Waterski Mag 2006 Boat Buyers Guide

[FatBoy]

What is this wakeboarding thing you guys keep talking about?

[pj]

What's the "TCM2" and "TCM3" hull Waterski Mag is talking about on the 196 review? At least that is what mine says...

No doubt. I thought it was TSC. I think TCM is a company in WI that makes pontoons.

FatBoy, you better watch out for those power lines. :grin:

[AbunDiga909]

Oh god FatBoy, you can't post stuff like that at this time of year... That's awesome, and I can't get near it for a couple months!

I see you have a tower rack, is that the Comptech one? Is it worth the money? It looks pretty solid on your boat... looks like a great day on the lake...

[nautique95]

FatBoy, you better watch out for those power lines.

Yellow_Flash_Colorz:
Great Pic FatBoy!! I agree Diga, those kind of pics gets you ready for the warm weather!!

[bkhallpass]

Looking at the middle section on that foiler, I'm guessing that's not Fatboy Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

BKH

[97SN]

I gave up on WSM boat buyers guide many years ago for one simple reason: lack of objective reviews. WSM cannot be objective because they rely on the big $$ they charge the boat mfg's to be in the magazine. Who would willingly pay WSM if they didn't provide anything but glowing reviews for their product? What I would really like to see is a review of these boats by an outside organization such as consumer reports. In the mean time, I'll do my own research and buy the best product for the buck -- in this case, Correct Craft!

[AbunDiga909]

FatBoy, since that's apparently not you, were you successful on your dismount this season? My prob is still over-rotating...

[FatBoy]

Ha, no that's not the FatBoy. I am seated behind the stearing wheel of my 211. That is a friend on his LE38 throwing a huge gainer at H@H this past fall. The rack on my boat is the Air Boom rack, I paid $100.00 for it from a friend that upgraded to the CompTec. I haven't got the gainer yet, we went on New Years Eve but I didn't try it in my drysuit. Had a friend tell me that if you are over rotating your gainers to slow it down by jumping first and then throwing the gainer after you are in the air with a good jump. He said not to try to rotate right when you leave the water.

And here is the whole sequense of my buddys gainer, I thought it was kinda kool as it looks like he is jumping over my boat.

[HOskier313]

The Boat Buyers Guide issue is always my favorite to read. CC has always been all over the board on what if any boats they provide or include. If I remember correctly there was a model year (98, 99 or 00) in which the CC line had not even one boat. Hopefully as SN said CC will "Ramp Things Up" in the future.

If I'm not mistaken, the year prior that CC did not submit boats was because WSM actually gave an objective honest review the year before and some of the CC boats received less than a glowing review. Of course CC would be upset after all money they give to the magazine which is why they held out the following year. No more objective honest reviews, just 200 pages of marketing.

What you really need to do is read between the lines. For example, see the MC X-2 this year under the 'wakes' section.
"With this setup, the swell producing hull delivered MODERATELY big wakes with excellent shape, assuring INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL riders of a real treat without adding extra ballast. ALTHOUGH ADVANCED WAKEBOARDERS WILL NEED TO LOAD UP WITH BALLAST TO EXECTUE THEIR TOUGHEST MOVES."

The way I interpret this is that yes, WSM has given what appears to be a "good" review, they do say that this boat is really lacking they MC advertises this boat (one of their top wake boats). A base price is 56 grand, WSM expects more out of this boat.

[nautique95]

I gave up on WSM boat buyers guide many years ago for one simple reason: lack of objective reviews. WSM cannot be objective because they rely on the big $$ they charge the boat mfg's to be in the magazine. Who would willingly pay WSM if they didn't provide anything but glowing reviews for their product? What I would really like to see is a review of these boats by an outside organization such as consumer reports. In the mean time, I'll do my own research and buy the best product for the buck -- in this case, Correct Craft!

Very good point 97SN, I have heard that same point from others! I also know that is why CC didn't put any in the "test" a few years ago because they got tired of every boat basically getting the same reviews and remarks! That is why they came out with the Nautique Challenge test drive at the same time as that issue of WSM. Their theory was, let the consumer drive each one and judge for themselves!! Can't say I blame them!!

[HOskier313]

As for the marketing, I think Malibu was way ahead this year. I rarely read the fine print of ads, usually the big block letters and Malibu is usually very clever with the way they use such slogans with the pictures. Their pictures are just nice to look at.

I think the worst piece of marketing this year belongs to the Mastercraft Proficiency Test starting on pg. 45. On pg. 48, they claim the Prostar 197 pulled the recent world slalom record. Whoops, that wasn't approved by AWSA, title still belongs to Malibu.

The Nautique ads just wen't anything spectacular this year.

[nautique95]

Hopefully Dunagin will jazz up their advertising! I too would like to see an ad that really jumps out at you from CC!! As Jeff said, maybe they don't feel they have to if they are moving all the boats they produce!?

[ffmedic74]

WOW! I think I struck a nerve! 26 discussions in 24hrs!!!

CORRECT CRAFT, I HOPE YOUR READING THE COMMENTS!

[ScarletArrow]

I gave up on WSM boat buyers guide many years ago for one simple reason: lack of objective reviews. WSM cannot be objective because they rely on the big $$ they charge the boat mfg's to be in the magazine. Who would willingly pay WSM if they didn't provide anything but glowing reviews for their product? What I would really like to see is a review of these boats by an outside organization such as consumer reports. In the mean time, I'll do my own research and buy the best product for the buck -- in this case, Correct Craft!

I work in the retirement plan industry, and it works the same way with their industry magazines.

I used work for a large national brokerage company (I was a grunt) that provided retirement plan services to the largest companies in the US.

Every year we woud outspend almost everyone in advertising in the industries mainstream publication - "Plan Sponsor"

When it came time for the magazine to hand out its awards for "Provider of the Year" - guess who won? That's right, we did...4 years in a row.

And when the market dropped and our advertising budget dried up, guess who got left out in the cold? Right again.

It's a money game...that all.

[skinautique]

As for the marketing, I think Malibu was way ahead this year. I rarely read the fine print of ads, usually the big block letters and Malibu is usually very clever with the way they use such slogans with the pictures. Their pictures are just nice to look at.

I think the worst piece of marketing this year belongs to the Mastercraft Proficiency Test starting on pg. 45. On pg. 48, they claim the Prostar 197 pulled the recent world slalom record. Whoops, that wasn't approved by AWSA, title still belongs to Malibu.

The Nautique ads just wen't anything spectacular this year.

MasterCraft did pull the world slalom record. Parrish broke it first behind the Malibu with 1.25 buoys. Then again with 2 which didn't get approved behind the MC and then again behind an MC with 1.5 and it did get approved. I have it on video.