Jet16
Jet Boat Addict
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 48
- Points
- 107
- Location
- Lake Wallenpaupack PA
- Boat Make
- Chaparral
- Year
- 2017
- Boat Model
- VRX
- Boat Length
- 24
So I thought it might be useful/helpful to do a comparison between my 2014 Scarab 215 HO impulse and my former boat, a 2013 Yamaha 212ss. I can definitely see people cross shopping these two boats as they are of similar size and performance. Please bear with me because my knowledge is coming from a general boaters perspective who has limited technical expertise,so here it goes in no particular order. I apologize in advance for the long post:
First, ride quality. I Actually have to say that the Yamaha wins this one hands down. It definitely handles the chop much better than the scarab does IMHO. This is not to say that the scarab ride,is bad, you just feel the bumps a lot more in the Scarab. On busy days on the lake the Yamaha would cruise right through the waves, and always felt planted and in control. This past weekend on the scarab, there were a few occasions where the waves slammed so hard in to the side of the boat I actually was concerned I sustained damage(there was none). Also the scarab tended to get airborne over the waves at times which very rarely happened on the Yamaha, but this could probably be attributed to the Yamaha being heavier.
Next, fit and finish. This one the Scarab wins hands down for me. The quality of the materials just has a more upscale feel to it than on the Yamaha. My 212ss kinda felt a little cheap inside and I never felt that the seat cushions were very comfortable. It feels like Scarab paid a little more attention to detail in this area, with the seats seeming like they contour to your body better and especially the seatbacks felt much more comfortable when leaning against them.
Storage. This one the Yamaha wins in a big way. The storage areas, especially the port side area near the bow area is just massive. I was able to fit full size bow filler cushions in there along with my fenders, my bow and cockpit covers, my table attachment and top, as well as other miscellaneous items. The storage under the other seats especially in the cockpit area were also very large that held all my life jackets, 2nd anchor, fire extinguisher, paddles, as well as my tool kit and various cleaning supplies. The Scarab has multiple areas for storage, but I found that they are on the smaller side and as a result you have to get much more creative when storing all your necessary gear on board.
Low speed handling. Here there is no contest. The Scarab is so much easier to control at low speeds. As much practice as I had in the Yamaha I never felt truly comfortable docking. Whether getting gas or going to a dock n dine restaurant it was always an adventure at the dock. The biggest thing was the timing delay between turning the wheel and when the boat would actually respond. It drove me nuts! With the scarab I feel like I have instant response and can make the boat do anything I need it to do at a moments notice! This is a major upgrade for me.
Fuel consumption. This is a tough call because I still have limited seat time in the Scarab so much can still change, but at this point I feel that the Yamaha did better on gas. This probably makes sense seeing as how my Yamaha had naturally aspirated engines and the Scarab has supercharged ones. I'm not sure how accurate the gas meter is on the Scarab but according to it I burned half a tank of gas this weekend cruising around for a total of about 3 hrs. Now at no time did I go wide open throttle, and as a matter of fact I probably kept it to about half throttle for most of that time. Seemed a bit excessive on the consumption side, but that could be just me. I also found myself wishing for a bigger fuel tank. 41 gallons seems a little small seeing as how my old 2007 seadoo speedster had a 44 gallon tank and the Yamaha has a 50 gallon tank which is very nice for extended cruises.
Sound system. No contest here either. Love the upgraded sound system on the Scarab, but one annoying thing I was experiencing was when using the usb plug in for my iPod and to play Sirius XM, it would play for a while and then stop and then play then stop, when I looked inside it kept saying that it was reading, but still annoying. I even had the dealer upgrade my radio to the 2015 model since my boat is a 2014. Yamaha did win for convenience since the radio was at the helm which makes things simpler and easier, again IMHO
Fun factor. Both boats handle very well at high speeds and the cornering and handling is similar with the slight advantage going to Scarab. This boat really rocks when carving turns and zig zagging through the water. It put a huge smile on my face while doing so moreso than the Yamaha ever did. The Yamaha was also much louder and IMO it was a less appealing type of sound from the engine. The scarab is quieter although not quiet by any means but that sound of the supercharger is just so much more appealing to the ear!
I apologize again for the long post and I probably left a bunch of stuff out but I think it was a good start. I will post more as I learn more about this boat. To be honest the jury is still out in my mind as to whether I made a totally correct decision by trading my Yamaha for the Scarab. Don't get me wrong , I do love the boat, and I've always been partial to seadoo/rotax in the past. The biggest thing though, especially the wife has reminded me is the ride quality in the choppy waters. She keeps reminding how the Yamaha was smoother when cruising around. I will reserve judgement after I put many more hours on the new boat, because one thing it is is just plain flat out FUN!! Thanks for listening!
First, ride quality. I Actually have to say that the Yamaha wins this one hands down. It definitely handles the chop much better than the scarab does IMHO. This is not to say that the scarab ride,is bad, you just feel the bumps a lot more in the Scarab. On busy days on the lake the Yamaha would cruise right through the waves, and always felt planted and in control. This past weekend on the scarab, there were a few occasions where the waves slammed so hard in to the side of the boat I actually was concerned I sustained damage(there was none). Also the scarab tended to get airborne over the waves at times which very rarely happened on the Yamaha, but this could probably be attributed to the Yamaha being heavier.
Next, fit and finish. This one the Scarab wins hands down for me. The quality of the materials just has a more upscale feel to it than on the Yamaha. My 212ss kinda felt a little cheap inside and I never felt that the seat cushions were very comfortable. It feels like Scarab paid a little more attention to detail in this area, with the seats seeming like they contour to your body better and especially the seatbacks felt much more comfortable when leaning against them.
Storage. This one the Yamaha wins in a big way. The storage areas, especially the port side area near the bow area is just massive. I was able to fit full size bow filler cushions in there along with my fenders, my bow and cockpit covers, my table attachment and top, as well as other miscellaneous items. The storage under the other seats especially in the cockpit area were also very large that held all my life jackets, 2nd anchor, fire extinguisher, paddles, as well as my tool kit and various cleaning supplies. The Scarab has multiple areas for storage, but I found that they are on the smaller side and as a result you have to get much more creative when storing all your necessary gear on board.
Low speed handling. Here there is no contest. The Scarab is so much easier to control at low speeds. As much practice as I had in the Yamaha I never felt truly comfortable docking. Whether getting gas or going to a dock n dine restaurant it was always an adventure at the dock. The biggest thing was the timing delay between turning the wheel and when the boat would actually respond. It drove me nuts! With the scarab I feel like I have instant response and can make the boat do anything I need it to do at a moments notice! This is a major upgrade for me.
Fuel consumption. This is a tough call because I still have limited seat time in the Scarab so much can still change, but at this point I feel that the Yamaha did better on gas. This probably makes sense seeing as how my Yamaha had naturally aspirated engines and the Scarab has supercharged ones. I'm not sure how accurate the gas meter is on the Scarab but according to it I burned half a tank of gas this weekend cruising around for a total of about 3 hrs. Now at no time did I go wide open throttle, and as a matter of fact I probably kept it to about half throttle for most of that time. Seemed a bit excessive on the consumption side, but that could be just me. I also found myself wishing for a bigger fuel tank. 41 gallons seems a little small seeing as how my old 2007 seadoo speedster had a 44 gallon tank and the Yamaha has a 50 gallon tank which is very nice for extended cruises.
Sound system. No contest here either. Love the upgraded sound system on the Scarab, but one annoying thing I was experiencing was when using the usb plug in for my iPod and to play Sirius XM, it would play for a while and then stop and then play then stop, when I looked inside it kept saying that it was reading, but still annoying. I even had the dealer upgrade my radio to the 2015 model since my boat is a 2014. Yamaha did win for convenience since the radio was at the helm which makes things simpler and easier, again IMHO
Fun factor. Both boats handle very well at high speeds and the cornering and handling is similar with the slight advantage going to Scarab. This boat really rocks when carving turns and zig zagging through the water. It put a huge smile on my face while doing so moreso than the Yamaha ever did. The Yamaha was also much louder and IMO it was a less appealing type of sound from the engine. The scarab is quieter although not quiet by any means but that sound of the supercharger is just so much more appealing to the ear!
I apologize again for the long post and I probably left a bunch of stuff out but I think it was a good start. I will post more as I learn more about this boat. To be honest the jury is still out in my mind as to whether I made a totally correct decision by trading my Yamaha for the Scarab. Don't get me wrong , I do love the boat, and I've always been partial to seadoo/rotax in the past. The biggest thing though, especially the wife has reminded me is the ride quality in the choppy waters. She keeps reminding how the Yamaha was smoother when cruising around. I will reserve judgement after I put many more hours on the new boat, because one thing it is is just plain flat out FUN!! Thanks for listening!
