Pre TSC1 Nautique slalom wake

[Justin]

Hey all, been lurking around here for around 5 years or so and always seem to find great info and tips.

Looking at a 95 Ski Nautique that looks like a great deal on a mint boat, but I know the wakes are a little harder and throw more roost than the 97+ TSC1 boats. Anyone have any recommendations on cleaning the wake up a bit? Prop, weighting the bow etc...

I understand its a different hull but looking for any kind of improvement.

 

Mostly to help out my 11 year old at around 28 mph.

Thanks

[Dacon62]

Don't know any tricks to help out...If you can find the cash buy '97 or newer.

[A_B]

Ever hear of the saying "if you put lipstick on a pig, you still have a pig"?

The newer hulls are way out of reach with anything you can do to that hull as far as slalom goes. Nice trick wake though. 4 blade helps, 150 pounds up front helps....

[9400]

One of better know boat companies in the late 90s made a boat that was not good wake wise. One of their factory people came to our site and bondoed a few inches wide lip on the back edge of our boat. Wasn't pretty (if you're looking at the bottom of the boat) but it was effective at lifting the tail and making a better skiing boat.

[wtrskior]

No issue with the 90-96 hull. I think they went no wood in 93 or 94

[Jordan]

The '91-94 Mastercraft has a much better wake in the pre-'97 years. That said in the '97 and forward era, the Nautiques has the best wake.

[BlueSki]

If it is within your budget and is in great condition, I would not hesitate. I owned a '95 for a long time. I also skied behind a number of TSC1 hulls, and the occasional TSC2 hull. While, yes, they were at bit nicer wakes, I never felt the improvement was so dramatic that mine was inferior and needed to go. I would often ski better behind my '95 than off of my ski friend's '98. I would also ski behind an early '90's Mastercraft, the wake was a bit flatter, but the '22 off bump was a bit sharper. All had great wakes and more often than not, any problems were with the skier, not the wake. Later, once I skied behind a friend's 2008, that put me in the boat market.

[A_B]

Like anything, it is a matter of opinion, and not all hulls of the same year are from the same mold, so there could be some deviation, BUT, my '99 wakes and pull were way better than the TSC1 hull we had in the club. If I had no other option, I would ski behind an I/O if I had to, but a choice within reason, got to go newer...

[jwroblew]

In my opinion, let her ski behind the wake as is, it will teach her proper technique because she has to have it or get launched. When she skies behind a new boat she will kill it. Usually we ski off the doc so there is generally just driver and observer in the boat, but when my daughter skies I try to get a third in the boat and even throw some sand bags in the boat. I don't want her to become one of those skiers with excuses, that boat wake was to big, etc. Don't get me wrong, we don't always ski like that, and in my opinion this has made her a better skier.

[Justin]

Thanks guys. Grew up behind a 92 Nautique so no stranger to the hull, and my scores were / are always the same behind it compared to the newer 200 or 197 prostar. Think i'll swap out the 3 blade and add some bow weight and see.

[DW]

@Justin: how much are you willing to do? Lots of options to improve a wake, starting with weight (less) and weight balance, hull mods (hook, chine) to improve some specific wake issues, etc. The nice thing about getting an older boat, less angst when playing or modifying it.

[BlueSki]

I don't remember any impact to the wake at the time, but in one of my early offseasons with my '95 I went to a four blade. It made a very nice improvement in smoothing out the boat and the hole shot. A friend of mine has an 11-year-old daughter that did great behind his '94. Once she put the ski on edge, she was great.

[Jody_Seal]

90-96 Ski Nautiques AKA Slant backs were pretty good boats. 93 was the first year of composite stringer system. Probably one of the best overall (3 event)boats ever built after the GT-40 came into the model. 22 off through 32 off top speed wakes and lack of rooster-tail made it one of the best boats on the market for the time. Short line was not horrible but getting off the second side of a 38 off wake had a abrupt drop off feel. Probably the best trick boat ever built. Again was not a great jump boat til the GT-40. We keep a 92 around the shop with a Excalibur. Have not had it out this year but it is a pretty good ski boat for what we do with it

[Justin]

Good news. This 95 has the GT-40 with 260 hours. Very clean boat. Hoping to get it around the 10 - 11 grand mark.

[B_S]

I have a '92 since I bought it new in fall of '91. Switching from 3 blade to 4 blade prop made a huge difference in the 22 off bump.

[GaryWilkinson]

I have a 95 with over 1000 hours on it and it is a sweet boat and ride. I ski 55kmph at -28, -32 and don't find much if any difference to my friends 196 2010. There is however a big difference to the 200 but that's not in this conversation

The only thing I wish I had for my boat was a bigger, fuel injection engine. Other than that, she's a beaut!

 

Good luck!

[GAJ0004]

I have a 1994 Ski Nautique. The wake is just as flat as the 97 hull at 30 MPH and above, but the wake is not as soft. Slower than that it will be bigger than the newer ones because the trick table may still be present. Some of my friends won't ski behind it because they say the wake is too hard. It is the smaller slalom skiers that don't like the hardness of the wake. Taking the back seat out helps a bit. It is fine for course skiers. It tracks well, no spray. In my opinion it is still one of the easiest boats to drive especially if you have a skier who can pull the boat around. With the back seat out it has more floor space than some of the newer ones. I never traded to a newer one because the cost of a new boat was not enough of an upgrade to justify the expense. My friend who won't slalom behind it has a 2008 PS197. My boat has a flat wake and is easy to cross, but if you have are on a flat ski it may kick you. If the boat is clean and in good condition it will serve you well.

[Mateo_Vargas]

Well if anyone wants to put Zero Off in a '96 this would be a good one.

 

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/boa/4345092738.html

[A_B]

Good conversion prospect for Jody.

[Texas6]

The GT-40 in a mid-90's Nauty sounded better than the majority of the direct drives ever

[uflbret]

I had a '96 with the GT40 for a couple years. Was a great boat and had a respectable slalom wake. It was very weight sensitive. Removing the back seats and bases helps. Wake is small at 32mph but definitely hard as mentioned. My '02 TSC2 boat is definitely a huge improvement, feels like you're cutting through warm butter. Love it.

[jhughes]

I've owned both hulls– a 1990 "No wake zone" AKA NWZ hull and our 2000 TSC1 SN. We never had a problem with the longline wakes on the 90 at any speed, and we sucked at skiing at the time that we got that boat so we would have been very sensitive to the wakes if they were bad. When we upgraded to the 2000 TSC1 boat in 2006 I remember being underwhelmed by the difference between the wakes.

 

Recently a friend with a '91 NWZ SN brought it to our lake for a set so I was able to ski it in the course as a slightly more "advanced" skier. Skied great at 15 and 22, I was particularly impressed with the 22 wake. It was terrific. At the same lake we typically ski current year TXis and the 91 wake did not feel that much, if at all, worse.

[A_B]

Maybe it is me, but I only put the back seat in when we dropped the boat in the river for a cruise with guests.

Taking it out for slalom skiing was standard procedure. When I sold my '99, the guy asked if I had one and I had to think where it was...hadn't been on the river in a long time!

[GAJ0004]

The nice thing about the 90-96 Ski Nautique hull is if you have a family where everyone does a different form of skiing, tricks, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, slalom, etc it has a wake that will work for everything. At slalom speeds the wake is as flat or almost as flat as the new boats, but it is hard. I would describe it as they worked 95 percent of the bugs out of the slalom wake, where the boats that came after finished off the last of them. I attach an extended pylon and put in a fat sac when I pull kneeboarders and wakeboarders. The wake is almost 2 feet high then.

[schafer]

@"Mateo Vargas"‌ you can put zero off in a mech throttle boat?

[uflbret]

@Schafer, if it is repowered with a GM Excalibur motor, yes. With standard issue Ford 351w powerplant, no.

[schafer]

@uflbret‌ ahh. Thought so. I have a 98 with the gt40. And just stargazer.

[Justin]

Well thanks again for all the info. I ended up picking up this beautiful 95'.

260 hours with the GT 40. All white, inside and out.

Really happy.

[6balls]

Sweet and super easy maintenance. Doesn't show water spots, scratches etc...not that you will let her get any.

[Onside135]

THAT is a cool boat! Congrats...

[Porkfight]

The all-white looks nice!

[6balls]

@justin here's an all white 2000 SN. @wish...I know you don't like the swoop except in master's green...what do you think?

[Justin]

Very nice. Always loved the ''N'' swoop.

[uflbret]

@Justin, awesome buy! That one was posted on CCFan a few weeks back in the CL thread. That's a sweet looking boat. Congrats!

[Wish]

@6balls‌ Hmmmm. That works.

[Deanoski]

I have a 90 with 550 hrs take out the back seat and add 50lbs up front and put PP on her and you are set

[6balls]

@justin funny I almost always disliked the "N" swoop in colors but having just the outline minimized it for me and made it cool. I thought maybe a black and white boat was a little bland til I saw it in person...and I like uniqueness...you don't see one of these every day(same for you). The low hours, the price, the GT-40 sealed it up. No regrets.

 

I'm loving the clean lines of your boat. You will love it...great wake, great tracking and the GT-40 is a beast. Other than the ZO issue I am not left wanting and suspect you will not be, either. Congrats and enjoy.