Comfortable amount of people on a 212x?

[Brad25]

Trying to decide between the 212x or the new 25'x coming out soon. How many people can you comfortably sit in the 212x?

 

[Babin Farms]

9

 

[VitaminSea]

Have an older 210, with the dual captain chairs. Had 8 on our last outing (two kids) and everyone seemed to be fine regarding room.

 

[VitaminSea]

Just saw this post... similar question.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/how-many-can-fit-comfortable-on-the-ar210-and-212-limited-s.23903/

 

[Brad25]

Just saw this post... similar question.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/how-many-can-fit-comfortable-on-the-ar210-and-212-limited-s.23903/

Thank you!

 

[HangOutdoors]

8-9 Depending on all adults or kids or both.

 

[jetboater4life]

My 212x has seated 13 comfortably if you sprinkle in a few kids. We have been pulled over with that many and since everyone looked comfortable the sheriff didn't even question me. Someone was sitting on the bow locker which is why we got pulled over. They moved to a front position when the sheriff pulled up. The sheriff was in a good mood as I didn't get a ticket for the bow rider. If your talking just adults then probably the rated 9 is sufficient. 4 up front and 5 in the back, you could probably get 6 adults comfortable in the back if they are snugly or slender.

 

[TimW451]

Once the price of the 25' boats is published you'll have your decision.

 

[Brad25]

Once the price of the 25' boats is published you'll have your decision.

No kidding, I don't mind spending the money if it is worth it. I just don't know if the size is going to be too big to trailer (for my novice experience). We will mostly be on the rivers here in Oregon so I don't know if 25' would be too big.

 

[WetWillie]

Our’17 212X is capacity rated at 10 adults we’ve had 8 adults and 2 kids several times without space issues. You just maneuver around a little differently while on board than if it’s 4-5 of us like usual... I’d honestly say 12-13 if a few are kids in the count, and well easily do-able as long as you aren’t stopped by Leo...

 

[anmut]

We had 9 on our 212S about a month ago. That was five adults in the boat, three teenagers, one six year old. One teenager or adult was usually behind the boat surfing or boarding. I was told by two of the other adults on that ride that "they couldn't believe there was so much room with so many people on board... "

 

[adrianp89]

8 adults is the max for us. By the time we add in coolers and everyones bags, it gets too crowded.

 

[Troch1]

I think everyone's definition of what fits comfortably is variable. For us in our 242, I don't like more than 7 total people, and even at that number it can get annoying to me if I need access to an under-seat storage area and have to get people moved. I guess if your plan is leave the dock and go a short distance to anchor and everyone then plops into the water, more people could work, but that's not how we use our boat.

 

[HangOutdoors]

We have had 10. We typically have 4-6, but if some extra people are coming once in a great while it works out fine. If it was more typically I would say the 21' could get cramped awful quick.

 

[Enduro900]

We have had 10. We typically have 4-6, but if some extra people are coming once in a great while it works out fine. If it was more typically I would say the 21' could get cramped awful quick.

Hey with the 10 were you doing any water sports? And if so any issues getting up on plane?

I was curios myself if you can load these boats to capacity yet still have enough power to plan up without issue......still having flashbacks from 20 years ago trying to pull skiers at capacity.....wasnt pretty

 

[WetWillie]

I haven’t towed many skiers but wakeboard, tubing, zup/wake surf; no issues in our X with power at capacity but I do shift where people sit for weight balance as needed...

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Enduro900 Yes, all we do is watersports, no sandbar, no swimming, just pulling the damn tube (Super Mable HD 3 person) around and around the lake because all the kids like it as well as the adults. Over and Over and Over again. I am still spinning once i get home to bed. Pulling the mable with 3 on board from the tower with 70' of 4k tow rope with 5' bungee 4k rope and 6 in the boat including my fat ass (although I have lost 10lbs this summer) I have no problem getting on plane and I can get 34-35 while towing, which I hit once yesterday just to see if it would do it on straight calm water as a test then backed it down. I typically tow around 25 mph with the mable, a bit slower when they want me to get them swinging back and forth. I barely know the tube is back there by feel.

Wakeboarding, skiing, slalom skiing, ZUP boarding we have done with 9, no problem pull everyone up, sometimes too fast. This winter, depending on what we do, Ride Steady will be going in on this boat or on a 25' AR250. (Only reason we would upgrade is for the Great Lakes and bigger freeboard, won't know till I can actually see and touch one). Although we ride in the Great Lakes and LSC without issue. Only once in our outings did I feel uncomfortable crossing LSC to leave for the day and I skirted around anchor bay close to shore. 20 mph wind kicked up and all the big boats were coming off.

I only get a little bit of cavitation on super hard turns pulling the Super Mable with 3 good sized adults on it. I do make people gravitate back toward the cockpit since it rides the chop much better when towing. Although interestingly enough, when we are standing on the ZUP board or practicing a new person on the Wake Board, I have people move toward the bow and even it out, that way the tower does not bob stern to aft a lot and make it jerky in a good chop on the lake. Tends to lead to smoother pull. Also, the Bimini is always up. I have a rider who doesn't like be in the direct sun all the time.

The "J" seating adds a lot more space in the boat it feels like at least to us. I have ridden in a 212 as a comparison.

 

[3 green tornados]

I know some here are going to not like to hear what I have been doing since I could convince my wife to get a larger boat (21’ barely fits with trailer tongue folded in the driveway)...
We have a 212x and pretty regularly have 11-17 on board. Typically this is between 4-7 adults and the balance in kids under ten. We make sure all the kids have the right life jackets on and the adult life jackets are ready to grab. We also have all the coast guard recommended items plus about 6 extra life jackets. We pull tubes (3 & 5 person) typically with about 6 on board without issue. When I surf they kids think it is boring so they stay at the beach and it is just a couple adults and ballast.
When we have been loaded (well over the weight recommendation) I keep it in no wake mode and choose my lines carefully. I put on songs everyone can sing and we just enjoy the slow boat.
I may have “Wednesday motors” as it does seem to bog down, suffer from cavitation or reduce rpm that much when it is more responsible loaded.

Go bigger if you can 1. Afford it and 2. Have a good place to keep a larger boat.

 

[AZMark]

Are you all leaving the table and bow filler cushions at home when you take that many people out? Or do your guests not bring much stuff to store?
I feel like my boat would be pretty jammed with just 10 life jackets and the usual boat essentials (cooler, fenders, ropes, towels, air pump etc).

 

[3 green tornados]

It is pretty packed. They are all in the storage area with my boat cleaning stuff for when we get off the water along with the seven life jackets for my family. The ez-up, two towables, all tow ropes, air head BOB, sumo pump and two 400lb sacs are in the ski locker. Under the port bow seat are all kids life jackets (roughly 8 or 9) and two air pumps. The starboard bow seat has the adult life jackets roughly 6, slide anchor, light pole, wake booster and float, two 10’ dock lines and a few 3’ bungees. The two areas with the removable seats at the very front each has a fender and room for shoes/flip flops. The port aft under seat storage has four low tide folding chairs, four more life jackets, two more life jackets, the battery, fire extinguisher, small tool kit, and 12’x14’ mat for the beach and the stock ballast bag. Starboard aft under seat storage has 2 extra anchor lines and hardware, 2 more life jackets, 2 more fenders and lines, two more dock lines, deflated ballast stock bag, with room for our large soft sided cooler that holds about 2 dozen water bottles and five large beach towels.
We set our large cooler in the middle of the J seating area, leaves “room” for us to walk around it or legs while seated; then the extra shoes and loose item or another small cooler go under the are stored under the area to the port of the helm. A throwable square life preserver is tucked between the captains chair and the throttle controls.

still trying to find room for partridge in the pear tree...