19 footer questions

[kyle]

I know this has been touched upon a million times and everybody's situation is different but I am as new and green to boating as it gets. I want either an ar190 or ar195. I know the fuel mileage issue has been beaten to death and I am willing to take the hit on poor mileage for the 195. I guess my biggest unanswered question is do I need that much power in the 195 or does the 190 suffice? How fast do you normally need to go to tube or pull a skier? I have no idea what is normal, or fun. My experience has been renting slow pontoon boats for a weekend. Typically there would be 4 adults and two small children on board. We will tube but doubtfully ever water ski. We enjoy getting around Lake Cumberland and Laurel Lake here in KY and will anchor and swim in coves. My concern is going with the 190 and wishing later on that I had more power with the 195. There will be some fun high speed runs but thought that the extra power may be better since we plan on the boat generally being full of people. 19 ft is as big as I can go do to indoor storage issues, and is as much as I want to spend on our first boat. Any opinions please send them my way. Thanks

 

[swatski]

If you are REALLY not planning on a bigger boat I would buy 195. As long as it fits the budget (there is a big difference in price). But its not just the engine, also bigger (160mm) pump (more thrust).

My concern is going with the 190 and wishing later on that I had more power with the 195.

This ^^^ is a given.

--

 

[RiverRat]

Don't forget about the other differences between the two besides the motor n pump. ( bigger reason for me to get the 192 over 190.) Better factory stereo( I have since added two amps and a sub for a very low price and am very happy with the sound,) Seadek on both upper and lower swim platforms, pop out cleats, better cockpit carpet, bow filler cushion( my daughter and teenage girl cousins love this), and trailer with surge brakes and 14 inch rims. The surge brakes help with wear on my mid size SUV and can potentially be actual life savers if ever needed for real.

 

[RiverRat]

Also, how'd you manage to go almost three years after joining this site to posting a message?! There's gotta be some sort of trophy for that! Welcome aboard anyhow!

 

[SCP1]

Coming from someone who had an SX190 go with the 195! I don't have time right now but I will get you a bunch of info before I go to work tomorrow morning.

 

[kyle]

Also, how'd you manage to go almost three years after joining this site to posting a message?! There's gotta be some sort of trophy for that! Welcome aboard anyhow!

Well funny story....... We were hot and heavy into buying a boat then decided that maybe we would sell our house, buy land and build a smaller house. After looking for a year we couldn't find land to build on within our budget and then we had our second child. So needless to say the boat got put on the back burner. Our other struggle was we have a 36 foot camper and wanted to be able to take the boat camping with us but we only had the one tow vehicle. So after all was said and done we stayed put in the house we have, my wife bought a new 4runner, and my youngest boy just turned two, and his brother just turned 8. Now we have the tow vehicle so my wife can pull the boat when we camp and I tow the camper.

Anyway, thanks for the responses so far. I wasn't even really thinking about the other upgrades that the 195 comes with. I went back and looked the yamaha site and there are quite a few perks to be had. And Riverat, music will be a huge part of our day, so how much, ballpark, would you say it cost to upgrade the sound system?

 

[kyle]

Coming from someone who had an SX190 go with the 195! I don't have time right now but I will get you a bunch of info before I go to work tomorrow morning.

Thanks, that would be awesome

 

[RiverRat]

With wiring, a four channel MTX marine amp, 2 channel MTX amp for the sub. I had a kicker sub in a marine enclosure from my old boat which died. I replaced that with a new dual voice coil Polk sub and placed it under the port side rear seat. If I had to ball park it I would say under 500 for sure. I think it sounds very nice, plenty loud. I do plan on adding a pair of tower speakers and it'll be all set!

 

[RiverRat]

I also added a second battery and switch at the same time. And eventually added an onboard dual bank charger.

 

[SCP1]

Thanks, that would be awesome

1. You are going to want the extra power and the larger jet pump. This is the main reason we upgraded (anytime we had a bunch of people and wanted to do water sports the 190 is a dog). Mostly in regards to hole shot and the speed that is lost when doing turns. Now if you are just crusing with a few people the 190 is a great boat and far better on fuel. With that said I always was surprised on how fuel efficient the 190 was. Keep in mind with the 195 you have to run 91 octane (which is really no price increase for me as I always tried to stay clear of ethanol blend) which here you almost have to run 91 to find ethanol free anyways. I do realize it burns more fuel but in my mind it's worth it.

2. This is very interesting. I water tested a AR190 as I wanted to see how the new rudder improved slow speed handling, to my suprise it is a night and day difference. Keep in mind I knew I was not buying a 190 but that is what the dealer had in the water and at this point I was just concerned about how the rudder improved low speed handling. However that was not the most interesting thing I learned. One of my complaints with my 190 was the noise at idling or just above (always seemed rattly) the 2017 AR190 was the exact same way. To my pleasant suprise the 195 does not have this, I'm not sure why this is but it is great! Reminds me more of a traditional boat very smooth ( i/o / inboard).

3. The engine sounds far superior (the best way for me to describe is it reminds me more of an i/o / inboard and is far quieter than my previous 190. Now just to be honest I never took the 2017 190 up to speed as I was not concerned about that (so I can't compare noise on a 2017 AR190 to a 2017 AR195 at higher rpm's).

4. The speakers are night and day difference if you add 2 tower speakers and a amp I can't imagine you would want more. I have 2 little kids so I'm not even considering tower speakers until they get older.

5. The interior look/detail and colors look way sportier. The depth gauge is nice addition as well.

6. The chrome rub rails and pop up cleats are a nice upgrade as well.

7. The 195 trailer has brakes where as the 190 trailer does not. Your 4Runner's brakes/rotors will last a lot longer due to this. As well as being able to stop faster in case of an emergency.

8. The upgraded sea deck and sea deck on the lower platform is great. Without this on the lower platform it was always slippery.

9. Bow filler cushion is standard.

I could keep going but most of this info is on the specs. I think I hit some big reasons to go with the 195 over the 190. I'm more than happy to answer any other specific questions you have.

 

[Ismael Breton]

I also considered both. Previously owned a 2013 ar192. Ended up going with the 2017 ar190 and I'm glad I did. Boat has performed very nicely even with 6 adults on board we never felt like I needed any additional power or speed. Seems to be a $5k price difference in general and the performance of the 190 really seemed to be enough. I will say I have younger kids, 7 and 5 and they are not too into water sports yet. Most of our boating entails heading to a cove and relaxing the entire day. I love my ar190, no buyer's remorse here!

 

[kyle]

Thanks SCP1. I was wondering about the integrated keel on these new boats because when were doing our original research three years ago this was obviously not an option and everyone was using the aftermarket fins. Is this something that people are still using in addition to the new design or did this update in design make them obsolete? You guys are full of information. Keep it coming. I am the kind of person that likes to do all the maintenance on my own stuff. Is this going to be an issue in regards to warranty issues?

 

[swatski]

Viper from @Cobra Jet Steering LLC is the way to go with a new 190/195.
Try it without and then put those on.

--

 

[SCP1]

Thanks SCP1. I was wondering about the integrated keel on these new boats because when were doing our original research three years ago this was obviously not an option and everyone was using the aftermarket fins. Is this something that people are still using in addition to the new design or did this update in design make them obsolete? You guys are full of information. Keep it coming. I am the kind of person that likes to do all the maintenance on my own stuff. Is this going to be an issue in regards to warranty issues?

Keep in mind the 19's do not have a integrated keel (like the 21' & 24's) they only have a rudder. After having my old boat with the thrust vector the rudder is a huge improvement. If I decide to add something I will be going with the viper. There are pictures and reviews as well.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/19-foot-yamaha-with-the-keel-and-rudder-only.12802/

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

 

[2kwik4u]

We went with the 190 over the 195. Fuel consumption and additional purchase price were the drivers, the difference in purchase cost and fuel usage equates to about $200-$250/mo assuming 100hrs/yr usage. Zero regrets. Normal load is two "average" families. 4 adults and 2-4 kids. Power has not been an issue, space has not been an issue, and fun has always been had.

I'll try to answer one at a time and add some comments below that......Here we go....

I know this has been touched upon a million times and everybody's situation is different but I am as new and green to boating as it gets. I want either an ar190 or ar195. I know the fuel mileage issue has been beaten to death and I am willing to take the hit on poor mileage for the 195. I guess my biggest unanswered question is do I need that much power in the 195 or does the 190 suffice?

The 190 is plenty in my opinion. Largest load I've had is 7 people on boar (4 adults, 3 children). Tubing and wakeboarding was done easily, it planed as well as any other 19'er I've driven, and cruised at 6k rpm around 30-32mph with the bimini deployed. If you want to go 50mph with 8 adults, get the 195, if you're a little more laid back on the water, the 190 is plenty adequate. ALSO....if you're at elevation, the 195 is a better option as altitude sucks performance.

How fast do you normally need to go to tube or pull a skier?

Wake board/wake skate = 18ish mph
Tube with adults = 25ish mph
Tube with kids = 18ish mph
Wake Surf = 11ish mph (and probably NOT a good idea with any 19'r)

The 190 is plenty capable of all these right off the trailer without mods. I've tried them all

I have no idea what is normal, or fun. My experience has been renting slow pontoon boats for a weekend. Typically there would be 4 adults and two small children on board. We will tube but doubtfully ever water ski. We enjoy getting around Lake Cumberland and Laurel Lake here in KY and will anchor and swim in coves. My concern is going with the 190 and wishing later on that I had more power with the 195. There will be some fun high speed runs but thought that the extra power may be better since we plan on the boat generally being full of people. 19 ft is as big as I can go do to indoor storage issues, and is as much as I want to spend on our first boat. Any opinions please send them my way. Thanks

Normal and fun is what you make it. If you like top speed runs, do that. If you like lounging off the back, do that. It's up to you, and one of the better parts of boating. Especially when you have such a versatile boat as these Yamaha's. Our AR190 does most things well. I'm not going to win a drag race on the water. I'm not going to have the largest wake for surfing. I don't have the loudest stereo, or the most vibrant graphics. I do however think that I have one of the highest "smiles per dollar" ratios on the water. I get a LOT of enjoyment out of our $30k boat!

The AR190 fit out needs and wants without the additional purchase price or fuel consumption. I have zero regrets in the middle of our first season. The best advice I can get is to have an HONEST and CALM discussion about what you need and want compared to how much you have to spend. The 190 is cheaper to buy and operate than the 195. The $5k purchase price difference between the two is valid, and you get a LOT of upgrades for that $5k. The 195 is a great boat. The 190 is a great boat. IMO they are both SIGNIFICANTLY better than the I/O offerings in this size. This boat is way way nicer than our last 19'r (1998 Rinker 182). More space, More power, More amenities. Easier to maintain.......just generally better in all regards....

Also, welcome to the forums! Lots of great folks here!

 

[kyle]

We went with the 190 over the 195. Fuel consumption and additional purchase price were the drivers, the difference in purchase cost and fuel usage equates to about $200-$250/mo assuming 100hrs/yr usage. Zero regrets. Normal load is two "average" families. 4 adults and 2-4 kids. Power has not been an issue, space has not been an issue, and fun has always been had.

I'll try to answer one at a time and add some comments below that......Here we go....



The 190 is plenty in my opinion. Largest load I've had is 7 people on boar (4 adults, 3 children). Tubing and wakeboarding was done easily, it planed as well as any other 19'er I've driven, and cruised at 6k rpm around 30-32mph with the bimini deployed. If you want to go 50mph with 8 adults, get the 195, if you're a little more laid back on the water, the 190 is plenty adequate. ALSO....if you're at elevation, the 195 is a better option as altitude sucks performance.



Wake board/wake skate = 18ish mph
Tube with adults = 25ish mph
Tube with kids = 18ish mph
Wake Surf = 11ish mph (and probably NOT a good idea with any 19'r)

The 190 is plenty capable of all these right off the trailer without mods. I've tried them all



Normal and fun is what you make it. If you like top speed runs, do that. If you like lounging off the back, do that. It's up to you, and one of the better parts of boating. Especially when you have such a versatile boat as these Yamaha's. Our AR190 does most things well. I'm not going to win a drag race on the water. I'm not going to have the largest wake for surfing. I don't have the loudest stereo, or the most vibrant graphics. I do however think that I have one of the highest "smiles per dollar" ratios on the water. I get a LOT of enjoyment out of our $30k boat!

The AR190 fit out needs and wants without the additional purchase price or fuel consumption. I have zero regrets in the middle of our first season. The best advice I can get is to have an HONEST and CALM discussion about what you need and want compared to how much you have to spend. The 190 is cheaper to buy and operate than the 195. The $5k purchase price difference between the two is valid, and you get a LOT of upgrades for that $5k. The 195 is a great boat. The 190 is a great boat. IMO they are both SIGNIFICANTLY better than the I/O offerings in this size. This boat is way way nicer than our last 19'r (1998 Rinker 182). More space, More power, More amenities. Easier to maintain.......just generally better in all regards....

Also, welcome to the forums! Lots of great folks here!

Great post. I am really really torn now more than ever over the 190 and 195. Something keeps telling me to get the faster boat, but the practical family side of me thinks exactly what you are saying about the 190 being perfectly fine. I think we are going this Saturday to look in person so we will see what they have and what appeals to us the most. That 5k savings would put alot of gas in the tank and accessories on the boat but is that what I really want.... Decisions decisions decisions.

 

[Betik]

Just to add one more factor on the equation. Ever thinking about going to Bimini with the group? I am only bringing it up because we bought the boat literally just for that reason.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/jetboaters-net-bimini-fling-july-10th-to-15th-2017.11966/

 

[kyle]

That would be pretty cool but I don't see us driving 20+ plus hours to get there and then go on the trip.

 

[SCP1]

For what it's worth keep in mind a few reasons I upgraded. 1. Tower (if they would of had the current tower back in 2012 I would of purchased a AR190), and would more than likely still have it. As with the new tower design I can fit it in my garage with out too much work as I only have a 7' garage door. Last year my oldest son started being towed behind the boat on my surf board so we need a rack to get it out of the boat (as it won't fit in any compartment). We were running back to the boat ramp to grab the board when we wanted it, which we all know the boat ramp is the worse part of boating. Well that's what I keep telling myself to justify the upgrade, I looked at adding a tower but in the end ruled it out. It was more than I wanted to deal with, I looked into it but the only one I liked was the factory tower. Which is super expensive as you have to buy it from a Yamaha boat dealer. Also I had not found this forum at that time or I'm sure I would been swayed to get a Ar190 back then. 2. Seating configuration, as deleting the second captains chair gives you more useable space (I also think it makes the boat feel bigger). 3. The new rudder. Keep in mind all of the above you get with an AR190.

The reason I went with the AR195. 1. I couldn't justify upgrading from an SX190 to a AR190. I know I could of done a few upgrades speakers, sea deck, ect... but this goes back to the same reason why I didn't add a tower (summer is too short up here to be wasting time doing upgrades). As well as I have little kids and who has time with little kids. I would of jumped up to a Ar210 if I could of fit it in my garage. All the other reasons I made this choice I have already talked about above in a prior post.

Your going to have a great boat either way. Keep in mind your better off buying your second boat first.