ModyGP
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 15
- Reaction score
- 14
- Points
- 62
- Location
- Goodyear, AZ
- Boat Make
- Scarab
- Year
- 2016
- Boat Model
- HO Impulse
- Boat Length
- 19
Hey all, been lurking since summer of 2015. Thanks for all the info and help! I've learned a lot from
reading and watching the forum.
I've seen many threads from new owners and potential owners about "new" advice.
I thought I'd share my experience so far.
I have a 2016 196 HO Impulse, vivid green. I LOVE the boat. My kids have named it Wowzer.
I wasn't aware of all the potential manufacturing problems until well after my purchase.
When I was shopping for a boat, I needed a boat that would fit in my garage length and width.
I needed a boat strong enough to pull a 250lb man(son-in-law) out of the water to tube
and wakeboard. The only boat that fit the bill, Scarab 195 HO. It's 18'10" long and 87" wide.
I got the Impulse cause I wanted the wake tower(but I replaced it).
I have always taken my boat to my local dealer in Portland Oregon, SK Northwest. Mechanically,
they have done great. I haven't had any of the issues reported by others.
My main issue with my dealer, they treat my boat like it's a used car when it comes to keeping clean
while working on it. Boot prints, tool marks, and all around just plain dirty every time I get it
back. They are getting better. For the cost, they should be treating it like a luxury car
dealer treats their vehicles. My biggest struggle is keeping the while upholstery white.
When I bought it the dealer said it was under 8 feet tall on the trailer with the tower folded down.
Well, it wasn't. It was closer to 8 feet 5 inches. My garage is 7 feet 11 inches. I discovered
when I got it home I couldn't get it into the garage. I had to deflate the tires to get it in the
garage, then reinflate them when it was in. When we took it out, I had to deflate/inflate again.
It took me over 30mins to get the boat out of the garage and prepped for a trip. I did this
for an entire summer. Plus, I had to relearn how to back a trailer, it had been over 20 years,
and my driveway is a steep uphill into the garage. It took much practice to learn how to
jack-knife the trailer, then get it adjusted into its spot. I have finally learned how to get the
tires in the right place, then I swing the nose into position once the boat is in deep enough.
When we finished the first boating season we debated what to do about the height issue.
1, different wheels/tires. Couldn't find a set that worked for the weight since it's a single axle
trailer. 2, raise the garage door another foot. That was about $10k since an entirely new garage
door would be needed. My door has 2ft panels, and I couldn't raise to 10' cause the second floor
would be in the way. 3, get a tower that actually folded down behind the windscreen. I found
a tower for just under $3k. Sampson Sports Harpoon wake tower. It works great and I think looks
better than the stock wake tower.
After two seasons I finally feel as though I know how to drive it!
My best advice is practice!! It's basically like driving a giant jet ski. No power...no steer.
I grew up with boats, but they were always I/O prop or Outboards.
My early fears were docking, launching, and loading...all low-speed maneuvering.
It doesn't help one of my first launching experiences, the bow swung around out of my control and
almost bashed another boat docked. Much anxiety! Now anytime the dock is open, I practice
getting close and pulling away. Now I can back up to the dock within stepping distance to
drop-off and pick-up passengers. They love it. They don't have to jump over the bow or push
off the boat. Just step on and we take off after the sit-down.
Others here are right, even at idle, in the neutral position, the boat will ease forward.
I've learned to use it to my advantage. I use it to ease up to the dock,
to gently pull the slack out of a tow line, and to ease around a fallen wakeboarder. I love there
isn't a spinning prop back there hanging out. I can ease a wakeboarder in and gently pull away
from them without worry.
I've finally learned to anticipate the bow movement and be able to countersteer accordingly.
Since response time is much slower, due to not having a rudder, but once I got used to it
I can outmaneuver a non-jet traditional boat.
This last summer we spent our long vacation at Lake Cour d'Alene in Idaho, beautiful place
everyone should go once. I needed gas and they have many dockside marina fueling stations there.
I happened to pick a busy time and the only open slot required me to spin the boat 180 degrees
to face the opposite direction and parallel park between two other wake boats(Both over 3x the
value of my little Scarab). Becuase of the jet, I was able to make the 180 spin within my boats
length and ease it in sideways using a combination of forward and reverse jet.
The big boy boat owners were gawking and impressed.
Since it's like giant jet ski, it's a blast to bomb around the lake at higher speeds.
My kids love when I start a 360 spin and gradually increase the speed. They like to sit
on the bow. It's like those little merry-go-rounds at the playground we used to spin like mad
and try to hand on, great fun.
Also, some have discussed it on this forum, high-speed turning is a g-force extravaganza.
I can only do it on smooth water, nearly glass-like. I get it up around 30mph, then start turning
the steering wheel. I yell out "HANG ON!" After the turn has started, and the boat is tilting,
you can increase the turn. Done right, it feels like a roller coaster, everyone stays in the boat,
no one gets hurt, and everyone has a blast. I wouldn't recommend a full lock turn at high speeds,
it will rip you out of the driver seat and send passengers across the boat. That's bad times.
This last weekend, after the kids were tired from wakeboarding, I was able to play some more.
It was calm, no other boaters, and the water was perfect.
I finally got it up to 42+mph the "top" speed, feels much faster. I also got to practice the
back and forth high-speed turning. I was able to go from 30+ mph, to a tight turn, to sitting 360
continual spin. That was really fun. Kids were laughing their asses off too.
It was like Captain Dan's jetboating in Maui Hawaii, if you are there, go for the jet boat ride.
Capt. Dan is a madman with a custom aluminum jet boat that has two diesel engines. He can
do some amazing maneuvering with that monster jet boat.
For towing, I started with towing a tube. I was able to get used to taking off, turning while towing,
stopping, and getting back around to the rider after they have fallen off. Make sure your tube
is overfull with air. The cold water will make it limp. If it gets too limp it will submarine
and it feels like an anchor holding the boat back.
I do a figure 8 maneuver to get back to the person. It knocks down the wake around them and it glides
the tube or rope right back in front of them. For safety, I don't want them to have to swim too far
to get back to the boat, tube, or rope. I've been out there. It can get exhausting. Plus,
they say it makes them feel safer because I'm blocking all other boat traffic. It's a "feeling".
Whatever makes it a better experience for them.
For the best tube rides, giant S curves are best, not just turning in a big circle then going straight.
You want to get the tube out passed the wake and into a big arc. As you straighten out before
starting the next part of the S curve, the tube on a tight rope will hop over the wake. Great Fun!
Every time we are out I see drivers pulling tubes and nothing is happening, it's just following the
boat and the only fun is if they hit the wake from another boat. Might as well be pulling a chase
lounge, boring...
I've tried all the fancy computer aids, cruise, docking, ski mode. I don't like them. The only feature
I would like, a limiter. Sometimes after hitting a big wake, the throttle can drop down increasing RPM
and speed for a split second. When pulling a wakeboarder, that can be a pain.
This year has been the transition to wakeboarding. All of the kids, including my 7yrold grand-daughter
are now wakeboarding and have gotten really good at it.
Each one is different, once you start you will learn how much throttle to use to get each out.
For any, ski or wake, I've learned to use the forward idle to get the slack out of the tow line before
gunning it. My 45lb granddaughter can stand up with barely any throttle. My 117lb daughter takes
about 1/2 full throttle, and my 250lb son-in-law requires all of it. Once they are on plane, I throttle
back down and keep it between 15 and 22mph. Keeping speed is all about finesse since wind, wake, weight
distribution in the boat, and where the boarder is will cause the boat to change speed. I just work
the throttle and keep it as consistent as possible.
My latest lesson was turning back into my own wake when going over 5mph but less than 10. The wake
is huge and if you turn too hard that sucker will break over the bow and dump a ton of water into the boat.
I learned that once I turn, I gun it over that wake, then back it down immediately and idle back around
the boarder. That was so much work getting the water out of all the compartments and drying everything out.
Long post. Sorry to all those that have had such bad luck with their Scarabs.
Double check the ladder is up,
-Jamie
reading and watching the forum.
I've seen many threads from new owners and potential owners about "new" advice.
I thought I'd share my experience so far.
I have a 2016 196 HO Impulse, vivid green. I LOVE the boat. My kids have named it Wowzer.
I wasn't aware of all the potential manufacturing problems until well after my purchase.
When I was shopping for a boat, I needed a boat that would fit in my garage length and width.
I needed a boat strong enough to pull a 250lb man(son-in-law) out of the water to tube
and wakeboard. The only boat that fit the bill, Scarab 195 HO. It's 18'10" long and 87" wide.
I got the Impulse cause I wanted the wake tower(but I replaced it).
I have always taken my boat to my local dealer in Portland Oregon, SK Northwest. Mechanically,
they have done great. I haven't had any of the issues reported by others.
My main issue with my dealer, they treat my boat like it's a used car when it comes to keeping clean
while working on it. Boot prints, tool marks, and all around just plain dirty every time I get it
back. They are getting better. For the cost, they should be treating it like a luxury car
dealer treats their vehicles. My biggest struggle is keeping the while upholstery white.
When I bought it the dealer said it was under 8 feet tall on the trailer with the tower folded down.
Well, it wasn't. It was closer to 8 feet 5 inches. My garage is 7 feet 11 inches. I discovered
when I got it home I couldn't get it into the garage. I had to deflate the tires to get it in the
garage, then reinflate them when it was in. When we took it out, I had to deflate/inflate again.
It took me over 30mins to get the boat out of the garage and prepped for a trip. I did this
for an entire summer. Plus, I had to relearn how to back a trailer, it had been over 20 years,
and my driveway is a steep uphill into the garage. It took much practice to learn how to
jack-knife the trailer, then get it adjusted into its spot. I have finally learned how to get the
tires in the right place, then I swing the nose into position once the boat is in deep enough.
When we finished the first boating season we debated what to do about the height issue.
1, different wheels/tires. Couldn't find a set that worked for the weight since it's a single axle
trailer. 2, raise the garage door another foot. That was about $10k since an entirely new garage
door would be needed. My door has 2ft panels, and I couldn't raise to 10' cause the second floor
would be in the way. 3, get a tower that actually folded down behind the windscreen. I found
a tower for just under $3k. Sampson Sports Harpoon wake tower. It works great and I think looks
better than the stock wake tower.
After two seasons I finally feel as though I know how to drive it!
My best advice is practice!! It's basically like driving a giant jet ski. No power...no steer.
I grew up with boats, but they were always I/O prop or Outboards.
My early fears were docking, launching, and loading...all low-speed maneuvering.
It doesn't help one of my first launching experiences, the bow swung around out of my control and
almost bashed another boat docked. Much anxiety! Now anytime the dock is open, I practice
getting close and pulling away. Now I can back up to the dock within stepping distance to
drop-off and pick-up passengers. They love it. They don't have to jump over the bow or push
off the boat. Just step on and we take off after the sit-down.
Others here are right, even at idle, in the neutral position, the boat will ease forward.
I've learned to use it to my advantage. I use it to ease up to the dock,
to gently pull the slack out of a tow line, and to ease around a fallen wakeboarder. I love there
isn't a spinning prop back there hanging out. I can ease a wakeboarder in and gently pull away
from them without worry.
I've finally learned to anticipate the bow movement and be able to countersteer accordingly.
Since response time is much slower, due to not having a rudder, but once I got used to it
I can outmaneuver a non-jet traditional boat.
This last summer we spent our long vacation at Lake Cour d'Alene in Idaho, beautiful place
everyone should go once. I needed gas and they have many dockside marina fueling stations there.
I happened to pick a busy time and the only open slot required me to spin the boat 180 degrees
to face the opposite direction and parallel park between two other wake boats(Both over 3x the
value of my little Scarab). Becuase of the jet, I was able to make the 180 spin within my boats
length and ease it in sideways using a combination of forward and reverse jet.
The big boy boat owners were gawking and impressed.
Since it's like giant jet ski, it's a blast to bomb around the lake at higher speeds.
My kids love when I start a 360 spin and gradually increase the speed. They like to sit
on the bow. It's like those little merry-go-rounds at the playground we used to spin like mad
and try to hand on, great fun.
Also, some have discussed it on this forum, high-speed turning is a g-force extravaganza.
I can only do it on smooth water, nearly glass-like. I get it up around 30mph, then start turning
the steering wheel. I yell out "HANG ON!" After the turn has started, and the boat is tilting,
you can increase the turn. Done right, it feels like a roller coaster, everyone stays in the boat,
no one gets hurt, and everyone has a blast. I wouldn't recommend a full lock turn at high speeds,
it will rip you out of the driver seat and send passengers across the boat. That's bad times.
This last weekend, after the kids were tired from wakeboarding, I was able to play some more.
It was calm, no other boaters, and the water was perfect.
I finally got it up to 42+mph the "top" speed, feels much faster. I also got to practice the
back and forth high-speed turning. I was able to go from 30+ mph, to a tight turn, to sitting 360
continual spin. That was really fun. Kids were laughing their asses off too.
It was like Captain Dan's jetboating in Maui Hawaii, if you are there, go for the jet boat ride.
Capt. Dan is a madman with a custom aluminum jet boat that has two diesel engines. He can
do some amazing maneuvering with that monster jet boat.
For towing, I started with towing a tube. I was able to get used to taking off, turning while towing,
stopping, and getting back around to the rider after they have fallen off. Make sure your tube
is overfull with air. The cold water will make it limp. If it gets too limp it will submarine
and it feels like an anchor holding the boat back.
I do a figure 8 maneuver to get back to the person. It knocks down the wake around them and it glides
the tube or rope right back in front of them. For safety, I don't want them to have to swim too far
to get back to the boat, tube, or rope. I've been out there. It can get exhausting. Plus,
they say it makes them feel safer because I'm blocking all other boat traffic. It's a "feeling".
Whatever makes it a better experience for them.
For the best tube rides, giant S curves are best, not just turning in a big circle then going straight.
You want to get the tube out passed the wake and into a big arc. As you straighten out before
starting the next part of the S curve, the tube on a tight rope will hop over the wake. Great Fun!
Every time we are out I see drivers pulling tubes and nothing is happening, it's just following the
boat and the only fun is if they hit the wake from another boat. Might as well be pulling a chase
lounge, boring...
I've tried all the fancy computer aids, cruise, docking, ski mode. I don't like them. The only feature
I would like, a limiter. Sometimes after hitting a big wake, the throttle can drop down increasing RPM
and speed for a split second. When pulling a wakeboarder, that can be a pain.
This year has been the transition to wakeboarding. All of the kids, including my 7yrold grand-daughter
are now wakeboarding and have gotten really good at it.
Each one is different, once you start you will learn how much throttle to use to get each out.
For any, ski or wake, I've learned to use the forward idle to get the slack out of the tow line before
gunning it. My 45lb granddaughter can stand up with barely any throttle. My 117lb daughter takes
about 1/2 full throttle, and my 250lb son-in-law requires all of it. Once they are on plane, I throttle
back down and keep it between 15 and 22mph. Keeping speed is all about finesse since wind, wake, weight
distribution in the boat, and where the boarder is will cause the boat to change speed. I just work
the throttle and keep it as consistent as possible.
My latest lesson was turning back into my own wake when going over 5mph but less than 10. The wake
is huge and if you turn too hard that sucker will break over the bow and dump a ton of water into the boat.
I learned that once I turn, I gun it over that wake, then back it down immediately and idle back around
the boarder. That was so much work getting the water out of all the compartments and drying everything out.
Long post. Sorry to all those that have had such bad luck with their Scarabs.
Double check the ladder is up,
-Jamie
