2023 scarab 255ID wake edition

[Machete31]

Hey everyone,

im new here. I’m looking at purchasing my first boat. I have had little experience operating a wake boat before. All in boards. This would be first time on a jet boat. My question is , I’m looking at a 2023 scarab 255Id wake edition fully loaded. It only has 25 hrs on engine. Person who is selling it is a boat broker. Boat was traded into dealer in Miami. I know nothing about this brand of boat. Price is pretty good to pass up from what I’m seeing that’s out there. What should I be on the look out for ??

thank you for any advice

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

That's pretty new.... it should come with a warranty still. Check on that and where you'd get it serviced by a dealer if an issue arises..

Otherwise, they presumably have it in good working order and no fault codes.

This new, there isn't much to check besides the visual stuff. Hinges, gel coat, scratches, seating cushions, etc. Make sure everything works including things like ballast pumps, bilge pump, lights, etc. Ask how old the battery is (or if they provide a new one). Single or dual battery setup. Antifreeze topped up correctly, oil level is appropriate (I recommend below half way up between the two ticks, no more).

You can inspect the impeller and wear ring through the intake grate under the boat. Look for signs of wear due to someone sucking up debris.

The motor/drivetrain are all the same as Sea-Doos. So if you don't know anything about Sea-Doos, then you should go learn. BRP have Operator Manuals online. I STRONGLY recommend you read it, even before you buy the boat. But definitely before using it.

BRP GUIDES

www.operatorsguides.brp.com

Click on Rotax > JPS > ANA (AA=2014 onward, so presumably ANA for 2023 > Engine HP (so ACE)

A few things to mention before you make these mistakes:

1. Learn the PROPER flushing procedure. You can damage critical components if you don't. The order matters: engine on, water pressure on, water pressure off, engine off. No need to run the engine more than one minute. Two minutes absolutely max. Water cooling during this procedure only cools the exhaust system and it's not enough when out of the water.

2. If you suck up debris (and you really need to NOT suck up debris), it can ruin your day. So avoid debris and do not run the engine in less than 3ft of water. 2ft absolute max and that depends on what's on the bottom of the lake. If you do suck something up, do NOT try and take the intake grate off. It is NOT designed to be removed no matter how tempting the bolts look. You need to access the "pump" via the stern of the boat. It looks complicated, but it really isn't. That would give you full access to remove any ropes/rocks/sticks.

3. If you need to get towed, it's important to follow the procedure. It's in that manual. Otherwise, you risk flooding your engine with water.

Those are the critical first timer mistakes I see.

 

[Joatmon]

Hey everyone,

im new here. I’m looking at purchasing my first boat. I have had little experience operating a wake boat before. All in boards. This would be first time on a jet boat. My question is , I’m looking at a 2023 scarab 255Id wake edition fully loaded. It only has 25 hrs on engine. Person who is selling it is a boat broker. Boat was traded into dealer in Miami. I know nothing about this brand of boat. Price is pretty good to pass up from what I’m seeing that’s out there. What should I be on the look out for ??

thank you for any advice

I have the 25SE 2017 model that I bought new. A few things I thought of.

Check boat fit on trailer for alignment and how it rests on the bunks. I fought getting the boat to position properly on the trailer and discovered Scarab welded the winch post cocked to one side. I had to remove and reweld the winch support post. The post was off skew more than I could adjust the winch mounting to properly align the boat on the trailer. Scarab set the bunks to compensate for the cocked winch post so when I corrected the winch post one bunk was too low in the front so I had to shim. I added a roller on the trailer in the center on the last cross member because the OEM rubber pad was marring the keel. The trailer is galvanized with GatorHide coating and is rusting away. Salt water just deteriorates ferrous metal. I keep slathering on the FlexSeal.

Make sure the battery is holding a charge when the boat is not being used. The electrical system was wired incorrectly at the factory and even with the main power switch in the off position the battery would discharge completely in three days. It took six months to get this resolved with the help from Jet Tech 72. I also had a issue with the exhaust manifolds but it was because my 2017 boat has 2014 and 2015 engines. Scarab replaced with newer ones.

If you can get underneath look inside the intake grates to see if there is any damage to the leading edges of the impellers. Check stuff like the function of the bilge pump, blowers, kill switch lanyard, boat and trailer lights, see if the trailer bearings get hot after a short tow (warm is normal), radio and speakers.

I have had driven outboard boats and jet skis for 55 years but jet drive boats requires a little getting used to. The ability to get into shallow water is fantastic. Just not so shallow you suck up debris. You have to power up a bit to turn. You will understand what I mean. I still get confused with backing. Steering wheel turning in reverse is opposite from an outboard so my brain invariably defaults to my outboard backing experience. You can turn a jet boat on a dime.

After the initial issues were resolved I think the Scarab boat is great. Not considering the rusting trailer. Can't beat the fuel consumption compared to an outboard/stern/inboard boat. Pump rebuilds are not cheap but had to do at 100 hours because the factory installed pump bearing cup leaked and corroded the shaft bearings.

Reading over this I did have a lot of issues. Humm. Maybe Scarab is not such a great boat after all. Good luck.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Yeah. If there's one thing I've learned about my Scarab.... But really most boats, is that they definitely require a bit of work and custom solutions to problems. Lol

If you buy a boat, Scarab or otherwise, come in with your expectations in check. Many owners discover all kinds of small and big issues. It shouldn't be the case for new boats, but it happens plenty.