New - Alton Pool - 2022 Yamaha

[RichardLee]

Hello Everyone! We've only had a distant connection to boating, so my wife and I are setting out on our own boating journey. We're near the Alton Pool, and I've been trying to read as much as I can. I've settled on jets in general and Yamaha specifically. I understand from the dealer that details are normally out mid-August, so that's when we finalize things.

Part of me thinks it might be smarter for us to get our first boat first and get the 195s, but we are leaning towards the AR250. Most of the time it would be the two of us, but we have dreams of our grown (20s) children spending time on the water as well. If you want a wakeboard tower and a passenger captain's chair, it looks like the logical choices are the 195s, the 212s, then the AR250. With the 212s being almost as much as the AR250, that seems to leave the 195s or the AR250.

Anyway, I appreciate all the information and stories I've already found here, and I'm looking forward to our journey. I'm going to read some more...

 

[Ogtbagger]

I have a 2016 242 lse and boat in the Alton Pool. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

 

[RichardLee]

I have a 2016 242 lse and boat in the Alton Pool. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Thanks, I appreciate that. Would you consider a 19 foot or stick with the 25 foot for the rivers?

 

[Select Friends]

2011 21ft on Pool 26. I like the peace of mind of having two jets, two engines. Hoping to move to a 24-25 ft in the future.

 

[Ogtbagger]

Thanks, I appreciate that. Would you consider a 19 foot or stick with the 25 foot for the rivers?

I would go bigger. Also having 2 motors is nice for maneuvering.

 

[RichardLee]

Thank you both, that helps. Not my bank account though

 

[Skierdad]

I have an AR195 and I am bigger bodies of water. I usually have 8 people total in my boat (2 families). We have felt very safe in our boat and have even got caught in some heavier winds with zero issues. We ski, wakeboard, and surf behind it. Having said that, knowing what I know now I would have gone with the bigger boat with twin motors. Just more space, more power, etc.. Surfing can be done but not at a level like you see in the bigger boats. I really have to weight it down and the sweetspot is small. Overall the boat is amazing so it really is a great boat for a day on the lake.

 

[RichardLee]

The 19 foot boats look like great fun like a sports car. We were able to walk through a 252s (the only Yamaha on the floor) and we both did love the space. At 6'1" I was able to stretch my legs out in the bow, and it felt like a deck boat in a good way. My wife would've bought that one on the spot if it wasn't going to the waiting list.

 

[zipper]

Thank you both, that helps. Not my bank account though

It's a BOAT...Break Out Another Thousand.

 

[RichardLee]

Someone shared that with me already We are really gluttons for punishment as we have horses too...

 

[zipper]

Someone shared that with me already We are really gluttons for punishment as we have horses too...

Funny, I get it...2 horses, 4 cows and 2 needy dogs here. Lol Anything labeled for equine or marine use and the price goes up.

I still vote for the bigger boat.

 

[RichardLee]

 

[212s]

Part of me thinks it might be smarter for us to get our first boat first and get the 195s, but we are leaning towards the AR250. Most of the time it would be the two of us, but we have dreams of our grown (20s) children spending time on the water as well. If you want a wakeboard tower and a passenger captain's chair, it looks like the logical choices are the 195s, the 212s, then the AR250. With the 212s being almost as much as the AR250, that seems to leave the 195s or the AR250.

When we were shopping around, we considered the 195s for the twin buckets and tower and probably would have been happy with it since we don't really need the space of the bigger 21' models. But since we were buying new, figured we shouldn't settle and get the size we really wanted so we opted for the bigger 212s for the same reasons, plus twin engines with lots more grunt, more space, and higher freeboard (wife felt we were more "in" the boat over the 19' models) and we boat in some rough waters up here. It's not just the length when it comes to size too, compare the 195 vs the 212 or 250 and there's a big difference in height and weight.

 

[RichardLee]

Thanks!
I know what you mean about feeling "in", the 252s definitely made me feel protected seated. It sounds like everything works in favor of the 25 foot for us. This is the only time I remember being anxious for August to come around - so we can see specs and colors and pricing on these.