215 HO impulse, chaparral 223 or Seadoo Wake 230?

[Brendon]

Hey guys, I'm trying to decide on a boat to get and Im currently stuck between the Seedoo wake 230, the Yamaha 212x, or the Scarab 215 HO Imp. or Scarab 195 HO Imp.

Heres where Im at so far:

Seadoo speedster 230: Pros: Large, powerful and roomy, cheaper (30K) Cons: High mpg, not as good of looks, older, parts may be hard to get.


Scarab 210HO Imp.: Pros: Convertible rear deck, Awesome looks and design, roomy, powerful Cons: Expensive, High mpg usage, again expensive (50k-55k) oh and did I mention expensive?


Chaparral 223 vrx(50k): Pros: Convertible passenger seat, Great looks, roomy, powerful Cons: Also expensive, High mpg usage


Can anyone who has tried both the 195ho and the 215ho chime in about wether the 195 would be powerful enough or big enough to adequately pull (as in start a wakeboarder) with a boat full of people? And anyone who has the 215, how is it on gas?

Im currently stuck between the seedoo wake 230, Chaparral 223 and the Scarab 215 HO Imp. Any input would be great!


** update - since ill be taking it on the ocean, focusing now more on the larger ones (eliminating the 212x, and 195ho)

 

[Bruce]

Initially I bought a 19.5' boat. The next year I upgraded to a 23'. My first and second boats were used and I put a lot of work into the first so I did not lose money on the upgrade. It is common to see people buy a new smaller boat then sell or trade it at a big loss when they decide they want a bigger boat. So I would discourage you from buying the smaller boats.

Is there room to negotiate on price on the larger Scarab?

Since Yamaha has introduced a new hull there are bargains to be had on 24' 2014s.

 

[Brendon]

50k was as low as I could find for a 215HO impulse, and Id do financing, so I wouldn't imagine that Id be able to negotiate down by a lot. How cheap do you guys think Id be able to get a 215 for?

 

[Ronnie]

I looked closely at the Seadoo challenger 230s when they first came out. When the wake model was introduced it had a $50k price tag and a lot of cool features like power front windows, a PA system and 3 port/hose heater. I never see them being sold on craigs list and rarely see them on the water. If I were to choose between it and a comparable year yamaha I would select a yamaha because of the head compartment and clean out plugs. I wouldn't buy one today because of the simple fact that Seadoo is no longer in the boat business so getting replacement parts (aside from the engines and pumps) may be a problem in the future.

Good luck with your decision/search. The scarabs are great looking boats but for $50k to $55k I'd be looking at the new sx or ar 240 by yamaha. 3' may not sound like a lot on paper but it will make a big difference on the water. I'm not sure about the other boats but all of the yamaha's I've seen have a lot of interior space they are just limited on occupant capacity because they are lighter than most similarly sized boats. For example a 20 foot ski boat that weighs 5k lbs is rated to hold up to 15 passengers whereas a 240 at 3,500 lbs is limited to 11 passengers (10 until 2012 I think).

 

[0627Devildog]

Go bigger. . . . . You can't add feet to your boat later.

 

[Williamsone46]

I vote get a 2012-newer 212X. You can't even come close to one for the money. And I definitely don't think their lacking on the looks department.

 

[0627Devildog]

I vote get a 2012-newer 212X. You can't even come close to one for the money. And I definitely don't think their lacking on the looks department.

View attachment 16078

2 more cents to add. . . .While I would agree the 212x is a great value for the money right now. . . . . if you are even remotely on the fence about size I would strongly suggest getting the biggest one you can afford/store/tow/etc. . . . You'd be surprised how much they shrink once in the water. I was hemming an hawing over the 212X v.s. the AR240HO and once I took delivery and launched the 240 for the first time I knew bigger was the right choice.

Either way, best of luck on your decision/purchase.

 

[Williamsone46]

@0627Devildog in most people's cases bigger is better, but it's not always the case. For some people sometimes having a larger boat is over whelming. If anyone remembers when @JetBoatPilot did the comparison on seating a while back, the 12~ current 21' has more seating room than the 23' models and slightly less than the 10~14 24' models. The biggest benefit to the 24' is a head, added storage & higher freeboard. If those don't add value to you than I would suggest a 21'.

 

[jlcj7]

I vote get a 2012-newer 212X. You can't even come close to one for the money. And I definitely don't think their lacking on the looks department.

View attachment 16078

That is a nice looking boat!

 

[Brendon]

Ok so Ive done a bit more comparing and looking now at the Chaparral 223 and I'm crossing off the 212x and 195 since Ill need something just a bit bigger for being in the ocean

Any input on the Chaparral VRX 223?

 

[OrangeTJ]

212 vs 223 doesn't seem like that much difference in size. You want to be on the ocean? Why not look at the 24 footers?

 

[Bruce]

Where at on the ocean? And how big of waves do you want to handle?

 

[Brendon]

Outer banks, maybe florida keys.

And Im just honestly not a huge fan of the yamaha's use of the rear. Not a huge fan of the rear deck design, nor the color scheme. The Chapparal VRX and Scarab HO impulses all look awesome, if yamaha stepped up their visual design a bit more Id consider the 240. But the Chaparral has the folding passenger seat and the Scarab has the rear deck (which I really like) which is why Im mainly leaning toward them.

Id go 24 foot but my budget is 50k and those are above it unless I go older. Plus I won't be going on the ocean all that much, probably like 25% ocean 75% river/lake and I dont need the size of a 24 footer and the mpg that comes with it. I really only need the size of a 195 but dont want to feel cramped or small on the ocean so therefore going with the 200's

 

[Brendon]

Also, I've heard of several people saying they got decent deals on the '14 scarabs, what would you guys say a great deal on a '14 215HO imp. be?

 

[Bruce]

@Brendon, please invite those guys who got great deals on Scarabs to join us. Most of our members including myself have never seen one in person!

In the Yamaha lineup the 24' boats get as good of fuel mileage as the smaller boats.

 

[Brendon]

Guess that's prob a good idea for a different thread


Yeah I can't seem to find anything on mpg or range for the scarabs or chaparrals >.<

 

[Bruce]

Yeah I can't seem to find anything on mpg or range for the scarabs or chaparrals >.<

BoatTest.com has some numbers

Chap 203 1 x 250 Peaks at 3.7 mpg at 26 mph, 3.0 mpg at 31 mph, 2.4 mpg at 44. Top speed of 44.

Chap 223 2 x 205 Peaks at 3.2 mpg at 26 mph, 2.7 mpg at 31 mph, 1.6 mpg above 48. Top speed of 53.

Chap 243 2 x 250 Peaks at 2.9 mpg at 25 mph, 2.6 mpg at 31 mph and 1.5 mpg above 50. Top speed of 54.

Yamaha 212X 2 x 180 Peaks at 3.2 mpg at 27 mph, 3.0 mpg at 32 mph, 2.2 mpg above 54. Top speed of 56.

Yamaha 242 (2014) 2 x 180 Peaks at 3.3 mpg from 28 to 32 mph, 2.7 mpg at 36 mph,, 2.2 mpg at top speed of 52.

Yamaha 242 (2015) 2 x 180 http://www.boattest.com/boats/boat_video.aspx?ID=3211
Peaks at 3.0 mpg at 24.1 mph, 2.6 mpg from 29 to 33, 2.4 mpg above 44 mph. Top speed of 52.

 

[Williamsone46]

Also, I've heard of several people saying they got decent deals on the '14 scarabs, what would you guys say a great deal on a '14 215HO imp. be?

Let us know if you find a deal on a 215 HO Impulse that keeps you otd under 50k. With what I've seen a good deal will get you otd around 60k.

 

[Brendon]

looks like the 400hp scarab is 3.3mpg max 123 mile range at max

Oooo thats even steeper than I though >.<

 

[Bruce]

looks like the 400hp scarab is 3.3mpg max 123 mile range at max

Oooo thats even steeper than I though >.<

Based on the Chap numbers that is going to be 3.3 mpg at around 26 mph. Do you drive 26 mph?