Older Ski for newbie fisherman

[jetskiwannabe]

Hi everybody I am brand new to the Jet Ski world. I am looking for advice in purchasing an older model jet ski. I want to get back and forth to different fishing spots (Saltwater) in Moreton Bay in QLD Australia. Speed is desirable but not that important, power is nice, but stability, comfort, fuel economy, reliability and storage space are need. I will need a small ice chest. I will probably run a lot of miles each trip. I also want to do a lot of trolling so a four stroke is preferred.

I am looking at three seat models. I am very handy with a spanner and have lots of experience with Rotax aircraft engines so I am leading towards seadoo. I am on a limited budget at first until I see if I like doing this and how I handle it. I also dont want to buy a nice new ski only to drill holes in it everywhere and bash it around fishing. Please forgive my OCD if I ask questions about how to spend lots of hours to save little amounts of money.

I am looking for information about hull types and history, how they behave and compatibility with later upgrades. Also would be interested in knowing if later more powerful engines can be retrofitted. As time goes by I am not worried about resale value if I can slowly modify the ski to suit my fishing requirements. I do enjoy a tinker as well.

For example me knowing nothing a Seadoo Gtx 4tec looks appealing to me with 2002 models selling for around 2500 Aud.

Would love some input from the more expereinced,

thanks in Advance for all advice

 

[russ22]

Hi
I am doing up a late model ski at the moment a GTX 260 IS LTD 2015, I have just finished rebuilding the motor and have put it in the ski.
One thing I did not realizes until I started how expensive parts are in Australia for jet ski. prices are over the top in AU, and to import from US is no cheaper because of over the top shipping cost and low AUD
Your luckier than me as I live in Perth WA and the Seadoo dealers here do not stock any parts, I have to get everything shipped from QLD, QLD have most of Australia's seadoo dealer and more importantly jet ski wrecking yards, and they stock parts, not like WA dealers, I ordered big end bolts from one Perth dealer and it took 4 x weeks to get the bolts, this is a joke. I don't bother with Perth seadoo dealers any more I just order everything from QLD, so you won't have my problem, in getting parts but they are not cheap, so make sure you buy one in every good condition. good luck

 

[jetskiwannabe]

thanks for the reply russ. Sounds very similar to how rotax parts for aircraft engines are a problem. It is good being in QLD because we have a lot of good areas to use a ski and so we have lots of dealers wreckers etc. I wonder what the parts and prices would be like for the Japanese models of ski in particular Yamaha and if shipping would be cheaper? I am trying to find out as much as a can about hull evolution and when large changes were made to hull shapes in the line up. I wonder also if there are as many Yamaha wrecks to be found when hunting parts. Still lots of learning for me to do I think.


Hmm just watched a rebuild video in a Yamaha engine seems far more complex thatn the rotax....

 

[joe.burns91]

I fish from my GTX RFI a lot. I mounted some scotty rod holders and a gyroscopic beer holder onto it. Bought the ski for $1900. I've torn through the whole thing so i'm pretty confident in the reliability of the engine.

I went with this ski because it is fuel injected and 2-stroke. it's dead simple so there's less to go wrong. With the weight and displacement per horsepower it has really good range as well. Similar to the 4-tec. The 787 is known to be very reliable. I'm taking mine 5-8 miles offshore. Tons of parts available and really easy to work on. Plus you don't ever have to clean or tune a carb!