09 216v vs 08 211TE ?

[SkiTundra]

Anyone know how these stack up? I assume wakeboarding/surfing is better behind the 216 and slalom better behind the 211? By how much? The 211 works well for me for slalom, but wouldn't want any worse wake that that. Other pluses/minuses?

Also, any concerns with getting a 'new' 09 216 that's been sitting for a couple of years?

Thanks,

[SkiTundra]

Just found my notes from an 08 216v we'd tried in 08 and it seems the slalom wake is not much bigger than the 211, but much much harder, particularly at 15/22 off. Accurate?

[NautiqueJeff]

Have you tried a Sport Nautique 200? Might be just the boat for you...

[CradGen2]

I agree with jeff try the 200 sport. Also I had a 211 and really not a fan of the boat. I have posted plenty of comments. Also consider resell. The 216v is a current model boat vs the 211. I forget what type of boat you have today.

Also make sure you ride behind the 216v before you buy it. I rode, drove and surfed one. I really like the interior an quality.

[SkiTundra]

Thanks guys. We currently have an 08 211TE that we purchased new in 2008 but has had a string of electrical problems from day one that constantly burns out components (blowers, pumps, MPE's, and keypads) and causes the engine to suddenly shut-down or not start. A third of our attempts to use the boat have found it unusable (not to mention plans cancelled while it was in the shop) and the rest have come with constantly having to reset breakers. We're very hesitant to invite friends to the lake anymore, never knowing if our boat will run or not and my wife is now nervous about going out in this boat. Things have gone dramatically downhill with a change in dealer so I put a stake in the ground with Nautique that, given their inability to repair it, they owe us a new boat.

The 09 216v is what they've offered up (as well as a used 08 211 (non-TE)). I turned them down on it yesterday, but really want to put an end to my family's frustration and anguish so I'm reconsidering.

BTW, electrical issues like this happen and can be difficult or impossible to solve, so I don't blame anyone at Nautique or dealers for the electrical problem or their inability to solve it. I do though think it's time for them to step up to the plate on a replacement. Also, the dealer has offered us a loaner boat until this thing is resolved.

Thanks,

[Mikeski]

I must admit that electrical and plumbing systems are not a Nautique strong suit. In my opinion Malibu's electrical and plumbing systems are far superior than those in Nautiques. You might consider selling the 211 and looking at a Malibu VTX, that would be my move based on my needs from a boat. I have 2 critiques of the 211 wake, the hole beyond the slalom wake that tries to gobble up your ski and the lack of a landing ramp for wakeboarding. Neither of these issues exist behind the VTX. I like the 216V styling much more than the 211 but I suspect my issues with the 211 wake would be magnified behind the 216V (guessing, never been in one).

[cedarcreek216]

We have an 09 216V and love every aspect of it. we can surf with little extra weight about 15 foot off the platform and a friend who is a decent boarder and owns an X-star would rather board behind our boat with stoaf plus a 750 across the rear seat and 300 in the bow. We are not course skiers, but the wake is very nice for skiing as well, all around a great boat with a lot of space and a ton of great features.

[SkiTower]

Sorry to hear about the issues. The 216v was meant to replace the 211, but I've been told the ski wake isn't quite there. That being said, try it out. Take your ski to the dealer and go for a pull.

I appreciate that you haven't turned this into a thread running down Nautique. I also appreciate to hear they've offered to trade you into a new one.

Once again, the 216v is intended to be an upgrade for the 211, but you definitely need to check the wake. Only you can determine if it's acceptable.

[pzthk6]

The 216V hull is very similar to the 211, just slightly updated. The interior however is far beyond the 211. Wakes are similar, I'm not a fan of skiing either of the models but that's just compared to what I'm used to. I can say the 216V and the 210 are very good barefooting boats long line, clean wakes with little turbulance.

[SkiTundra]

Thanks everyone. Remembering our thinking that the 211 was definitely a superior slalom wake to the 216v when we were originally shopping (we'd ranked the boats as 211, then X-7, then 216v & X-2, then 226 & VTX) she wasn't very happy about going to one now, especially after all of our problems, but we're going to take another look. I wished I'd taken a lot better notes at the time about how much the difference is - significant or fairly minor.

Still appreciate input from people on how the 211 & 216v compare and any concerns, if any, we should have with a 2 year old 'new' boat. Also, was the 0-9 216v cert'd to pull 3 events?

Thanks,

[SkiTundra]

The 216v has an FCT3 tower which in the pictures appears to narrow considerably towards the top. One concern with this is a bimini for sun protection. Is it considerably narrower than other Nautique towers? Has anyone put a bimini (other than Z5) on it? What mfr and how well did it work?

Thanks,

[cedarcreek216]

We have an above tower bimini on ours due to my height and not fitting under the Z5 without ducking and it does okay, but not great. Does any bimini really give you great sun protection though? Granted, the lower and the wider the better protection, but as long as the sun is low either in the morning or the afternoon no bimini is giving you protection. It does a fine job when the sun is high and that was really our main goal.

[SkiTower]

Also, was the 0-9 216v cert'd to pull 3 events?

No. The 211 is for C-Class tournaments. The 200 Sport is the only V-drive fully certified.

Did the VTX have the diamond cut hull? Every time I've heard "VTX" and "Skiing" the optional diamond cut hull was required...

[SkiTundra]

ccreek, you're spot on that no bimini gives great protection, especially on either end of the day, though fortunately when the sun is at that steep of an angle it doesn't burn (or heat) as much. Being above the tower you'd certainly loose a bunch of protection unless it was really reallly wide and came down the sides a bit.

The bimini we put on our current 211 has done a pretty good job though. I have to stoop going in/out, but can stand in the middle to stretch without hitting my head. It does a pretty good job throughout most of the day, partially because the cloth goes down the sides about 9". Makes life much more comfortable on long sunny days and between myself, wife, and several friends having had skin cancer (one dying) I'm becoming considerably more cautious of too much time in the sun.

[SkiTundra]

Thanks SkiTower. That's what I was thinking, but couldn't find any docs to confirm it. Do you know why the 216v didn't pass?

I believe the VTX was a Diamond, but can't remember and don't have it in my notes (since we eliminated it after a couple of runs I didn't put too much effort in to he notes afterwards.)