Boat Search - Craigslist? Boat Trader?

**DC-88** · 12-16-2013, 10:15 PM

I bought a pretty nice Nautique when my kids were little for the same reasons.... If you like performance boats you will want to sell this soon enough, and the advice I'd give is if your dead set on getting one don't go big and get an expensive one. Well maintained these boats last forever but are boring as hell to drive, sort of hard to dock in tight slips/wind, do require maint., and while they can operate in fairly shallow water damage adds up quick when you push those limits or the river levels drop in unfamiliar areas. Unless I'm skiing a course I don't care what's pulling me, and while I could do many big grabs, slides, 360 etc. the reality is unless your a good, improving wakeboarder and/or it's your thing you don't need a high end wake boat (we've all seen the huge X's pulling some little kid at like 17 kts on a wakeboard going straight). IMO you can do all the same stuff in a 21-23' open bow shockwave/ultra/eliminator skier type boat, cruise faster, and if the kids turn into aggressive wakeboarders or competitive slalom skiers then the tournament boat is the call. Pontoons and cats 25' and over aren't the easiest to deal with either with just the wife and little ones as stated earlier plus until your kids get older you will have to clean the transom all by yourself which sucks

. Good luck w your search , Just my .02 and trying to save you based on my own expense(loss)

GRADS · 12-16-2013, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by ptc

Is that your boat? and or is yours the same as this one? year, colors etc?

Yes it's my boat.

**SJP** · 12-17-2013, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by DC-88

I bought a pretty nice Nautique when my kids were little for the same reasons.... If you like performance boats you will want to sell this soon enough, and the advice I'd give is if your dead set on getting one don't go big and get an expensive one. Well maintained these boats last forever but are boring as hell to drive, sort of hard to dock in tight slips/wind, do require maint., and while they can operate in fairly shallow water damage adds up quick when you push those limits or the river levels drop in unfamiliar areas. Unless I'm skiing a course I don't care what's pulling me, and while I could do many big grabs, slides, 360 etc. the reality is unless your a good, improving wakeboarder and/or it's your thing you don't need a high end wake boat (we've all seen the huge X's pulling some little kid at like 17 kts on a wakeboard going straight). IMO you can do all the same stuff in a 21-23' open bow shockwave/ultra/eliminator skier type boat, cruise faster, and if the kids turn into aggressive wakeboarders or competitive slalom skiers then the tournament boat is the call. Pontoons and cats 25' and over aren't the easiest to deal with either with just the wife and little ones as stated earlier plus until your kids get older you will have to clean the transom all by yourself which sucks

. Good luck w your search , Just my .02 and trying to save you based on my own expense(loss)

Pretty spot on post. The new tournament boats have an awesome fit and finish. They also ride better than older boats with more of a v in them. At the end of the day though what my family likes is the pontoon to chill on. The kids can make a mess (I have a beater) and we hose it off at the end of the day. No stress - friends drive the toon, bque on it, run it on any beach, and winch davet the stand up skiis for river excursions. When the boys want to do water sports (they currently tube) and are just barely starting to wakeboard the best tool I found is a 3 seat seadoo (a couple gently used super charged units are all over the place). Launch in a cove and it is easy to deal with the repetitive retrieval of the little guys. Easier to teach them and they are more comfortable. Then at the end of the day the kids are exhausted, leave them with the parents, in laws, or sitter and you take out the performance boat.

Mateo I think you need more than one boat.

**Cat & Mice** · 12-17-2013, 09:28 AM

For wakeboard boats check out onlyinboards.com That and boat trader. Also I love Search Tempest, it works good. Oh and another good resource is KSL.com classifieds. They have a pretty good list.

Good luck!!

Mike