First time jetboat owner

[Steve B71]

The Wife and I are about to purchase our first Jetboat. It's an 2012 AR210. It's pretty basic and doesn't have any upgrades . Accessories are a personal preference to each one, but i was wondering on what are some of the most desired upgrades for the boat. Any help is much appreciated, thx in advance

 

[OrangeTJ]

Most popular has got to be one of the steering fin setups. We had Cobra Jet Steering on our 2011 SX210. It worked pretty well. The other two "must haves" in my opinion are a Box Anchor and a set of inflatable ball type fenders for tying up.

 

[Steve B71]

Thx TJ, much appreciated.. Will definitely look into the steering setup..

 

[Shookie]

Cobra Jet is one and Jet Boat Pilot is another. Fans of both on here. I have JBP and it definitely helps with slow speed steering. Plenty of other upgrades you can do.... audio, lighting, etc. Make sure you have plenty of ropes, bumpers, etc. Some have 2 anchors, some don’t. I have 1 and then a sand spike that acts like a 2nd anchor. Depending on where you boat, you need to used both if it’s windy or there’s a current where you anchor.

Welcome to the club!

 

[Steve B71]

Cobra Jet is one and Jet Boat Pilot is another. Fans of both on here. I have JBP and it definitely helps with slow speed steering. Plenty of other upgrades you can do.... audio, lighting, etc. Make sure you have plenty of ropes, bumpers, etc. Some have 2 anchors, some don’t. I have 1 and then a sand spike that acts like a 2nd anchor. Depending on where you boat, you need to used both if it’s windy or there’s a current where you anchor.

Welcome to the club!
[/QU

 

[Steve B71]

Cobra Jet is one and Jet Boat Pilot is another. Fans of both on here. I have JBP and it definitely helps with slow speed steering. Plenty of other upgrades you can do.... audio, lighting, etc. Make sure you have plenty of ropes, bumpers, etc. Some have 2 anchors, some don’t. I have 1 and then a sand spike that acts like a 2nd anchor. Depending on where you boat, you need to used both if it’s windy or there’s a current where you anchor.

Welcome to the club!

 

[Steve B71]

Thx Shookie!! What kind of bumpers work best, I see all kinds of them, or is it just a personal preference

 

[3 green tornados]

Spend some time in the FAQ area. There are TONS of very informative threads referenced there. This is a good place to start:

https://jetboaters.net/threads/what-tool-kit-do-you-keep-onboard.1779/

Anchors and fenders are all personal preference and depend on what and how you will use the boat. I personally don’t like the ball style fenders because of the space they take up. My dad on the other hand loves them because it helps keep things “tight” and stops his shore spikes from rattling.

We have a couple kids that burn easily and my wife likes to cruise in the shade so I added a not very attractive bimini to cover the bow seats.
Thrust vector, cobra fins and similar fines that easily attach help low speed steering a ton.

I keep a 5 gallon bucket on board and use it to bring the microfiber towels and cleaning supplies including trash bags on to the boat and then use it to help get stuff back off or to hold particularly messy trash.

I also keep several extra cheap white towels on board to cover the vinyl to protect it from certain types of sun screens.

welcome to the forum and hope that helps a little.

 

[Steve B71]

Spend some time in the FAQ area. There are TONS of very informative threads referenced there. This is a good place to start:

https://jetboaters.net/threads/what-tool-kit-do-you-keep-onboard.1779/

Anchors and fenders are all personal preference and depend on what and how you will use the boat. I personally don’t like the ball style fenders because of the space they take up. My dad on the other hand loves them because it helps keep things “tight” and stops his shore spikes from rattling.

We have a couple kids that burn easily and my wife likes to cruise in the shade so I added a not very attractive bimini to cover the bow seats.
Thrust vector, cobra fins and similar fines that easily attach help low speed steering a ton.

I keep a 5 gallon bucket on board and use it to bring the microfiber towels and cleaning supplies including trash bags on to the boat and then use it to help get stuff back off or to hold particularly messy trash.

I also keep several extra cheap white towels on board to cover the vinyl to protect it from certain types of sun screens.

welcome to the forum and hope that helps a little.

Thx tornados for the info. I will definitely keep that all in mind.

 

[Dave burke]

The other thing that a lot of people have done is upgrade the sound system. A ton of posts and FAQs on this topic. You can spend a little or a fortune, totally up to you.

And of course you can get many different types of water sport items. Tubes, skis, wakeboards, wake surf boards, etc.

Enjoy!

 

[Steve B71]

Thx Dave.. A Sound system is a definite!!!.

 

[2kwik4u]

I'm guessing this is your first boat in general @Steve B71 !??!

First things first. Get your safety items, fire extinguisher, and an anchor lined out. Next up is dock lines, bumpers, and other items you'll need to dock the new float toy. After that, it's all about what you're using it for. Some people have tons of money in the stereo, some in watersports equipment, others just cruise around and don't have much added.

The easiest way to know what you "need" is to use the boat. Get some hours on it, and you'll QUICKLY realize the things you want to improve. We added storage access, and accompanying totes/bins to help keep things easy to get to. We got special coolers for the boat the slide under the seats to keep the deck clear. We added a sound bar to the tower to throw some sound out behind the boat while swimming/anchored. I added an L13 Cone, and ribbon delete to improve performance consistency. Some laundry bags to keep spare rags and dock lines in. Added a spare tire and carrier to the trailer for towing peace of mind. Added a phone mount and stereo control to the helm area. We keep a large umbrella (anchor shade II) on board to create shade for those that want it. Tons of toys for our young boys, including an RC boat. Several "water lounge chairs" that inflate for floating around. Added a flag holder to the tower a few years ago.

Things that are still on my "to add" list.

• Stern stereo remote
• Grill and stand to stern area
• Subwoofer and Amp
• RideSteady GPS Speed control
• New "no stretch" wake rope and handle

The more you use it, the more you'll figure out what it is that you need/want to add. You'll see other folks out there doing a thing and want to try that, or possibly avoid that, and you'll figure out what additional equipment you want to add/remove.

Good luck and be safe out there!

 

[Steve B71]

I'm guessing this is your first boat in general @Steve B71 !??!

First things first. Get your safety items, fire extinguisher, and an anchor lined out. Next up is dock lines, bumpers, and other items you'll need to dock the new float toy. After that, it's all about what you're using it for. Some people have tons of money in the stereo, some in watersports equipment, others just cruise around and don't have much added.

The easiest way to know what you "need" is to use the boat. Get some hours on it, and you'll QUICKLY realize the things you want to improve. We added storage access, and accompanying totes/bins to help keep things easy to get to. We got special coolers for the boat the slide under the seats to keep the deck clear. We added a sound bar to the tower to throw some sound out behind the boat while swimming/anchored. I added an L13 Cone, and ribbon delete to improve performance consistency. Some laundry bags to keep spare rags and dock lines in. Added a spare tire and carrier to the trailer for towing peace of mind. Added a phone mount and stereo control to the helm area. We keep a large umbrella (anchor shade II) on board to create shade for those that want it. Tons of toys for our young boys, including an RC boat. Several "water lounge chairs" that inflate for floating around. Added a flag holder to the tower a few years ago.

Things that are still on my "to add" list.

• Stern stereo remote
• Grill and stand to stern area
• Subwoofer and Amp
• RideSteady GPS Speed control
• New "no stretch" wake rope and handle

The more you use it, the more you'll figure out what it is that you need/want to add. You'll see other folks out there doing a thing and want to try that, or possibly avoid that, and you'll figure out what additional equipment you want to add/remove.

Good luck and be safe out there!

Thx 2Kwik. I do appreciate all the advice given. I will keep all that in mind when I start adding to my new toy!!!

 

[biffdotorg]

Flooring! Nothing has made my wife more happy with our last two boats than quality flooring. Get rid of carpet if it is in there. Just throw it away. Nobody likes the sand/stink/dog hair/stains etc.

It will sting a bit, but price out SeaDek and just click the buy button. Or hold out for the fall group buy. But sticker shock the other half now while it is nearly full price. As it will transform the boat (assuming you don't already have it)

And as much as I like the fins, reverse enhancement was appreciated as much if not more. Both fin mfgs make some reverse enhancement, so I will let them do the selling. There is no wrong choice. But being able to steer in reverse makes me look like a boss at the dock. I parallel park our 242 between boats with good reverse enhancement. But it can be learned without. So it's not life or death, just damn nice.

Enjoy the new ride!

 

[Ericd]

If you are towing anything put noodles or other floatation on the rope so it doesn’t get sucked up in the intakes. You aren’t really a Yama member until you’ve experienced a rope suck! To get it out will need a long sharp knife, curved carpet knife, extra long needle nose pliers and gloves.
You might also memorize these three things to check when the engine won’t start.
1. Safety cutoff lanyard in place
2. Throttle in neutral
3. Rear deck cover closed

 

[Steve B71]

That's awesome advice Ericd. I will definitely remember that. Thanks again