Which Mastercraft or Ski Nauitique is the Best?

I'm looking to buy a Mastercraft or Ski Nautique.
There are so many models, prices, options, resale, handling, etc. Who makes the best boat and why? Is there any sort of consensus which boat has the Best Wake? Any help would be greatly appeciated. thank you, scott

(Message edited by skukes on June 15, 2005)

New or used?
"Best" is a relative term.

Best for you depends on how much you are going to wakeboard/ski/barefoot or whatever behind your boat.

Also, if the boat has to serve family cruiser duty along wiht watersport boat duty......

Post some more info on your intended useage.

go with whichever makes you look prettiest behind the seat....cause i'm convinced everybody has their own consensus, and other than a few gallons hour gas consumption and a few ego shots, I'm quite sure half these guys can't overcompete most guys with a regular I/O. that's just my opinion though

mastercraft is going to be the prostar 205 or 205v and obviuosly the earlier and late xstars.the 205 is going to have the same hull as the curent x2.

if i were to look at a correct craft i'd look for a super sport. same hull as the current super air/210
i'm not too familiar with their direct drives so i don't know what the best direct drive would be.

Oh geez..here comes another "best boat" flaming thread. Mastercraft owners will say there boat is the best and Ski Nautique owners will say there boat is better. Demo and find out yourself.

If you are looking for the best in the MC line for boarding, it will be the new X-star, or x-2 depending on the amount of cash you want to spend. For CC, it would be the Super Air, or the 211(I think)for boarding.

No, there is no consensus. both are top notch boats. the wake shape will be different behind them. depends what YOU want. go drive both. But, try to sit IN the seat, not behind it

Why the "BEST". Why does everybody feel compelled to own the "BEST"? Why not buy what you like? Buying to be accepted is a bad purchase. Buying for what suits your needs is the intelligent method.

If I had any recommendation, I would buy a couple year old boat. Let someone else eat the tax and depreciation. A boat 2 years ago is as good as most the new ones that are $15-30K more.

Just my 3.7 cents worth

I guess the best boat question is tough. Say out of the following models (for wakeboarding) Mastercraft X2,X10,X30,XStar Ski Nauitque Air 211,Air216,Air226,Air210. I narrowed these down because I want the wrap around seating. Are any of these boats known to have the sickest wake or are they all will put up a nice wake? Is the walkthru loading on the Ski Nautique nice to have or it is a waste of room? Just looking to narrow it a bit. I would consider a 2 year old boat but just worried about getting someone elses headache.

First off. Please stop saying Ski Nautique. Correct Craft makes several models of boats including the Ski Nautique, which is a slalom boat.

If you are into wakeboarding then you want to look at the larger boats that CC has to offer such as the Air 210, the Nautique 211V and the 216 series Sport and Air models.

Mastercraft 205, X2 and XStars are what you would look at in their lineups. The 209 may also work.

Either brand will serve you well but the dealer will make or break your boat ownership happiness. Check out the dealers thoroughly and test drive all the available models that you are interested in before making your decision.

They are all good boats. You need to pic the one that fits your needs the best. Will space be a concern? Are the dealers close, and most important, reputable(sp?). Just because you buy a boat that has the "sickest wake" does not mean you will be the sickest rider.

My problem is I'm going to end up buying a more expensive model than I need just because I think I'm getting more. I really need a boat that I'm going to use to Wakeboard/barefoot/ski behind that will perform with 6 or 7 people on board. But I'm also gonna do a little family cruising/partying.

To do the three event narrows your seach down. The X-2 sounds like a good fit, or the 226. I have never been in the CC, but it looks like a nice boat. I am not sure about the space. Is the skiing part competitive as far as the wake being small? If not, the X-30, or 45 might be more your speed. Don't count out the Malibu LSV either.

The Nautique SV-211 is getting decent reviews as both a ski and wakeboard boat. Check this site for more info on that particular boat, there are alot of posts from owners on there:

http://www.planetnautique.com

I am not sure how it barefoots though. You may also really want the ZR6 engine if you want to barefoot. Most say the SV-211 is underpowered with the 330 HP Excalibur Engine.

99% Wakeboarding..1% skiing/barfoot use. No competiive skiiing. So I definitely want the tower and a massive wake. Which boat has the
ZR6 engine?

You really need to decide if you want a V-drive or a Direct Drive, based on your activities. If you want world class slalom wakes, look at the DD models. If you are mainly wakeboarding and only recreational skiing / footing, and the wife wants the more family oriented seating, then go w/ the V. Once you make that major choice, then you can narrow your choices based on how big a boat you want and budget.

Timing is everything, you answered the question before I posted. You are definitely in the v-drive market.

CC Does.

99% wakeboarding and a CC....Personally I like the SV 211 but 210 is legendery.(world class wake)

99% wakeboarding and a MC....The x-star is all the room and all the bling with a siick wake(if weight properly) tho it is expensive.x-2 my personal favorite and also known as a world class wake has a better slalom wake then a 210 SAN.


IMO best choices in no particular order for wakeboarding are......


X-star,x-2,SV 211 and SAN 210

The 210 and the SV-211 both can have the ZR6. My 210 has the Excalibur, and it's fine for what i do, which is what most do with it. Fill every corner with weight and charge the wake.

You said you would usually have 6-7 in the boat, that may put you in the 23' boat range. The 210 and the X-2 are 21' ft boats. They are great for 4-5, but then you start exiling folks to the bow to get the boat on plane. They are easier to wieght though and you get to ride at longer rope lengths due to the wake being a bit more narrow. We are usually a 4 person crew with a couple kids thrown in the mix, so our 210 is great. I am also a huge fan of the X-2 and the Malibu VLX, they are comparable boats, but each have different wakes.

You may want to consider the larger boats like the X-30, SV211, and the Malibu LSV.

You may also want to consider the dealerships that are within your area. If buying new, your dealer experience will play a major part in your satisfaction and warrenty claims.

thanks..this is all very helpful. does the 210 and the SV-211 come with the tower? those are v-drive?

the CC Air 211 does not seem to get such great reviews on this site. Seems like the x2 or x30 is my boat.

SV 211 is great but is not as big as flux has made you believe.It's just as long as an x-2 but it is just wider.SV 211 still fall into the small boat catogory,like the 210 or the x-2,not the x-30 size.


If you are considering between the x-30 and the x-2???



Go for the x-2..you won't be disappointed at all and you will see that......Fitting 7 to 8 adults with their gear is not a problem if you orgenize all the gear and have xtra board racks,but the problem is getting everybody to get 2 pulls.muchless people that want 3 or more!

Just my .02 after going with hardcore wakeboarders for the winter.

Ed nailed it... I'd look at 210 natique or X-2. I guess I'm partial to the X-2. If you go MC, get the MCX motor. With 350 HP in a boat the size of the X-2 you'll have plenty of power in reserve.

You gu's are all wrong 05 VLX is the only way to go.

I don't recall him asking about Malibu's.

Both of those are crap. I wouldn't own one unless it was a Tige. No, I forgot that is a crap boat and the wake sucks as well. I wouldn't ride behind anything other than a Centurion. No, I forgot that is a crap boat and the wake sucks. Really I would only buy a Supra. Oh, oh, oh, I heard from another member that that was a crap boat as well. Get the point. Anyone with any sense will tell you to DEMO, DEMO, DEMO and pick the one that fits you. It is your money and don't let anyone else tell you how to spend it.

everyone, thank you for taking your time to help me.

You can't make a wrong choice between CC and MC, plus you should also consider a Malibu if there is a good dealer in your area. These are "the big three" choose your flavor and buy from a dealer that will support his product. Personally I have been a CC guy for over 30 years but there have been quite a few times over the years when a MC or Malibu clearly outperformed CC's current offerring. I recently bought a SV211, it's a great boat that meets my needs and I am generally happy with my purchase. But, don't get me wrong, there are quite a few things about this boat that I would change if I was in the designer's seat. From a performance standpoint my opinion is that CC has a slight edge but the MCs are much nicer looking and have some great features. You are comparing what I would consider the Mercedes of Boats (CC) to the Porsche of Boats (MC), throw in Malibu as BMW.

As other's have mentioned there are other good boats at various price points. Supra (Lexus), Sanger (Jaguar), Tige (Infinity), etc.

The one thing that really turns me off as a boat buying customer is a dealer that talks negatively about other boats, it's just poor salesmenship.

I recently purchased an x2 and love it. I think you'll like the 05 MC towers better than any competitors, but that's just my opinion. X2's are beautiful boats with big wakes if weighted right. Theres storage under almost every seat. Demo one and make your choice.