Need help deciding on ski boat - What years were/are the best?

[CanadaNautiqueGuy]

We love our 2002 196 Air. Tower and open bow (although small) make it a bit more family friendly.

[beamons]

Back to my post. I found a '88 Ski Nautique 2001. I has 700ish hours and vinyl is in great shape and the gel coat is incredible shape considering its age. All in all the boat looks incredible. I haven't seen it in person due to the distance.
I have a couple questions:
Am I going to enjoy skiing with this model or should I hold out for the right '97+?
Is 7k a good price for this one?
What can I expect resale to be if I find a 196 in a couple years?

[Hit It]

Okay so here's what I have to say... The Nautique's legendary ski hulls ran from 1997-2001. Fabulous dynamic rope/wake range. I enjoyed 28' off where there was virtually no bump at all. I agree with Charlesml3. You need to decide what you want to do with this machine. I just sold my 1999 196. Didnt want to but the windshield got hit along with some extensive gel coat issues. Now I am trying to decide if I should have a look at the 02 or 03. Does anybody have any feedback on comparing the 1999 to the newer 02 or 03 hulls?

[CHassmann]

beamons Do not buy the '88 2001 if you want an awesome slalom wake. Hit It - The wake of the '99 is decent, but not as good as the TSC Hill of the '02 or '03.

[whitecaps]

Cant beat the TSC1 (97-99) for slalom. But all are good and you'd probaby not tell the difference between any TSC years, only very slight changes between them.

[swc5150]

Agree with whitecaps, the differences between all incarnations of the TSC hulls are very slight. Weight inside the boat is what will cause any noticeable variances in wake/tracking. However, the '97-01 bubble back has a nice stern layout to get to the platform. I was never a fan of the trunk in '02-'09, even though I owned 4 of them.

[beamons]

Thanks guys. I think I will hold out for a '97+ I greatly appreciate the help.