Going to look at, potentially buy '99 Sport tonight ..

[MuskokaCanada]

I feel like I researched the crap out of my decision to buy the '84 Ski Nautique and I was fully aware of whatever potential problems were associated with that particular model and went into it with eyes wide open, so to speak. 4 years later I'm finally in a position to upgrade only this time ... I haven't really been researching a particular Nautique model bc I wasn't sure what was going to be available when I actually had the cash.

One of us skis, the other wakeboards. Neither of us has tried surfing. The kid tubes .. so far. So a crossover boat suits me just fine as none of us is really any good at what we're trying to do behind the boat anyways.

The question I have is what are the pros and cons of owning the '99 Sport Nautique? I assume it has to be more reliable with EFI and fuel efficient. What, if any, problems is this model known for?

Thanks for any input.

[MuskokaCanada]

Not this exact boat but looks exactly like it. No tower speakers though.

[a0128]

The Sport will give you a decent platform for skiing and wake boarding but is not a "master" of either. While some have been able to surf through the addition of lots of ballast, surfing will be a challenge at best as the hull does not displace enough water to create a truly surf-able wake. Some amount of additional ballast will be needed for wake boarding.

Pros:
1) Last year before the LCD gauges (which almost always failed)
2) Reliable (almost bullet-proof) GT-40 motor
3) Proper walk-into bow area. Prior years had a "playpen" bow
4) Stern "trunk" is great for storage
5) All composite construction - no wood

Cons:
1) Hull is not really designed for surfing
2) Because it is a DD the interior can get a little cramped with more than 5 people in the boat. (Only real complaint I have with my 1999 Pro Air)
3) Even with additional ballast the wake for wake boarding is just average
4) The factory LCS (ballast system) is primitive when compared to later systems that used reversible impeller pumps. Many have removed their factory tanks and replaced with bags
5) General age (16 years old) is starting to catch up to these boats

[seachicken27]

A sport will be a good upgrade from the '84. Lots more room. The 99 should have seats in the bow instead of the playpen style which some people like better than others. GT-40 motor is a solid engine. If the interior is in good shape, hull is not faded, has less than 900 hours and it runs well, I say go for it.

[rbalan]

I agree with the above posters and will add that if you have a skier to appease and keep a small crew it sounds good for you. If you think you may want to surf and/or convert the skier to boarder, I would skip it and go v drive. You will have to add more weight for boarding compared to your 84. I went from 89 to 2000, the extra room is nice, no wood, and I like the wake better when weighted (not as steep and bit more solid).

[MuskokaCanada]

Proud new owner of a '99 Sport. Woot! Brought it up to the cottage Friday and she ran like a champ all weekend. Zero issues with performance and got it for a really good price IMHO. And it only has 360 hours on it. Interior is far from mint but the sun pad on the trunk has been redone. The rest is original. We were too busy enjoying ourselves to even get a bunch of pics of the boat. Next weekend I'll have to shoot a bunch.

I couldn't get the ballast to fill so I'll have to ask about how that all works but other than that it's great so far.

[5bison]

Congrats! We have a 98 and love it. Sports are great boats.