up-sizing??

[jswope]

We currently have a '97 GTX, have had it 2 summers. While we really enjoy it, we're also starting to feel a little limited by what is basicly a 2 person machine. We'd like to get something in a 16-18 foot range that can carry at least 4 people. We first started looking at SeaRaider F-16s, but the more we look the more I'm starting to lean towards SeaDoos. Obviously I don't mind older machines and a new one is definitely not in the picture. But I'm not very familiar with the SeaDoo boat line. 2 questions.
1) Any suggestions of what's good in that size range?
2) Anyone else who has made the move up in size, are you happy with the bigger boat or do you now regret the change?
Thanks

 

[Sikiguya]

I know that I was looking at the Challenger 180s when I first started. My buddy insisted that I looked at the 20 foot boats. Got the Utopia 205 and love it! Several of the members here have 180 and loved them. I would say it would depend on the water you are in or if you want to make sure it fit in your garage. Read the earlier threads. Good good info here!

 

[Dr Honda]

I've been playing with PWC since the late 70's. I seem to go back and forth with what "I like."

I've sold a bunch of my stuff, but what I have in the garage right now is a 96 Sportster (14') and a Yamaha super jet.

The reason I chose the small boat was because my wife never liked the sit down watercraft we had, and since I have a little girl (3 years old) the sit down wasn't usable for us... but the little 14' boats are like a Sit-in PWC. I can throttle it hard, jump wakes, spin it on it's nose... and yes... even the occasional sub :rofl: All of those things would not be done in a "real" boat.

The superjet... well... I'm a hard core stand up guy, and there will always be one at the ready.

The debate about the 18' Vs. 20' boats is a tough one. Things to think about are... how long of a trip are you going to make... who many people do you want to take with you... where will you park it?

The parking thing is a big issue. you can get an 18' boat in a garage with a swing away trailer tong. a 20' boat is a little harder.

If you want to make a bunch of late night runs, where you and your friends just hang out... then the bigger boat is for you.

I'll tell you this... if you buy the big boat... you will soon find yourself looking for a new sit-down for the occasional adrenalin rush.

 

[greyrider]

2 angles -
i have a 20 ft cuddy boat that i bought when it was me and the wife - huge.
kids came along and it is so small now that cannot take friends with us aqnd make it fun.

back then a pontoon boat seemed stupid, but now it is my HEAVEN.


fast skis were fun back then but now my LRV is great - i can take the wife and kids - slowly - over to the rope swing, or my kids can safely take it out w/o tipping it
EVER.

My Advice? Get the MOST square footage of deckspace you can afford - the speed will be drowned out by the comfort factor of being able to move around and NOT FIGHT.

good luck

 

[jswope]

Thanks for the replies. Actually I’m not looking for a large second boat. We already have the 27’ SeaRay and hope to move up to a 30’ some year. Besides, pontoons and Lake Erie usually don’t mix well.
Dr Honda I can relate to what you’re saying. While we really enjoy the GTX, we’re looking for something with a little more comfortable ride, a “sit-in” rather than a “sit-on”.
Also, we often feel limited by 2 seats. We’d like to have something that we can jump into with 4-6 people and hop across the harbor for dinner or in good conditions make a day trip to one of the islands. But we don’t want to get into something as big as a 20’ because we pull it with us every weekend and keep it in the garage. We had started looking at things like the SeaRaider F-14 and Sportsters like yours but weren’t sure if that would give us as much room as we wanted.
Like you I had thought the solution would be to keep the GTX and get a jet boat too, but my wife said no to that one. Only one second boat. I like the idea of something a little bigger, but I’ll miss the rush of skimming along at 50-60.

 

[kustomkarl]

I had a 1997 Challenger that I up graded from, last year. I bought a "2008" 200speedster. It has capacity of 7 passengers, twin 155(310 HP total) engines Natural Aspirated, runs on 87 octane fuel. The small 14" challenger was a neat toy but almost too small to bring more than 3 people comfortably. With 6 adults on board the 200 speedster, we can go jumping waves at 55mph with no problems. The challenger was a bit small as I said for my taste, for instance if there was a little chop you would get sprayed from the cross waves off the chop, not so on the bigger speedster. The trailer tongue swings in so it does fit in a garage ok. It has interlooping cooling so no salt water is in the engine except the exhaust system that gets rinsed with fresh water in 15 seconds on the hose after use. I own a "1996" 26' Chris Craft/ 350 Chevy too, but like the speedster for quick runs or island hopping with the family or guests. I also Have a 2008 150 speedster at my disposal when I want, in my driveway. It is Super Charged and uses 91 octane fuel. It goes pretty quick too, but I prefer the ride and stability of my 200 Speedster over that too. It seems like all the Super Charged engines require a bit more maintenance to keep them it top running order. Not a real big problem if your mechanically inclined, but could be costly if you need to bring it to a dealer to have it checked out. The Super Charger should be checked about every 25 hours of use and rebuilt at 100 hrs of use. If neglected it could cause some expensive problems, so it needs to be on the list of things to check. I'm sure you'll get all kinds of responses on the forum, and this is just my personal opinion, based on my own experience.

I've been in the water craft industry for over 30 years, raced Kawasaki's stand-ups Jetski's for 10 years, and have lived on the water all my life. I have owned over 30 water vessels in my life time so far.

What I own right now is my best combination for me.


I know your looking for a bit older seadoo, I decided to get the 4-tec 4 stroke for ease of maintenance and get away from the older 2 strokes that are getting harder to get parts for as time goes on. I don't think I'll ever own a out drive as long as I can get a jet pump drive boat. It only drafts 12"...no outboard or I/O can run in that shallow water...



Karl

 

[jswope]

Thanks for your thoughts about a bigger jet. That's some of the reasons I had originally leaned more toward at least a 16', better yet 18', more space, more weight and better ride. Getting into shallow water is also a major reason I'd prefer a jet to a prop drive for a second boat. More versitile. The biggest problem around here is so often shallow water also means weedy water. This last summer we went some places we hadn't before and a few times had to stop, jump in and clean out the intake. I don't mind swimming in the weeds as much as I mind the muddy, mucky bottom the weeds grow in.