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Looking for my first Nautique. '93--'99. Would like to stay under 13k. Primary use slalom, barefoot, wakeboard. Let me know what you have...or, what is out there. I am an hour north of Indianapolis, Indiana. Thanks!
Rob
Your options in those years are Ski Nautique, Sport Nautique (also optioned as an Air Nautique) and Super Sport Nautique (also optioned as the Super Air Nautique).
You can eliminate the Super Sport/Super Air as they are not great for Slalom. Also these tend to be a little more expensive and difficult to find one under 13K.
The Ski Nautiques from those years are great slalom boats but not the best for wake boarding. Still if you are more into Skiing and Barefooting then they are an option. They also tend to be a little cheaper then the other two boats. There are two variants in that period, the NWZ (slanted back) and TSC (bubble butt). Both are great but the TSC hulls (97+) will hold there own against modern boats. They come in open and closed bow configs but the open bows are rare and the bow is very small. I'd stick with the closed bow skis.
Sport Nautiques are the sweet sport, they do everything well. They are not as good for skiing as the Ski Nautique or as good for boarding as the Super Sport but they are still excellent at both. There are also open bow, so have a good amount of room. They come in two basic versions the 93 to 97 slant back or the 97+ bubble butt. The bubble butt has storage behind the back seats which the slanted back version doesn't. Most prefer the look of the slanted back.
So if I were you I would read up on the Ski Nautique and Sport Nautiques from that era and choose what you want. If it's the best ski wake, then go with the 97+ ski. Best all rounder or most room choose one of the a Sport Nautiques.
As a plug I do have a '95 Sport for Sale and would be willing to let it go for under 13k (new interior, new trailer, new cover, Skylon Extended Pylon). Boat is in New Jersey. PM me if you'd like some details.
Great information! I do like the appearance of the TSC 'bubble butt' better. By no means am I a professional skier...just recreational at best. I do like to barefoot once in a while. More importantly, I have two young daughters that I would like to teach how to ski and wakeboard. Open bow versus closed is not a deal breaker for me. Again, thank you for the information!
I have a '98 Sport, love the boat. When run light, meaning low on fuel, not much in the trunk, the slalom wake is quite good. I ski on '97 and '98 Ski Nautiques fairly often and while no question their slalom wake is better, for my skill level the Sport is good enough. I'm a hack wakeboarder but my friend is pretty good, and with a pair of 400 lb. ballast bags beside the motor box he finds the wake good enough. I'm one of those people that really loves the look of the '93-'97 Sport but the trunk on the '98 up adds a ton of very useful storage, you can make a lot of gear disappear from the cockpit with the trunk, in floor ski locker, and observer seat storage.
You definitely can find a Ski or Sport in turn key shape in your budget.
If this boat is not sold go buy it, would be the perfect boat for what you want at a really good price, don't delay.
99' Sport/Air is the first year of the walk-thru open bow, slalom wake is very nice, totally capable barefoot boat other then the table is a bit rough for wake crossings and will give a very respectable wake for board sports, as an added bonus the boat has really great storage in the floor and trunk.
Here is a 97' SNOB, looks like it needs some lovin, further away but if trailer is included and it does not need an interior good starting point on price. Once that Black/Blue gel is polished up it will look very nice.
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