Jet Propulsion Boats
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- Thinking about a new or new to you boat and want to know if a jet powered boat is right for you? There are many pros and cons with jet propulsion in boats and you should know them all before you buy. Many of these differences are obvious, and yet they are often ignored by boat sales people. In this video we will cover:
1. Jet Boat Pros. 1:11
2. Cons of a Jet Boat. 3:04
3. Summary of who should buy jet propulsion boats. 4:57
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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.
Glad it has been good for you!
Thank you for the info.
Weeds are generally a low speed issue too, at high speeds my sugarsand was a giant salad shooter
Awesome boat! I knew someone with the same exact model and he still has it since brand new. Its a 24' Twin 4-stroke Yamaha AR Jet Boat. I have jet skis as well as an outboard boat and i can definitely see the uses for each boat.
The OP has a perfect example of what jet boats are truly great at. Plus I/O reliability isnt the best either. I would only consider Outboard or Jet pump..
For someone that lives on the coast where there's marked channels with deep water and you just want to go out fishing. Then maybe the outboard boat might be the better decision.
A jet pump boat can do any of these things but an outboard motor just makes more sense for this type of general use and not worried about younger kids, etc.
Plus the newer 4-stroke outboards are whisper quiet especially the Yamahas and Hondas if they still sell them here..
Yea the Yamaha Jet Boats have the top-side access panel to clear anything out of the jet pump intakes, after the Motors have been shut down obviously.
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.
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 :)
I would agree with everything except maneuverability. Although the articulating keel helps a ton, its still hard to track straight in a no wake zone.
My AR210 was one of the most difficult boats to drive. It’s totally opposite of every normal boat. After a little while, I got quite proficient with it. Those clean out plugs were a huge pain, as the rubber seals would swell and be difficult to re-install. It’s best quality was the seat layout, and roomieness.
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.
Hey @Michal Lempicki. Thanks for the comments. I'm in the market for a new boat (actually, my first boat) and one that I'm looking at is the Yamaha SX195. What are your thoughts on the SX195 for a first boat to be used for lake relaxing and occasional skiing. It will have to be winterized, so I'm also curious about the maintenance and upkeep for a jet drive boat. Thanks.
@@MKDonline That is the beautiful thing about Yamaha boats. Maintenance is at a minimum. Oil and spark plugs are what most people change every season. The winterization process is to turn the engine on (no water hooked up or in water) and rev the engine a couple of times to blow out any water that may be still in there. Some people run anti-freeze, but that is not a recommendation from Yamaha. We love our boat. This is our second and we will keep it for a couple more years. I recently installed a wake tower (Monster Tower). The next boat will be another Yamaha, but this time most likely a 25 footer. :) The market is crazy right now, so if you are looking and found one, jump on it and get it.
Thank you for this information, this was just what I needed.
Great video. Very informative. Thanks very much.
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!
Ty for the great info .
Great video. Thank you for your knowledge and good advise sir🤙🏼
Our pleasure William!
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.
Brian, yes - it is a skill that you can practice and perfect. Our comments were based on the initial learning curve an intimidation for new boaters. Glad you love yours!!
I agree, with practice I think my boat is more manueavable then prop boats of equal size.
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.
I would add even if the motor is at idle and you are at speed you will have zero steering.
I have the same boat, which was my first, and I had to learn about the zero steering on the fly. When the boat has run correctly, it has been a lot of fun. The other 70% of the time, I've had problems with it.
I own a 2004 Polaris LE2100. Such a beautiful vessel and so much fun.
Thanks for the smart and factual advise. Regards...Rob
Our pleasure Bob!
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.
These are great thoughts and tips! Our viewers who read them will benefit for sure!
GREAT VIDEO THANKS
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!
Glad it works so well for you! They are fun to drive :-)
I am considering getting one so thanks for your post!
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.
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 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 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 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.
If you love it and gets you excited about getting out on the water - perfect! 🤩
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.
Totally agree, thanks Neil!
Thrust vectors are your friend, your welcome.
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.
I had a 21 foot jet boat with a 460 and my cousin who was a skier told me to floor it to get him out of the water, so I did to his surprise he could not hold on !!! lol
He told me he had never felt a boat pull hard like that before !!
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?
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.
There are some definite draw backs, agreed
I saw a video about something called Intellijet. Is it available on any boats?
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.
You are 100% right!
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??
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 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’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.
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.
Great info!
How does it handle the chop? The Gulf can be pretty rough sometimes.
Cheers 😎👍
@@teop7887 Well, let's be honest. It's a dual console runabout so it does its best in somewhat smooth water. It won't cut through waves as well as something with a deeper vee, but it does just fine in choppy water. Admittedly not the smoothest ride in a heavy chop, but certainly plenty of power to move through it without issue. I've been out in 3-4 foot rollers and it's probably not something I'd want to do again, but this boat isn't made for that. There are better choices if you're routinely offshore or in heavier seas.
Congrats on your boat Ken!
How is your Scarab for reliability? Are they similar to the Sea Doo's they replaced?
@@machupikachu1085 Been rock solid so far. Can't speak to the Sea-Doo thing. Never owned one.
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
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
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 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.
Absolutely a blast!
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
Thanks for the additions Patrick!
Totally agree about the rough water. I just added a comment on that.
With the larger jet boats the rough water is pretty easy.
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.
@jacob carolan whats average on a rebuild looking like? looking to purchase a used one and am curious to know the round about price incase i get the worst case scenario or if i chose to buy cheaper with issues. thanks!
Sounds like a blast from the past :)
@@ktee-ts9wf I had my motor rebuilt with mild upgrades(nice pistons, cam, valve springs to handle cam, and some other odds and ends and payed 3100 out the door with a 12 month warranty. Make sure your pump is in top notch shape. The largest performance gain I’ve got on the boat was from rebuilding the pump and matching the impeller to engine rpm
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
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?
Buy it! This is the first boat I've owned and we LOVE our SX230!! Not sure how fuel consumption compares, but we get out a lot and it doesn't seem like we need to refuel very often
An SR230 Yamaha was my first jet boat. I was very happy with it. It wasn't loud, and it wasn't bad on gas. In fact, Yamaha has best in class fuel economy. You'll average 2.5-3 mpg.
A lot of the negatives are not true with Yamaha boats
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 have a 23 foot jet boat and it does ok in chop on a river or lake. Have not been out on the ocean yet.
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 would stick to. Good outboard peered boat in that environment
Does anyone make a jet boat made for ocean travel with a deep v hull?
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.
Not into boating, but this was still a fun watch.
Thanks Laura, glad it could bring a smile to your face :)
Jet boats are the best especially twin jets
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.
Isaac, the cons aren’t meant to deter people, just allow them to know what they are getting into honestly before purchasing. Sounds like jet it the best power choice for you for sure!
Can jet boat be left in fresh water?
Yes, absolutely it can. It will increase the risk of osmosis over time and stain the hull the same as any fiberglass boat
In my jet boat
In reverse turn the wheel
in the direction you want stern to go
Yes, that is correct Frank. If I didn’t mention that I should have.
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
You do know that Sea-Doo hasn't made Jet boats since 2013 right?
You do know that people can purchase them used right?
@@machupikachu1085 My point was that a lot of the things they describe as cons have been relieved in the past few years.
Once you learn to handle a jet boat around the dock, they make you look good.
True statement:)
how do jet boats do in the ocean? please chime in guys
Plenty of rap songs about props 🤣
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😂
The biggest con is it’s a boat and you can’t keep it in the water 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 it’s a freaking boat
Boats are life ;)
Not just anyone!
Black moon - who got the props!
czcams.com/video/58lZYDxHRV8/video.html
💪💪
Wishbone Ash, Surface to Air.
This comment has me scratching my head. Can you explain? 🤣
@@boatinglessons Not sure why I was thinking about music, but Surface to Air, is a song by Wishbone Ash. Cheers!
Jet boats are great in shallow water where this alot of rocks and seaweed. Lol. Jet boats are a pain in the a**.
Not a very good LESSON
Did you "literally " turn it on a dime???? Please learn how to use the correct word. Drives me crazy.
Yes. They were test driving the jet boat in a wishing well. :)