Do you own a jet powered boat? If so , comment if these are accurate!

I've owned a 2014 Yamaha AR240 for 4 years now. First off, owning a jetboat was an easy decision for us because we have 3 kids plus we always have other kids with us so the safety of owning a boat with no prop sticking out was a no brainer. I also chose it over traditional I/O since in my area the lake/river system is an average of 4-5 feet and most areas we operate are around 1.5 to 2.5 feet. I have sucked up 2 ski ropes (our own fault) and one rope someone left in the water. We make sure to bring a few serrated (steak knives work well) knives and use the access port that only Yamaha boats have to easily cut and remove the rope. Seaweed is no challenge for jet boats and if you ever do get bound up by weeds you can just punch reverse and it will clear it out. As far as maneuverability goes, its a learning curve if you have never driven a wave runner before its even more of a curve. When I purchased it, the marina told me to not worry about the dings and scratches in the first one to two years because you will hit stuff. After the first year I've mastered operating the boat in tight spaces and would never switch back to an I/O ever again. Being able to stand still and spin 360 degrees is amazing and all in a foot or less of water makes it even more fun because when docking, we always have a slip to use since the I/O's dont like taking a risk of getting stuck and when people see you pull into a spot like that they think your crazy because they dont realize its a jet boat and can easily operate in foot of water or even less with no problems. Maintenance is easier, I do it on my own and costs around $150 to change the oil in both engines. I pay someone to wrap my boat in the winter for around $200 so for under $500 each year my boat is winterized. I could ramble on for hours on how a jet boat was the best choice for us.

All valid points, Yamaha solved the maneuverability and sucking up stuff issue with their articulating keel and easy access aft cleanout ports. I think the other con of jet boats is that you get way more wet while tubing due to the jet wash/spray. But i think if you have the expectation to stay completely dry while tubing, you’re a bit delusional. You are on the water after all :)

For maneuverability, I added a Thrust Vector. Basically 2 rudders around each nozzle, spring loaded to pop up at speed. Much better control at zero throttle that I never had otherwise.

I have a 2019 Yamaha sx195. Two things about Yamaha. 1 - reverse is the same as any other boat in the Yamaha vs a BRP. 2-if anything is sucked up you can access the impeller via the access port, unlike a scarab, seedoo or chaparral. Everything else is on point.

As a jet boat owner, I agree with every one of these points. I have a SeaDoo Challenger 230 and it has been a fairly large learning curve. The one other con for a new jet boat captain is that you have zero steering ability if the water coming out of your jet is not faster than your boat is moving. Yamaha fixed this by adding a small rudder on their boats, and there are some after-market add-ons that help with this on my SeaDoo. If you come over from an IO or outboard motor you are used to having a good amount of steering when you are in neutral. For me the Pros outweigh the negatives in a big way. I used to worry about the prop and did have one of my kids rip open his shin on the lowered transom of my old Bayliner. If you do buy a jet boat get out and practice driving. I left the family home on a few trips to our local river so that I could get some nice quiet stress free dock approaches in. This increased my confidence and helped me learn how to approach.

Having been a jet boat owner for years. My primary constraint was draft as I had to go over a shallow area leaving my cove. I would say the comments are very good regarding pros and cons. I do object to the comment about maneuvering around dock. Like any craft you must learn that craft (car, boat, plane). I found my jet boat to be one of the easiest boats to to dock ONCE you get used to it. Neutral position has some percentage of forward movement unlike neutral for a prop that actually stops the prop. The other con that is missing is most jet boats have flatter hull configurations and shorter lengths. For example my seadoo challenger was great on Lake Keowee as the lake was narrow resulting less wind wave chop (less fetch). However on Lake Murry with a greater fetch and wider lake the chop is just not fun. Hull design does matter to ride comfort.

Great video. Very informative. Thanks very much.

I have a 2003 Sea-Doo sportster jet boat, it is by far the best boat I have ever owned! Once you get used to its handling characteristics you can do some pretty crazy things with it and I've never had an easier boat to maneuver in a dock situation! I will never own anything other then a jet boat!

Thank you for this information, this was just what I needed.

I have a 1995 seadoo sportster with probably only around 200 hours. Here in Utah the water levels are extremely low. Unknowingly how low it was in the middle of the marina 2 days ago I bottomed out and apparently sucked up some rocks and locked everything up before I could kill the engine. Tried to start it and it just click click. I took the cover off the drive and tried to move it by hand and it clearly has a rock or something in it because it only moves about a quarter inch if that. Now I'm assuming I need a new impeller and wear ring. Any other recommendations I might need after this incident? Thanks

I have an '06 Sea Doo Challenger 180. Nice work on this video, you definitely hit the main pros and cons! One thing I'd add is that because they traditionally don't have a rudder (except maybe the newer Yamaha's?), when the engine is off you have ZERO steering. I don't find maneuvering difficult but it did take a bunch of practice to get the hang of working the bucket to point the water where I need it. One advantage in that is the ability to move the FNR lever seamlessly (at idle) through out the entire range, a little more or less than "neutral" really helps when near a dock or close quarters for fine adjustments.

Ty for the great info .

I have had the sea doo switch. I live in central MN. It’s great for maneuverability sea doo has solved all the low speed dock stress with the IBR system. The switch is awesome for my family of 4 and it was pretty reasonable priced.

Great video. Thank you for your knowledge and good advise sir🤙🏼

Thanks for the smart and factual advise. Regards...Rob

I saw a video about something called Intellijet. Is it available on any boats?

I have own and operated my Sea Doo Challenger 1800 with twin 110 hp since 1997. I have loved it for the last 24 years. Once you learn the boat, just like anything else, it is extremely maneuverable around the docks or out on the open water. I love doing flat spins. You can't do that with a regular ski boat. Safety was one of the top reason I bought it at the time. No prop. And boy is it quick. It topped out at 60mph. Maintenance is easy. Agree that it noisy and not fuel efficient.

GREAT VIDEO THANKS

2020 Yamaha 195 s boat revs high and can only go 10 mph clean everything out even took the jet pump out maybe bad gas. ??? Help would be very thankful thanks

I own an older jet boat with a Jacuzzi jet drive and a V8 engine. The only time it’s inefficient is at slower speeds. 2/3-3/4 throttle it’s comparable to a stern drive in fuel consumption. 8 miles per gallon (on plane at 3/4 throttle) is what I average and stern drives I’ve owned were the same. I’ve sucked up debris and mine has an access cover I can remove to clean the blockage out. Maintenance is checking the impeller to wear ring clearance and also putting grease into 2 fittings. With my jet I can do a “reverse stop” in about 40 feet (like reverse thrust on a commercial aircraft). Also you didn’t mention that, with a jet boat you get full thrust right away vs a stern drive which has to work its way up to full throttle as the boat accelerates.

I own a 2004 Polaris LE2100. Such a beautiful vessel and so much fun.

Question: I live on a lake that is being chocked out by hydrilla so I was thinking a jet boat might be a good option. Will all the hydrilla get sucked up in the intake flow??

It seems to me the pros definitely outweigh the cons in a jet boat. As far as bags , ropes, and weeks sucking up into the blowers . 2 practical things to have on board is a good knife , long nose pull out pliers , and a diving mask , when you have to get into the water to pull out any debris.

Things can get sucked up is an understatement. Things WILL get sucked up and they WILL damage the impeller or drive shaft. That is a given. Over all, I still prefer having a prop in the water. One of the best jet boats built was the Carlson Glastron CVX-20 with a berkley pump and ford 460 engine. That was a beast of a boat. I think it pulled a lot of shoulders out of their sockets.

As an Owner of a jet boat I may have to disagree with a few points and agree with a few. Noise Level...my engine (Yamaha in line 4 cyl 4 stroke) is below deck and covered by a hatch compared to an outboard at deck level and a covered with a plastic cover. Also disagree with fuel consumption. Jet Boat hulls like Yamaha's get up on plane and skim the water whereas traditional boats plow through the water thereby creating drag and requiring more fuel to get to the same speeds as a jet boat. Agree on the fun aspect and the low speed maneuvering challenges for the newbie but after a while you get better at it. Thanks for the video, jet boats are a blast!

I got a Yamaha get powered boat mainly for the safety. The real negative is the last thing he mentioned. Things getting sucked up in there. Yamaha has a access point to reach down and pull out weeds and garbage (which I've done, and it's great). However, once the ski rope sucked up in there, and it twisted around the shaft. If that had happened to a outside propeller, I could have just cut it off. Can't do that with a rope wrapped tight in the shaft. We had to get towed to shore, so I could put it on a trailer to get underneath and cut it off.

I’ve own 3 jet boats in my life all 3 boats were big block jetboats I’m 74 years old got my 3 rd boat last year it was a 21 ft Kachina open bow day cruiser with a 496 bbc 7 adults in boat ran 56 on gps and was not floored unbelievable boat. The most gas I put in the boat was 16 gallons, my first time in a jetboat was 1968 was in Vietnam was a mp on Saigon river on a PBR boat all coutersy of uncle sam making $250.00 a month as a spec 4. Our dress code was od green underwear and cut off jungle pants 12 hours a day 2 weeks days 2 weeks night shifts 365 days. Had good times and bad times was one hell of a ride.

On some Jet boats you have two engines and two jet pumps to maintain. That doubles your maintenance costs. I had a buddy that bought a used one that was an absolute money pit. Very few mechanics would work on it and none of that did work on it actually fixed it and got it running. His was a Yamaha Exciter with two stroke engines which means it had 6 carbs to maintain and rebuild. I personally won't touch them.

I have a SeaDoo Speedster with two jet pumps, and I LOVE everything about the boat. No way I could go back to a prop driven boat.

I have MJP jet drives which are considerably larger jets then mentioned paired with twin QSB Cummins 480hp on a Rivolta 40' I do have back flush on demand. Fuel economy 1.7 mpg - I think on par or better fuel economy for a 960 hp yacht. Weight 20k speed WOT 3400 rpm 36 knots - cruise 24-26 at 2800 rpm - I usually ride at 2400- 2600 in 22-24 knot range sea state dependant. The difficult thing in maneuvering is somewhat counter intuitive to most captains in strong currents, wind ect at dock - you need more RPM then idle speed to keep control. You need to push much more water this equals more control.

I have an older (2003) Yamaha jetboat. One con is slow speed maneuverability is not great. Another pro is their simplicity in operation. Very similar to a wave runner and its an easy transition from PWC to a jetboat.

I own a 2020 Scarab 215 with twin 150's. I boat in the area of SW Florida in and around the Gulf of Mexico. Could not ask for a better boat. Yes, It can be a little louder than OB or SD, Not a big deal. Stereo usually blasting anyway. Extremely forgiving in shallow water. I draft 15" at slow speed. There is an initial learning curve for slow speed maneuvering that prop boat owners may find annoying, but once you learn it, it is without question, FAR more maneuverable around the dock than any prop driven boat. I get comments all the time from people watching me at the dock. Not a single issue with intake clog. Maybe more so on lakes, but in our salt water environment, mine just sucks the weeds up and spits them out. My sweet spot is about 30 mph where I get 6-8 gph. It would take me 5 hours of constant cruising to burn through a tank, which is admittedly a bit small at 40 gal. but it's never been an issue. If speed, fun, maneuverability, and shallow draft are important to you, strongly consider a jet boat.

Too bad didn’t bring up sugarsand with mercury motor. Fuel usage is quite a bit less than the jet boats that use twin jet ski motors. He also forgot 1 major issue, the wear ring. Little more labor intensive replacing wear ring and impeller than a propeller

You didn't mention an entire category of jet boat. The traditional jet boat usually powered by an American V-8 and propelled by a pump from a number of manufacturers like Berkeley, Hamilton, American Turbine. These days they are typically found in aluminum hulled boats popular in shallow rovers and lakes. Many are built in the Pacific Northwest or Canada. They are also commonly used by law enforcement and for ocean fishing. New Zealand also makes there own version. I've seen a 12' boat with a 900 horsepower methanol burning small block

Good review, i have a Jetboat and everything in there is accurate. Another pro is low maintenance/simple winterization. Another con could be that they are not the best in rough water

Does anyone make a jet boat made for ocean travel with a deep v hull?

A lot of the negatives are not true with Yamaha boats

We just moved to florida and are considering buying a jet boat. Is it a good starter boat for someone who hasnt owned a boat before?

Up here in Alaska Iv been jet boating almost my entire life and literally have never seen one of those types of boats, here they’re all welded aluminum boats, generally with V8 inboards, though there has been a recent surge of new outboards and 200 hp+ sportjets. I run a 5.7 Chevy with a 3 stage kodiak jet drive that will put my boat, friends and two weeks of hunting gear through 6-8 inches of water with a 22’ boat.

I am looking to buy a used SX230, and I liked this video with the pros and cons, but I am surpriced that you say it has a worse fuel consumption then other boats. From other tests it looks like it uses around 20 % less fuel then other boats of same size and power, most argue that is it becourse there are less draft due to the internel shaft?

I have a 70s big block olds jet boat. Super impractical for anything but cruising but it is so much fun. The time to plane is pretty much as fast as you can hit the gas. It will cruise almost 40 at 3,000 rpm. And I think it’s still quieter than these jet ski powered boats. And a rebuild on the motor is probably about the same price.

Everything he said was right on point, but this channel is lake centric. One other disadvantage of jets is that they Bang you around more in chop. This is a bigger issue on larger bodies of water. BUT an advantage to jets is that they do not harm manatee as much as props do in the water. But I would say that the biggest down side of jets is that they really are harder to dock when current and wind are working against you. With prop drives, you have neutral and a big "rudder" helping to stear at low speeds. As he said, jet boats wander all over the place at low speeds. It is disconcerting for the stearing wheel to do also nothing as you try to approach a dock and wind and currents are driving the boat, not you.

I love doing donuts in our boat😁 we have a 2018 AR210 that boat is lots of fun for our family (two teenagers) it's like being on a huge jet ski.

Well i make them. I have a 12/32 aluma craft topper with kawasaki 1100 zxi jet drive system. And im working on a 21ft by 8ft center console jet boat powered by a mercury sport jet

The cons mentioned in this video are pretty easy to avoid, or there are solutions. It’s perfectly simple to fit a gearbox to provide a true neutral with no impeller turning, and there are many examples both in recreational jet boats and commercial boats that bear this out. The second thing is the con of maneuvering. Literally one thing to remember here. It’s to have in mind that you should turn your helm in the direction you want the bow to go, whether you are in forward or reverse. Not a con, it’s a thought process that a captain shoal be able to master. Then the question of using more fuel. Did you know that above 25 knots the jet is more efficient than a prop? And as speed increases so does jet efficiency? Granted that below 25 knots jets are minimally less efficient. And for engine noise, if you insulate effectively it’s less of an issue. But it is louder. You have to be educated about the cons. Then the other thing about ingesting weeds etc. Practically, it does not happen as often as stated, and waterjet manufacturers provide a clean out hatch inside the boat where you can unscrew it, and cut the debris away from the jet impeller or main shaft, all without having to enter the water, possibly only getting your hands wet. Generally speaking entrapped weed can be quite easily cut free. Some jet manufacturers use a stomp grate which can help free debris, but the easiest way by far is, if you have a gearbox simply put it in reverse, give it some rpm, not a lot and that can often clear a blockage. Don’t let these cons stop you owning a jet boat. A good jet unit like a Hamilton for example is a very simple and reliable unit. Get this, 6000hours between major service times. A leg or outboard will die long before the first service on a Hamilton. Think about it.

Well that killed it for me. As a NYC bay boat (chop) tons of garbage and seaweed to ingest, not to mention I'm cheap - I'll happily spend $50K for the boat but if I know I'm spending $60 in fuel a day, I'll cry.

I have a seadoo 230 wake boat and I get 2.7 mpg at about 28mph. At idle, jet boats can spin around within their own length which makes it easy to dock. I hate to say this but yamaha for the win with their clean out ports making it simple to remove debris from the impeller. Clean out ports on yamahas date back to atleast 2013. Len's Cove Lessons in Boating should absolutely know this.

how do jet boats do in the ocean? please chime in guys

Can jet boat be left in fresh water?

If Smith from The matrix were to talk about boats this is what he would sound like 😂

Most of the "cons" of jets are really a wash when you actually look at it. Weeds will clog an outboard or jet if they are thick enough. Sucking up sand/rocks off the bottom....if you are in water that shallow with a prop, you are already in trouble. Ropes are a problem for both. Tracking when pulling a tube/skier...you can get spring loaded rudders that stick down off the jet nozzle to help with that. A jet will never have the rudder effect of the big gearcase, but that's the idea, isn't it? The gearcase and prop limit maneuvering. I built my jet after living on a shallow river and destroying a prop drive. The jet covers the whole river. I replace a wear ring every few years for ~$100. A prop drive can't make it more than 1/4 mile on the river before hitting a gravel or sand bar. Water depth? I can go through 3" of water safely.

Not into boating, but this was still a fun watch.

Jet boats are the best especially twin jets

2018 sx210, 3.4 MPG. Name a boat getting better gas mileage then that? == only a Yamaha. I wanna know where this info came from lol

She asked are you buying a boat my answer naw but i plan to buy 1 b4 im 90 lol im 32 btw and broke😂

In my jet boat In reverse turn the wheel in the direction you want stern to go

Once you learn to handle a jet boat around the dock, they make you look good.

You do know that Sea-Doo hasn't made Jet boats since 2013 right?

Lots of friction and drag on the boat

Plenty of rap songs about props 🤣

Not just anyone! Black moon - who got the props! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a56cjbx13a62hmw.html 💪💪

The biggest con is it’s a boat and you can’t keep it in the water 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 it’s a freaking boat

Wishbone Ash, Surface to Air.

Jet boats are great in shallow water where this alot of rocks and seaweed. Lol. Jet boats are a pain in the a**.

Been boating all my life, back in 2011 we bought a ar210 NEVER BUY THESE BOATS… unless you plan on never using a dock.. WHAT A NIGHTMARE.. ZERO CONTROL at slow speeds. Don’t listen to the people telling you otherwise.. the “learning curve” is basically accepting that there are things you cannot do with this boat that normal boats do effortlessly… the aftermarket “stuff” does not help.. do you really want to be trying to dock an oversized jet ski around millions of dollars worth of boats around you? No of course not. Jet boats are not meant for anything but trailering... and god forbid there is a current, wind, or a change of tides when trying to dock.

Not a very good LESSON

Did you "literally " turn it on a dime???? Please learn how to use the correct word. Drives me crazy.