Need Advice

[Jaime20202020]

Hello Everyone, Me and my partner have never boated before but want to buy a boat we came down to the florida keys and saw a 2019 yamaha 210 fsh for $33,000 we have done some research on bots but honestly dont really know anything about it, is this a good price I know 2020 models are over $45k, We are a little heaitant to buy as we dont know anyone to help us test it, on the other hand we have been to some dealers and about three of them have told us to stay away from jet boats and inboards that they are a nightmare please advice!

 

[Aquarius]

Hello Jaime. As someone who just purchased a Yamaha as my first boat, I can tell you that in doing my research, they are probably the best option as a used boat for someone with little experience in boating. There is little that can go wrong with them if they are maintained properly and there isn't a hell of a lot to do to maintain them. Some of the other brands of jet-boats seem to have some goblins that could make them a bad choice but Yamahas seem to have a pretty "bullet-proof" reputation. As far as pricing goes, I found the NADA guide useful to make sure the price was in the ballpark of what is reasonable. For the 210FSH, the average price is between $30-34K. Great deals are hard to find these days as boats are pretty hot commodity right now.

 

[14SX190]

Where abouts are you.
Im in south Florida

 

[Looper7]

Welcome and you have come to the right place for honest advice there are a lot of great people on here and they like to share their knowledge. I bought a used Yamaha as my first boat the reliability and ease of maintenance is well documented on this forum. I don't know why people try to steer others away from jet boats but from my experience they are great all around boats and easy to learn with. Best of luck in your search.

 

[RobinSC]

You've come to the right place for honest advice, if not slightly biased as we love our Yamaha's, but let me caution that boats are like cars. The brands and models all have different niches to fill. What makes my 212X a great boat for me might not be what you want it for. There is no way I would think of my boat as a good fishing platform and if I lived where bays and off shore riding was something I did a lot of, well then I bought the wrong boat! Think first about how/where your gonna use it and post that along with the number normally onboard then people will be able to give some better input. Good luck with your search!

 

[Scottintexas]

glad to have you on board,
Yamaha's aren't for everyone,

where will you normally be boating?
do you see a lot of jet ski's where you'll be boating?
where will you keep the boat when not using it? on the trailer, on lift, in the water
Do you or your partner have ANY mechanical aptitude/experience or willing to get your hands a little dirty trying to problem solve any issues or are you more likely to just let a mechanic deal with any problems?


.

 

[Dixie Highway]

Buying a used boat is like buying a used car. There are good ones and bad ones. If at all possible I’d have any used boat inspected by a mechanic of your choosing before purchase (Unless that’s something you are comfortable doing yourself). Demand a sea trial. As for jet boats they are actually much simpler than most other types of boat, fewer moving parts. Maintenance is as easy as it gets, and less likely to damage stuff in shallow water. There are other trade offs, mainly in the “offshore capability” realm, but a new boater wouldn’t likely explore that right off the bat.