I'm new here...looking for advice as I consider moving from I/O to jetboat

[CrazyHockeyDad]

Glad to join this forum! I've owned a Glastron 21' I/O for 10 years. We also own a Seadoo (215 Wake), so I have some idea of what it's like to drive with jets. I want to replace my current boat and I'm thinking of a Yamaha 212s or 212x (not sure of the difference). I'd like to ask three questions:

1. Sucking up stuff: Our waterfront is only about 2 feet deep where we dock our boat. It's just clean sand below the boat, with the odd small piece of wood or leaves that drift ashore. With our Seadoo, we don't generally suck up stuff into the impeller anymore once we learned it could be a problem. Now, we turn on our Seadoo engine but give it no throttle until we coast out 100 feet where it's deep enough (4 feet) and then hit the throttle. Seams to work fine. If I buy the Yamaha, can I expect the same results? Or will I be cursing because it will likely suck up anything and everything, leading to a hassle? I was surprised at how small the debris could be and still pose a problem for the Yamaha (i.e. a 2" stick!).

2. Wake sports: My kids are ages 22, 20 and 17. They have been relatively (not crazy) active in wakeboarding, wake surfing, water skiing, and tubing. I assume waterskiing and tubing will be just fine behind the Yamaha 212. Sounds like wakeboarding and wakesurfing may not work as well. Will my kids be frustrated trying to wakebaord or surf behind this boat?

3. Steering: I've heard that it's harder to steer jet boats at slow speeds. We do have a river that we like to boat down, which has a 6mph speed limit. Am I going to be frustrated travelling at that speed in this boat, or is there a way to improve the steering? Or is it just a matter of getting used to it? (My wife loves to drive the boat...she'll have to be on side with this too...I suppose we should take one for a test drive before buying).

Any comments would be appreciated!

 

[Babin Farms]

Sucking up stuff is no big deal. I've had to pull my cleanouts about 5 times this year in the 80-90hrs of operation. For me all of the times it gets something in the pump is after sitting and then taking off, not while underway.

We wakeboard behind ours with no issues. Not sure on the surfing but many members here surf behind their boats.

Like anything different than what your familiar with, it is going to get some time to get used to with the way the Yamaha handles. I came from a 25' pontoon to my AR230 and it's a whole different world but not difficult. There are slow speed steering enhancements but I would try without first to see if you even need them before any purchases. I bought my boat with Thrust Vectors and honestly can't tell you if they work or not due to the fact it is all I have ever drove this boat with. The twin throttles are probably the thing that I like the most about maneuvering the boat at slow speeds. Once you get used to letting the the throttles work independent of each other you'll look like a pro out there.

 

[Dean P]

Hi and welcome to the forum! I have a Chap (Rotax Power system) now but had SX-192 for 3 years. Differences are night and day between the 2; from handling to steering to speed and low speed maneuverability. To answer your questions:
1) ALL jet driven boats have this concern. Sucking anything up is possible. Yami: I was pulling the plug min 6/year even with backup procedure, Chap: did the backup method once in the past 2 years.
2) I did not have a ballast system which would be required for wake surfing. We did/do ski behind both boats but preferred the Chap (bigger/heavier boat - not exactly a fair comparison)
3) Steering is definitely better on the Chap; it's steered with one finger. No drag whatsoever.

Slow speed handling is much better than my Yami even with Cobras installed. It's a totally different bucket design/system. I was very frustrated with the Yamaha. The BRP iST system makes steering and slow speed a non issue. I did not install Cobras on the Chap.

I would strongly recommend test driving any boat before purchasing. Good luck.

 

[MidnightRider]

Welcome. I came from years of prop boats of different styles and makes 3yrs ago when we bought a 2017 212X.

1. Sucking things up is one thing I don't like about the jet boat - constantly thinking about it especially when there is a rope in the water. However, in reality in three years I've yet to suck up a rope (knock on wood) and only sucked up three different objects (stick, weeds, solo cup) which were cleared in a matter of 2-15 minutes through the clean out ports. So it really has been in my head more than anything.

2. Wake sports are not great - the wake tends to not only be small but also airy / frothy. We do surf on our 212x but we added a 750lb extra ballast bag on the back swim deck in addition to the built in ballast, as well as use the Yamaha Wake Booster. With these items we have everyone from 90lbs to 200lbs surfing ropeless. We don't do much wakeboarding so for what we do it is fine. A more advanced wakeboarder coming from a dedicated wake boat would most likely be very disappointed.

3. Steering is not an issue. Don't get me wrong, coming from a. prop boat, there is definitely a learning curve - but once you get through that learning curve, I found it to be much more maneuverable and controllable than any other style boat I've had. I have installed a set of Cobra fins as well as JBP Later Thrusters that really help but with the dual throttles you really have a lot of control once you learn how to use it. But the first time in the jet boat coming from an I/O it will be really foreign and feel really loose and uncontrollable - just takes time to get used to the difference. Especially the weak reverse compared to a prop boat, but again just takes time to get used to how it behaves.

4. I'll add that maybe the single biggest thing that bothers me about a jet boat versus all the other boats I've had (I/O, outboard, vDrive) is the engine noise. Comparably the engine noise its high pitched and annoying, not something you can't get over but I do miss the low rumble and quieter slow cruises around the lake. Some have done mods to tone this noise down but not sure about success of that.

Hope that helps. All in all there are pros and cons for jet but we really like ours and have no plans to switch back to a prop any time soon.

 

[Tim in MD]

Welcome! I've only been powerboating for two summers - longtime sailor before that - but hope I can add some insight. My situation is the same as yours - depending on tide, I lower my boat lift into 2-4 feet of water on a half-mile wide river. I do the same as you do on your Seadoo - wait until I'm in at least 3' of water before any real throttle. haven't sucked up anything yet (except I'm sure some sand, which hopefully doesn't hurt the engine too much). As others have said, it's no big deal to remedy if you do suck up something. As far as tow ropes, I'm confused by the comments - methinks I'd rather suck up a rope than wrap it around a propellor?

Steering takes some getting used to - I got better with practice, but installing Cobra fins a month ago definitely helped me at low speeds. During my test drive, I definitely had a "drunken sailor" wake behind me - much better now, and my wife does fine with it as well.

@MidnightRider mentioned noise - I agree - Yamahas are definitely louder than the prop boats I tried. Only real downside I've experienced.

Have fun!

 

[212s]

Yamaha 212s or 212x (not sure of the difference).

OK we have a Yamaha, so maybe biased, but I'll try to be neutral.

The "s" model has the tower, the "x" model adds wakesports features like ballast bags, board holders, audio upgrade.

1. Sucking up stuff:

Yup, live by the 3 feet of water rule and you shouldn't have any issues. We trailer and launch at ramps, and we always hand launch and pull the boat to the end of the docks where there's 3+ feet of water and no issues in 68 hours of use this summer.

We did have a massive weed issue one day when the wind was from strong from the south and pushed enough weeds into the ramp area that a small dog could walk on water for 100 ft, but that's not normal. The cleanout ports are nice, but I don't think it's a selling point. Just like the shallow draft isn't really a selling point because even though the "draft" is shallow, the fact that you have vacuum cleaner intakes on the bottom of the boat easily doubles the draft for boat operation. There's no way I'd try boating in 16-20 inches of water with a jetboat, ever.

2. Wake sports:

Tubing, skiing, wakeboarding will not be an issue, boats are boats for this essentially. Surfing might depend on skill level and needs. If surfing was our thing, I'd buy a forward-drive surf/wake boat or similar as that is what you really need. The extra ballast and design makes a big difference, kind of like saying that because a Range Rover is smooth and quiet, it's the best choice for off-roading trails and rock climbing - pick the right tool for the job.

3. Steering:

This was one of our biggest concerns. We water tested some jetboats and the BRP needs "fins" of some kind to help with slow speed and off-power steering. Yamaha has the articulating keel which is basically a small rudder and it does a decent job. Coming from years of I/O boats, I find the A/K is very similar and have no need to add anything. If we bought the Vortex or any BRP driven boat we looked at earlier, then I'd get JBP or CJ steering addons for sure. I have noticed that since jetboats don't have transmissions/gears you can jump from fwd/rev and control movement much better on either engine/boat design. I can dock much better with the Yamaha than I/O boats even though they steer and handle the same.

Handling around docks is a different story - BRP has the advantage there with their bucket design over Yamaha with more and better control. But again depends on your needs and skill level. I'm happy with the Yamaha design but I think a little practice on either model will get good results.

(My wife loves to drive the boat...she'll have to be on side with this too...I suppose we should take one for a test drive before buying).

Definitely think you need to get a wet test to feel how these boats handle. Features and design or layout are important too. I really wanted the Vortex 223 for design and quality, but the wife wanted the 212s for the seating and layout. I wanted the Yamaha engines and she wanted the flashy colours of the Vortex.

Compromise is key sometimes.

Oh here's a mini review I did with our new boat this summer. Perhaps it will help...but read and research as much as you can. Boats are not cheap and you want to "buy your second boat first" so do your homework. And then have fun!

 

[NeoBrew]

I have a Yam 210 FSH. We bought it mid summer this year. I grew up with smaller outboards and similar size I/O boats. Our last boat was a 21’ Starcraft with an I/O.

The 210 with twin engines is, hands down, more maneuverable at slow speeds than anything I had ever driven. It definitely was foreign feeling the first few times out. Once you learn that it handles differently than a conventional boat, it works out wonderfully. A few key advantages are:

-twin engine jets can easily operate opposite each other
-the first notch of throttle on the Yamahas is way slower than the “engaged” speed with a transmission.
-no prop to hit when you approach shore or a dock (I’ve backed up to a dock to let people board on the swim platform. Do that with an outboard!)

One of the biggest non-intuitive things is that when you are transitioning from fast to slow, you shouldn’t put the throttles in neutral. Keep one or two notches of throttle to steer with. You cannot coast and have rudder control like most conventional boats have, but when you realize that the jets are essentially a jet propelled rudder, it all makes sense.

The slow speed maneuvering can be amazing. I don’t have anything but the stock equipment, no add on rudders or thrust vector. After only a month with the boat I amazed and delighted the dock boys at a resort by pulling into their little marina and turning the boat on a dime to park it at the dock. By bumping alternate throttles forward and back you can pretty much turn the boat in place at incredibly slow speed.

I’ve also been incredibly impressed with the rough water capabilities of the boat. Me and two friends took it on a camping trip, with way too much gear, and were able to go 35 mph across 2’ white caps. The third guy in our party, who I didn’t know before the trip, exclaimed to the people at the resort with excitement that we just crossed this lake at 35 mph in the wind. There are still some things in rough water where the stability of a rudder or lower unit might be nice. The 210 can have some side load shifts when you hit waves at an oblique angle, but overall I’m more than pleased with the boat and feel I made a great purchase.

 

[Brad460]

3. Steering: I've heard that it's harder to steer jet boats at slow speeds. We do have a river that we like to boat down, which has a 6mph speed limit. Am I going to be frustrated travelling at that speed in this boat, or is there a way to improve the steering? Or is it just a matter of getting used to it? (My wife loves to drive the boat...she'll have to be on side with this too...I suppose we should take one for a test drive before buying).

Any comments would be appreciated!

My wife doesn’t really know the difference between a jetdrive and prop drive- For many years she always backed our wakeboard boat off the trailer and drove it back on. With our Yamaha AR210 she refused to do it because the steering at slow speed is so bad. Even I would get a bit nervous coming into a dock!

You can always tell when a Yamaha jet boat coming at you in the no-wake zones- the boat is always swerving back and forth.

If you really want a jet boat, the worst thing you can do is let your wife test drive it..she won’t let you buy it ..

 

[Lunarvrx]

Never had a prop boat. Had a Seadoo 2009 180SE 255 HP for 10 years but upgraded this year to a 2021 Chaparral VRX 203 300 HP single Rotax.
Once I learned handling, both are very easy to dock. The fact that you can quickly toggle from forward to neutral to reverse provides great control approaching the dock. It took me several years to learn the toggle to reverse trick. The Seadoo would actually move forward very slowly in neutral so you could approach the dock in neutral. It will spin on its own axis which is handy if you don't want to back out in a narrow channel. The chap has a docking mode which is handy but not essential - it basically just requires more throttle movement for a given RPM. Steering in reverse requires practice for sure - more like backing a trailer but with immediate feedback as you turn the steering wheel. Can go up river with the speed limit no problem, however at slow speeds you need to be constantly turning the steering wheel. A couple of times I hit a sand bar entering the river, but easy to back out or just step out and push it off. One major advantage of the Yamahas is the clean out port. I love the jet boats but worry about picking up a weed or stick a long way from home dock. Water taxis is an option I had to use twice in 10 years. Picked up somebody"s underwater lost dock rope at a remote site once and picked up our tow rope once. Other incidences with weeds or sticks usually allow limping home at very slow speed without overheating the exhaust cooling system. Once on the lake I like to go at speed and shut off the engine when stopping. Cruising around the outside of the lake at low speed for sightseeing is a big no no I learned early on. Also in spring when much debris from the rivers is emptying into the lake and floating on the surface, it is essential to keep speed or shut down the engine. I have never ever picked up anything when going at speed. The chap has a stationary collar around the drive shaft to prevent rope wrapping but once a rope hits the impeller I expect it would still be a huge problem (Although maybe easier to clear once out of the water - or maybe even could pull out from front when in water) .
Bottom line - steering is not really a problem with the jet boats, (perhaps even better in certain circumstances), once you learn how.

 

[Miitch]

As far as tow ropes, I'm confused by the comments - methinks I'd rather suck up a rope than wrap it around a propellor?

Sucking up a rope with a jet is worse than going over one with a prop (to me anyway). If a rope gets tangled in a prop, you can (usually) get it out by putting the prop in reverse and having it spin reverse untangling the rope. Jet drives as you know, only spin in one direction. so once that rope gets around the drive shaft, it will only get tighter as the engine runs. There also the fact that a prop is more or less out in the open, where as the driveshaft and impeller for a jet are inside the hull. So when it comes to physically removing a rope, you have MUCH easier access to a propeller than you do a jet drive shaft.

Speaking from unfortunate experience here

 

[Lunarvrx]

Agree sucking up a rope in a jet drive is a disaster. It will then not even allow limping to ramp at idle speed. A tow is required. Happened to me with my Seadoo Challenger 180SE.
This is if it does not have the stationary sleeve over the drive shaft as the new Chaparrals have. If anyone has had a rope experience with a boat with the sleeve - will it allow low speed limp home? or can the rope be pulled out from front when in the water?

 

[pmustico]

Glad to join this forum! I've owned a Glastron 21' I/O for 10 years. We also own a Seadoo (215 Wake), so I have some idea of what it's like to drive with jets. I want to replace my current boat and I'm thinking of a Yamaha 212s or 212x (not sure of the difference). I'd like to ask three questions:

1. Sucking up stuff: Our waterfront is only about 2 feet deep where we dock our boat. It's just clean sand below the boat, with the odd small piece of wood or leaves that drift ashore. With our Seadoo, we don't generally suck up stuff into the impeller anymore once we learned it could be a problem. Now, we turn on our Seadoo engine but give it no throttle until we coast out 100 feet where it's deep enough (4 feet) and then hit the throttle. Seams to work fine. If I buy the Yamaha, can I expect the same results? Or will I be cursing because it will likely suck up anything and everything, leading to a hassle? I was surprised at how small the debris could be and still pose a problem for the Yamaha (i.e. a 2" stick!).

2. Wake sports: My kids are ages 22, 20 and 17. They have been relatively (not crazy) active in wakeboarding, wake surfing, water skiing, and tubing. I assume waterskiing and tubing will be just fine behind the Yamaha 212. Sounds like wakeboarding and wakesurfing may not work as well. Will my kids be frustrated trying to wakebaord or surf behind this boat?

3. Steering: I've heard that it's harder to steer jet boats at slow speeds. We do have a river that we like to boat down, which has a 6mph speed limit. Am I going to be frustrated travelling at that speed in this boat, or is there a way to improve the steering? Or is it just a matter of getting used to it? (My wife loves to drive the boat...she'll have to be on side with this too...I suppose we should take one for a test drive before buying).

Any comments would be appreciated!

I've had the 210FSH for a year and had no issues with any of the list. Like any boat you just have to be smart about it. Wake surfing will take some. "midas" like ballast.

I think you'll be fine.

 

[Johnboat]

I took my new Yamaha sx195 out on the water this morning. This was our 2nd lake trip in the boat. The first trip was just to break the boat in. I will say this, the slow speed steering is nerve racking and nothing like the O/B I used to have. The Yamaha is extremely hard to keep straight at no wake speeds. Even the slightest wind or current and it drifts off course. It can be done but you need to be alert and ready to make premeditated adjustments. It takes a second for the boat to respond. The no wake button helps some, it increases the RPMs giving a little thrust to help steer. All in all, I love the boat. In open water it rides like a dream and it can get up and go in a hurry. But around the docks and at the boat ramp it is a little sketchy. I am ordering some aftermarket rudders from Jetboat pilot. They have glowing reviews, and I will take all the help I can get.

 

[Gunner]

Get Cobra Jet fins tracks true as an arrow at all speeds

 

[Lunarvrx]

I've had the 210FSH for a year and had no issues with any of the list. Like any boat you just have to be smart about it. Wake surfing will take some. "midas" like ballast.

I think you'll be fine.

I agree - you will be fine. You have the Seadoo experience already and I expect the Yamaha will be similar. One advantage of the Yamaha (over the BRP Rotax powered other jet boats) is that it has a jet pump clean out port. Going up the river or in no wake zones, you need to keep a handle on and manipulate the steering wheel at all times or the boat will constantly change direction. I had a 2009 Seadoo 180SE and now a 2021 Chaparral VRX 203 so know all about picking up a weed or stick. Once had a stick only about 3/4 inch long which caused cavitation.