Atlas135
Jet Boat Lover
- Messages
- 60
- Reaction score
- 30
- Points
- 67
- Location
- CT USA
- Boat Make
- Yamaha
- Year
- 2017
- Boat Model
- FSH Sport
- Boat Length
- 19
Here are my thought and opinions on the Cobra Jet Viper System that I installed on my 2017 Yamaha 190 FSH.
First off let me start by saying that I accepted the product at a discounted rate with the understanding that I would review the product. I have not been compensated or swayed in either direction by anyone, and what you are about to read is my opinion and only my opinion.
I will start at the beginning. Ordering and paying for the Viper system was very easy and painless. A quick email and a simple paypal transaction was all it took. I promptly received feedback that gave me info on the product, including installation instructions.
I believe I received the box 2-3 days after that. The Viper system was packaged simply but adequately. The small hardware was bagged together in a bag and the Viper unit was shrink wrapped to a piece of cardboard and everything was placed and shipped in a box.
I had printed out the directions from the email and used those for the install. The install SHOULD have been very straight forward. As you read the directions they seem a bit confusing until you actually dig in and start working. I ran into a small problem, that was caused by me. I cross threaded the bolt (actually the hole the bolt goes into) that holds the Viper to the Jet. Getting that bolt through the several spacers, through the Viper then up into the jet of the boat, all while fighting gravity, flying nats....a slight buzz, and dripping thread locker....can cause the threads to not go strait in.. Again, My fault...just be careful when tightening that bolt, make sure it is straight on. I fixed this problem by removing everything, and threading the supplied bolt from inside the jet nozzle down, thus fixing the threads. I then got the rest of the Viper system installed no problem. During the install I came across my only complaints with the Viper.
1. Where the Viper attaches to the bottom of the Jet on the boat there is about a 1 degree separation. They don't sit completely flat with each other. There is plenty of surface area that does contact, however, when it comes to my boat, I am a perfectionist and would like to see the bend in the Viper match up with the Jet exactly. If you haven't installed one, this may not make sense and I'm not sure I can photograph it.. Again it is probably less than a degree, but I think it could be fixed.
2. Directions were OK, and after I installed it, I completely understood what I had to do. However, a simple video of the install would have made a world of difference. I consider myself a fairly competent mechanic and had I not cross threaded the bolt hole, it would have taken about 15 min.
On the water
I recently purchased my FSH this season and I have exactly 5.75 hours of Jet Boat experience without the Viper system. I have been an "out-boarder" all my life and thought of myself as a very capable boater. I never had any issues maneuvering an outboard equipped boat.
Enter Jet Boat.... I had no idea what I was doing. I loved that fact that it was different than what everyone else had, I loved the Low draft, loved the boat...hated that I couldn't put the boat where I wanted it to go. I couldn't figure out why it would do some sort of unwarranted death turn when I idled down...Getting it on the trailer...yeah...sure. So enter the Viper.
The day of my boat test with the Viper system was rough. I was in Long Island Sound with 7-10 knts wind with varied waves. I was at the mouth of a larger river that dumps into the sound on an incoming tide. All of that equals a lot of wind and current trying to put your boat where you don't want it.
Pulling out of the dock in reverse I felt like I had more control of the boat (this portion of the test lasted about 35 seconds). Cruising through the mooring field the steering response was amazing...I would say in no wake mode response for steering was the same as you would expect on an outboard motor. Even with the current and the wind, I was able to wind my way through the clutter mooring field without taking any boats out, which very much pleased my wife, the other boat owners, and myself.
Getting up on plane seemed to happen quicker with the Viper system. It was very choppy 1-3 foot waves and some bigger ones (large ferries coming and going including a high speed ferry) so I was cutting speed and getting back on plane a lot. Steering response at speed was also improved. Putting the boat back on the trailer was also a lot easier than before. Using the no wake mode I was able to glide right onto the trailer.
This outing was a little rougher than I normally go out in, however I feel that it truly showed that the viper does improve the controllablity of the jet boat platform. The biggest/best improvement that I could see with the Viper was maneuverability in the no wake mode. This is very important to me because this is where I spend most of my time while fishing. Being able to zig-zag while looking to mark fish at a slower speed is crucial. For me, it is worth its weight in gold just in that alone. On top of that, it does improve in the high speed turning and getting up on plane as well.
I highly recommend the Viper. If there is anyone in the New England area that would like to check it out on my boat, I'm always looking for fishing partners, feel free to hit me up...
First off let me start by saying that I accepted the product at a discounted rate with the understanding that I would review the product. I have not been compensated or swayed in either direction by anyone, and what you are about to read is my opinion and only my opinion.
I will start at the beginning. Ordering and paying for the Viper system was very easy and painless. A quick email and a simple paypal transaction was all it took. I promptly received feedback that gave me info on the product, including installation instructions.
I believe I received the box 2-3 days after that. The Viper system was packaged simply but adequately. The small hardware was bagged together in a bag and the Viper unit was shrink wrapped to a piece of cardboard and everything was placed and shipped in a box.
I had printed out the directions from the email and used those for the install. The install SHOULD have been very straight forward. As you read the directions they seem a bit confusing until you actually dig in and start working. I ran into a small problem, that was caused by me. I cross threaded the bolt (actually the hole the bolt goes into) that holds the Viper to the Jet. Getting that bolt through the several spacers, through the Viper then up into the jet of the boat, all while fighting gravity, flying nats....a slight buzz, and dripping thread locker....can cause the threads to not go strait in.. Again, My fault...just be careful when tightening that bolt, make sure it is straight on. I fixed this problem by removing everything, and threading the supplied bolt from inside the jet nozzle down, thus fixing the threads. I then got the rest of the Viper system installed no problem. During the install I came across my only complaints with the Viper.
1. Where the Viper attaches to the bottom of the Jet on the boat there is about a 1 degree separation. They don't sit completely flat with each other. There is plenty of surface area that does contact, however, when it comes to my boat, I am a perfectionist and would like to see the bend in the Viper match up with the Jet exactly. If you haven't installed one, this may not make sense and I'm not sure I can photograph it.. Again it is probably less than a degree, but I think it could be fixed.
2. Directions were OK, and after I installed it, I completely understood what I had to do. However, a simple video of the install would have made a world of difference. I consider myself a fairly competent mechanic and had I not cross threaded the bolt hole, it would have taken about 15 min.
On the water
I recently purchased my FSH this season and I have exactly 5.75 hours of Jet Boat experience without the Viper system. I have been an "out-boarder" all my life and thought of myself as a very capable boater. I never had any issues maneuvering an outboard equipped boat.
Enter Jet Boat.... I had no idea what I was doing. I loved that fact that it was different than what everyone else had, I loved the Low draft, loved the boat...hated that I couldn't put the boat where I wanted it to go. I couldn't figure out why it would do some sort of unwarranted death turn when I idled down...Getting it on the trailer...yeah...sure. So enter the Viper.
The day of my boat test with the Viper system was rough. I was in Long Island Sound with 7-10 knts wind with varied waves. I was at the mouth of a larger river that dumps into the sound on an incoming tide. All of that equals a lot of wind and current trying to put your boat where you don't want it.
Pulling out of the dock in reverse I felt like I had more control of the boat (this portion of the test lasted about 35 seconds). Cruising through the mooring field the steering response was amazing...I would say in no wake mode response for steering was the same as you would expect on an outboard motor. Even with the current and the wind, I was able to wind my way through the clutter mooring field without taking any boats out, which very much pleased my wife, the other boat owners, and myself.
Getting up on plane seemed to happen quicker with the Viper system. It was very choppy 1-3 foot waves and some bigger ones (large ferries coming and going including a high speed ferry) so I was cutting speed and getting back on plane a lot. Steering response at speed was also improved. Putting the boat back on the trailer was also a lot easier than before. Using the no wake mode I was able to glide right onto the trailer.
This outing was a little rougher than I normally go out in, however I feel that it truly showed that the viper does improve the controllablity of the jet boat platform. The biggest/best improvement that I could see with the Viper was maneuverability in the no wake mode. This is very important to me because this is where I spend most of my time while fishing. Being able to zig-zag while looking to mark fish at a slower speed is crucial. For me, it is worth its weight in gold just in that alone. On top of that, it does improve in the high speed turning and getting up on plane as well.
I highly recommend the Viper. If there is anyone in the New England area that would like to check it out on my boat, I'm always looking for fishing partners, feel free to hit me up...
