First Boat

[Ballmiester]

looking into purchasing our first boat we are a family of 4 2 small kids. When we go out it will mostly be just us I want to be able to wake board and was thinking of going with a new Ar195 or a used Ar195 or AR192 this would be my first boat I really haven't driven many in my life either any help and info would be appreciated I'm located in Orange County NY if you have any dealer recommendations or used ones around here thank you in advance.

 

[robert cabrerea]

I love my sx190
I was just telling someone I dont think there is a boat on the market that seats 8 goes 40 mph and looks great for under 30k with the years of yamaha boat building experience. Hope you get one and use it as much as my family has. 100 hrs and counting in 9 months time.

 

[d_coyne1984]

In my opinion, with a 192/195 you can comfortably seat up to 6 adults so I think that would be a good option for you. The 190 series is a great first boat. It's easy to trailer, easy to maintain, and once you get the hang of the jet drive (it will take practice), it's the most maneuverable boat you'll find at 19ft. The wake is very small without ballast, but it is still fun. There is enough lip to get you across the wake. It is not a good surf boat so I wouldn't recommend buying one with high hopes for that.

 

[Ballmiester]

In my opinion, with a 192/195 you can comfortably seat up to 6 adults so I think that would be a good option for you. The 190 series is a great first boat. It's easy to trailer, easy to maintain, and once you get the hang of the jet drive (it will take practice), it's the most maneuverable boat you'll find at 19ft. The wake is very small without ballast, but it is still fun. There is enough lip to get you across the wake. It is not a good surf boat so I wouldn't recommend buying one with high hopes for that.

I would mostly be doing some tubing with the kids and some wakeboarding nothing crazy we have a pretty big lake near by I see a lot of people trailer to and from is there any disadvantage to getting a slip and leaving it in all seas because I know the wife will not want to drive a trailer but she will want to take the boat out when I'm stuck working nights or weekends hahaha

 

[Betik]

You are exactly were I was last October. I assume you are not in hurry right?
I was able to buy an sx240 with 26.7 hours for the same price of a new ar190. It also had about 7k worth of upgrades.

for the record we were sold on a new sx190 too, but we could not pass on the that Sx240 especially given that we wanted to make the Bimini trip.
Please keep in mind to budget about 3k in upgrades after the purse chase.

The key advantages for me on the 190 are :

1. Easy tow , don't need a truck
2. It will fit almost in any garage
3. Highly efficient engine
4. Really cheap for what you get in return

The key dissatanges

1. once you ride in 240 it will feel small
2. Second engine add redundancy & more power
3. Most importantly for us, the longer the better the off shore handling and we bought the boat for the jetboaters Bimini trip.

From what you are describing a 190 is better choice for your family that 210 or 240 but statistically speaking you will end up with a bigger boat in 3 to 5 years.

PS why you want a 192/195 vs a 190? You loose big on Efficiency and will have higher maintainance.

 

[Lpennington]

We are about to pull the trigger on a new 195 (couldn't find jack in the nearby used listings). We are a family of 2 adults and 2 middle schoolers. I thought the 195 might work after someone said it would pull a load of 4 adults and a 2-3 kids better than the 190. Definitely still reading others' opinions on this point.

We'll definitely want to have a visitor or 2 besides us on outings but we need to store the boat in the garage to keep the boating budget within reason hence the decision not to look at used 21 or 24 feet boats.

PS why you want a 192/195 vs a 190? You loose big on Efficiency and will have higher maintainance.

 

[haknslash]

Your annual maintenance is not any higher on a 192/195 than 190. I also haven't had issues with fuel like everyone who doesn't own a 192/195 assumes you'll be stranded if you get a supercharged engine . Yes it drinks more fuel than a non-supercharged engine (no surprise there) but I've yet to have an issue where I'm hunting for a fuel dock or calling SeaTow because of gas lol. I can go a whole weekend without refueling if I'm just cove lounging and chilling rather than water sports all day or weekend, again no surprise there.

 

[SCP1]

We are about to pull the trigger on a new 195 (couldn't find jack in the nearby used listings). We are a family of 2 adults and 2 middle schoolers. I thought the 195 might work after someone said it would pull a load of 4 adults and a 2-3 kids better than the 190. Definitely still reading others' opinions on this point.

We'll definitely want to have a visitor or 2 besides us on outings but we need to store the boat in the garage to keep the boating budget within reason hence the decision not to look at used 21 or 24 feet boats.

Regarding the decision between the 190 vs 195, go with the 195. Yes your going to burn more fuel however with a boat full your not going to feel sluggish (as well as a bunch of other upgrades). This is coming from someone who has had both and would of got a 21' if it would of fit in my garage.

 

[haknslash]

Worth mentioning regarding the 190 vs 192/195 is you get upgrades to the interior, swim deck, bow filler cushion, etc you get with a 192/195 over a 190.

Regarding fuel, IMO if you're buying a boat for "fuel economy" you don't need to buy a boat lol. I can fill my 30 gallon tank and if I'm not hot dogging it everywhere I can easily use it the weekend without refueling. Boating "fuel economy" is the price you pay for smiles per miles . The fuel economy of my boat doesn't bother me I just wished the tank was larger than 30 gallons in general.

 

[Ballmiester]

I'm not so worried about the fuel economy the reason I was leaning towards the 192/195 was the upgraded features and I thought it had a little more power I'm not a small guy but I'm not huge I'm 6 foot 1 200-205 so I wanted something that could definitely pull me up and let my wife destroy me when I'm on a tube that is my favorite part when you get tossed hahaha. I'm in no hurry to buy wouldn't be using it till next season any way by the time I purchased I would like to tow it to and from the lake but my wife will not and she will want to be able to use it when I'm at work so I would probably leave it in for the season just not sure how that is for a boat like I said I'm new to this.

 

[Betik]

The storage is a big issue. The hassle we have gone through to store our 240 is major PITA.

I like naturally aspirated engines and fuel efficiency is important for me not in terms of saving money as match as a safety net. I.e. Last July we had 2 people drift for hours in th Gulf Stream and I arrived at my destination with 1 gallon left in my tank. I know in those cases a 190 vs 195 would have not made a difference, but still.

PS. Am I reading correctly that you plan to leave the boat in the water for the whole season ( say 3 months )? If so, some of the more seasoned guys need chime in but the advice I got is to avoid leaving it in the water for more than 2 weeks.

 

[Ballmiester]

The storage is a big issue. The hassle we have gone through to store our 240 is major PITA.

I like naturally aspirated engines and fuel efficiency is important for me not in terms of saving money as match as a safety net. I.e. Last July we had 2 people drift for hours in th Gulf Stream and I arrived at my destination with 1 gallon left in my tank. I know in those cases a 190 vs 195 would have not made a difference, but still.

PS. Am I reading correctly that you plan to leave the boat in the water for the whole season ( say 3 months )? If so, some of the more seasoned guys need chime in but the advice I got is to avoid leaving it in the water for more than 2 weeks.

Ok that's good to know I guess I will wait to hear what some more people say I have a an explorer sport that can tow it no problem I could always teach the wife to tow also

 

[haknslash]

There aren't any issues wet slipping these boats in fresh water for a season. There are plenty of people on here who wet slip their boats. Just understand that in some lakes your hull can develop a growth from the microorganisms in the water. Really depends on the lakes and waters you boat in though as some lakes are more prone to growth than others and some aren't really affected much at all aside from staining. The growth can drastically affect top speed performance as it creates a lot of drag on the water, so if you plan to wet slip it would be a good idea to pull the boat out from time to time to deep clean the hull.

The only bodies of water I wouldn't want to wet slip for more than a few weeks is in salt water.

 

[Ballmiester]

There aren't any issues wet slipping these boats in fresh water for a season. There are plenty of people on here who wet slip their boats. Just understand that in some lakes your hull can develop a growth from the microorganisms in the water. Really depends on the lakes and waters you boat in though as some lakes are more prone to growth than others and some aren't really affected much at all. The growth can drastically affect top speed performance as it creates a lot of drag on the water. So if you plan to wet slip it would be a good idea to pull the boat out from time to time to deep clean the hull.

The only bodies of water I wouldn't want to wet slip for more than a few weeks is in salt water.

Thank you I guess I will talk to some local guys and friends that have boats in greenwood lake ny that's definitely do able to pull it every so often when I'm on nights and clean it and put it back in.

 

[SCSX190]

Greenwood lake is my old stomping ground, I had my old boats in wet slips at North Shore marina, which is now a public Beach,, that was owned by my friend Glenn "Mudd Slide" Slater who passed away a couple of years ago in a tragic accident. I never had growth problems in Greenwood lake like I have now in lake Wylie SC but then again, we smoked and drank so damn much at North Shore no one really cared about the bottom of the boats .

The water is cold in NY but you may still need to pull it out once a month for a hull cleaning. These jet boats like clean hulls so any growth will slow you down. My sister's boat is wet slipped in Greenwood lake marina and they don't pull it out to clean it during the summer.

Also, Greenwood lake has a speed limit of 45 and the 4 police agencies on that 9 Mile lake are a pain in the ass. You may be better off with a 190 that has a top speed of 44.

There are no covered slips or lifts on Greenwood Lake, at least not when I was there.

 

[d_coyne1984]

I have to disagree with the earlier statement that a 192/195 will be more to maintain than a 190. The supercharger and intercooler require no additional maintenance and the rest of the engine is the same. They definitely are much less efficient, but I really appreciate my extra torque pulling someone out of the water when the boat is loaded. One thing to be aware of is that the 195 requires premium fuel. The rest of the Yamaha line only need regular.

A slip is the way to go. It eliminates 90% of why people don't use their boats. If you can, I would definitely go with a covered lift though. Getting your boat out of the water keeps the hull from growing stuff which will really hurt your speed and efficiency. The cover is a no brainer. Just be sure to get it out once and a while to clean the bottom if you wet slip.

 

[njmr2fan]

We love our AR190. Fuel economy is great, plenty of room for us and our 2 boys, plus we usually have 2 more kids and 2 more adults with us and we never have a problem. We wakeboard mainly and with some Cobra fins my wife is very comfortable driving. My boat came from Patsys bay marina in Stony Point NY (Near Bear Mtn)
Speak to Jimmy Tammen, great guy, no nonsense, I actually knew him in High school and met him again at the Marina years later.


http://patsysbay.com/

@SCSX190, I learned to water ski on Greenwood lake, and my AR190 got splashed there before we brought it to Augusta! Small world.

 

[Ballmiester]

We love our AR190. Fuel economy is great, plenty of room for us and our 2 boys, plus we usually have 2 more kids and 2 more adults with us and we never have a problem. We wakeboard mainly and with some Cobra fins my wife is very comfortable driving. My boat came from Patsys bay marina in Stony Point NY (Near Bear Mtn)
Speak to Jimmy Tammen, great guy, no nonsense, I actually knew him in High school and met him again at the Marina years later.


http://patsysbay.com/

@SCSX190, I learned to water ski on Greenwood lake, and my AR190 got splashed there before we brought it to Augusta! Small world.

I was going to run over to them and see what they have and what kind of deals I'm in no rush since the season is coming to an end I saw they have some ar190's in stock no ar195's what are the major differences between the two

 

[jsimanskey]

Another vote here in favor of the AR190. So far we're loving ours, it's a very nice boat for the money. I personally don't miss the small upgrades (such as speakers, which I'll replace myself anyway, or the bow cushion, which we made the dealer throw in). I would enjoy, and take advantage of, the speed of the AR195 - I've never been shy of operating wide open as much as I can. However, fuel consumption was an issue for me as my cabin is on a lake with no marina. Not so much a cost thing (AR195 "requires" premium fuel), just convenience. If/when I upgrade a few years down the road, I'll likely go with a 21' if just for a bigger fuel tank. Space on the AR190 (or 195) is just fine for my family and friends though.

 

[2kwik4u]

Another happy AR190 owner here. If your main lake has a speed limit of 45, I see ZERO reason to get the 195 personally unless you just like the looks. The extra power and fuel consumption would be all for not. The extra "doo-dads" and such are nice though. I have had 5 adults and 2 kids on our 190 and it still pulled a skier up from a deep water start just fine.

Ours lives in our garage though, so I can't comment on the wet slipping.