Considering buying a 2009 Sea Doo Wake 510hp have some questions

[Geo2JZ]

Considering this as my first boat. 2009 Sea doo Wake 230 510hp

Use: Family entertainment ie hanging out, tubing, beginner wakeboarding, island hopping

I like all things fast. This seems like one of the more powerful Jetboats. Found a 2009 with brand new engines and I want to go look at it.

My questions to those that own it are

How does it handle bay chop? I won’t be doing any crazy offshore stuff but plenty of island hopping and the bay can get rough when it’s windy. I don’t want it to feel like a death trap.

Second question is do any of you regret doing jet vs traditional prop setup? I am in love with the way it looks, the seating, the swim platform, the wake tower, etc. Really my only concern is bay chop.

Final question is long term reliability. I over modified my old 2012 RXTX to the point that it was very unreliable. So this I will keep stock (unless there is a flash available if so I will do just basic flash). How many hours have you guys gotten out of these things?

If anybody thinks I’m making a mistake and there is another comparable boat you recommend I welcome all opinion. Budget is around 30k and would like 23-24ft that seats 12.
Thanks.

 

[haknslash]

Looks like a sporty ride. I know this is the Challenger but they are similar enough (I think). BTW I never knew those thing had power windows!! Kind of a gimmick IMO but also kind of cool on those hot days.

 

[Bruce]

Buy a Yamaha.

Or you could buy the SeaDoo and we will try to answer questions when it breaks. All the time....

 

[veedubtek]

I love the Sea Doo's and owned a '12 430hp 210se. I would not buy one (or any jet really) for what you're looking for, just my opinion.

Reliability wise, they are awesome once you rebuild the chargers. I'd 100% own another one for lake use.

 

[Geo2JZ]

I love the Sea Doo's and owned a '12 430hp 210se. I would not buy one (or any jet really) for what you're looking for, just my opinion.

Reliability wise, they are awesome once you rebuild the chargers. I'd 100% own another one for lake use.

Can you elaborate on the not recommending any jet for what I’m looking for?

I’m new to this. I like that style boat the most as it looks the “sportiest” with the dark hulls, wake tower/speakers etc . It doesn’t have to be the Sea Doo but from looking around they certainly seem to look nicer than the same year Yamaha’s. The one u found has brand new engines and brand new superchargers both with 2 year warranty.

Like looking at Yamaha’s I don’t get excited about what I see till I see a 242x but that’s literally double the budget. Was trying to buy cash something that has already done a lot of the depreciating.

 

[robert843]

Can you elaborate on the not recommending any jet for what I’m looking for?

Yes I'm not sure of your location but if your going to be bouncing around rough bays its going to beat you up. 510 hp is awesome but in rough water in order for it to be moderately comfortable ride you will likely only be going 15-20 mph so it won't matter much. If I planned to primarily boat in bigger rougher water I would want something designed a little more towards that many of the offshore style boats now come with tow points I have even seen some with wake towers.

 

[haknslash]

Yup if boating in a bay all the time I don't think I'd own a jet boat. The hulls simply aren't up to the task if that's where you're going to boat the most. Will it do it? Sure but you and your crew are gonna feel it and it would get old fast, for me anyways. YMMV. It's fine to take my boat down to the gulf on vacation but I wouldn't want to own one if I lived there and boated in the gulf or ocean. I'd want a true deep v hull, good deadrise angle with high freeboard so I could handle those windy or rough days better.

 

[Geo2JZ]

I’m in Orlando, FL. It will be a lot of lakes then some beach to nearby islands but it’s all intercostal/bay stuff. I just remember riding in a 21ft center console through some bay chop and couldn’t go over 20 without some serious slap/death trap.

I will keep looking and see what I find.

 

[haknslash]

These boat hulls tend to flatten out at the back and they're light so they will slap and bounce rather than slice through the rough stuff. Watch that video and it will give you an idea of what it would look like driving around in a sporty attitude. While that may seem fun for a day or so I wouldn't want my ride to be like that the majority of the time.

 

[Geo2JZ]

Thanks guys I really appreciate your input.

 

[robert843]

I’m in Orlando, FL. It will be a lot of lakes then some beach to nearby islands but it’s all intercostal/bay stuff. I just remember riding in a 21ft center console through some bay chop and couldn’t go over 20 without some serious slap/death trap.

I will keep looking and see what I find.

I'm in the same boating situation mostly ICW and some bays thrown in. My family loves the Yamaha but we avoid the bays unless the wind is down. If it was up to me I would have a Sea Hunt 255 SE which would be about perfect for my boating situation but the family hates the idea of a center console.

 

[haknslash]

No problem. Not trying to scare you off a jet boat. Just giving you realistic expectations so you can decide if this is what you'd want out of a boat. Some people don't mind being bounced around and consider it "fun' but usually that wears off and people will start giving you crazy looks when the going gets rough

If you were saying you would be doing lake boating the majority of the time with the occasional trip to the bay or gulf then that's a different story and I would say a jet boat would work fine. These boats are loads of fun and maintenance for a Yamaha is nothing at all, even the supercharged engines. I've been out in the gulf and bay on my 19' every year we visit PCB and some days were 2-3 ft seas. These boats don't offer a lot of freeboard so it is easy to stuff the bow if you are not careful on rough days. I've done it just sitting still in the bow anchored off the gulf and got a rogue one come over

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Motor mounts, carbon seal, electronics issues, supercharger clutch, premium fuel consumption and make that X2

 

[Beachbummer]

In rough seas bigger is better, but cost and utility are also big factor. A 38 ft boat would be more comfortable in rough weather, but the expense for a boat in similar condition will be significantly different. Same for all expenses you will incur, both frequent (fuel and storage) as well as intermittent (purchase and repairs)

What are your alternatives and constraints? Any concerns with maximin draft or ability to trailer/tow? Plans to store?

I take my sx230 into Galveston Bay quite a bit, and it does much better than the 18ft that weights half as much.(that i used to own) speed is adjusted according to Sea conditions.

Behavior in chop is also altered by weight. Check the weight of your alternatives also.


I really like not having a 12-36in extra metal expensive driveline part hanging from the back, and the swim platform is nice too. You only get both of these on a jet boat.

EDIT: forgot to mention dual engines. You will likely never need a tow due to mechanical failure, as you can always get home with one engine. I value this feature very much, and it's mostly available in jet only on smaller boats.

 

[ACRDSPORT14]

I would consider a new seadoo jetski, that's about it from seadoo

 

[Ronnie]

I think they "fixed" the super charger issues (ceramic washers) back in the mid 2000's but you will still have to rebuild the superchargers every once in a while (e.g. every 100 t0 200 hours) and even if you do it your self the cost will be between $500 and $1,000 according to a friend of mine with two RXT PWCs that he uses to power his windjet hull/boat. As I recall that boat has an air heater system with two or three output hoses for people to use when they get out of the water. The electric front windshields were more for style not function IMHO. Performance wise it keeps up with a 230 HO series Yamaha boat of the same year. If given the choice I would go with a used 230 series, 2007 to 2009 when they all had head compartments and HO engines only, but more for the head compartment which the Seadoo does not have. Why does the one you are considering have brand new engines? If it is just low hours, I understand but if the engines have been replaced I would be asking a lot of questions and for documentation on who did the work, warranty, etc. Without such proof, I would just keep looking.

As for conditions, I live within 10 minutes of SF Bay and have boated on it maybe 10 times in 15 years. It is fine on the rare days when there is no or little wind but even sustained 2 foot swells will put a beating on my crew and I in just a few miles. Sure we reduce are speed as necessary but with all of the ferry traffic in the bay it is very hard to avoid the big wakes from time to time. If the Bay was where I am going to boat primarily, I would own a small cabin cruiser because its is heavier and sits higher in the water and I would want an enclosure for the at least the front (between the windshield and bimini top) and sides for wind and spray protection.

 

[veedubtek]

Keep up with a 230ho?

Lol.

Run circles around any Yamaha 4 stroke boat.

Charger rebuilds will run ya about $450/per if you pull the charger yourself and send it out. That engine is pretty bulletproof otherwise.

 

[Ronnie]

I will find the video of a dealer (possibly in florida) driving an ar230 while his coworker drove a seadoo 230. They did a top speed run not a drag race and the boats were pretty much together throughout the run. I dont recall how much hp the seadoo had but it was alot more than the ar with ho engines.

Does seadoo recommend the superchargers be rebuilt every year or just after a certain number of hours are reached? Having a fixed $900 a year maintenance bill would impact my buying decision.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I believe it is still every year on the supercharger clutches.

 

[Ronnie]

Here is a link to the video i mentioned. I was wrong, they did go with a standing start but The seadoo had 430 hp not 510 hp like the one being considered. So im sure the latter is faster but other things i would consider if choosing between the two are the head and clean out plugs which the yamaha has and the seadoo does not. Incidentally, i have seen some seadoo wakes for sale in my area, most have asking prices of about $30k so at least that is consistent coast to coast.