Late 90's boats

[jswope]

My wife and I have a SeaRay on Lake Erie and used to have a '97 GTX as a second "fun" boat. We really had a lot of fun with that thing but between the normal Lake Erie chop and no back support, it was getting too hard on our backs. We replaced it with a 19' Rinker which, due to the hull design, is no fun on a typical lake day. Hopefully getting rid of the Rinker in a few weeks. I'm thinking a jet boat might be the best of both worlds, smaller than the Rinker and with jet thrust like a ski, but with seats with back support to hopefully soften the impact. I've been looking mostly at late '90s Challengers, Speedsters and Sportsters because those are what best fit into my "second boat" budget. I'd like to hear peoples opinion of the ride of these boats in a chop and if the seats are reasonably supportive. I've checked the specs on all three models, they all have a 20 deg deadrise, which is a deeper hull than this Rinker, so hopefully will not "slam" as much. I'm not looking for a miracle boat, I know they have limitations, but would like to find something that has a reasonable ride in a 1-2' chop. Thanks in advance.
P.S. - I had already posted this question in the FB SeaDoo group and mostly got short answers that didn't address my question. I'm sure there are people who frequent both FB and this forum, so please don't come back and tell me you already answered my question. I'd like to also hear from what I hope is at least few different people.

 

[mikidymac]

The 2-stroke boats have pretty shallow and light hulls, I don't think you will get the smooth chop ride you are looking for. Deep V and weight are what will smooth out chop.

 

[JeremyD615]

I agree completely! The 14.5’ boats are also just a little too short to ride through chop in my opinion. Even on the smaller inland lakes I run on, compared to Erie of course, can really beat you up on a busy day. The seats are fairly supportive and comfortable, but the hull is really not much longer than your old gtx. I can’t speak on the later hulls, but the early ones are really a smooth water boat in my opinion.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

I guess you need a longer and deeper Vee hull, heavier helps as well, in rough chop. Weight of boats has decreased over the years, the older ones had thick heavy layups, tended to have more wood in the construction and thus much heavier. Seat backs vary with various interior upholstery options and can vary frequently. Those chinzy seats of brand Y model Q may not be chinzy for model P

I'd suggest looking at the Chapparel as they tended to be heavier with nice seating but I'm unfamiliar with their recent models.

I'm a bench seat fan, myself.

And yeah, my 14.5ft Sportster will knock your teeth out in a chop.

 

[brushmore]

I am just North of you at the mouth of the Detroit river and have a Challenger 1800. "Reasonalbe" in a 1-2 chop might be pushing it. It doesn't bother me but my wife is a different story. Most of the time is in the river and only venture out into the lake on the calm days.

 

[JeremyD615]

I really think the honest truth is anyone who tells you the early boats are fun in the chop, has never actually ridden in one... Especially with a passenger in the bow seat. I’d feel safer letting Stevie Wonder drive me to lunch than I would riding up front in Lake Erie chop...