If you are buying primary for skiing and don't need an open bow go for a Correct Craft 196 (nautique) get a 1997 or later model best wake in business. They also make a good ramp if you put 6-8 people with a fat sac or two in them as well. (this is way over legal load for the boat so you didn't hear it from me). If you are looking for something that is a little easier to convert and use for wake boarding the next best things is Response LX they are open bow but not walk through. Be careful thought some guys advertise sportsters as response and they aren't they are nice ski boats but you might as well get a response since they will be similar in price.  Try to find something with a wedge, and a monsoon motor because those are all fuel injected and run great. Tandem trailers are nice to especially because you are from Sask. you probably will be driving a bit to get to a lake. I am from Abbotsford, BC (just for the record). So here is what I say.

Boat Model: Correct Craft 196 (1997 or newer) or Malibu Response LX (year not important)
Hours: As low as possible. 1000 hrs is equal to 100,000 miles in a car. So 100 hrs is 10,000 miles and so forth. Again the lower the better.
Options: Tandem Trailer, Wedge (on malibu or at least the plate so you can get a wedge), Heater, Hot Shower, Perfect Pass (not nessisary since you can install your self later).

I always have my eye on the boat trader and sale web sites and the best time of year to buy is now through the winter because people are already starting to off load there stuff to make room for next year or to get rid of it to be ready to buy new in the spring when the new boats come out. So if you are looking for used any time in the next 3 months you should be able to get a great deal. I haven't bought anything in the states yet so be sure to ask around about that. If you need any more help let me know.

Cheers!

Last edited by chrispenner (Sat, Aug 8, 2009 1:48 AM)

Wakesetters ski pretty much like an inboard/outboard and you might as well get a bayliner. Ahaha. But seriously, look around a bit you should be able to find something that has had minimal use. You can also get a reading done at a dealership to find out how many hrs are actually towing hrs not just idleing hours/stereo hrs. if you leave the key on it will count as hrs on the boat so sometimes 500 hrs could be more like 300-400. If you are buying a boat in the winter and it is from the south you can test drive year round. Texas/California/Arizona/Florida etc. I personally go with the idea that you should test drive and have a once over from a boat mechanic that can give you a good idea of what it looks like. Chances are that even at 500 hrs you won't have much issues as long has it has had regular oil changes, and been winterized properly in the colder states.

Back to what to look for: You have to be really clear on what you are going to use the boat for, you can always flood a ski boat and wakeboard be hind it no problem. But you can't make a wake boat ski good. So again if you are primarly going to be skiing, get a Direct Drive, Malibu/Correct Craft and just get some sacks for it. Be sure to flood the hole boat and not just the back.

Fat sacs are anywhere from 100-250 bucks (New) depending on size and shape you can buy them from http://www.barefootcentral.com remember you initial start up will cost a bit more cause you will need a pump and accessorys. No big deal though. You can pick them up used different places too for less, just make sure they don't have holes in them.

As far as good wakes for boarding, I have some friends with a 1996 CC196 that we had 3x 500 lb sacks and 8 people and lead plates in the nose for a total of somewhere between 2800-3300 lbs. We were more then double the load capacity but it was like a 4 foot swell behind the boat. It works fine. Nice big ramps. That is the extreme end you can do something a little more tame like one fat sac in the back and a smaller sac up in the nose would work great or a a sac on each side. The sacs are designed for different places in the boat so find out how you want to load it and then get what you need. (Remember over loading a boat isn't legal but in all likely hood of you getting in trouble in some lake in the middle of no where sask. is next to none.

Keep in mind when loading a boat like this that you need to be extremly careful be sure the driver is aware that you can make sharp turns, if you drop a boarding and just pop it into neutral you will flood the boat because you will have a title wave over the back so don't do that gradually ease it down. The steer like they have no rudder as well. So big wide turns. Everything is slow with that much load in a boat desiged for a driver and a skier in tow. Same things goes for surfing with a ski boat too. They just where not designed to handle that kind of load. So be careful. It does work quite well though.

Let me know if you have more questions. Cheers!

Proper Loading of ski boat for wake boarding.

Last edited by chrispenner (Mon, Aug 10, 2009 7:52 PM)

Yeah even if you find a response with just the plate so you can mount a wedge your self would work too, but if you can find one with a wedge on it already then you are laughing, plus than all you have to do is through a couple of you heavy friends in the nose and that wedge works awesome. The really trick is getting some weight in the nose so that the wedge really sucks down. The wedge will be easier and safer on your boat too as opposed to super loading it like my buddies do. Happy hunting and you should be able to find something solid in that price point. Be sure to check in Canada too. Cheers!