came from a freeride and it's quite the upgrade performance wise. Vector front and rtp rear.

When learning to slalom, I was told/read to put my dominant foot in the back, since that's what you used to turn. I never switched feet once I realized it was wrong (tried and quickly gave up).

Lake Mattoon in central IL. Like @"Keith Menard" said, have to get up early to see it like this.

Strapped the combo's on for an afternoon flag ski around the lake yesterday.

I don't have a real refined workout plan for the winter months, but I find that hitting the gym on a regular basis and staying active is much better than doing nothing :smile:. Some good advice on this thread that I'm going to use to try to get a bit more out of my gym time though. @Razorskier1 I'd be interested in some of the things you've come up with.

Now that we've wrapped up harvest (1.5 months without skiing), looking to get out this weekend to sneak in one last run. Water is ~55 and forecast for 75 air Saturday!

Great webcast. It was pretty interesting to see the guy from UC Davis run the course a few times on a wakeboard!