Boat & Sail

Builder · Premium · Orlando, Florida

Nautique

Florida heritage premium wake-and-ski builder, 1925-founded (as Correct Craft). Family-held by the Meloon family. Tournament water-ski heritage and the G-series wakesurf flagships.

Nautique wakesurf boat throwing a wake
Founded
1925
Headquarters
Orlando, Florida
Ownership
Correct Craft (private, family-held)
Tier
Premium
Website
nautique.com

Nautique is the family-held heritage premium wake-and-ski builder from Orlando, Florida. The parent company Correct Craft was founded in 1925 and the Meloon family has owned the business across four generations. The lineup runs from the Sport 200 entry through the G25 wakesurf flagship and Ski Nautique 200 slalom platform.

The brand argument is the family-held heritage at the premium tier. Nautique competes head-up with MasterCraft and Malibu on the segment top, with the longest continuous family ownership of any production wake-and-ski brand.

Lineup

Current platforms.

Model breakdown

Each platform, what it does and where it falls short.

Nautique Ski Nautique 200

Ski Nautique 200 is the tournament slalom platform. Direct-drive PCM inboard, designed around the slalom-ski use case.

Things we like

  • · Tournament slalom-ski wake quality competes with MasterCraft ProStar
  • · Family-held production discipline at four generations is unique

Things we don't

  • · Direct-drive limits use to slalom
  • · Smaller used market than wakesurf platforms

Nautique GS-series (GS20 / GS22 / GS24)

GS is the family wakesurf line. V-drive PCM inboard, Nautique Surf System (NSS) with surf gates and ballast.

Things we like

  • · NSS surf wave quality competes with MasterCraft GenX and Malibu Surf Gate
  • · Family-held build discipline supports tight resale floor

Things we don't

  • · Pricing at segment top
  • · Smaller dealer footprint than MasterCraft or Malibu

Nautique G-series (G21 / G23 / G25)

G-series is the wakesurf flagship line. V-drive PCM inboard, NSS Pro surf system, premium fit-and-finish.

Things we like

  • · G25 surf wave quality is segment-leading
  • · Four-generation family-held build discipline

Things we don't

  • · Pricing pushes well above MasterCraft XStar at equivalent LOA
  • · Smaller used pool than MasterCraft X-series

Buyer's guide

The Nautique story and what to know on the used market.

Origin and ownership

Correct Craft was founded in 1925 by W.O. Meloon in Florida. The Nautique brand emerged from the company's water-ski boat line and became one of the heritage premium wake-and-ski brands.

The Meloon family has owned the company across four generations, which is unprecedented in the wake-and-ski segment. Production has stayed in Orlando, Florida, single-site.

Correct Craft also owns Pursuit, Centurion, Supreme, and Bass Cat under the broader marine portfolio. The Nautique brand stays separately operated.

Design philosophy

Nautique hulls use direct-drive (Ski Nautique) or v-drive (GS and G series) PCM inboard rigging. No outboard variants.

Nautique Surf System (NSS) is the brand's wave-shaping argument. The Pro version on G-series adds additional ballast and trim control.

Used-market notes and known issues

NSS actuator service at 5-year mark.

PCM Excalibur powertrain service interval is 100 hours.

Tower hardware on 2017 to 2019 G-series hulls had documented powder-coat issues.

Dealer network is concentrated in inland-lake markets, smaller than MasterCraft or Malibu.

Resale

Nautique holds resale at the top of the wake segment, comparable to MasterCraft. Three-year depreciation runs 10 to 16 percent on G-series hulls. Five-year depreciation runs 20 to 28 percent.

Where Nautique fits

Buyers cross-shop Nautique against MasterCraft and Malibu on the premium wake segment. The argument is the four-generation family-held build discipline and the NSS surf system.

FAQ

Frequently asked.

What is Correct Craft?
The parent company that owns Nautique. Founded in 1925 by W.O. Meloon, family-held across four generations. Correct Craft also owns Centurion, Supreme, Pursuit, and other brands but the Nautique line stays separately operated and family-controlled.
Nautique vs MasterCraft vs Malibu?
All three are segment-leading premium wake-and-ski brands with comparable build quality and surf-wave performance. Nautique gives the longest family-held heritage; MasterCraft gives the public-company production scale and segment-leading volume; Malibu gives the Surf Gate patent and largest used market. Cross-shop on dealer proximity and specific layout preference.
What's the maintenance cost on a G23?
Annual service on PCM Excalibur V-8 runs $1,500 to $2,400. Bottom paint $400 to $1,000. Storage $1,800 to $5,500 indoor. Insurance for a $200,000 hull runs $1,400 to $2,800.
Where are Nautiques built?
Orlando, Florida. Correct Craft facility, family-owned across four generations.

Compare

Categories Nautique fits.

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