Looking to buy a Nautique boat - Sport or Air model, what are differences?

[timhmurray]

We ski, tube, and have beginner wake boarders. We'd like to surf. We need to carry 10-12 folks. What are major differences between the Air and Sport lines? We will use the boat at our lake home on Lake Travis near Austin.

[DanielC]

From 1997 to 2002, the Air boats are generally Sport boats, with towers and ballast tanks, and different decals.
A 1997 Sport Nautique is a 21 foot 2 inch boat, mid engine. Add tower, tanks, and it becomes an Air Nautique. Take a 1997 Super Sport, and add tanks, and a tower, and it becomes a Super Air.
From 2003 to 2007, the names kind of got replaced with model numbers.
A 196 Ski could be gotten with tanks, and a tower, and became a 196 Air.
Same idea with the 206, the 216, the 210 and the 226.

The hull shapes generally stayed the same. You could also order any combination of the equipment, and decals you wanted. Some people would order a Sport Nautique, and get it with tanks, and no tower, and "Sport" decals to hide the fact it has ballast. Other people would order an "Air" without tanks, and only a tower, if that is what they wanted.

[TRO]

10-12 people? wow. that's quite a bit. i have a 23' boat and that seems like a LOT of people to consistently have on my boat. i can only imagine how cramped a 21 foot boat would be with that many people.

[Chattwake]

That many people means you need a 230. You should be able to find an '08 with decent hours on it for around 50-55k right now. I know of a few floating around in that price range. I also know of a quasi-new 2011 230 that I think is still available in the 70's.

[jmo]

Unfortunately there is no boat that does everything really well. The direct drives ( engine in the middle) put out the best wake for skiing and the v drives (engine in the rear) are best for wakeboarding and surfing. Keep in mind the vdrive wakes IMHO are not good for beginners learning to ski or board since the wakes are really big - I was quaking in my boots the first few times I crossed the wake on a board behind my vdrive while learning ;@)

Finally, do you really need to seat that many people? If you do the vdrives are the only boats that can realistically accommodate a large group people. Maybe the 216 DD or a 216V (if price isn't a factor) is the right boat? granted it only seats 9 (I believe) and if your skiing or tubing behind the DD you lose the back seat given the tow rope cuts through that space. Given you live on the lake, maybe you can go out with a subset of people at a time and rotate them on and off the boat?

HTH's

JMO

[shag]

You will have a hard time accommodating that many people in any inboard ski boat, V or direct drive.

[sstexan]

I take my 230 to Travis all the time. I used to have a '99 ss that I converted into super air. There is no way you can take 10-12 people on travis with any Nautique except the 230. Even then, you are pushing it big time.... Travis just gets way to rough to handle that many people. My 230 gets banged around as it is. Unless you are taking 11 chicks from carlos n charlie's over to party cove, you wont like it at all...... My suggestion:

If you own a home on Travis, then you have the cash..(last I checked, it is at least a million to play)

: Buy a 210 for calm days and fewer than 5 people
: Buy a Bennington pontoon or Cobalt 250 for the rougher days with your large crew

Enjoy and Good Luck....

[raygunclan]

Several boats will fit the # of people you are thinking...Sport 216 (12 people) - Sport 226 (15 people) - Super Air 210 (12 people) and - Super Air 230 (16 people)... http://www.nautique.com/models/compare

Would say the 226 or the 230 would be your best bet because you always need some eblow room... I had a 2009 226 for awhile and it was a great boat and I ususally had 10+/- in the boat - but mostly kids and it we had a great time.

Sport 226 team is fun, big, comfortable with lots of storage....
The SAN 230 team is that and will get you bigger wakes.

[74green]

Max capacity of my 01 AIR is 9. And 9 is crowded.

[Plave]

Several boats will fit the # of people you are thinking...Sport 216 (12 people) - Sport 226 (15 people) - Super Air 210 (12 people) and - Super Air 230 (16 people)... http://www.nautique.com/models/compare

Capacity rating doesn't mean you can fit those people in comfortably with all your other gear and have a nice day on the boat though. I'd hate to spend a day in the 210 with 11 other people.

I'm going to make a probably unpopular suggestion and say you should take a look at an X-45. Bags of room and great surf wakes.