Jet today gone tomorrow. ( Venting a little winter frustration ) and just a good typical discussion.

[haknslash]

IMHO discussions like the one @haknslash started about his journey from a JetBoat to a V-Drive is actually beneficial, informative, and interesting, I can see myself possibly in that same spot some day and the transition and process of leaving a Jetboat is of interest to me.

And that is exactly why I made the thread in hopes it would help someone understand the transition I’m going through should they find themselves in the same position down the road. That info simply doesn’t really exist anywhere else if someone wants to really know how it’s all going down.

I’m on this forum because I like the community, I have learned a lot from it and in return I try and add where I feel I can if it means helping someone. I will always have a sweet spot for jets and I do not regret my time owning my AR192. It has been a blast. I am sorry if I’ve mentioned v drives in other threads. I try not to post in such a way that I do not disrespect jets for what they are but I’m also very straight forward and honest in my opinions. Perhaps that is a flaw of mine but I am just trying to be honest and help at the same time. Never once would I bash a jet or say they don’t have their place. In the future I will just be a bit more reserved and will try and keep my discussion about v drives to specific threads about them. Sorry if I have offended anyone it was never my intent. My post history should reflect that I try and contribute all across the forum and do not spam only v drive material. Sorry if anyone feels that way.

FWIW I think those that have said part of the reasoning for more v drive posts is true and it’s directly related to Yamaha pricing themselves in a sticky spot. I have said over the years they will continue to price themselves out of being inexpensive family boats to a much larger competition than just jet boats. This is not just for wake boats but also fishing and larger runabouts or bow riders.

 

[Blindduck]

Definitely everybody has there needs and wants in a boat but also everyone has a budget that they have to go by. I got my boat based on these things. Now the little boat has been awesome and filled the duties that i needed at the time because i wasn’t sure really what i was looking for and role i needed it to play. But now after 2 seasons with it i have narrowed what i want down to two boats so now i have a goal to work towards. So if wake boarding is your thing then go for it. And yes Yamaha is starting to put there selves in a price range where they cannot compete especially in the center console area.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Why V-drives are creeping into the conversation is simple, Yamaha wake series boats are very near the cost of a V-drive. If someone came on here and asked about using a wake series Yamaha to surf behind, of course everyone on here is going to say sure you can. In reality if someone was willing to pay 77K for a boat to surf behind, Yamaha should be last on their list.

I am going to say yes and no. There are a lot of other factors that come into play when choosing a boat. Where do you boat? Can you maintain your own boat? Shallow water? We boat on rivers and I have seen inboards and outboards be drive-less in a second when they struck an under water floating log where we, if it did happen, would just bounce over one. When purchasing our new boat there was a split second where I almost went with a centurion, where I boat dictated that I didn't.

 

[Mainah]

Note to self.. don’t use the admnstrv (being super careful to spell that wrong) tag until fixed. Sorry folks. Since I am chiming in again I do want to point out another benefit of jetboat ownership ... this forum.

Many of my first and best mods were because of it. Throttle drop fix courtesy of speedling. Seadek courtsey of seeing all the posts about it before I even bought my boat. Ridesteady thanks to a thread swatski started. Trailer fixes thanks to mr moose I think. Tounge weight fix thanks to .... you get the idea so many great folks sharing and helping each other.

 

[Dean P]

@Mainah I've glanced at your sig several times and it just hit me where that is! Hope to see it in July!!!!!!

 

[jcyamaharider]

So with this discussion going on it is very clear why everyone wants to stick around even after purchasing a different boat. There is no name calling, no anger, just a simple sharing of different/like minded point of views, I would like to thank everyone for that.

 

[Dean P]

What would be nice is to see more Chaparral and Scarab discussions.

I agree. Can anything be done to get more discussion about these boats?

 

[Scuba_ref]

In all honesty I need 4 boats.
1. Yamaha = awesome all around boat that I have been able to do everything I want with
2. Wakesports boat like the Moomba Max
3. Dedicated fishing boat
4. 100' live aboard

There is a reason Yamaha is at the top of the list!

 

[swatski]

So with this discussion going on it is very clear why everyone wants to stick around even after purchasing a different boat. There is no name calling, no anger, just a simple sharing of different/like minded point of views, I would like to thank everyone for that.

Let me add to this, the discussion of V-drives may possibly have some beneficial “side effects” for everyone here if it puts a little bit of pressure on the Yamaha jet boat division to put their shit together and think about making better, more competitive product in the price range where there is serious competition!
Really, part of me thinks they have had it too good for too long. This is reflected in high prices and too many very silly quality control issues!
—

 

[Chillypilot]

I was tagged too. I too must admit at times I want a v-drive. I've made my own wedge which works quite well and I'm able to produce pretty decent wave but it definalty is a lot of work especially because I dont have an automated ballast system. If I had a newer boat I think I would. That being said, it really hard to beat the versatility of these boats. I love the fact that with little effort these boats can do most things pretty well. I have benefited greatly from this forum and truly appreciate everyone's input, I've stole a lot of your ideas over the years.

 

[Mainah]

@Mainah I've glanced at your sig several times and it just hit me where that is! Hope to see it in July!!!!!!

Enjoy! Bring your tubes/boards and get some unique vids/photos. The water was calm at 7 - 8 am most days.

 

[sethman919]

Why V-drives are creeping into the conversation is simple, Yamaha wake series boats are very near the cost of a V-drive. If someone came on here and asked about using a wake series Yamaha to surf behind, of course everyone on here is going to say sure you can. In reality if someone was willing to pay 77K for a boat to surf behind, Yamaha should be last on their list.

Very well put. I think the information here is valuable to someone with a big budget whos primary use is wake sports. they've been told by the Salesman and Yamaha media that these boats are surf boats. Can they Surf? YES. Are they a Surf boat? No. These buyers need to be informed as to the real world limitations of these boats when it comes to Wake Sports. In the end they may end up realizing they dont need a real surf boat and the limitations they do come with and buy a yamaha for the many ways it is better than a Wake boat. I love my yamaha. in the price range that i had I would have had to buy a pretty crappy wake boat. In the end i got a really nice clean yamaha that I love and still have plenty of fun wake boarding behind (haven't tried surfing yet). If I had the budget that a 242X demands. Would I have bought a new wake boat, you betcha.

I used to be into Rock Crawling with a IFS Toyota. Was a huge contributor on tacoma world. did i love my IFS toyotas... yes... very much so and would recommend them to almost anyone , but if a guy came along and said he wanted to crawl the rubicon I wouldnt recommend a IFS truck. Will it make it through the Rubicon. sure it will. will it need to use the bypasses on the harder hills. you betcha. if you really want to rock crawl. nothing beats a solid axel suspension with lockers front and back. sure you could solid axle your toyota for a ton of cash. in the end its easier and better to just buy a Jeep. For this case i certainly would recommend a Jeep and certainly would hope the toyota forum had enough information for me to understand the limitations of a IFS Toyota as well as all the ways it is better if you truely aren't going to do some serious rock crawling.

 

[AlphaKap]

I was tagged too. I too must admit at times I want a v-drive. I've made my own wedge which works quite well and I'm able to produce pretty decent wave but it definalty is a lot of work especially because I dont have an automated ballast system. If I had a newer boat I think I would. That being said, it really hard to beat the versatility of these boats. I love the fact that with little effort these boats can do most things pretty well. I have benefited greatly from this forum and truly appreciate everyone's input, I've stole a lot of your ideas over the years.

I saw a pic of your wake wedge and would love to see more info on that.

 

[jcyamaharider]

I saw a pic of your wake wedge and would love to see more info on that.

There is a group buy going on right now for the Wake Wedge. https://jetboaters.net/threads/gantlin-products-wake-wedge-pre-spring-group-buy.21067/

 

[Peelz]

also tagged.

My personal feeling is run whatever works best for you. different strokes, different folks. I like my I/O just based on familiarity.

V-drives are just a no-no with shallow surprises on our part of the river. But, if serious watersports is your #1 desire, then go for it. ALL day long.


bashing things that you dont have a relative experience with is pointless. IE: Wife told a fellow boating friend at the dock we were looking at yamaha jets.... he flat out said to her that was a stupid idea. :/ had he ever owned one? nope. Still want one. If he DID, I might consider his advice..

 

[MidnightRider]

also tagged.

My personal feeling is run whatever works best for you. different strokes, different folks. I like my I/O just based on familiarity.

V-drives are just a no-no with shallow surprises on our part of the river. But, if serious watersports is your #1 desire, then go for it. ALL day long.


bashing things that you dont have a relative experience with is pointless. IE: Wife told a fellow boating friend at the dock we were looking at yamaha jets.... he flat out said to her that was a stupid idea. :/ had he ever owned one? nope. Still want one. If he DID, I might consider his advice..

I don't think the reason for this thread was to address bashing, people talking bad about jet boats or people pushing v-drives. I think (if I understand @jcyamaharider concern) was that because this is such a great forum people that move on to v-drives have/will tend to want to stay connected to this community. This is great, users that still have a lot of knowledge and experience on jet boats are still valuable here even if they have moved away from jet boats and on to v-drives. The caution would be for those folks to resist the urge to repurpose this jet boat forum for their new v-drive forum/discussions and to dilute the focus of this forum. I don't think that is to say that discussions on aspects of v-drive vs jet boats is off limits but its more about keeping this a place that is dedicated to jet boats. I personally see this as a valid concern, I don't think we are anywhere near this danger yet, but if more users transition to v-drives/other types of boats, and also stay connected here, there will be more and more temptation to repurpose using this community/board to discuss their new found love so to speak.

 

[jcyamaharider]

I don't think the reason for this thread was to address bashing, people talking bad about jet boats or people pushing v-drives. I think (if I understand @jcyamaharider concern) was that because this is such a great forum people that move on to v-drives have/will tend to want to stay connected to this community. This is great, users that still have a lot of knowledge and experience on jet boats are still valuable here even if they have moved away from jet boats and on to v-drives. The caution would be for those folks to resist the urge to repurpose this jet boat forum for their new v-drive forum/discussions and to dilute the focus of this forum. I don't think that is to say that discussions on aspects of v-drive vs jet boats is off limits but its more about keeping this a place that is dedicated to jet boats. I personally see this as a valid concern, I don't think we are anywhere near this danger yet, but if more users transition to v-drives/other types of boats, and also stay connected here, there will be more and more temptation to repurpose using this community/board to discuss their new found love so to speak.

EXACTLY

 

[MattFX4]

I don't think the reason for this thread was to address bashing, people talking bad about jet boats or people pushing v-drives. I think (if I understand @jcyamaharider concern) was that because this is such a great forum people that move on to v-drives have/will tend to want to stay connected to this community. This is great, users that still have a lot of knowledge and experience on jet boats are still valuable here even if they have moved away from jet boats and on to v-drives. The caution would be for those folks to resist the urge to repurpose this jet boat forum for their new v-drive forum/discussions and to dilute the focus of this forum. I don't think that is to say that discussions on aspects of v-drive vs jet boats is off limits but its more about keeping this a place that is dedicated to jet boats. I personally see this as a valid concern, I don't think we are anywhere near this danger yet, but if more users transition to v-drives/other types of boats, and also stay connected here, there will be more and more temptation to repurpose using this community/board to discuss their new found love so to speak.

Seems like more and more people are making the jump or at least talking about It. At some point maybe there should be a discussion about booting non jet boat owners because after all this is a jet boat forum. I don’t take that lightly either because I sold my 242 limited S last fall with intentions of buying a V drive myself when I end up buying another boat. I may change my mind though and end up back in a jet boat, but not likely.

 

[haknslash]

The caution would be for those folks to resist the urge to repurpose this jet boat forum for their new v-drive forum/discussions and to dilute the focus of this forum. I don't think that is to say that discussions on aspects of v-drive vs jet boats is off limits but its more about keeping this a place that is dedicated to jet boats. I personally see this as a valid concern, I don't think we are anywhere near this danger yet, but if more users transition to v-drives/other types of boats, and also stay connected here, there will be more and more temptation to repurpose using this community/board to discuss their new found love so to speak.

I think that's getting wayyyyyyyy ahead of ourselves. I can't speak for anyone else who has or is making the move to a different boat but I really don't think you have anything to worry about lol. Nobody is looking to use this forum as their platform to somehow tilt the demographics and mindset on this forum. I just did a advanced search in the general forum section using "v drive" for any posts created this year and it's literally like 5 threads if you include my big thread and the 2 or 3 that were discussed this week. The metrics simply do not add up to have the forum concerned there is some sort of shift brewing in the paradigm of jet boating.

Everyone can see for themselves I just don't see this being that active of a topic compared to everything else that is discussed here https://jetboaters.net/search/18452/?q=V+drive&c[newer_than]=2019-01-01&o=date

There's like what 2 or 3 of us TOPS that are active on this forum who have made the switch to a v drive (do I even count since I don't have my boat yet) and IMHO not a single one of us uses this forum as a means to inject our own narrative as if we have some sort of sick underlying motive. The fact anyone on here would even be concerned of us 2 or 3 people honestly takes me back a bit and quite surprised to hear/read this. I do not nor ever intend to use this forum as my own platform for something. That's just crazy if people think we're on the cusp of that. I think I'm just going to take a big step back from this thread and forum once I trade off the Yamaha this Saturday. I was going to make a little wrap-up of my Yamaha AR192 experience on that bitter sweet day but I'm just not going to risk bringing anything up again. I do not want to wear out my welcome here and I will just let whatever it is cool down in people's heads. Personally I think cabin fever has got the best of some of you today.

 

[BigAbe75]

Seems like more and more people are making the jump or at least talking about It. At some point maybe there should be a discussion about booting non jet boat owners because after all this is a jet boat forum. I don’t take that lightly either because I sold my 242 limited S last fall with intentions of buying a V drive myself when I end up buying another boat. I may change my mind though and end up back in a jet boat, but not likely.

I don't think that's the right approach. The "problem" is that this is such a great community. We host gatherings, we meet people, make friends, offer advice and tips/tricks, etc. I'm not going to tell one of my friends that they're not allowed to participate on our public forum because he changed brands of boat. I still want to see videos of him/her and his family enjoying the heck out of whatever boat he has, invite them to future gatherings, etc.

We used to have a few members that would post up fishing conquests from jet and other boats. Many enjoyed seeing those catches and the accompanying recipes. We have folks joining the forum just so they can get more info and possibly participate in various trips, regardless of boat type. Shoot, we even have a sailing farmer!! I've learned more about maple syrup here than I ever imagined. . @zipper

I could see a Sub Forum for those discussions, maybe. As @Julian said, stranger things have happened. Or, the community survived a shift in technologies and sites once before. If it continues to grow, maybe we do as @jcyamaharider (maybe facetiously) suggested and move the domain to allboaters.net or upto30footers.net, or who knows. Or, I guess another alternative would be to move some of those more personal (relationship) type threads to FB groups. But, I really don't like FB and until the last 2-3 weeks have pretty much avoided it so far.

I'm not sure what the answer is... but I'm not going to vote any productive and courteous members off the island.