196 vs 206

[skisix@38]

Re: RE: 196 vs 206

Of the big 3 open bows, the 206 has the best wake and pull for shortline sking.

I'm sure that best wake of the big three open bows is why I see so many 206 at local/regional/national events. Oh, wait.... I haven't ever seen a 206 at any of these events.

I ski behind SGY's 206 frequently now and it's wake isn't an issue and it is only now starting to drive like a world class ski boat after so much needed work to keep it from drifting. It still doesn't drive quite as nicely as the 196 on our lake that I also ski behind frequently but the wake isn't any different 32 through 38 off. One thing about both the 196 and the 206 is that by the time you load up 600 lbs of crew the spray coming off the boat obstructs the view from 35 and shorter.

Mark, the 206 is a nice boat no doubt in my mind but, statements like yours above are completely unqualafiable, especially if you yourself aren't running deep shortline. Com eup and spend some time with SGY and get a ride behind my RLXi and then tell me that it's wake is going to keep you from running your best....

[MARK-S]

RE: Re: RE: 196 vs 206

skisix,
That is my tried and tested opinion. I also ski behind the rlxi. 03/04/and now 06. As it is our club boat. I do know that the PS 190 and the closed bow lx ski better then the open bow 197 and rlxi, but they like to push sales of the open bows and made the decision to use them at compititions. CC chooses to put up the 196, with the 206 as an option to pull USA. The only reason the 206 is debated, is the popularity of the 196 as the finest ski machine out there. I love the pull from the RLXI, and the 197, and the 206. Was I a biased 206 owner? Yes. If I skied behind a Moomba every day, that would probably be the boat that my PB is set behind.

[skisix@38]

Re: RE: Re: RE: 196 vs 206

skisix,
That is my tried and tested opinion. I also ski behind the rlxi. 03/04/and now 06. As it is our club boat. I do know that the PS 190 and the closed bow lx ski better then the open bow 197 and rlxi, but they like to push sales of the open bows and made the decision to use them at compititions. CC chooses to put up the 196, with the 206 as an option to pull USA. The only reason the 206 is debated, is the popularity of the 196 as the finest ski machine out there. I love the pull from the RLXI, and the 197, and the 206. Was I a biased 206 owner? Yes. If I skied behind a Moomba every day, that would probably be the boat that my PB is set behind.

So, it's your tried and tested opinion that the 206 is the best drive and pull for shortline - how? Why?
It's been a very lon gtime since I skied and drove the 190 or a RLx- let alone a CB response. I do like the RLXi better then RLX and the comments I hear from skiers going slower and kids are the same.

And to the popularity of the 196 being used in competitions; I beleive that has more to do with the fact the CC thinks the 196 is a better boat than they consider the opinions of tournament skiers. Remember, these skiers are all disagreeable, pretentious and complain about everything.

[skisix@38]

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: 196 vs 206

SGY just told me you were a pretty good skier and so I looked at the rankings. Nice job Mark! That's some good skiing, and you are qualified to opine on shortline performance of boats.

[MARK-S]

I am a better skier than my rankings, but until I take home the hardware I am just average. I have not pu up a good nat score in a few years. But I can take 38 down pretty often. Anyway, it comes down to what you ski and drive daily, which for me was the 206 for 03/04/05. For driving, the vision, tracking and cockpit comfort, I think the 206 has it all. The rlxi seems to float into the driveballs when the skier is pulling hard. The 206 stays on line better. But it may have somthing to do with the feeling of being down in a pit that I feel in the rxli. For the skier, I do not trick, but I have heard that the rlxi has a good trick wake. But like you stated, not many 206s out there at tournys, so I dont think many trick skiers have tried the 206. The ones that I have pulled said the trick wake on the 206 is better then the 196, due to bow weight. I dont have enought time behind the 197 to comment. Our 06 RLXI should be here in 2 weeks, so I will tell you how she is when it gets on the lift. Our 03 rlxi had 350 hrs and in that time needed new fuel pump, fuel seperator, and it had gel coat fade in the main stripe. The black ended up looking all wavey. It is in need of some serious interior work with the vinal seperating at the seams. The stereo speakers went out in the second summer. I know my 03 206 has close to 500 hrs and has had 0 problems and looks brand new. All that said, when I ski behind the RLXI, it feels good. I hate the corvette engine, but the 330hp engine is a sweet pull. FYI, I am a diehard CC guy, and you know how we are. But the best proof I have on CC over BU is the 2004 Big Dawg in Ohio when 50 of the top 35 and over skiers got to choose there pull. 85% chose CC. BU and MC pulled sponsership the next year. These are all good skiers with enough life experience and money to use and buy what they want. They have the money to spend and choose to spend it on CC. We need to get together and ski. It looks like you can tear it up a bit also. Road trip.

[Jesse1]

RE: Re: RE: 196 vs 206

I've just sold my 2000 Sport Nautique and my next boat will be an '07 196. I don't need the open bow and when I had kids in the front of the Sport it wasn't any fun to pull a tube or try to turn. Once you've driven a Ski Nautique (or 196 now), no other boat will do.

[skisix@38]

I am a better skier than my rankings, but until I take home the hardware I am just average. I have not pu up a good nat score in a few years. But I can take 38 down pretty often. Anyway, it comes down to what you ski and drive daily, which for me was the 206 for 03/04/05. For driving, the vision, tracking and cockpit comfort, I think the 206 has it all. The rlxi seems to float into the driveballs when the skier is pulling hard. The 206 stays on line better. But it may have somthing to do with the feeling of being down in a pit that I feel in the rxli. For the skier, I do not trick, but I have heard that the rlxi has a good trick wake. But like you stated, not many 206s out there at tournys, so I dont think many trick skiers have tried the 206. The ones that I have pulled said the trick wake on the 206 is better then the 196, due to bow weight. I dont have enought time behind the 197 to comment. Our 06 RLXI should be here in 2 weeks, so I will tell you how she is when it gets on the lift. Our 03 rlxi had 350 hrs and in that time needed new fuel pump, fuel seperator, and it had gel coat fade in the main stripe. The black ended up looking all wavey. It is in need of some serious interior work with the vinal seperating at the seams. The stereo speakers went out in the second summer. I know my 03 206 has close to 500 hrs and has had 0 problems and looks brand new. All that said, when I ski behind the RLXI, it feels good. I hate the corvette engine, but the 330hp engine is a sweet pull. FYI, I am a diehard CC guy, and you know how we are. But the best proof I have on CC over BU is the 2004 Big Dawg in Ohio when 50 of the top 35 and over skiers got to choose there pull. 85% chose CC. BU and MC pulled sponsership the next year. These are all good skiers with enough life experience and money to use and buy what they want. They have the money to spend and choose to spend it on CC. We need to get together and ski. It looks like you can tear it up a bit also. Road trip.

I find the method that they use to rank us to be generous. I think what you are describing above is a result of "the hand made" process that all the mfgs use- even CC. So you have experience with a club boat that didn't fair very well, I could show you a 206 that used to be a promo boat that has a long list of "issues" no more or less significant than your Bu list.
I know my 03 RLXi in my garage has performed flawlessly and before that I had a '94 MC 190 that didn't miss a beat for 10 yrs. The point is that they are all good boats and yet some of the boats get out that aren't as good as the rest.

I noticed that detail about the big dawg... I know that when I get a chance to choose the boat in a tournament I'm not really choosing a boat, but the driver in the boat. Who's driving the boat makes a bigger difference then what boat it is. When I go to a big dawg, I'm betting that I don't ski behind a 206.

[Richard-Howell]

Great reply by Mark and good response by SS.

I'm sure there are 03 RLXI's and 03 206's that are perfect and others with issues. The bigger question is how many of each (on a percentage basis) with issues are there? My guess is there are probably more bu's (on a % basis) with issues than CC's but that is pure speculation.

[MARK-S]

At the 04 BD, they pulled one boat at a time, and the skiers all had each driver once in 3 rds.
Dana R, Becky L, Tommy H.
The 3 best in the game in my book.

[SGY]

Skied behind Skisix's RlXi last night. It's perfect and skis dang nice. What I'd really like to do one day is line up all three boats--the 206, RLXi, and MC 197. Ski each of them back to back and give as unbiased an opinion as possible. That would be fun and informative. Although, I'd probably have to check into intensive care. I can barely ski two sets in one evening--much less three.

[G-man]

SGY if your going to do that drive all 3 with a good skier and report those differences also. I think I already know who will win.

[MARK-S]

Our club just got our new Rlxi for the 3rd time. 1st time we put it in, there was a kink in the steering. It would not rotate. You would get 1/2 way into a turn and that was it. The dealer took it back and got it fixed. 2nd time in, we turn the key and the whole ignition switch falls out of the socket. Malibu sent me a new switch and key, it took about 15 minutes for PJ to replace it. It works fine now, skis well. I would say the guy doing the final check on RXLIs that day, had a bad day.