New SV211 Wake

[TN_SN_Convert]

I need some help. I currently own a '94 MC PS205 that has a great ski wake, however, it is getting a bit small for the 3 kids and wife wants to upgrade. After doing my research I have come to the conclusion that MC has technologically fallen behind and has totally forgotten about people who primarily ski and do some boarding (11 year old). MC has been a great boat, however, it is time for a change. Here are my questions:

#1 - Is the SV 211 ski wake decent ... worries me with the plate on the back like I am buying a Malibu or Tige
#2 - Any quality issues with the first year model?
#3 - I hear that it is underpowered and need to upgrade engine ... true?
#4 - What about the 216? Would this be a better option for primary ski?

I will go ski behind both but want to do my research before I go. Thanks for the help!!!!

[WakeUp]

RE: New SV211 Wake

TN_SN_Convert,
I had a MC 210 VRS dressed out like an X-10. I liked the boat and the comfort it provided. It came time to move on to something new and the best thing going for my family, a wife that slalom skis and two boys that wakeboard, was the SV211. The 2005 year model is the second year production. They had a few bugs but mostly superficial stuff. The hull is proven and solid. It has less freeboard so the seat backs aren't quite as deep. The bow is comfortable for adults or children and the rear has two good adult size seating locations in addition to the drivers seat plus more room for some waterbugs. The hydrogate is a mechanism that is troublefree and not cumbersome to use. You can manipulate it from the drivers seat with ease and once you are familiar with it you can get infinitely creative with the wake adjustments in combination with the ballast tanks on the fly. I got every option I could including the ZR6. Awesome package. I like the Mastercrafts but I wanted something in this size range with tracking fins, thereby better handling with the same amount of room and versatility. The SV211 is unmatched, and apparently Nautique's number one seller. This many people can't be wrong. After my first demo ride and some confirmation measurements to ensure it would fit in the garage, I was sold. I needed a boat to fit in a standard seven foot garage door with the tower folded down. Anything larger is just more fiberglass with the same drive train. I've ridden about 54 troublefree hours and can't wait until the weekends. I call it my HydroVette.

[Mikeski]

RE: New SV211 Wake

I have had my 2005 SV211SE about 4 months now and it's already showing almost 80 hours on the clock so, getting were lots of enjoyment from the new boat. A Ski Nautique has been in my family for the past 33 years, the last boat was a 1995 before buying the 211.

The 211 does almost everything very well, wakeboard, ski, surf (with factory ballast), I have even taken a barefoot run. While skiing it has a nasty hump at 34mph/22off so I had to adjust to 34/28off, my wife actually says the wake is better than our Ski at 28mph/15off but I think it's her imagination. The one big difference with the 211 is that the wake is round and soft in slalom mode so even though it might be a little taller it can be more negotiable for skiers at slower speeds. A die hard skier that occasionally wakeboards with small boat crews should choose the 216 not the 211. The final factor in my decision was the joy of not having to move people from their seats when I ski. I had decided to purchase a Malibu Sunscape until I drove both boats. The 211 just drove closer to my inboard so it got the nod even with a significant price premium.

My boat has the 330 Excalibur motor which provides the minimum acceptable power in this heavy boat when you are running ballast tanks with a crew of 5+. Make sure it comes with the Acme 611 prop, I was worried about top speed so I kept trying bigger props but the 611 is just right (Nautique did their homework before they put this prop on their team boats). I sure miss the torque of the old GT-40, none of the Chevy motors produce as much torque out of the hole so you need to sacrafice the higher rpms at speed to get good holeshot performance, keep in mind the light and nimble Ski Nautique was a lightweight dragster compared to the 211.

If you wanted to stick with MC you might want to consider an X2, I have heard they can produce decent skiing wakes at speed. Yesterday I skied behind bkhallpass's SAN, the wake was quite good at 34/28off, possibly better than my 211 but we had a lighter crew than my usual. I have skied behind the 211 with 10 people in the boat, it was a bit challenging but I don't know of any other boat that I would even try that with. Even though we were over the capacity plate the boat was stable and comfortable.

Just one more thing, after spending one afternoon in my boat one of my wife's buddies bought a new 211, picking it up tomorrow!

[SGY]

RE: New SV211 Wake

The two boats to choose from, IMO, are the SV211 and the Air 206. The latter will give you an awesome slalom wake with a decent--intermediate--wakeboard wake. The 211 is just the opposite. With the 211 you get the family friendly layout of a vdrive. If my family has to go back to public lakes, I would seriously consider a 211 due to the size and vdrive config. The 216 is a nice boat but (again in my opinion) doesn't do anything "great". It has a good ski wake and a good wakeboard wake. However, I think it is better in alot of ways than the older Sport models--especially the early 90s Sport Nautiques.