Used Air Nautique Purchase questions

[RichB]

All, I am recently in the market to purchase a used Ski Boat and have been reviewing the forums and gathering some good info. Based on my budget and the pricing I am seeing, I am looking for either a 98'-2000 Sport or Air Nautique. We will be using the boat for Tahoe and mostly skiing but would also like to try Wakeboarding. I am more concerned with having a flat wake for skiing than I am having a monster wake for boarding and know I can always add Fat Sacs. With that said, are the Sport & Air the correct models I should be looking to purchase? I know I want DD. Also, if you can direct me to other threads that can provide good overviews of things I should be taking into consideration when purchasing one of these models, like engine size, known issues, gauges, hours etc, that would be great Thanks, Richard

[Skidave]

May want to look at the 2003 or later 206. Direct drive, AIR series have towers, ballast, but still ski very nicely. It is an open bow with a normal walk-through. We do everything on our 206. It doesn't surf the best, but with weight and tweaking, you can do basic surfing. Even bare-footing it has a nice flat soft wake.

Only thing, the storage locker in the floor (under the cooler) does not fit a ski. The opening is too small. However, we store our the kid's tube and other small items in there. Bow storage is ok under the seat cushions. Observers seat storage reaches into the bow on the port side. Will fit skis. If you get one without the ballast tanks in the rear, you can probably fit a ski or multiple in there.

Careful with the 2000-2002 models and their electronic gauges. Search this site for more info. Real bummer if you buy one without replacement gauges because they will fail.

Good luck.

[MTRBTR]

I have a 97 Sport and love it. The GT-40 motor will probably be in the boats you mentioned. Great motor. Many say it is one of the best. I am primarily a skier and barefooter but pull a lot of wakeboarders. In my opinion you don't even need ballast for most wakeboarders at wakeboarding speeds. Surfing works well too, you just have to list the boat hard with a lot of weight. The down side of surfing with the direct drive is that set up time with all the fat sacs takes a while so when you surf you just surf. I tend to plan my days around either surfing or skiing. If I want to ski, I will only take skiers and boarders and just say no surfing today. If I want to surf we spend half or all day surfing just because filling and emptying the sacs takes so long. It throws a pretty good surf wake if you get the weight right. I find the ski wake pretty good above 33 mph. There are bumps at different lengths but still pretty good. I think for what you say you want to do you would be very happy in the sport/airs you mentioned.

[NCH2oSki]

99 sport/air offers a nicer walk though open bow than the 98's and older. 99 also has mechanical gauges and much better graphics than the N swoop. Just my thoughts.

[Mosquito]

Careful with the 2000-2002 models and their electronic gauges. Search this site for more info. Real bummer if you buy one without replacement gauges because they will fail.

On the other hand, if you find one with original gauges - AND you can read the hours - you have an idea of what the real hours are.

[5bison]

We have a 98. I personally like the play pen bow. One of my favorite places to relax. Plus I keep some extra life jackets and the anchor under there.

[Dean Demers]

Rich, I have a 1999 Sport Nautuque which I listed here a couple of weeks ago in case you are interested. Check in the boats for sale section and let me know if you need any additional details.