Aussie bloke needs a jet boat

[TWENTY B]

hey guys n girls. TWENTY here from Sydney Australia.
I've had a few boats over the years and always wanted a jet boat but since I'm moving to Brisbane soon this may be the right time.

In Sydney I tend to fish the offshore reefs in my 6m cruise craft for snapper, kingfish mahi-mahi and tuna and she does a great job of it. Spending my time between 5 and 12 miles offshore sometime as far as 70.

In Brisbane as you can see by the map there is Moreton bay and most of the waters are protected by Moreton island and Stradbroke island. . In these more protected waters I don't think I would need the big offshore rig as its not open ocean swells and it's no more than 30 meters deep.
Moreton bay also offers a multitude of inlets, rivers and estuaries that I would really struggle to access and that's where the big mud crabs live.

So with this in mind I see the perfect opera unity to swap the big fishing rig for something more fun and more versatile. Ultimately I would like a Yamaha AR240 limited s but they are a bit expensive over here.
I could still fish from it as well as snorkel, wakeboard, etc
Would something like a ls2000 or regal rush or sugursand be ok in the choppy waters I would sometimes see? The smaller 14ft seadoo/rush might be a bit to small in those waters, I really don't know, but the larger 17ft rush or 19-20ft boats should be fine..
Bow riders make great fishing spots and I can fabricate anything I need like rod racks.

What are your thoughts? Is a jet going to live up to my expectations?

 

[swatski]

@TWENTY B Welcome to the cult - I have a feeling you are about to join, hehe. And thank you for posting these beautiful shots, aren't you lucky!
I used to live in Boston, MA and ran around the harbor islands there all the time in all sorts of little vessels. Now I'm land locked , never took my SX190 out in the ocean, yet. But I know she is going to be fine on the trip the forum members take to Bahamas in June, just based on what she handles lake chop like.
These Yamahas are just about the most versatile boats you can imagine, and they take to mods incredibly well. As I'm sure you noticed that already - around here.

 

[TWENTY B]

Yea, the newer 19-24 boats are amazing, I have no doubt they would do exactly what I want, shame they are stupidly overpriced here. I'll import on for myself one day but at the moment I'm restricted to the older options90s -early 2000s
Will they still cut it?

 

[Julian]

I had an LX210 (same as an LS2000 but with a bolt on swim deck) and it had a very flat bottom and didn't handle chop at all well....it was a rough a pounding experience. But I guess it will depend on how much of a pounding you are prepared to endure! I think you should be looking for a late model 23' boat if you can find one.

 

[Bruce]

Welcome Aboard Mate!

You forgot to mention the best part of Moreton Bay, those bugs are awesome!

I also had a LX210 then upgraded to a 2007 SX230. Having used both along the Mississippi Gulf Coast I found that the LX210 was unusable in anything more than 1.5 foot seas. As @Julian mentioned the hull is relatively flat as well as the low windshields provide little or no protection from spray. The 230 is comfortable in 1.5' seas, starts to get rough around 3' and we have safely traversed 5' seas without getting water in the boat. Trims tabs help up to 3' but I did not use them much in 5' as I wanted to keep the bow up.

I would want to add Frasier Island to my planned boating destinations. It is North of Brisbane along the Sunshine Coast.

 

[TWENTY B]

I was trying to keep the mireton bay bugs and balmain bugs to myself..they are rivaled only by our big mud crabs.

Not sure how bug a swell to expect uo there. I may have to hang onto the big girl until i have been uo there a little while.

Most of what i have seen it is really flat and i wouldnt be out in the 3-5m swells the cruise craft eats up

 

[itsdgm]

Welcome aboard @TWENTY B glad that you found us and decided to join. Good luck with your search for a good boat. Hopefully there's a supply of good used ones down there to choose from.