boat shopping

[Bullet]

(knock on wood)--i think my boat is about to be gone......

i am going to start the shopping process--not sure if i will buy new, demo or used---

wanting a bigger boat--coming out of an 04 210----im not a hardcore wakeboarder---i ride 3-4 time a week but i suck so having a SAN is not the deciding factor

i like the walk thru and roomy deepness of the 226s---but i love the look of the 210 and 220---i dont feel like the 220 is roomy even thought it is a big boat.....

230-236 is more than i want to spend---

would i be happy with a 226 or should i go 220? or is the new 210 have a more roomy feel? my current boat has been great---but with 2-3 couples, kids and gear it is cramped!!

[Kevin_B]

RE: boat shopping

226 is kind of a waste of a boat IMO. I ay get castrated for saying that, but its how I feel because it really doesn't do anything well. it is spacious though. The 220 on the other hand is brilliant with all of the storage that is available you won't have to worry about space becuse the only thing you wul have out in the way is people. I have had 14 people (adults) in that boat before it started feeling cramped. That a lot of people, not sure how many people you go out with though. This is definitely a decision you are going to have to make yourself but that is just my two cents. Either way Nautique or Drowned.

[Bullet]

RE: boat shopping

thanks kevin--

[Bullet]

RE: boat shopping

one more thing---is the excalibur good enough for those boats?

[zapada]

RE: boat shopping

I really like the 226. Nice, big and I think they have a great wake. Surfed behind two different ones there for a couple of weeks. Loaded with people and the stock ballast they both threw a great curl for surfing. You didn't even need a rope to start with either; you could just surf straight from the platform. One thing I did notice, the Excalibur was certainly sufficient and it did fine, but the ZR-6 was fantastic! The 226 loaded, with the ZR-6 was an absolutely superb party boat. Loaded to the brim with people and ballast, the excalibur struggled to plane out (elev. 6000). I like the walk-through transome and the sheer size. We were on a high mountain lake and literally spent from sun-up to sun-down on the boat without beaching or docking (out of gas by the end though).

I obviously like the hardcore 220 as well, but I think you can come in to a nice loaded 226 for less money than the typical 220. The 226 doesn't carry the same flair as the 210 or 220, but I challenge anyone to spend a weekend with a big family or friends in the 226 and come away anything but completely satisfied.

[Bullet]

RE: boat shopping

wow good report!! i agree with the 226 being the family party boat--and that is what i like! the 220 has the bling and the resale though--so i am torn

[CradGen2]

RE: boat shopping

Had a 211 NO storage. Go 210 or used 230. 220 is nice JMO

[Bevan]

Go 210...great looking boat, handles well, has good storage and if you suck you will like the wake better than the 04.

[J]

226 is great for boarding and surfing.......and if you got kids or people who move around alot...the layout is perfect....not the perfect hardcore wakeboat, but definately roomy and the walk thru platform saves your seats from being abused while loading and unloading........i don't think I'd own another boat without some form of walkthrough to the rear platform.....the ZR6 rips!!!

[ranger3]

I recently had to make the same decision, although I was coming out of an '04 211. I was trying to decide between the 220 and 226. I too, like the walk through on the stern of the 226. I ended up going with the 220 with the excaliber. All I can say is TONS of room and storage. The excaliber with the power prop is plenty, although I have not been REALLY loaded with people yet. One of the main reasons I went with the 220 over the 226 is resale. I was told the dealer had sold 30 something 220s this year and only 3 226s. Seems to be a better chance of selling the 220 when the time comes.

[Bullet]

ranger we have the same dealer----

i am holding off right now---im going to build a house next summer and my 04 pimped out 210 is looking alot better than shelling out 20k more on a new boat!

[J]

good call......the 210 is a sweat ride.....
as for resale on the 220 vs the 226.....even though I own a 226, I would say it would be easier to unload a 220 "air" because it looks rad, and is built to suit hardcore riding.....as for the 226, its the party/family friendly boat that really produces a great wake too. I know alot of people have knocked the 226, but I love it. Coming from a person who requires larger spacious boats, I think its the bomb....and correct craft is still producing it in there 2009 line-up which tells me they still think its a decent machine too.
Good luck with your home!!

[Bullet]

thanks guys---i love the 226 for the exact same reasons! i just love the new all white 220 with the crest graphics---SWEET ride!!!

[BPSKI]

I have a 226 also, we chose it because of the versatility of the boat. We are on Lake Michigan alot and needed a boat that could hanldle the big water, as well as use for boarding ect.. on the small lakes. The room is great, the wakeboard wake is fine (puts out a great wake with a TON of weight in the back., with weight the surf wake can be very good. It is a great riding boat. Also we love the rear walkthrough especially for the young kids. Maybe resale is not as good, but I don't plan on getting rid of ours anytime soon, and since it is not the top dog in sales we got a great deal on ours. Could you get a 226 and put the crest graphics on it, just a thought.

[flaudia402]

We also had to make a similar decision between the 226 and the 220 two years ago. The dealer here was giving great incentives and Correct Craft was offering a $4k rebate on the 226 at the time. We went with the 220 mainly due to the fact that it seemed it did what the 226 did, only a little better. Miind you, the comparisons were equal all the way around. We were going with the ZR 6.0 liter engine in both, each of them were TE...but the storage, and amount of utility available with the 220 was great. We really have put it to good use. I've had as many as 15 people on the 220 at one point, and the ZR 6.0 definitely got up and went, so thats also something to consider. I'm not sure how the 330 hp Excalibur would have handled it.