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'06 Sugar Sand 23" Oasis vs Yamaha SX230 / AR210

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Nick Baker

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Hey All,

I'm looking to purchase my first Jet Boat. There's a couple out there I have my eye on. Our house is on West Lake Toho in Kissimmee with a doc. We'll be doing some fishing, tubing, wake boarding and taking it out to the salt on occasion to play in the intercostal areas, beach it up, etc.

2006 Sugar Sand Oasis LX
https://orlando.craigslist.org/boa/5049738723.html
I've actually been out to look at this one already. Going for a lake test this weekend. It's in pretty good shape, but been dry for 2 years.

2006 Yamaha AR210
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2006-Yamaha-AR-210-102492671
Worried this will be a bit underpowered.

2008 Yamaha SX230
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2008-Yamaha-SX-230-102536144
More the size I'm looking for. Also quite a bit far for me to drive.

Any opinions on the relative merits would be appreciated!
-Nick
 
Run from that Optimax motor! That is the only power plant our shop doesn't work on and parts for the sportiest can be hard to get. Its also loud, really loud. YMMV
 
SX230 for 15,500, that wins hands down!
 
I agree, IMHO, on the surface, it would be the SX230. But I don't know anything about the Sugar Sand boat other than I don't think that they're still being made. I'd take the newer, bigger, better priced Yamaha. Provided that it's in good shape.
 
If you are looking for a 23' than the ar210 is a non starter, plus it is just as old as the sugar sand but costs more than the 230.

Between the sugar sand and 230, the choice would be a no brainier for me. I had a Seadoo with a 240 hp sport jet and it performed great when it was working but it is a two stroke so its old tech which translated to it smoked a lot until it warmed up and it was hard to find parts for as well. If you move forward with it don't forget to check the intake grate out, mine had one that opened to let vegetation in and be chewed up and spit out by the jet, if the times have broken off you'll need to replace the surge grate with a fixed one and also make sure none of the broken tines damaged any of the other pump components irreparably.

Big pluses for the yamaha are twin engines which have so far proven to be almost bullet proof and head compartment, you may never need it but you will be grateful to have it, assuming you fit it with a head/toilet.
 
Welcome aboard Nick. Coming from a Sugar Sand owner , if condition is similar I would have to go with the 230 . Newer with newer tech plus Sugar Sand ceased production in 08. If you need boat parts your pretty much screwed, engine isn't a problem

Bill
 
Thanks All. Yea I'm really leaning toward a Yamaha unless I can get the Sugar Sand at a great deal. Plus it's pretty weedy here in Central Florida, so quick access to clean out the the junk is sounding pretty good.
 
I also owned a Sugar Sand. It had the Mercury jetdrive and I had no problems with it.

However, given Sugar Sand is no longer in production, and given your choices above, I think you would be better off with the Yamaha 230.
 
The advice given above is pretty spot on. Since the pricing is so close, that 230 is the best buy for sure in my opinion.

Here is also my opinion coming from a guy from Fargo (sugar sands home when in production) and current Mercury SportJet owner. That boat is beautiful and in great condition. Our neighbor at the lake has the same boat. I'm not sure if I like the layout of the boat, as there seems to be a lot of wasted space with the tall V6 in the back. Ours SeaDoo is the same, but utilizes the space much better. I'm not sold on the Sugar sand only for that reason. The Yamaha layouts are much more efficient with space.

If you can find a Mercury dealer that will work on sportjets, the motor is a non issue. They are rock solid engines when maintained, but very costly to fix if anything fails. So as mentioned, for the right price, it's still a great boat. But the 230 is a better buy. For those that said it is noisy, that is true, but not any more noisy than most of the yamahas, as noise is a common complaint from them as well. So take that comment with a grain, but they are right, it is two stroke. We love our 240efi and it performs amazing!

As far as the boats not being in production, that is only an issue if you need a Sugar Sand specific component. And that would consist of the hull. All other components in many of these boats may be sourced through third parties.

Either way, unless the 230 is sold, it sure seems like a winner. How many other 2008 Yamaha boats can you find around $15K! WOW.

Good luck!
 
@biffdotorg So are the Sugar Sand doors open up there in Fargo? Do people come and go? Just curious. I really wonder if one day they will start producing again. They had great boats.
 
No, nothing left of them up here. As mentioned, the only thing proprietary about the boats were the hulls. And you can see the fiberglass molds around behind warehouses etc. Most of the molds were sold off I though.

They shared space with a sister company that made Cobra car kits. Classic Roadsters, I believe it was called. All of it has been shut down. I would say Sugar Sand was SeaDoo's biggest competition in the small boat arena. The SeaDoo Speedster and the SugarSand Tango were very comparable. It's surprising to see both of them shut down now and nobody making the 15-16' boats. There has to be a demand for starter boats like that today.
 
Buy your LAST boat first.
 
While I don't know much about the sugar sand, we have a few members that have had them on the forum. But as some of them mentioned, support for this boat is dead. So regardless of the deal, I wouldn't do it because it is a dead end for anything needed for it. The 2008 230 is still fully supported by Yamaha and JETBOATERS.NET! And having this forum in your back pocket makes almost anything on that boat at least doable. Any questions? :winkingthumbsup"
 
biffdotorg said:
No, nothing left of them up here. As mentioned, the only thing proprietary about the boats were the hulls. And you can see the fiberglass molds around behind warehouses etc. Most of the molds were sold off I though.

They shared space with a sister company that made Cobra car kits. Classic Roadsters, I believe it was called. All of it has been shut down. I would say Sugar Sand was SeaDoo's biggest competition in the small boat arena. The SeaDoo Speedster and the SugarSand Tango were very comparable. It's surprising to see both of them shut down now and nobody making the 15-16' boats. There has to be a demand for starter boats like that today.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the intel! I actually called them one day and was quisitive. They made it seem like they were still in business, just not producing boats - more working on their kit cars than boats. But, sounds like even their kit car business has stalled. Their website for several years made it sound like they would be building new boats once they received enough orders. Sad deal to me. An American company that made a great product.
 
I'm actually 5 miles away from Mercury Plant 7 in St. Cloud. Lot of Mercury down here. Get out of Central Florida and the Yamaha outboards take over. I just got back from NC and everything up there was running a Yammy.
 
Nick Baker said:
Hey All,

I'm looking to purchase my first Jet Boat. There's a couple out there I have my eye on. Our house is on West Lake Toho in Kissimmee with a doc. We'll be doing some fishing, tubing, wake boarding and taking it out to the salt on occasion to play in the intercostal areas, beach it up, etc.

2006 Sugar Sand Oasis LX
https://orlando.craigslist.org/boa/5049738723.html
I've actually been out to look at this one already. Going for a lake test this weekend. It's in pretty good shape, but been dry for 2 years.

2006 Yamaha AR210
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2006-Yamaha-AR-210-102492671
Worried this will be a bit underpowered.

2008 Yamaha SX230
http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2008-Yamaha-SX-230-102536144
More the size I'm looking for. Also quite a bit far for me to drive.

Any opinions on the relative merits would be appreciated!
-Nick
Click to expand...
Hello my name is Gary I just bought a sugar sand mirage last month.do not buy it.the intake grate is in the middle of the bottom and about four feet under.it gets a lot of grass stuck a lot.it don't have plugs like the yamaha.plus there intakes are not in the middle.also jet boats do not steer at slow speeds.that su. K. Do your self a favor don't buy a jet boat.if you go out in the gulf you will get clogged with grass.don't make the same mistake I did.
 
Well the SX230 sold. This is the run-up to 4th of July. Probably picking the worst time to go looking for a boat. Thanks for all the info everyone. I'll let you know where I end up!
 
Nick Baker said:
Well the SX230 sold. This is the run-up to 4th of July. Probably picking the worst time to go looking for a boat. Thanks for all the info everyone. I'll let you know where I end up!
Click to expand...
I have a 2007 for sale 18 foot Nike New under 50 hours
 
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