Need advice

[Av8tor07]

Hey Av8tor .
A couple of things about jet boats. They are much louder than I/O, and although they have been getting quieter it is still noticeably louder. Also, gas bill is a bit higher too, usually measured by a fun-o-meter. Most fun, most gas.
Other than that they are awesome. Between the 2 models, unless you will have 5-6 ppl plus most of the time the 210 will have plenty of power and will use up a bit less gas. Depending on how much water sports you plan on doing it might be worth the tower or not. Again that is mostly personal choices. One boat is obviously cheaper, but also remember it will never be worth as much without the tower if you plan on selling it 10 years down the line. 90% of ppl in the market for a used jet boat are planning on doing water sports. ( I obviously did not think of this when I bought mine... in retrospect I should have gone with a 212x or Ar210)

That is the one biggest complaint that I've heard about jets. I haven't been in one yet. I will be taking a demo ride soon. My water sports are mostly the occasional tuber, no wakeboarding, but I'm still getting the 212x. Everyone says to get the tower, so I will. Me and the family are more of the cruise for a bit then go for a swim kinda family. I don't see myself going WOT, unless I'm by myself. The wife will be scared, but my son will love it.

 

[msavold]

@Av8tor07, I had similar concerns when I was in your situation... LOTS of anecdotal info on line about how noisy they are - and they ARE noisy - but then so are pretty much all other boats. I think part of the problem is that you can only compare them one at a time at speed and it gets subjective. So I started this thread based on what I found (I think it's in the FAQ too): https://jetboaters.net/threads/just-how-noisy-thirsty-are-they.3938/
From Boattest.com results, one of the most interesting things I found was: The new (2015) AR240HO is quieter at equivalent speeds than a Bennington or Sun Tracker pontoon. Check out the Speed vs dbA tab...
Also I think you'll find WOT enticing - especially with teenagers on board. (I'm often in the middle - kids screaming 'go faster', MiL screaming 'slow down'!)
Good luck!

 

[Av8tor07]

@Av8tor07, I had similar concerns when I was in your situation... LOTS of anecdotal info on line about how noisy they are - and they ARE noisy - but then so are pretty much all other boats. I think part of the problem is that you can only compare them one at a time at speed and it gets subjective. So I started this thread based on what I found (I think it's in the FAQ too): https://jetboaters.net/threads/just-how-noisy-thirsty-are-they.3938/
From Boattest.com results, one of the most interesting things I found was: The new (2015) AR240HO is quieter at equivalent speeds than a Bennington or Sun Tracker pontoon. Check out the Speed vs dbA tab...
Also I think you'll find WOT enticing - especially with teenagers on board. (I'm often in the middle - kids screaming 'go faster', MiL screaming 'slow down'!)
Good luck!

Thanks for the info. I currently have a bayliner 175. It's the 4 cylinder 3.0 liter. I think that boat is loud. There's barely any soundproofing on it, it's a cheap entry boat. If I get it to 30mph I have to scream to anyone that is there with me so that they can hear me. I won't my myself at WOT very much. The wife gets scared.

 

[haknslash]

Sound is such a subjective thing because everyone's ears are different. A lot of people told me these boats were loud and by the way some described it you'd swear you need to prepare your ears like you're standing behind a 747 on the runway lol. Personally I found my 2016 AR192 to be relatively quiet and nowhere near as loud as I was excepting to hear the boat. It's certainly quieter than my father's Bayliner outboard. Some people are just more sensitive to certain tones and frequencies than others but personally I don't find these boats excessively loud. Sure they are not as quiet as an I/O but they also don't have a thick insulated cover like an I/O does either. With the new 2017 21' and the 2015+ 24' boatd with the "quiet Cruise Technology" ionsulation, I imagine they are even quieter than mine even if they have twin engines vs my single. I also drove @Bill D 's 242 Limited S and did not find it loud but I'm not sure if he has any additional sound deadening mods.

Here's a short video slowly planing out. Of course it's not WOT but it should give you an idea of how one 1.8 L sounds without Quiet Cruise insulation. Interesting to note that members who had slightly older 192's said their boat was louder than mine yet as far as i'm aware they all share the same sound insulation for the 19' boats.

.

 

[Mainah]

The most effective engine noise reduction technique is installing a very loud sound system.

 

[Av8tor07]

The most effective engine noise reduction technique is installing a very loud sound system.

I like the way you think.

 

[Bill D]

My 242 has limited sound deadening. A layer of foam insulation on the lid of the engine compartment and an egg crate insulation blanket over the engines. The only time I think my boat is loud is between 2,700 - 4,000 rpm. It's really more of a vibration noise than engine noise. Otherwise, @Mainah was spot on... STEREO!

 

[Av8tor07]

IMG_1330

• Av8tor07
• Oct 8, 2016

I got her. 2016 212X

I wanted to thank everyone on this forum for their help. I got the 2016 212X

 

[WildCatFan54]

Congrats on your new purchase. Beautiful boat. Hope you get several uses before your season ends ?

 

[Av8tor07]

Congrats on your new purchase. Beautiful boat. Hope you get several uses before your season ends ?

Actually, I still have my little Bayliner, the dealer is storing my boat until next season, so I won't enjoy her until next year. I wanted that way.

 

[buckbuck]

Congratulations. Your family has a lot of fun memories in store.

 

[Brent Gaidosh]

Very nice boat! you will have a lot to look forward to over the winter!

 

[jpass]

Congratulations on your new boat. She's beautiful.

I would like to pass on some info we learned after buying a black gelled boat.

First, they fade quicker than most colors, so keep her covered and waxed as much as possible. We prefer Collinite boat wax. Good stuff ($18 at Amazon) .
Fine scrapes and scratches that would normally go unnoticed on a white gelled boat, will show very easily on black. Nothing that can't easily be fixed with an orbital polisher.
We've tried every type of fender around and they all leave light scratches in the gel if the boat is bouncing against them due to wakes while moored. We've found that cheap ($6) inflatable child hippity hop balls work best. You can even throw a cheap T shirt over them for even more protection. Being that they're inflatable, they're super easy to store and take but a few seconds to inflate with the standard 12v inflator.

 

[Brent Gaidosh]

Congratulations on your new boat. She's beautiful.

I would like to pass on some info we learned after buying a black gelled boat.

First, they fade quicker than most colors, so keep her covered and waxed as much as possible. We prefer Collinite boat wax. Good stuff ($18 at Amazon) .
Fine scrapes and scratches that would normally go unnoticed on a white gelled boat, will show very easily on black. Nothing that can't easily be fixed with an orbital polisher.
We've tried every type of fender around and they all leave light scratches in the gel if the boat is bouncing against them due to wakes while moored. We've found that cheap ($6) inflatable child hippity hop balls work best. You can even throw a cheap T shirt over them for even more protection. Being that they're inflatable, they're super easy to store and take but a few seconds to inflate with the standard 12v inflator.

View attachment 47304 View attachment 47303

The hippity hop balls are a great idea!
I hand waxed up until this year. An orbital polisher cleans up the small marks you can never get out by hand. One of those things that make you wonder why you never bought one before.

 

[Av8tor07]

Congratulations on your new boat. She's beautiful.

I would like to pass on some info we learned after buying a black gelled boat.

First, they fade quicker than most colors, so keep her covered and waxed as much as possible. We prefer Collinite boat wax. Good stuff ($18 at Amazon) .
Fine scrapes and scratches that would normally go unnoticed on a white gelled boat, will show very easily on black. Nothing that can't easily be fixed with an orbital polisher.
We've tried every type of fender around and they all leave light scratches in the gel if the boat is bouncing against them due to wakes while moored. We've found that cheap ($6) inflatable child hippity hop balls work best. You can even throw a cheap T shirt over them for even more protection. Being that they're inflatable, they're super easy to store and take but a few seconds to inflate with the standard 12v inflator.

View attachment 47304 View attachment 47303

Thanks for your help. I just ordered a 3 pack of the stuff. Not too expensive. I'm getting the fenders too. As far as the orbital polisher, I have one of those heavy duty two hand hold one, do you recommend that or a small palm held one?

 

[jpass]

I use a porter cable dual action orbital polisher. Got it from a friend who sells detail supplies. I use the 6" pads as well. The larger ones tend to sling more than I like. It has some weight to it, which I like and does an awesome job on everything I've thrown at it. I also have a high speed buffer for the tougher stuff.

Here are the last set of fender scratches I got when I went to a restaurant on the water. Every one of them came out pretty easy with the orbital, but none would have been noticeable on a white hull.

Since I started using the hippity hop balls, I haven't had any scratches.

 

[Av8tor07]

I use a porter cable dual action orbital polisher. Got it from a friend who sells detail supplies. I use the 6" pads as well. The larger ones tend to sling more than I like. It has some weight to it, which I like and does an awesome job on everything I've thrown at it. I also have a high speed buffer for the tougher stuff.

Here are the last set of fender scratches I got when I went to a restaurant on the water. Every one of them came out pretty easy with the orbital, but none would have been noticeable on a white hull.

Since I started using the hippity hop balls, I haven't had any scratches.

View attachment 47317 View attachment 47318 View attachment 47319 View attachment 47320 View attachment 47321 View attachment 47322

That's the same buffer that I have. I'm buying the balls soon, thanks.

 

[Av8tor07]

Can anyone chime in with amp question please. Will I need one on a 2016 212X. It has 6 speakers and I wasn't sure if the head unit alone was powerful enough. Thanks

 

[Zarrella]

Congratulations on the new boat!! It's going to be a long winter!