Need help deciding on a boat!!!
 

Hey guys new to the site, So I'm currently in the market for a older boat to get back into wakeboarding. My budget is less than 15k, right now i'm looking at a 1997 sport nautique and a 1995 malibu echelon. Based on "real experience" which boat is going to be better suited to wakeboarding and possible wake surfing. Which has the ability to produce the "biggest Wake" obviously they're both direct drive so weight will be needed. I'm mostly curious has anyone ridden each or own one or the other? Or is there any other models around this price that is a good setup?
Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks

Sport nautique is the same hull as the super air nautique, so it's gonna throw a great wake with ballast. Great option in your price range.

I don't think either will surf worth a damn but like Tom said the Sport Nautique is the same hull as the SAN. Besides having the ability to throw an amazing wake those hulls are known to be efficient, meaning they don't need a lot of weight to produce a good wake. If you could find a way to plumb a bag in the rear locker and the ski locker up front you have a good start and then many a couple 500 pound sacks for the sides when you need the extra weight. Can't beat that era nautique for quality either. Super solid boats.

Are you sure about that?

Did you get your Centurion Elite wakeboard wake figured out yet? So far, throwing 700lbs in the bow isn't helping the wake. My wake is the cleanest with no weight in the ballast. It is decent size running nothing either. It is still weight sensitive but I can adjust by adding a little ballast to the side that is washing. 65' rope length and 23 mph it starts to clean up really nice. A quick change of the wakeplate will fix the portside wake.

93-06 sports and 95-06 supersports have same running surface

Ok thanks for the info guys, so what I've read the sport nautiques are the same hull as the air nautiques? (in the 90's). If that's the case I'm leaning towards a nautique.

Yes, except pro air nautique. That had a different hull than the sport/sport air/air nautique/super sports and super air nautiques... The pro air had a different hull. All the others I listed are the same from 93-06. 89-92 Sport is different.

For what it's worth, I have ridden an echelon with 2 250s, the wedge and a high pole and it was respectable. Steep kick with a solid hard lip... I prefer nautiques but the echelon was nice for a closed bow inboard... It is also spacious for a closed bow boat...

Not that it matters to the OP but I thought the sport nautique hull changed in the early 2000's when they went to the 206 and 216?

I'm fairly certain the 216 is the same hull as the hull I reference until 2006

EDIT Just did a search... appears the 206 is essentially the 'ski nautique open bow' from those years... They used to make the older 196s in an open bow model. Looks like they stopped doing that and started calling them the 206 at some point...

350s in each rear, 540 in bow, stock 250 and 23mph @ 65 feet. Wake is clean and has good pop.