I missed the part about skiing and tubing, I would suggest buying a wave jet ski or pontoon for that.

However, the larger k-planes give the advantage to the 29 for slow ride on plane! hahaha

I could have wrote those same comments going from a 36 outlaw to my 38 fountain.....exactly.

between those boats id take the fountain. its better equipped, its surely faster, by time you mod the baja you might be able to keep up with that fountain. Id drop the tabs down and go tubing no problem. I would look at a nordic heat for what you want may be a better fit than either of these boats, especially with mcob.

After reading this entire post,seeing the boats, & prices I would agree that a plane ticket & driving both boats would be in order. Who knows after actually riding in & driving both you might not like either as much as you do looking at & comparing pictures. Dont forget the wife or significant other either that could make or break a deal too. Randy

I may not be the best Fountain fan, but the 42 Fountain is a big Fountain and I actually liked how it rode and handled...compared to the 38 I been on..

me personally in this market I would have a hard time spending 50,000 plus on ANY single engine boat, but thats me... so many deals out there and usually you want to upgrade after a couple years, so I avoid that and get as much as I can at the time with what I got to spend!!

I agree, seems like a bunch of money for the size and performance. IMO the size of the cabin for most people doesn't matter. My cabin holds the cooler, rafts, life jackets, people when you get caught in the rain, my 2 year old for a nap, and is a good place to keep amps dry. These boats are not made for watersports, but I have skied behind a couple mid 20's offshore boats, it sucks. I like the fact you want to get into an offshore boat but I don't think it will do what you want. Like someone else said, buy a waverunner to tube behind.

I had a 2000, 27' Fountain with a 502. Great boat, loved the ride and the performance. Ran 72 with a labbed prop. Sold the 27 and moved up to a 2004, 29' Fountain with a 500hp. A lot better ride and a little faster. More room in the cockpit and the cabin. Super nice boat. Used both boats for minium watersports but these boats really are not made for watersports. Once you get on the water in a performance boat you will probably get bit by the speed bug and drop the watersports. I did....The 29 was a great boat but in my opinion, it is borderline, to big for a single engine and to small for twins. The reason I say this is because it was a little sluggish getting on plane with full fuel, people and gear, and I tried all kinds of props to make it better and I always thought it was sluggish. Then, I decided to move up in size and started to look at 30 to 32' footers with twins. I looked and rode in a Baja, not a very good ride, just seemed to heavy and pounded the water. I looked at a 32 sunsation, didn't ride in it, didn't want to. It had a tight cockpit and a small cabin. The engine compartment was so tight it looked like the boat was built around them. The cabin seats didn't have much padding and the interior just looked cheap. I drove 7 hours to look at the sunsation, didn't like the boat, very disappointed, drove 7 hours back home. It just wasn't what I expcted. After looking at a lot of boats and talking to a lot of people, I decided to look only at Fountains, nothing else. I bought a 35' Fountain Lightning with twin 500's and I never been happier!
When it comes to performance boats,,,,You get what you pay for!!! Just my 2 cents.............

Every 29 I've seen have alot of room between the bolsters and rear bench seat. Perhaps you are thinking of a 27 or 32, which both do have less room.

Can't imagine tubing or such behind the Fountain.

Maybe it was a pre swim platform 29 from the late 80s? They has no room?

Or maybe his friend has been telling every one his 27 is a 29, hence increasing the urban legend about the beak adding length!

Good stuff... thanks for the input and comments.. i must say i didn't know the resale value was so good on the baja's.. " sold 10% less than what you paid for it " I do have a jet ski that can pull the tube and knee board however i was trying to kill two birds with one stone and get a performance family boat.. It is kind of a pain taking the jet ski and boat out at the same time and having to clean them up both after using them.. Thanks again everyone..