196 versus a 211 for skiing

[boatbuddy]

We have made the decision to get a 196 for skiing alone. (we have a 211 now)

It has been a while since I have skied behind a 196 but plan do a test run soon... as soon as it is warm enough

What should we expect the difference to be??

My wife is hoping for a better ski wake at a slower speed

What is the sweet spot speed range for a 196

Any insight would be appreciated

[Rick]

Depends on the weighting

The 196 has a really good wake at speeds between 30 and 36 if you take out the back seat and make sure you don't have an anchor and alot of other things in the rear compartment. The only thing you need is an observer or weight of an observer (120lbs) on the observers side if you just have the driver.

[2gofaster]

There is no contest on the ski wake between the 196 and the 211. Put 50-80lbs under the nose and tie it to the underside of the bow eye so it won't move. The 196 will have a better wake at all line lengths and speeds.

[NCH2oSki]

You can expect the best ski wake there is.

[j2nh]

She will love the wake behind the 196. My opinion the best there is.

[swc5150]

The difference will be like going from a Cayenne to a 911 on the track. Both are the best for their intended purpose.

[boatbuddy]

She will love the wake behind the 196. My opinion the best there is.

Can she ski below 30 MPH and have a decent wake

[swc5150]

I don't believe you'll find a better wake at any speed for slalom. Maybe a little Whaler with a 50 on the back would be better in the low 20's:-)

[ClemsonDave]

Ya'll think the 196 wake is good? Try the 200.... Friend of mine took an easy set to start the year. She skied 15off at 30mph behind my 200. Rode with the ski almost flat through the wake and virtually no bump. It looked very strange.

[Nautiqueman]

You won't use the 211 for anything but surfing and wakboarding or hauling folks around if you buy the 196. I have a 196 to use for skiing, since it spoils you with the tiny wake and your wife will like the wake under 30 if you don't have 4 people in the 196.

[RexB]

All of that is true if you can afford and store two boats, but...

If you can only have one boat, and have to try to please skiers, boarders and surfers, the 211 with some extra fat sacks isn't a bad option. For skiing, empty the tanks, put your two fat buddies in the nose, and run at more than 32mph. The ski wake still is pretty nice.

[jiminator]

SV 211 rpm's at slalom speeds

Since we're talking about skiing behind a 211, what kind of rpm's are you turning at 32-34 mph? It's been a while since I've skied behind or pulled a skier with my 211, buy I seem to remember the engine speed being real high at 33 mph, somewhere in the 3700 rpm range which is way higher than DD (direct drive) rpm's at the same speed. (It seems that most DD's are roughly 1:1 i.e. 32mph = 3200rpm). This makes the slalom pull feel very "hot" for both the skier and the driver. I'm wondering if this is typical for skiing with a 211 TE with an Acme 645 or is my speedo calibration way out of wack? Also, for anyone with PP Wakeboard Pro, do you use the slalom mode and if so how does it work for you? I found it to be real surgey and basically useless. I've kind of given up on skiing behind my boat, which isn't too big a deal since my buddy that I do most of my skiing with has a DD. If there are any hints to improve the skiing experience though I'd like to hear them.
thx!