I haven't ridden behind an '89 Nautique, but I do have a 2000 Escape that I basically converted to a wakesetter. I built my ballast system, so it's got a lot more weight than the stock system, and I put a Titan tower on it. It also doesn't have the wedge.
The Escape is on the diamond hull, so it needs A LOT more weight than a comparable sized boat with a wake hull. I run (all flyhigh sacs) 750# sac in each rear locker, 600# sac in the floor locker (probably holds about 450-500#) and 150# sac under each of the bow seats (I cut out the built-in coolers to accomodate). With this amount of weight and just a driver, the wake is big and rampy. By rampy I mean it doesn't have an abrupt lip that shoots you up, it's a bit more gradual and will send you to the flats. I'm a bigger guy (6'1" and 225#) and I have no problem pulling intermediate inverts off of it. With the wedge down you will get a much steeper wake and you won't need as much weight in the back. I would say with the wedge the wake would be similar to the '04 VLX. I had to move the batteries from the starboard rear locker to under the glove box to make room for my 750# and that was a bit of a pain, but in the end totally worth it.
The best thing about the Escape is that it's a big boat and you can get a lot of people and/or weight in it. Mine has the older version of the Hammerhead engine (stroked to make it a 383) and I run an ACME 537. It's a fricken tractor out of the hole. Hardly any delay to get on plane with ballast full and loaded with people.
I don't know if that helps you much, but if you have any other questions about the Escape I'd be happy to try and answer them. A lot of people will say that the Escape is not the best wake boat, but I think that if your willing to mod it a little bit it's a GREAT wake boat. Especially if the price is right, and you will use it for other things besides wakeboarding. I can party with 13 people or still barefoot behind mine at 43mph if I want to!
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