Seadoo Sportster Questions

[ptroost]

Hi Everyone,

I'm interested in the Seadoo Sportster and have a few questions maybe you folks can help me with. Some pictures of the boats I have seen have a small seat pad and backrest in the bow, some have a nonskid pad, and some have nothing. I have 3 kids and it would be great to have the ability to seat a younger kid in the bow of the boat -- what year did that seat disappear, and can you install the seat pads in a newer boat?

Anyone have experience seating people up there?

Secondly, how does the boat do in chop? My primary use for the boat will be pulling kids on a tube or kids on a wakeboard. The lake that we're in is frequently windy and gets choppy, is this boat going to be tough to handle in those conditions? When I see videos online people are mainly running them where it's glassy. Yes, I know it's a small boat before someone points that out.

Finally, it's going to get used in saltwater. I had a 4 stroke GTX Limited PWC a few years back and the salt really didn't create any issues as I just flushed it with the hose after each use. Don't know if these boats are any different.

Thanks!

 

[huttcraft]

Hi Ptroost --

With three kids I don't think this is the boat for you. It's only rated to driver plus three passengers. The step in the bow is not intended as a seat and not very functional as one either -- in my experience even the weight of a kid on the bow step makes the boat harder to control and more likely to submarine unexpectedly in decelerating turns. So you won't be able to cruise with the whole family in the boat. For towing waterskiiers you need to have an available empty seat in the boat for the skiier, which is further limiting.

The Sportster does just fine in chop but with such a short hull length it can be somewhat punishing.

Saltwater is no problem with the right precautions.

On the whole the Sportster has more in common with a ride-on watercraft than a regular boat -- it can be a fun, wet, wild ride, but isn't what you might expect from a 16 foot boat for all other family pursuits.

My two cents.

Dave

 

[dothadoo]

Well, what Dave said I mostly agree with. I had a Sportster and sold it because I wanted a larger boat for my family. As far as the chop, it will take 1 foot chop fine, but anything bigger than that gets a little rough. The Sportster is only rated for four people and if you did make the bow into a seat, it would technically be illegal. I think the model you have seen may have been the Sportster LE, which was made up to 2006, I believe. I do not know as much about the LE as I have not owned one, but I think it rides similarly to the 4-tec model. It is different from the 4-tec model in that the LE has a 130hp two stroke engine. The 4-tec has a single 4 stroke engine at 155hp, or 215hp with a super charger. The 155hp will pull most people under 200lbs with two average size adults in the boat, but no more than that. The 215hp model will pull just about anyone with ease with the boat loaded down. Both models only seat 4 people, so there is no difference there.

My suggestion, not knowing your budget is to look for a Challenger 180. It will seat 8 and handles the chop much better than the Sportster. before 2006, they did not come with a true windshield. 2006 and up have the windshield which IMO, looks better and functions as well.