226TE VS 210 SANTE, need help?

[The Juggernaut]

OK, so I'm a pretty solid rider. I have a huge trick list complete with a solid set of mobes. What I need to know is, in the long run how much would I be sacrificing if I chose the 226 over a 210. I have ridden both, and felt the the 226 was solid, obviously the wakes were a bit different but I feel like I got about the same amount of air on each. I was very impressed with the double up on the 226. Can people please respond by answering things such as fuel consumption, what happens when you add extra weight to a 226 and overall what you think about a rider that is fairly well accomplished will be able to perform like behind this boat. I already have a 99 SAN and am very satisfied with the wake performance of this boat. However I do like the extra room in the 226. Obviously performance is the main issuse here, so basicallly what I'm asking is "Does performance suffer that much if I make the step up to the big boy?"

[gotpwr]

Supposedly some of the Pro's(Murray) are moving to the 226 for '05. I heard this at a Nautique get together my dealer had a couple weeks ago.

[NautiqueJeff]

Supposedly some of the Pro's(Murray) are moving to the 226 for '05. I heard this at a Nautique get together my dealer had a couple weeks ago.

I heard that too. Sounds a little strange, but it must be true.

[jefe]

It is true, Shaun had the 226 for '04, not sure about 05 though. I know that supposedly, the 226 has an incredible wake if you weight it right.

[AirNautiqueRider226]

When I weight down my 226 and add ballast the wake is awesome. That boat is designed to be weighed down and have a nice crisp big wake.

[gotwake]

I own a 02 SANTE and had the same dilemma. I have driven and rode behind the 226 now in a couple of different conditions.
Some observations on the 226 compared to my boat:

Weighted: (lead and 3 sacs):
Didn’t like the walkway as a place to put the fat-sac
Used more gas than my boat
Took a while getting on plane (used 2 different props) felt a little underpowered - had the upgraded motor
Wake was a little less than my 02 (especially with that weight) – Shape - kinda a cross between a Mastercraft and the SAN, longer transition, not as much lip
Double up was nice and big, boat handles the chop really well (more on that in a minute)
Overall, you will not be let down by the wake – you’ll be able to do everything you normally do. In answer to your question, I pulled a couple of people who are at the semi / pro level and they had no problem going HUGE.

Un-weighted:
The main reason for me looking at this boat is that the lakes around here fill up very fast and the water turns to chop early. It would be nice to stay out on the lake for tube runs with the kids or just go and play around, but we typically head for the ramp instead of taking the beating. The lack of freeboard on my 02 sometimes makes me a little nervous in the heavier chop when the kids are on-board. The 226 is much deeper and handles the choppy water very well. I was very impressed with driving this boat and putting it through its paces. LOTS more storage!

Thinking about going to the 226 next year, we’ll have to see.

[Ron_Krum]

Re: 226TE VS 210 SANTE, need help?

OK, so I'm a pretty solid rider. I have a huge trick list complete with a solid set of mobes. What I need to know is, in the long run how much would I be sacrificing if I chose the 226 over a 210. I have ridden both, and felt the the 226 was solid, obviously the wakes were a bit different but I feel like I got about the same amount of air on each. I was very impressed with the double up on the 226. Can people please respond by answering things such as fuel consumption, what happens when you add extra weight to a 226 and overall what you think about a rider that is fairly well accomplished will be able to perform like behind this boat. I already have a 99 SAN and am very satisfied with the wake performance of this boat. However I do like the extra room in the 226. Obviously performance is the main issuse here, so basicallly what I'm asking is "Does performance suffer that much if I make the step up to the big boy?"

I have an `04 Air 226 Team and am very pleased with the wake and the stock balast system. I also have three additional bags, 2-250's and 1-600lb. bag. I use one of the 250lb. bags in the walkthru and the other in the Starboard storage. The 600lb bag I run between the walkthru of the windshild.

I have riden behind the 210 and believe the 226 has a smoother and larger ramp. When I add the extra bags it creates a extra 4-6" lip at the top of the wake for more pop "bigger air".

I'm totaly happy with the stock balast system but occasionally I enjoy going huge. The boat is also much more comfortable than the 210 and handles better in rough water. If you have a wife and kids, the 226 is the only way to go. :lol: