Richard: Just to clear things up and set the record straight Newer Direct Drive Nautiques are called. ("AIR NAUTIQUE's or 216's"= a Direct Drive)
Older V drive Nautiques are called ("SUPER SPORT= V-drive) Older Direct Drive Nautiques are called ("Sport Nautiques"=Direct Drive) Newer V- Drive Nautiqes are called ("SUPER AIR's or 210's= a V drive)
I have a Air Nautique or 216 a Direct Drive.
The differance between the V-drive and Direct drive in my year of boat (2002) is Storage room. The V drive has more storage. The Wakeboard wake. The V drive has a much larger wakeboard wake. Freeboard. The V drive has a taller freeboard and sits a few inches higher in the water. IMO its easyer to drive because newbiee's wont swamp or dip the front end as easy as on a Direct Drive.
Now for the Pro's IMO You have way more leg room in the Direct Drive. You have the ability to have a relitavly small ski wake and SKI behind the Direct drive. You can always add weight and make the wake as big as a Super Air but you can NEVER make a Super Airs wake small. IMO the Direct drive rides better in rough watter than the V drive.
This pretty much summ's it up for me. If you are never gonna Ski and pretty much wakeboard all the time the get a Super Air. If you have a Large family with lots of gear get the Super Air. If your family is small (kid's) and you Ski and or want your kids to ski. Then you should think about the AIR. If I had to do it all over again. I might think about about a V drive. Im in the minorty I love my Direct drive. It works great for how I use it. The only thing I would change or Add would be a huge under the floor balast system KGB or Pure vert style system. IMO If I could add 1000 lbs of under floor balast to my boat it would be the PERFICT boat. I took the stock balast tanks out of my boat so I could have more room. The stock balast was like 450 lbs and took up lots or room.
I throw a 600 LB sack in the rear trunk and the wake is the same or better than the stock. Its a pain in the butt Balast bags and pump's. Like I said I would love to add a under floor ballast system If I thought I could do it with out destroying the hulls integrety.