Jet boats in high altitude lake

[Tahoeboyd]

After several weeks of stalking you guys, I registered and would like to pick your brain. My current boat is a 22' 1998 Cobalt with 7.4 MPI. It's a great boat to just dashing across the lake to different beaches or restaurants on the lake. It doesn't do anything else. Lake Tahoe is at 6220' elevation and it could get very choppy at times and my 22' boat is pretty much on the low end for the lake as far as size goes. Tho, people have 21' boat but only go out when it's a calm day.
I'm on the fence for a "do it all" boat between a 21' or 23' Chaparral surf serie and a Yamaha wake boat, possibly 252XE. Does anyone has any experience on how a Yamaha jet boat perform at that elevation? The boat will only stay in Tahoe and will not go anywhere else. The Chaparral has either Mercruiser or Volvo Penta crusie at 3-4K RPM vs Yamaha at 6-7K RPM.
One more thing, I've never driven a jet boat. All my boat time is either outboard or I/O drive. I just adjust my trim depending on the condition. How do you adjust a jet boat to the condition on the water?
Any input would be grateful!

 

[jgourlie]

With a jet boat you would use trim tabs for rough water and you would buy an altitude impeller for the speed loss at that elevation.
Hope that helps

 

[OrangeTJ]

If you are getting a Yamaha with twin 1.8s, I'm sure you'll be fine for power at Tahoe. We used to take our 2011 SX210 up there and it worked fine but it took a whiiiiiiillllllleeeee to plane out and get to cruising speed. Once up on plane it performed just fine. That's a less powerful boat, though.

We just got back from 9 days in Tahoe (we go every summer) and put 28 hours on our MB F22 in those days. LOVE that lake and love having a true watersports boat to use on it. If I were you, and given Lake Tahoe as a primary boating location, I honestly think I'd go with either a v-drive wakeboat with a deeper V or a forward drive I/O from Chaparral or Cobalt. Honestly, probably a "surf" model with the forward drive. As you know, the lake gets quite choppy and with shallow water being a non-issue, the jets lose a significant part of their advantage there. I believe such a boat will track and ride better in the rollers and chop that lake can get, will be easily trimmable for conditions/loading, and will cruise more quietly. Plus, there is NOTHING like surfing on that Tahoe blue in the morning!

This is not at all to put down the jets - they are great all around boats and would serve well. I just personally think that they have two primary advantages: easy maintenance and shallow water capability. My 6 years of v-drive ownership have proven out that for ME, the maintenance is not a big deal (I know that's different than an I/O, though). The shallow water capabilities are kind of negated because Tahoe isn't shallow and where it is, it isn't like the bottom sneaks up on you - you can see it coming from 40 feet down!

 

[Nightmare]

We spent a week at Shaver Lake (5,500' Elevation). I didn't really notice much/any difference on my twin 1.8s. VS 500' near home and 3500' at Bass Lake.

 

[tdonoughue]

I have not done my boat at elevation, so can't directly say. But some recommendations/questions:
1) Maybe someone on here is near Lake Tahoe and could give you a ride?
2) When you say "do it all", what "all" do you want to do? Wakeboarding? Floating? Wakesurfing? Tubing? Speed racing? I find the Yamaha is a good all-around boat, but not great at everything. That said, I don't think the form factor of that back deck area can be easily beat in this price range. Wonderful for floating, backing up to a beach, etc.
3) I have heard that people have a lower top speed at elevation. Many do change the impellers, as noted above. But, of course, you should then plan for that cost in your comparison.
4) I do have trim tabs. They are the bomb on these boats. Huge ride difference. But, again, a cost and installation factor to consider in your comparison.
5) I don't think the jets like mine (before the keel thingy was added) track particularly well. So if you are looking for that boat that just slices through the water and goes plumb straight until you turn the wheel, I would not say this is your first choice. If you want to cut nice S curves and sorta zip around like a jet ski only in a boat, and hit a decent max speed--that would be where these Yamahas excel, IMHO.

Hope that helps some...

 

[Tahoeboyd]

Copy, thank you for all of your inputs. I'd say my boating would be 70% casual cruising/swimming and 30% water sports. After a bit of research, if I go with Yamaha route, I'd probably get thrust vector and electric trim installed. I'm looking for dependable boat for years to come. My Cobalt is 23 years old and it shows. I will try to contact nearest dealer in Rocklin for possible test drive.