Hello from Alabama

[haknslash]

I've been lurking here for the past few weeks and decided to finally register on the forums. I live in central Alabama and I think I've seen at least one other person on here who lives in the same city. I'm in my late 30's and previously had a couple of PWC's in my twenties. Those days are long gone and I have a family now with a 5 year old daughter, so a jet boat is definitely in our near future (I hope at least ). Wife is somewhat interested but I'm about to go in for major surgery in a few weeks and the recovery time will knock me out for a good bit of the summer I think. Pray you never get diverticular disease ! So we will probably be purchasing in the late fall/winter when dealers are trying to push leftovers out of the showrooms.

I've been looking at Yamaha very hard and I really think a 24' or more is what I want since I plan to buy this one for the long haul. I would hate to skimp on some money and get a smaller boat only to crave more space within a year or two, so I might as well get as big as I can for my budget. Maybe by then Yamaha will have some nice discounts for 2015 leftovers as the 2016 models arrive. I really like the 2015 242 Limited S with the upgraded sound deadening material and nice digital instrument panel. I just wished the paint options were a bit more interesting but it is a classy looking boat that's for sure! One issue with buying a Yamaha though is the closest dealer is a decent drive away. Going and looking at them I would have to plan for a few hours just for the drive alone unless I wait on the next boat show or something. But that's what I'll have to do if I want to compare all the brands and models.

I've also been looking at Chaparral and Scarab. I really love the looks of the Chaparral 243 VRX and the head option is a nice touch for those long day trips on the lake. There is also a Chaparral dealer much closer to me than the Yamaha dealer but I have no idea if they carry the jet boats or not. It would make any warranty dealer trips a much easier driving trip so that is a consideration. Browsing on the Chaparral forums there doesn't seem to be hardly anyone on there with a Vortex boat. Most are I/O owners which is a bummer, but at last you guys have plenty of great information! The only big gripe I have with the other boat manufacturers is they are using Rotax power and the S/C maintenance is a known thing with those motors. I used to have a 96 XP 800cc Rotax and while it had tons of power, it also gave me issues within a few years and actually left me stranded in the middle of the lake once with the hull full of water! I'm sure the newer motors are improved and much better these days but I would always have that looming feeling in the back of my head should I ever buy another Rotax powered machine. But these are ncie boats and the price is very attractive on them! The Scarab boats seem to be missing an update or something on their website. I can't find a dealer for the USA. I'm not a huge fan of the front looks of the boat but the rest of the 255 is really nice looking and seems to have nice attention to detail.

Anways just wanted to introduce myself and tell you guys have a great forum. I plan to live vicariously through you all until hopefully next spring I can be out on the water again! Who knows, maybe we can make the Bimini 2016 trip!

 

[MIDLIFECRISIS]

 

[Glassman]

Welcome @haknslash , nice of you to drop in. I personally think you are making a wise choice in a boat for the long haul. I've had mine over 4420 days, 11 hours and 32 minutes and it's still running strong and in fantastic shape.

I wish you the best with respect to your upcoming medical procedure and hope for a speedy recovery. You take care of yourself and your family, then go get yourself a Yamaha and start makin' memories!

 

[Scottintexas]

Glad to have you on board, they are great boats for kids and adults, I wouldn't let the dealer distance be an issue and if you can afford a 2015 they are certainly worth it!

 

[veedubtek]

Welcome aboard! I have family in Alabaster and am hoping to visit there again this summer! (My uncle owns 2 antique stores there)

 

[haknslash]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! I can't stop browsing this place lol.

 

[itsdgm]

Welcome @haknslash, glad you found us and decided to join. Good luck on the search for your boat, hoping for a speedy recovery from surgery. Keep us posted.

 

[biglar155]

Welcome!

The distance to the dealer is only going to matter if you're not a do-it-yourselfer. Routine maintenance on these boats is pretty straightforward and there are a lot of tips and advice available here - particularly on the Yamahas but our Scarab knowledge base is growing rapidly.

Good luck on your surgery!

 

[haknslash]

Welcome!

The distance to the dealer is only going to matter if you're not a do-it-yourselfer. Routine maintenance on these boats is pretty straightforward and there are a lot of tips and advice available here - particularly on the Yamahas but our Scarab knowledge base is growing rapidly.

Good luck on your surgery!

I'm definitely a DIY guy and can handle the maintenance aspects. I've owned a bunch of motorcycles over the years and worked on all of them as well as my vehicles. I was more so speaking of any actual big problems that may occur that would involve getting dealer assistance for warranty claims.

Do you know of any state-side Scarab dealers that sell the Vortex line of boats? Their website doesn't snow any US dealers for me.

Thanks for the wishes on the surgery guys! I've never had surgery so this is new for me. I'm just ready to get it over with so I can get on with my life again.