99 Malibu Sunsetter wake

[gregy]

I was looking for an open bow boat. I was thinking Malibu Response around a 2000 year. I ran across a nice low hour 99 Sunsetter Lxi. Is the wake decent for slalom or should I keep look for a Response? Anybody with first hand knowledge of both boats?

[crashman]

@gregy what line length and speed? I've skied behind a sunsetter of that era and a 2008 lxi- night and day difference at -15 28-30. The guy who owns it skis -15 34 and actively seeks out other boats to ski behind. Sunsetter might be more skiable at faster speed and shorter rope-not sure. would rec ski before you buy (says the guy who bought a boat site unseen from California)

[sixball]

99 ss lxi I ski one @ 36mph the wake is very good. We are running shorter line 15 to 35 off

I have skied it at 34mph and still liked it. At 36 and 35 off I don't think I could tell the difference between my R lxi and the SS lxi. 99 was the first year for the Diamond hull, I think through 2004.

 

[Texas6]

I've ski'd behind one of these on numerous occasions. At 22 off @ 34 the wake pretty tough. Hard as a rock with a noteworthy bump in it. At 28 it is slightly less noticeable, and I barely notice it at 32

[gregy]

I'm a 15 off skier right now (34 mph age group). Hope to get better this summer, we'll see. I was also thinking about a 90's Prostart 205, I ski behind a 93 regularly and other than spray issues the wake is nice. I remember hearing some of the late 90's Prostar 205 had really bad wakes. Anybody know what years to avoid.

 

Thanks for the replies, Greg

[crashman]

@gregy some good discussion here- it's the thread I started when I was looking at slalom tugs.

http://www.ballofspray.com/forum#/discussion/4341/boat-comparison-advice-needed/p1

 

I ended up with a 2001 nautique and could not be happier.

[usaski1]

@gregory -- yeah avoid all PS 205's.. they have horrible 15 off wakes. I got stuck at some tourneys in the 90's with a few 205s... like trying to ski behind the titanic. Slalom wake was like knee high.. (or maybe it just felt that way) in any case, when ever I see PS 205, I think blown openers. Never met a Nautique I didn't like.

[gregy]

After Reading Crashman's thread. I back to thinking 2000 range Response again. I did see an Open Bow Nautique 196 before. Not sure what years they were made? I think it had a step-over like the response.

[gregy]

SN 196 Open bow. $25900. That over $10k more than the same year model Responses I was looking at. Those 196 really hold there value.

 

http://fortwayne.craigslist.org/boa/2961323523.html

 

 

[Ntq206]

I skied behind a PS205 for a while - I can also attest - the 15 off wakes are very tall and hard.

My favorite 15 off wake is still the 196 by a considerable margin.

 

 

[crashman]

@gregy that price seems outta line with what I encountered during my search

[Chef23]

Hard to go wrong with an early 2000s response. I have an 02 and it is a great boat.