New Guy - What to Buy?

[Allison280]

We are currently shopping for a seadoo boat. We are new to seadoo's but not new to boating. We have boated for years, live on the lake and currently own 2 boats. One is a little 15' runabout bowrider with a 70hp merc and a family go-fast boat that is an Allison Grandsport with a 2.5/280 Merc.
We are looking to replace the 15' runabout with a seadoo boat. They look like a pile of fun and we will use it for pulling tubes & skiers, swimming, fishing, spin-o-ramas, etc. We can also pull tubes and skiers with the Grandsport but I don't like it getting wet on the inside....lol
We would like to spend $7500 max. A pre 1998 speedster or a sporster looks like it would serve our purpose. Also, I think we need twins.
So, advice, suggestions, would really be appreciated. Power, hulls and handling etc.
Thanks
gary

 

[Allison280]

P.S. I do have a jet boat mechanic that will be coming with me prior to any purchase.

 

[RFoster130]

The boat you pick really depends on your needs. I am kinda biased but the 98-99 Speedsters are awesome boats. Tons of fun and you can put 4 people on there and be comfortable.

Just read up here on tips for buying used. I highly recommend a water test.

 

[Allison280]

Thanks for the reply, I do like the your style with the twins. We were looking at the smaller versions as we wanted the handling characteristics of a pwc but in a boat. We figured the closest we could get would be the pre 1998 speedtser and sportster, realizing they are small. If I did not have another boat for carrying 5 people and cruising than I would be looking a a larger model.
Not to sound irresponsible, can you do all the moves in yours as you can in a smaller one?

 

[RFoster130]

Yeah it still handles like a big jet ski. Plus you have 220 HP. that = tons of fun.

3 people is about the max in the smaller 14 ft boats.

 

[dsw222]

Yeah it still handles like a big jet ski. Plus you have 220 HP. that = tons of fun.

3 people is about the max in the smaller 14 ft boats.

The speedsters like Foster's are only 2 feet longer, and he's right about the 220hp being lots of fun!

I test drove one last spring and man it was a blast!

I ended up buying the 18 foot Challenger 1800 because it was in better shape and i don't have a bigger boat to use so i wanted the extra space... but that speedster sure was fun

I never drove a smaller one, so maybe someone else can chime in. I know Dr Honda has one that he loves, but hes selling it to make room for another lil guy/girl in the family :cheers:

 

[Phildoo]

Speedster hands down!!..98-99, the yellow ones (sk) have the smaller engines but same body. Just not as fast. For what you want to spend, if, you can locate one, it should be Pretty nice. You can sometimes find them around the 4-5k range but the super nice ones are few and far between. It's hard to get the owners to Part with them.

 

[Allison280]

Thanks again for all the feedback. I belong to a couple of other boat forums and what a great tool for receiving information and getting advice. Thanks again!
So, for just having a blast, jumping waves, spin-o-ramas, submarines, water sports and getting wet...it sounds like a 1998 or newer speedster. So, engine? do I go with single Merc 240 or twin rotax 110?
Also, whats the speed of one of these? It would be nice to be able to cruise and somewhat keep up with my Allison in case we have both boats out and going to the sandbar or beach.
Thanks

 

[Phildoo]

*sigh*...and the debate begins
Mine Gps' at 50+..

 

[RFoster130]

The twin 110's will get you 53-54. I am not sure about the Merc. I think it is about the same. As far as which to buy, that is personal preference and there are a difference of opinions, hence the sigh by Phildoo.

I personally wouldnt own the Merc. It is just way too expensive if you have an engine failure. With the plastic oil pump gear, I think it will eventually happen and could cost thousands. On the other hand, a new rotax motor is $850.

That being said, there are plenty of people who have the Merc who are happy with it. If you can work on it yourself, you might be ok. Most Sea Doo dealers wont work on them and many Mercury dealers wont either. If you go that route, there are plenty of people here to help you.

Price may dictate your choice too. The 98-99 Speedsters have the twin 110's and should easily be in your price range. The 2000-2003 Speedsters will have the Mercury motor and are usually priced over 7000. If you are looking at 99's there is also the SK option which has twin 85 HP motors.

Good Luck. I think the 16 ft boat has the best of both worlds, room for 4 people and still small and fast enough to be lots of fun.

 

[Allison280]

Sorry, I did not mean to start a top speed debate....lol. But I agree with Phildoo that gps is the best measurement. As mentioned I get my speed fix from my other boat but 50 will allow us to cruise together.
This is great, so a 1998 or 1999 Speedster with twin 110's. I have found a few already and can do compression and leakdown but no water test. Are there any specific areas I should be looking for that are common to fail. Even hull construction?
If a water test is mandatory than I will have to wait a few months, just thought I could take advanatage of some off-season pricing.

 

[Phildoo]

I personally have no fear of not doing a water test. As long as you can hear them run you can go from there. Your mechanic should be able to find any major problems.

 

[Allison280]

I personally have no fear of not doing a water test. As long as you can hear them run you can go from there. Your mechanic should be able to find any major problems.

Ok. If I can benefit from some off-season pricing then great. If not, I will wait until I can water-test. I'm excited, it will be a 1998/99 Speedster with twin 110's. I'm sure we will get some great use.
What about weeds, we have some very weedy areas. Is there anything I can buy or add to assist in this area.
And what about beaches and sandbars. How deep should the water be prior to starting the engine?

Also, when we were talking about speeds earlier, some of these new seadoos are pretty fast. I met one guy last year with a new model, and claimed he did 80, so he ran beside me but I clocked him at about 70 on gps. He was disappointed but still to me, that is really fast for a PWC!! I was impressed! I'm sure it must feel like a 100...lol. I know nothing about them but for curiosity, what is the fastest model.

 

[RFoster130]

The deabte isnt about top speed. It is usually about rotax vs mercury. The 53-54 mph is on gps. I personally prefer a water test, would you buy a car without driving it? You can find a lot just by checking the boat out really good and doing a compression test though. If you have to buy before it is warm out, then make sure the price reflects that. I would pay a lot less for a boat now vs one that I could take out in 2 months.

Weeds have never been a problem for me. These boats come with a cool lever you can pull that sweeps the junk away from the intake grate. I have been in less than 2 feet of water without a problem. They are capable though of picking up a softball size rock from from 4 feet under, so just use common sense and dont rev it hard as you pull away in a shallow area.

As far as fastest ski, that would be the RXP 255. Stock it does 70ish.

 

[Allison280]

RXP255....I'll keep my eye out.......thats impressive.
Thanks for the tip on the weed grate, thats a relief. And as far as water depth, thats what I figured. Its just that I see them at the sand-bar and they race away starting in 2' of water with sand bottom. I always thought there was a risk there.

Thanks again for all advice!!

 

[Allison280]

Hi Again,
Another important question>>>
Can I leave the speedster in the water? As this is replacing our runabout and more, we want to leave in the water at the dock. But our water leaves a green slime build-up on boats that has to be cleaned with either 'slimy grimy' or another hull cleaner then power-washed. We would pull the run-about out of the water a couple of times a season, clean and put back in. My Allison never stays in the water.
So my worry is the green slimy build-up will clog the water pump areas or something hindering performance? Has anyone experience with this.

 

[RFoster130]

Can you leave it in the water? Yes,... but in all honesty, Sea Doo boats in general aren't meant to be left in the water. The way the carbon seal is designed, it will leak slightly. They will also leak some water in where the exhaust exits also. Most of the time its no big deal, but it can present a problem.

The hull on the older boats also isnt quite designed to be left in the water. Sea Doo boats designed prior to 2006 have a different hull composition. They do not contain Vinylester resin. They started making vinylester resin fiberglass in 2006. The resin makes the fiberglass more impervious to water. Hulls prior to 2006 that are left in the water for long periods of time will blister and eventually the fiberglass will delaminate.

So, if you decide to leave it in water for long periods, I would make sure the bilge pump is wired to come on even with the battery switched off. A 2nd battery is also a good idea. I have done that and there is a write up on it posted here. Then to protect the fiberglass, have the bottom half of the boat below the water line coated. There are several coatings that you can have applied that act as a barrier to protect the hull.

You also have to consider all the other down falls to leaving the boat in water like the marine growth that you will get on the pumps. It will also need the engine flushed daily since it uses an open loop cooling system. There are way too many down sides to keeping an older Sea Doo boat in the water. I honestly wouldnt do it.

 

[Allison280]

Hi,
Thanks again for the feedback. We were hoping to leave one of the boats in the water at the dock, purely for convenience. However, what we may do is pull it out during the week and just leave in on weekends. The ramp is only 2 minutes from our house.

 

[RFoster130]

I think that would work fine. I leave mine in the water for 3 or 4 days at a time in the summer. Just make sure the bilge pump is wired to come on. from the factory the 98's have it hooked so it is only on when the battery switch is on. It is an easy fix though.

 

[Racereddie]

Take note that when you are looking at the Merc Engines that there those boats without the gear driven oil pump. I have a 2003 Utopia with an Engine stamped with May 02 on it. It has an oil pump on the Starboard side of the engine and it is an electric pump. To remove this pump the manual (Sec 3c page 3c-12states

1. Disconnect the wiring harness from the pump.
2. Disconnect the oil hoses.
NOTE: Plug oil supply hose from oil reservoir to prevent spillage.
3. Remove three bolts and remove pump.

Furthermore, the manual states that with an Oil Pump Failure there will be a continous horn and then the "Engine Guardian System is activated. Power
limit will allow a fast idle. The warning horn is activated if the oil pump should ever stop functioning electrically. No lubricating oil is being supplied to the engine."

So when you are looking at the different boats and Merc engines note which engine the boat is carrying.

I am the second owner of my boat, I have just done some spring maintenance, (pump oil, spark plugs, cleaning of the internal fuel filters, cleaning of battery posts) and she starts right up, runs at 45mph GPS pushing 6000 rpms. New she is listed to run at 46mph. Not bad for a 7 year old engine.