Potential Jet Boater

[Raj Man]

I am looking into buying a jet boat. I intend to use it in the Laguna Madre in South Texas. What I'm looking for is some guidance as to new vs used, size, brand, features. I intend to use it for some fishing as well as skiing/pleasure boating. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[itsdgm]

Welcome @Raj Man glad that you found us and decided to join. A few things that will help answer your questions and point you in the right direction would be:

1. Budget
2. Maximum Altitude of the lakes you might be boating on
3. Any storage issues? Length, Height, width requirement in order to fit the boat/trailer into?
4. How many people do you anticipate having on board?
5. What tow vehicle do you have, or plan to buy?
6. Do you see other jet boats on the lakes that you plan to use the boat on? These boats are like vacuume cleaners and can suck up weeds and debris from the water.

Anyway, sorry to answer your question with more questions. But you've come to the right place. We love spending other people's money and want to make sure that you're happy in the end

 

[Glassman]

@itsdgm Dennis, I think it's a lot easier to work backward from "Our" recommendation since he may not know all the answers to your questions ...

To that end I recommend that you go and buy the Yamaha 242 Limited S.

We have a number of fine folks on board here who will be happy to expound at length as to the beauty and seaworthiness of this fine vessel.

Go here:

http://www.yamahaboats.com/24-foot-boats And see for yourself.

It isn't the best selling boat of all time to infinity for nothing. It truly is "The pinnacle of performance and luxury, "

It comes in every color you could possibly imagine....or what they have in stock, it all depends.



Once you buy this boat, come back and let us know how amazed you are and then we will teach you all about how to "personalize" your boat.

There will be one or two small, inexpensive aftermarket upgrades that you might want to consider.

Remember, the 242 Limited S....repeat that over and over while you drive to the nearest dealer.

 

[Bill D]

@itsdgm

There will be one or two small, inexpensive aftermarket upgrades that you might want to consider.

...and then there will be several dozen slightly more expensive "upgrades as you browse these forums.

 

[SCSTWG]

If it is in the budget, a 2015 24' model is a great choice. They really listened to previous owners an incorporated our feedback. It will be interesting to see if the upgrades carry over to the other models when the 2016's are announced in a few weeks.

 

[arew~SX230]

What ever boat you buy make sure you leave some cushion in your discretionary income, you buy a boat to relax and have fun not to stress out about its impact on your monthly budget. Remember to factor in insurance, gas, storage if needed.

All that aside, jet bosts are a blast, you will have very hard time matching the performance and handling, with a traditionaL boat. Compared to a stern or v drive they are brick simple

Size...
I have never heard anyone say "I should have bought a smaller boat".

New vs. Used
If you are mechanically inclined, don't need everything to be perfect, and don't have tip have the latest and greatest, then a low hour used boat can be a great option. Someone else has already taken the depreciation hit, saving you a bunch of money.
New boats are like new carts, there is an undeniable satisfaction to buying new, plus you get a warranty and all the latest tech.

Good luck., happy hunting,
Andy

 

[Raj Man]

I am looking into buying a jet boat. I intend to use it in the Laguna Madre in South Texas. What I'm looking for is some guidance as to new vs used, size, brand, features. I intend to use it for some fishing as well as skiing/pleasure boating. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Raj Man]

I'm looking in the 15-20K range so I think I'm looking more into the used sector, with the capacity of 6 people. It will be used in salt water in the Laguna Madre in deep South Texas where the average depth is 18 inches. Is there a problem with running in very shallow water? Will damage occur to ther jets? Towing/storage is not an issue.

 

[arew~SX230]

That is very shallow, are there many boats on the water there? I don't think I would want to boat there.

 

[Raj Man]

That is very shallow, are there many boats on the water there? I don't think I would want to boat there.

The Laguna Madre is the bay between South Padre Island and the Texas mainland. That measurement is the average. In some areas its 20 ft deep. The intrercoastal waterway flows through there. The body of water is huge.