Best Ski boat for wakeboarding?
 

What are the best ski boats that will produce a nice wakeboard wake when ballasted up? I know that the Prostar 205 and 205V which then became the X-star are probably top of the list. But what about the others, what are ones that are completely useless for wakeboarding, which make an ok wake with ballast, and what others (if there are any) make great wakes with ballast.
For example:
Prostar 190
Prostar 197
MC X5
Nautique 196
Malibu response (if anyone does reccomend this which models?)

I'm sure there must be others that people can reccomend or warn against too. I'm in the UK so we don't really get things like Moomba, Supra, Epics etc (if they ever made ski boats).

Thanks!

Diamond Hull Malibu is a pretty decent hybrid hull.

Sport Nautique.

You are kind of all over the place for prices. What type of price are you looking to spend?

I'm in the UK so prices are different (in the bad way) over here. But up to £20k ideally... I don't mind spending less if the boat suits needs. Likewise if there was a boat that was perfect for both I could spend more, but only up to about £30k tops. The Sport Nautique 200 is supposed to be one of those, but as you can only get them new and prices look to start at £45k + in the UK it's too much for me.

PS205 same hull as original x star and like others have said the sport nautique these were the 2 original wakeboard boats.

SN2001 is a good budget wakeboat.

Super Sport Nautique
Prostar 205 V-Drive
Sport Nautique
Prostar 205 Direct Drive
Malibu Sunsetter (etc etc)
Supra Soltaire (etc etc)
1982-1989 Ski Nautique 2001

So many good options... especially 20-21ft bowriders made by the top 4 (Correct Craft, MasterCraft, Malibu, Supra)

FYI/IMO a Ski Nautique 196 or a Prostar 190 (any year) would be way, way waaaaaaaaaaaaaay down at the bottom of this kind of list.

Think, older, bigger, bowriders and you'll find lots to choose from.

ditto on the SN2001, sac this boat out and it will produce a nice wake!

I wouldnt' exclude a prostar 190 if it is a 95-97. Same hull as the 205v but smaller. The boat has enough freeboard to sac out and create a big extremely solid and clean wake. Being able to see your floor after sacking it out might be a different story. It also has as good of a ski wake as any boat every made besides the 196 nautique and maybe even the 91-94 prostar 190.

If you're fine with at "bare bones" ski boat, the Malibu Sportster will throw a great wake with the wedge down and a bunch of weight in it.

The Malibu Response LXI will be your best bet.

We needed an AWSA approved 3 event tow boat to pull tournaments, and wanted something family / lake friendly too.

This was 08, before the Nautique 200. Closed bow 196 was out. Mastercraft 197 is too shallow in rear, you could never go out on that boat in a big lake and not get drenched.

After being an AWSA driver for 3+ yrs, i had spent a lot of time in them all. The malibu dominates for a multi-function boat. If i was on a private slalom course all the time, id go nautique, but the malibu skis and handles awesome for how much bigger it is.

Add some friends, drop the wedge, and wakeboard with a nicely shaped wake, or surf.

I've put more balast in to surf, but it doesn't make it significantly better.

I go out on open water all the time in this boat with 6-9 friends. Little cramped, but overall, does excellent.

If you are a skiier looking for more of a crossover, without stepping up to a larger (Mc 205, Nautique 226, Sport natique, etc) boat, this malibu is great.

The hull i am referecing is 08-11. THe 05 or 06-07 hull was very similar.

THe 08 and up will probably be out of your pricerange, but the 05-07 may be doable. Not sure on your market over there.

If that doesn't work, look at the previous generation malibu. If you go pre05, i'd go Mastercraft instead of Malibu. Malibu's build quality / level of finish / materials got WAY nicer in 05.

Only thing I agree with in the above post is the comment about 05+ Malibus are why we talk about the "big 3" now and include Malibu in that. Malibu is awesome. I completely disagree that a newer Response would ever make for a good wake boat without 1500+ ballast just to get started. Don't get me wrong - great boat. Sounds like you know that, and that you own one. But I would never recommend that boat as a wakeboarding machine. No way. Nice boat. Very nice. Not a good choice for wakeboarding as the primary sport, not a snowball's chance. Again, I don't want anyone's underwear getting in a bungle. Nice boat. Ok? There is nothing wrong with the fact that since it is a ridiculously awesome slalom/3-event boat, that makes it manifestly not a wakeboarding option. Just trying to point this guy in the right direction, and this isn't it.

This however is the right direction: