The Cons of Sea-Doo boats?

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mobiustrip1

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I am not a boater by any means...yet, I kayak and I have driven a dinghy around Pine Island Florida.

Being that I may be moving to Florida in the next year or so, I am intrigued by Sea-Doo's propless boats and low draft. (1 foot?)...plus they are small and compact...I don't want a big boat.

I am definitely looking at the Speedster or Challenger models that sit 6-8 people. I will be using this for just taking cruises to the island/beaches. Not too much fishing.

What are the cons of these boats? How do they maneauver? How effective is reverse? Can they turn on a dime? Do the drives get clogged easily? Can they be cleared easily? Is it easy to maintain these boats?

Anything else?

PS - I tend to get a snicker out of my in-laws when I mention wanting one...he has a Mako 22.

Any comments are very much appreciated.

-Possible Future Sea-Doo Owner
 
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OK, Like Pros, and Cons?

You want us to have a thread about all the bad side of this design?

OK, Here are just a few:

They don't turn as well, one direction, as the other. (O, that's right, most boats are like that too)

They cost alot of money. (O, that's right boats do too)

OK, Hang on, I'll find one.

Boat mechanics, often don't know how to work on one. There. I found one.

I only have a 1998 GS. That is a bottom of the line, 2 seater. And a bass boat. The Sea Doo is for sure the funnest to ride.

But, I can say for sure, that the fun factor with this design is a definite plus. Maybe you could find somebody with one, and buy his gas, and eats, and go out for a day. They have alot of characteristics that are different from a boat. There comes a point where you say, "I gotta get one of those"
And, using it for a day will help you decide. Almost like driving a turbo charged, front wheel drive in the snow, when all you have ever driven is 18 wheelers. Very different experience. I hope this helps.

:cheers:

Nate
 
Weel fo starters id go with the speedster myself.... and yes the handeling of these boats is far greater then any boat you have or ever will drive, and about nate sayin one way is easyer to turn then the other is true but youll only notice it when you doing 180 & 360 spins. reverse is ok doest the trick but youll need toget use to it if your a prop guy cause reverse is backward steer then prop boats. and yes they also do suck stuff up so be carefull and weeds can get stuck but with a little creativeity youll be able toget them out. Just rev and shake the wheel so free up the weeds. I love my DOO and if you go test drive one i think youll feel the same.
 
Props verses impeller?.......

This is an easy thread........

There are really no cons of owning a Seadoo unless you buy the DI model engine. Although, if you have a good DI that works well, it can't be beat for efficiency or acceleration. But because they have so many component parts to the fuel system, they are a pain to troubleshoot.

I've owned prop boats since I was 14, when I got my first 12 foot John boat with a 12 horsepower motor. My last boat was a 19 foot, I/O Marquis with a deep V, Mercruiser stern drive and GM motor. After selling it, I bought the Challenger. There is no comparison. I doubt I'll ever own another prop boat again. There are way to many Seadoo boats, for any occasion I could want.

The handling in rough water is awesome, the turning is "on a dime". The draft is shallow, but it's 3 feet verses 1 foot. (It drafts about 12" but you must have at least 2 and a half to 3 feet of water to run in). When backing, like Joel and Nate have said, it's backward from a prop job. But then again, I'd like to say a prop job is the one backward. On the Seadoo, when backing away from the dock with a slight turn, when you drop the bucket into forward, the boat will continue to spin in the proper direction without you turning the wheel.
THe engine compartments are closed, so you don't see a motor on the back and on these boats, you have a swim platform on the back. No propeller for you to cut your feet up on............
Oh, did I mention they are 33% more efficient on fuel than a prop boat!

Sorry, I just can't think of any cons....:cheers:
 
Thank you

Thanks for the replies. You all have definitely answered my questions.

A few more, the draft is 12", as mentioned I need 2-3' to run in...can I idle (slow speed) in 12" of water?

Regarding the D1 engine, would these be represented in used See-Doo Challenger or Speedster boats? Or were they only used for a few model years?

I'm not a big engine fixer myself, prefer to take things to the shop to get it done right and save me the hassle...though maybe I would learn...in general, are most day-to-day issues with engines easy for the DIY'er to take care of vs a regular prop? Being that the engine is buried, is stuff easy to get to and work on?


I plan to be riding this on the West Coast of Florida, around Pine Island (Pine Island Sound, San Carlos Bay, Matlacha Pass, Charlotte Harbour), perhaps I will go to a regional forum to see how they work and if there is a lot of clogging issues?

Again, many thanks for your time to answer these, perhaps this upcoming summer will be a great one!
 
DI's a no,no....

For your first experience with Seadoo, I'd recommend you stay away from a DI motor. They are catch 22. The ones you get that are hot!......are really hot in performance. But, if you ever get stuck with one having an issue with the DI system, you'll spend a fortune in troubleshooting it.

I'd recommend carbed, RFI or 4-TEC........

Draft.......I have the 14 foot Challenger and the water near my home gets shallow at lower tides (before they dredged it this past year). When my depth finder said 2.0 feet, I'd see it kicking up silt. Any shallower than that and my sonar won't send a signal I'm normally at idle speeds when traversing my canal. I've run up on the mud bar and about the most that happens doing this at slow speed is, when you set the pump inlet on the flat bottom, it no longer has the ability to compress water into the nozzle. So, you lose all thrust. Turn off the motor because that means, there is no cooling water to the engine now. The only thing to do is get out the paddle and rock your self off the bottom......

I have silt and mud, mostly on the river. Sand out in the bay and Gulf. Where you are, you'll have mostly sand. So, going to fast in shallow water will pick up small particles of sand and like sand blasting, the abrasives will eat away at your wearing ring a bit faster than what's normal. The biggest worry would be from picking up a stone or good sized shell.......that would mean damage to the impeller and quite possibly, the stator as well........:cheers:
 
mobiustrip1 said:
A few more, the draft is 12", as mentioned I need 2-3' to run in...can I idle (slow speed) in 12" of water?

Regarding the D1 engine, would these be represented in used See-Doo Challenger or Speedster boats? Or were they only used for a few model years?
Click to expand...

At 12" you'll most likely suck up some bottom... bad deal unless you own your own impeller rebuild shop (which I'm thinking not)

It's "DI" for Direct Injection. Fuel Injection is by far my fav compared to carb but you can expect a few more bucks on service (maybe?) but dependability and fuel efficiency is well worth any trade off.

Hope it goes well for you!
 
I think the only real con that I've had (as a total noob to anything boating) is that steering at low speeds is pretty darn hard. (I haven't dared to power back on the trailer yet)

BUT I've heard that seadoo jetboats are a whole lot better than yamaha jetboats when it comes to low speed turning. I'm sure its just one of those things I gotta get used to over time and practice. Even though its a challenge at the moment, I enjoy struggling with it. I'm sure once I get it down I'll feel good about myself :)

On a side note, I know a lot of yamaha JB guys that pretty much ALL install the cobra jet steering on their boats. They claim it drastically improves their low-speed turning abilities, maybe its something to consider?
 
Yeah, that's definitely a con--at first. If you're used to props then steering on a sea-doo is something of a...learning experience. After you get the hang of it though (use neutral to dock!) you can do some things in tight quarters that I don't think a prop could (like crab-walking sideways into a tight dock space). Like anything else, takes a bit of practice. This will sound stupid to the experienced jet boaters out there but there was nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment the first time I took it out and docked it back without anyone else in the boat--kind of like graduating from "mad panic GRAB THE ROPE!!" to a cool calm state of "right on--this is cake".
 
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Like anything there is a learning curve with a Jet boat. Practice Practice Practice...not such a bad thing, and you' ll have fun doing it. Jet Boats can spin on it's own axes with some practice of the gear shift. It's not a "con" its a feature with benefits. :)

Karl
 
JThomasLambert said:
Yeah, that's definitely a con--at first. If you're used to props then steering on a sea-doo is something of a...learning experience. After you get the hang of it though (use neutral to dock!) you can do some things in tight quarters that I don't think a prop could (like crab-walking sideways into a tight dock space). Like anything else, takes a bit of practice. This will sound stupid to the experienced jet boaters out there but there was nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishment the first time I took it out and docked it back without anyone else in the boat--kind of like graduating from "mad panic GRAB THE ROPE!!" to a cool calm state of "right on--this is cake".
Click to expand...

haha so true ;)
 
Haven't been on a in a while, but here are my 2 cents about Seadoo and the con's.

For the same money you can find boats that will fit a lot more people. You have to really buy the right model to comfortably be with 6-8 people in a Seadoo boat. Being with 4 people in a 14 foot boat isn't all that pleasurable if you are parked.

There is no good spot to lay out on the boat, but not that many 15ft boats do have a good spot to lay out on.

And while they might not use a prop, they certainly can be damaged. Their biggest "pro" might also be the biggest con. Yeah you can cruise in shallow water, but sea weed gets sucked up really easily, and it isn't smart to swim under your boat and pull them out under water. Also sucking up debris will eat your wear ring alive.

They have really big advantages. But my cousin has a boat with a Yamaha jet-boat motor and his flips up (looks just like a normal boat engine oddly enough), and while his boat isn't fiberglass it runs through 24 inches of water and he can pull the engine up if things get too shallow. So it's not like Sea-Doo's style is the only way to run in 2 feet of water.

I keep a paddle that I can extend up to 8 feet in my boat because I drifted in to an area with sea weed before and I was a gooood long way from the car. If I wouldn't have killed the engine I would have sucked up a ton of seaweed. I kill the engine and push the boat back to a deeper depth.

I really dig the Sea-Doo boat, but next time I have to be more realistic about my purchase. I wish I could fit more than 600lbs and or 4 people on a boat.

I would think you need a 20 foot boat for 6-8 people, if not the 23 footer.

These boats have the best of it all though, really fun toy. No other boater can do what you can. You can keep up with a lot of things out there, turn on a dime, and you don't need a F350 to haul it either.

And I think the boats can be under powered easily also, but you are not sucking down fuel like other boats, and I have all of like 36hp at the pump or something if I recall. The new models are all pimped out but the older 90's models were a little less polished in terms of usability if you ask me.

Also buying a Mercury jet boat version of one of these boats isn't the wisest either in terms of repair (from what I have read on the forum).

But I think if you are not looking for the "motorcycle of boats" than you should look elsewhere. If you want to bring 6-8 people out partying Sea-Doo's are way too cramped. They also lack the storage for you to pack beach chairs (if you're going to beach it on an island and sit and chill) and all kinds of other stuff. Really limited on storage. But the foot print of these boats makes that possible. So its compromise.

All this wear ring talk is "big bucks", couple hundred bucks from shops. And they are simple little rings. People on here will help you do it yourself for a fraction of the cost, but do you want to do it yourself?
 
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I have the Challenger 180 which claims 8 people (it's an 18'). I can fit 6 adults very comfortably and have had 5 adults and 3 kids without a problem as well. I like the fact sea-doos give you more "people-room" in a shorter boat (the trade-off seems to be that it's wider--not the most fun to tow on narrow roads but you get used to it).
 
180

JT,

I enjoyed Gasparilla this past weekend aboard a 55' Sea Ray(My new utopia is still being worked on) and I saw a Challenger 180 on the water and it looked awesome! SeaDoos are just happy boats!

Craig

JThomasLambert said:
I have the Challenger 180 which claims 8 people (it's an 18'). I can fit 6 adults very comfortably and have had 5 adults and 3 kids without a problem as well. I like the fact sea-doos give you more "people-room" in a shorter boat (the trade-off seems to be that it's wider--not the most fun to tow on narrow roads but you get used to it).
Click to expand...
 
Utopia repairs

Boeing,

My utopia has a few issues I identified after its maiden voyage.

Shifter assembly messed up
Fuel gauge not working
Gel-coat cracks at every screw point near the windshield(starboard side only)
Vibration noises

The area dealer is taking ownership of all these issues even though I didn't purchase from them. They've had it two weeks now and I'm beginning to become a little anxious about it but if it comes back good-to-go I will be happy.

Craig

boeing747arowair said:
craig whats wrong with your utopia?
Click to expand...
 
The only cons I have encountered are just issues from me buying an older boat. If I had bought it new, none of the issues I have had would have happened.

The reverse it a PRO for me, since I love the way the boat handles in reverse (97 challenger single). I like to be able to stay in one spot and spin in reverse 360 circles while seeing what is going on around me (I usually do this while someone is using the "restroom" so we can stay in a secluded location without turning off the engine).

I have run it up into 6" water, beached it on sandbars, driven over 2' deep reef in the Keys, and never done any damage. I had to get out and physically lift and push the boat off a sandbar once. Literally ankle deep water. May have done a little wear on the ring on that one, but it has since been replaced.

But, it is small. I have had 4 people in it sitting comfortably, but we were way over the weight limit. We had about 800-900 lbs in it and I think it is registered for only 600, but it still took off great, handled like a dream, and performed at 110% (after I swapped the impeller to a Swirl. Before, it wouldn't take off decent with even 2 people in it.)

BUT parts are expensive and hard to get where I live. I have to buy most online, so a simple $5 broken part keeps me out of the water for at least 2 weekends.

That said, we are looking at a bigger prop-driven boat for our next purchase. Something in the 22' range, counter-rotate prop setup, and much more HP.
 
Boeing,

My shifter handle was messed up. It would only start in forward but the boat would go in reverse. It was also difficult to actuate. Hope its better when I get it back. I believe the Utopia handle is made by Teleflex.

Craig
 
my three seater seats just one....

Been out riding Sea-doos around the Ft Myers area several times over the past 5 years. A stop at Cabbage Key for lunch is a blast! Or shoot up the Whatchamacallit River through the locks. Maybe just circle the big islands and goof on the dolfins if they want to be sociable....it's all good!

Always try to avoid low water with plant life to protect your jet AND the wildlife that happens to live there 24/7/365.

Go out and find someone with 2 late model gtx 4-tecs (or similar). Take off w/some food, water, wrap-around shades w/lanyard & sunblock. Don't forget water shoes and maybe a towel. Take a wind breaker for a cooler than expected ride home. That should answer most of your questions in 1 day.

By the way.....leave everyone else HOME! Too many people equals too many problems! The only exception would be a very water friendly girlfriend or Sea-doo experienced spouse (my favorite).

AC
 
acooper said:
Been out riding Sea-doos around the Ft Myers area several times over the past 5 years. A stop at Cabbage Key for lunch is a blast! Or shoot up the Whatchamacallit River through the locks. Maybe just circle the big islands and goof on the dolfins if they want to be sociable....it's all good!

Always try to avoid low water with plant life to protect your jet AND the wildlife that happens to live there 24/7/365.

Go out and find someone with 2 late model gtx 4-tecs (or similar). Take off w/some food, water, wrap-around shades w/lanyard & sunblock. Don't forget water shoes and maybe a towel. Take a wind breaker for a cooler than expected ride home. That should answer most of your questions in 1 day.

By the way.....leave everyone else HOME! Too many people equals too many problems! The only exception would be a very water friendly girlfriend or Sea-doo experienced spouse (my favorite).

AC
Click to expand...

:agree: i always wake up at dawn on the weekends and jump in the boat for a couple hrs by my self. And im still single, last GF though cottages and boats were a wast of money and saw no use for it. Sooo i dumped her *** :cheers: AHA she wasnt water friendly.....
 
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