2004 Calabria Cal-Air Pro V
Recommendation: Hard-core Wakeboard
www.waterskimag.com/boats/calabriacalairprov
If wakeboarders aren't supposed to have a luxury boat, no one told Calabria. The company goes all out on the Cal Air Pro-V, their hard-core riding boat. There are obvious things we love about this boat, like the huge main compartment with plush, full-wrap seating, and of course the wakes, which are near perfect for high-level riding.
Anyone can appreciate the fine details in the Pro V - like the amazing mahogany wood-grain dash, steering wheel and throttle knob, big five-inch Borg-Warner multifunction gauges, Teleflex competition throttle control, dual batteries, three-piece lockable rear sun deck, 13 drink holders, water-resistant glove box and much more.
But there are less blatant niceties as well. This is a great handling V-drive. The forward positioning of the 65-gallon gas tank and the even distribution of ballast in the patented PureVert Ballast System keep the boat level for better handling.
Wakeboarding
After two years of astounding us with its oversized wake, we still rate this boat excellent, with ideal transition, lip, landing zone and size. Long ramps really give those intermediate-level riders the same opportunity to excel behind this boat as the pros. The innovative PureVert gravity-fill ballast system quickly and quietly floods (or removes) 700 pounds of water in less than one minute. With its beamy design, the boat can accommodate a whole gang of riders.
The Lowdown:
- Under-the-floor ballast system fills and empties super fast with no pumps or tanks.
- World-class wakeboarding wakes.
- Huge main compartment - a living room on water with a wraparound sofa.
- Cool extras like mahogany wheel and dash and tower-mounted mirror.
2004 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 doesnt 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. Weve 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. Theyre 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.
2002 CAL AIR
Multi-Sport Attack
Recommendations:
Multi-Sport
Family
Calabria calls its Cal Air a high-end multi-purpose boat with a split personality. They say it produces both a great slalom wake and perfect wakes for the family looking for slightly less than pro-level wakeboarding.
This boat is plush, luxurious and loaded with features, the best of which is built into the floor. The Cal-Air uses Calabrias patented Pure Vert ballast system. With a simple pull of the release valves, the ballast tanks immediately flood with 700 pounds of waterin about 45 seconds. It empties in a third of that time just by driving with the plugs open. This means the boat goes from recreational slalom to intermediate-level wakeboarding and back much quicker than any other boat on the market. Another impressive invisible feature is that the gas tank is located forward, where other manufacturers put a ski locker. This assists in giving the Cal-Air incredible storage room in the rear trunk. Its probably the deepest trunk we have seen.
More visible comfort features include standard removable jump seats, a recessed drivers foot well, genuine mahogany dash, a sharp-looking Dino Steering wheel and polished aluminum mounting systems for the tower, racks and bimini. Another innovative aspect is the huge patented platform, which is covered with a super-tough, spray-on, non-slip coating. Its evident that a lot of thought went into the detailing of this boat. Its as comfortable to lounge in as it is to ride behind.
UPSIDE
Multi-event towing capacity. Produced respectable ratings in slalom and wakeboarding ability. A great choice for the family who enjoys both skiing and riding.
The innovative ballast system fills in just 45 seconds and empties in only 15 seconds.
The jump seats in the main cockpit area are an added convenience for carrying extra passengers.
The rear storage trunk is deep and spacious and easily accommodates all of your equipment needs.
Sharp-looking gauge package.
An overall durable feel with plush interior features.
A well-designed windshield makes it easy for the driver to communicate with the skier.
DOWNSIDE
The low-profile open bow has great aesthetic appeal, but it tends to take on some water in choppy conditions.
When fully loaded with weight for wakeboarding, its a little under-powered in the turns.
Length 21 ft. 6 in.
Beam 87 in.
Seating Capacity 10
Fuel Capacity 29 gal.
Test Prop Acme 12.5 X 12.625 3-blade
Test Engine MerCruiser 350 Magnum MPI, 315 HP
TOP SPEED 44.0 mph 4,860 rpm
ACCEL. TO 30 5.2 SEC. 126.7 FT.
ACCEL. TO 36 6.9 SEC. 211.6 FT.
NOISE LEVELS (db)
Neutral 61 D 65 R
36 MPH 90 D 89 R
2004 PRO V
  |
 CALABRIA PRO-V
The Calabria Pro-V is a boat that helps to redefine the 23 category of v-drive because of its smart utilization of space. With its massive 102" beam and 236" length the Pro-V takes these big dimensions and lines them up where they do the most good: in the wake zone and main cabin of the Pro-V. And when you think of the Pro-V, think about proven design. This is a boat that has been refined and redefined to its present level of excellence. Youll find no unexpected surprises in the performance of this great v-drive.
Lets get right to the good parts: everything. The Pro-V is a boat big enough to throw its weight around with the patented Pure Vert ballast system that can dump over a thousand pounds of water into its hefty gut. You get the power to rock your wake and if size matters and it does when it comes to wake size the Calabria Pro-V wont disappoint you. The waves are pro sized. More about that later.
The Cal-Air Pro-V has masculine good looks with its in-gel swoosh graphics and accenting black and billet Cal-Air Boss tower. The over sized teak swim platform ties nicely into the stern and provides easy access to the water. The big, heavily padded rear sun deck is made up of three compartment lids; a lockable motor compartment hatch, and two inward folding and lockable rear trunk hatches.
Big enough for your 12 best friends and luggage, the monster sized Pro-V provides ample room for everyone. Its the huge main cabin that sets the Cal-Air Pro-V passenger comfort apart. By designing the boat to have a larger main cabin and smaller bow, this big, smooth riding boat gives passengers spacious wrap-around bench seating. The neatly designed open bow provided passengers with a smart well thought out design that focused on practicality.
Like its predecessors, the 2004 Pro-V doesnt scrimp on really smart ideas either: thirteen cup holders, 73 cubic feet of covered cargo space, lots of convenient netted storage, and a custom styled, Boss made, Cal-Air Tower with full billet trim. These are smart. Add the nifty footbrace for the driver, a pop-in table, the convenient floor level ice chest, a super large transom platform, and youve got everything you need in a boat to keep passengers happy.
The drivers cockpit is all luxury with its hand tooled red mahogany wood dash and matching custom steering wheel. The Borg Warner gauges are positioned for easy viewing. The drivers seat is fully padded, has lumbar support and swivels as well as slides for perfect driver convenience. The standard MerCruiser 315hp, 350 Mag mill has plenty of power for the big Pro-V. Even in fully loaded conditions, the Pro-V remained well powered up with the smaller motor, though in long life applications its hard to beat the bigger block, higher horsepower MerCruiser Black Scorpion options.
The patented PureVert Wake System had a cockpit mounted switch that controls two valves located on the transom that fill the system in approximately 45 seconds. This patented system is placed below the floor line, in front of the motor and storage compartments, from the bilge outward to the edge of the boat, and all the way to the back of the drivers seat. There are two valves fixed to the transom area that when lifted allow the cells simply to flood using gravity. To empty the tanks, flip the same switch to lift the valves and give the boat some gas, the water weight is gone in about 15 seconds. This remains the best wake ballast design weve seen.
Your impression when youre sitting in the drivers seat is that youre in a much smaller boat. The design of the cockpit allows the driver a forward looking, downward angle of vision that is unobstructed at all times. Aiding this is the custom designed Cal-Air Boss tower that avoids obstructing side to side vision with its flaring strut supports. A Clarion watertight CD Player is positioned to the left of the wheel for easy use. A rear stereo remote control pad also came standard. An embossed dash box resides behind the main observers seat. While the boat may have some limited bowrise, from the drivers perspective there is virtually none. Its rack and pinion steering was smooth and responsive and the tracking of the boat excellent. Drivers noticed that the throttle position of the Cal-Air was a little higher and forward and initially took some adjustment to get used to.
| |
2004 CAL AIR
  |
CALABRIA CAL-AIR
Everything changes. Some boats get better and better because they continue to evolve. The Calabria Cal-Air is a boat like that. Ever since we first saw the Cal-Air several years ago we have always admired its style and luxurious passenger and driver comfort. At just 216" and an 87" beam, Calabria continues to pack a lot of boat into this smaller body, drop nose, direct drive and loads up the options and amenities to finish this boat perfectly. 2004 is a very good year.
The newest in-gel swoosh graphics, color coordinated triple tone black, charcoal, gray interior and black on black Boss made Cal-Air Tower gives the Cal-Air a distinctive, rich appearance. The interior upholstery is top of the line Nautilux vinyl and overall the interior has the fit and finish rivaling the largest boat manufacturers.
As usual, the Cal-Airs direct drive layout is not as traditional as it first appears with many hidden smart features. The rear bench seat can be lifted and repositioned to double as a deck platform with room to hide a large fatsack underneath. The two standard jump seats, which fit on each side of the motorbox provide additional portable seating options. A huge 18 cubic foot lockable and lighted storage trunk, netted storage pockets, a large storage area under the main OB seat next to the driver, and hinged front folding storage lockers in the bow also help to absorb the gear. The bow area overall was smaller, though plush and comfortable.
The Calabria dash is centerpieced by a beautiful Italian red mahogany dash and wheel that provide the visual backdrop for its dash controls. The custom Dino wheel, dash plate and throttle all feature this stunning hardwood. The sumptuous drivers cockpit matches the rest of the boat with all of its Borg Warner gauges at eye level and neatly positioned. The drivers seat is fully padded, and has lumbar support. The Clarion watertight CD Player is positioned to the left of the drivers wheel for easy use.
You would expect a boat of this size to be quick and powerful and it was. The standard MerCruiser 315hp 350 MAG mill in all weighted conditions was up to the task of delivering steady power whether grunting at 10mph with a full load or flying to the other end of the lake at near 50mph. Very quiet and stable, the ride through bigger chop was solid and firm. In rougher water the Cal-Air delivers a smooth, vibration free ride that everyone will enjoy. Even after adding the ballast and loading up with additional sacks and passengers, the Cal-Air remained responsive. Its rack and pinion steering was smooth and responsive and the tracking of the boat was excellent. The wheel position was perfect, though the throttle position of the Cal-Air was a little higher and forward and initially took some adjustment to get used to. So did the wake management. The Cal-Air throws a big wake, and driving back to a downed rider meant keeping a careful eye on the approaching swell.
The patented Calabria PureVert system distributes 80 gallons of water weight from the transom to the front of and to both sides of the motorbox. When you combine its 235 lb., 29 gallon under-floor fuel cell, forward mounted to also maintain even weight distribution, you get almost a thousand pounds of ballast! Two pull valves located on the transom control the system through switches on the dash. To empty the tanks, lift the valves and give the boat some gas, the water weight is gone in about 15 seconds. PureVert is the fastest, easiest to use wake ballast design weve seen.
| |
|
