I know there's a lot of yamaha fans here...

[Andy S]

@Morrowcat Welcome, glad to see someone else from the Lake Murray, SC area. I would recommend going with at least at 21' anything smaller and you will get beat up pretty good while boating the weekends on Lake Murray.

 

[NKTARHEEL]

@Morrowcat we just went through a similar thought process. Chap vs Yamaha and the 21 vs 24ft boat length debate (family of 5 plus friends to consider) We test drove both, loved both, but opted for a bigger (24ft) used Yamaha with very low engine hours (more boat for less money basically).

From what I can tell, the lower number of Chap owners on this forum is likely due to the newness of the Chap Vortex line.

 

[Evil Sports]

Dont go 19, I had an 18 4winns and went in to buy the 19 Yamaha. Got in it with the wife and 2 kids and could easily see the space issues come back quick with the addition of a friend or 2. Got in the 212 and bought it.

 

[Morrowcat]

@Evil Sports ....which 212 did you go with?
@andy07sx230ho ....glad to see someone on murray as well...been on the lake a couple of times and it is a nice lake...I must have been fortunate as its always been pretty calm, must have been during the week. Any in particular I should know about the lake?

 

[Andy S]

@Morrowcat between 4th of July to Labor Day you need to check out Bomb Island at sunset. There is about 500,000 Purple Martin birds that come to roost.

 

[tdonoughue]

I will just echo the 'two foot disease' diagnosis. Everyone gets their boat and in a year gets 'twofootitis' where they wish they had 2 feet more of boat. It will be the kids' friends. Then another couple you want to invite out. Then that couple and their 2 kids with your 2 kids. And...

I was set on a 21 foot and a friend told me of this disease. Very happy with my 24 foot.

As for brand: I would strongly urge you to check them all out in person. Folks here like ScarabMike can help let you know some of the hidden pros and cons, but there are a number you will only get by seeing the boat (motors, maintenance issues, what tends to break). Do the seats flip up on hinges? What is the layout of the helm? What does the carpet or decking feel like on bare feet? Wholly crap that color looks nothing like the pics! This helm chair does not fit my butt. These are things likely to be missed or not commented on around here. And bring the wife shopping. Spousal buyin makes everything better. Take in a boat show where they are all there for you and you can see each.

And, we would love to hear your thoughts on what is best for your family and why.

 

[smthng]

Hey @Morrowcat , welcome up! Going to toss in my two cents here, as I think I've been in your shoes. I'm generally adventurous, my wife isn't. We don't have kids, but we make up for it with many friends and family. I'm also a motorcyclist and have had many Yamaha's, so that flavored my choices a bit. I didn't know if the wife would appreciate the boat so I didn't want to sink a lot of money into one until I knew we'd get a decent amount of use out of it. We bought an older Yamaha 19' twin engine two-stroke jetboat and used it regularly. It would seat seven, but not very comfortably. It was a ton of fun for us as a couple, but once loaded up with friends, it got small quickly. It's up for sale now and we've "upgraded" to a 212X. We love the extra room as it seats seven much more comfortably. I miss the simplicity of the two stroke, but I really needed the extra space and the fuel range of the four stroke engines (we did about 60 miles last weekend on less than half a tank). If you KNOW you're going to regularly sit 7 people in a boat, I don't know of a 19 that's really comfortable for that. My 21 is okay for 7, but my friend's SX240 is way nicer for that many people. Also consider storage and how much gear 7 people will have. The middle storage areas on the 24' are really nice if you regularly have a ton of people.

As for Yamaha vs. the others... Yamaha has been making jetboats for years. Chaparral and Scarab are newcomers to this market. Yamaha boats are reasonably efficient and generally very reliable. Yamaha has worked out all the kinks over the years and has a solid product. I would expect that Chaparral and Scarab need a few years of "refinement" to be really solid products, but I also expect the dealer experience there would be MUCH better. Yamaha makes a good product and know it, so they don't really bend over backwards to keep customers happy after the sale. Also, most Yamaha boat dealers (at least around here) are motorcycle shops first, boat shops second (or third or fourth). They sell boats because they have to or they have the space and figure it's more money coming in. They may not be great at servicing them or helping you get the most out of the boat. I expect Chaparral and Scarab are going to give you a much better dealer experience because you're probably buying them from a boat store that knows how to sell and service boats.

Regardless, it seems like you'd probably be best served by finding all of the boats your interested in and thoroughly checking them out in person before committing. Think about how many people you'll have, how much gear, how easy it'll be to get in and out of the boat on and off the water, where people are going to be, sun coverage, food storage, etc. I suspect you'll find something that "just fits" and you'll know the best fit for you when you find it. Also, don't be afraid to ask others in your area if you can check out their boats... most of us would be happy to give you a tour.

Just my opinions... regardless of what you end up with, welcome to the jetboat world!

 

[subysti]

I've always been told by many boat owners to buy the most boat you can the first time. You never hear someone say " I wish this boat was just 2 feet smaller" Also upgrading to a little bigger boat costs a LOT more than just buying it the first time. As far as what brand that's up to you. I looked at all of them and decided on Yamaha just because of it all one brand and I know the quality of Yamaha. I like the fit and finish of the chaps but the price difference was just to big to justify.

 

[Morrowcat]

I do like the yamahas, as I've got a background on their dirt squirters. As far as their bikes go I know they're rock solid. As far as marinas go, there's captains choice and they're a yamaha and chaparral dealer and they're close so I know getting service shouldn't be an issue. I have looked at the 24 ft boats and I can get into a 242 ls at or less then the chap 223 vrx loaded....but thinking that getting something with factory ballasts might be better then having to add as soon as I get the boat. As far as shows I've heard that there are ones in columbia, Charleston and Charlotte and plan on going. I've also heard rumors that yamaha is jumping on the wake surfing band wagon?

 

[Vandyman]

@Vandyman does the setup you have require 93 octane fuel I just started looking at the chaps they seem to be set up s little better for tougher conditions

@robert843 I use 87 or 89 (marina grade fuel, non-ethanol) which I was advised by a BRP technician is fine. That is all I can find on the water near me but seems to work fine with no additives.

 

[Glassman]

Hey @Morrowcat , Welcome to the site!

I think you should determine where you will be boating most of the time and factor that into your decision. Big water = big boat, and believe it not, I HAVE heard someone say, "I wish my boat was 2' smaller". A buddy of mine bought a house in a community that has a private lake and he didn't factor in the rule they have....no boats over 21'

So it can work both ways sometimes.

Either way, have fun deciding. And when you do, enjoy your new family boat!

 

[ScarabMike]

@Morrowcat Don't give up on the Scarab. These boats are incredible once they are dialed in. The major problem with the brand is the lack of knowledge within the dealer network. That will soon rectify itself. Good luck with your purchase! Personally, any jetboat is an incredible experience, and you will be welcomed into an incredible lifestyle.

If you do your homework, and show the dealer you know what your talking about, things will be different.
Here is a video of what the Scarab experience should be like..

 

[Morrowcat]

@Glassman ....will be on murray, maybe Marion a time or two but quite honestly I do not foresee being on big water. Grew up on lakes and big water makes me nervous. Don't forsee any private lakes either as there is too many options around here. Thanks for the input though as I have never considered that being an issue

 

[Morrowcat]

@ScarabMike ...haven't given up on the brand....it's just that the dealer network scares the hell outta me....although there is Charleston powers ports and they're only a couple hour drive....just haven't had a chance to get down there. They are a beautiful boat and I do like the 215 hoi... just waiting to see when some of these issue get cleared up

 

[Morrowcat]

So it looks like I'm waiting for a boat show that's within driving distance to do a same day comparison of these boats. I was apprehensive about scarab but seems @ScarabMike has my back. Everyone has valid points and Internet shopping isn't going to do justice. As what was stated, I'll have to "find a seat that fits my ass" as well as a dealer that I can "trust". When I get a chance to look at/drive these I'll have a better informed decision and I'll have to post up pics of what I pick up. As of right now I have my sights on checking out a scarab 215 hoi, chap 223 vrx or yamaha 212x (242 ls?...I'll at least give it a thorough look, just wish it had ballast options). I can guarantee it will be a jet, I know this much

 

[OrangeTJ]

I would be willing to bet that a Yamaha 24 with ballast will come through for 2016.

 

[ccrayjr]

my suggestion would be to see what the 2016 models have to offer. if you decide to buy a 2015, you will probably get a better deal off season!

 

[MikeyL]

I would be willing to bet that a Yamaha 24 with ballast will come through for 2016.

Ya think ?

LOL !

Best Wishes, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[bobbie]

@Morrowcat definitely wait until the yamaha's announce their new models in a couple of weeks. i bet the surf model is going to be great! we originally bought the 192 at the boat show but quickly changed our minds once we got on the 212x. best decision we ever made......love our boat. luckily, we hadn't taken possesion and the dealer was able to switch our des

 

[Morrowcat]

@bobbie was that epic long surf behind your 212x,