WaterSki Magazine

WATERSKI Magazine
2004-01-04 20:00:00 | 386 views | 0 Comments

Calabria Cal-Air

Recommendation: Multisport

www.waterskimag.com/boats/calabriacalair

Multisport versatility is the Holy Grail of any water-sports boat. After all, even the most core skiers sometimes want to ride, and vice-versa. The Cal Air comes close to achieving that goal with added comfort and luxury to boot. Even though it doesn’t produce hard-core slalom or wakeboarding wakes, the boat gets the job done for both. Thanks to the super-quick filling and draining PureVert Ballast system, this boat changes profiles quicker than Clark Kent. This well-mannered machine is a deep-V and handles admirably under load and in rough water. As for comforts, everyone will appreciate the thick padded seating, the genuine mahogany dash and wheel, the massive storage including the huge rear trunk, the handy jump seats and the slotted swim platform.

Skiing

Intermediate-level skiers certainly can have fun on these wakes. We’ve found its best performance at 15 through 28 off with wakes that are moderately soft. The throttle position may be too high and close to the dash for optimal throttle control and comfort for some drivers.

Wakeboarding

Wakes are steep without a lot of transition, therefore the rider must be ready for the pop. They’re good for spins and booting less-aggressive riders. Reverse chines in the keel help the boat maintain wake crispness with extra kick. With the PureVert Ballast system that feeds 700 pounds of ballast into the hull in less than 1 minute, not much extra ballast is needed.

The Lowdown

• Under-the-floor ballast system fills and empties super fast with no pumps or tanks.
• True multi-event versatility for skiing, wakeboarding and hydrofoiling (especially thanks to the slotted platform).
• Great padding and comfort throughout — especially in the convertible rear sun deck.
• Cool extras like a mahogany wheel, good cooler positioning, jump seats and a tower-mounted mirror.