Potential new 2019 SX190

[obrien19]

So I was at the Buffalo boat show this past weekend, and decided to kick the tires on the SX190. Grew up on boats, and am use to I/O and outboards. Are there any concerns about not being able to trim the boat? Would do most of my boating on inland lakes and some cruising on the Niagara river, mainly looking for some advice from some of the jet boat pros on here since I’m a novice. Just want to make sure I get as much information before spending 30k. Thanks in advance

 

[Sbrown]

So I was at the Buffalo boat show this past weekend, and decided to kick the tires on the SX190. Grew up on boats, and am use to I/O and outboards. Are there any concerns about not being able to trim the boat? Would do most of my boating on inland lakes and some cruising on the Niagara river, mainly looking for some advice from some of the jet boat pros on here since I’m a novice. Just want to make sure I get as much information before spending 30k. Thanks in advance

Your story sounds similar to mine. Grew up on boats, mostly outboard and I/O, and I had a similar concern about trimming the boat. I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to trimming my boat out for best efficiency, speed and wave handling. In my opinion my '17 Ar240 ran a bit bow-down (also known as running wet too far forward). The lack of ability to trim the bow up was and is frustrating, I'll admit. I mitigated it a bit by shimming my nozzles 2 degrees upward with spacers made for the purpose, but I definitely wish the boat had trim control. Most of the guys on these forums seem to want to trim the bow down, which is easily accomplished by adding trim tabs to the boat, but if you want to trim the bow up, your options seem quite limited without extensive modifications to the nozzle assemblies.

 

[Maccam26]

I am new to boating and bought it for simplicity of maintenance and operation. Not knowing the impact of a good trim, so far I have trusted Yamaha engineering... lol. I will say I love the 2019 docking steering ability of my boat after getting used to it. The seating arrangement is perfect for our family, the table great for games, food when moored. The yamaha power plant works well and oil changes are a breeze.

 

[obrien19]

Good to know that there are spacers to adjust the angle of the nozzle. Now if the boat isn’t on plane will the bow be “up” or do they pretty much ride flat the whole time. Just think that with the right speed the bow could be up to help cut through chop/waves.

 

[Sbrown]

Good to know that there are spacers to adjust the angle of the nozzle. Now if the boat isn’t on plane will the bow be “up” or do they pretty much ride flat the whole time. Just think that with the right speed the bow could be up to help cut through chop/waves.

No, it never runs bow high, it's pretty much flat all the time and it doesn't porpoise or anything. The downside is that the ride behind the boat is a little wetter for a tuber. You can use the throttle to lift the bow a bit before the boat is on plane, but nothing like you can do with trim control.

 

[obrien19]

anything you regret about switching to a jet boat. I’ve spent the last couple days doing as much research as I can. Yamaha seems to be the best bang for the buck.

 

[Maccam26]

bang for buck is the reason I went Yamaha, all other boats are 10k more with same equipment (albeit some details appearance wise may look nicer but do not change function) but I did replace tires and wheels on trailer as the tires are garbage bias plys.

 

[obrien19]

I read on here a few times of people saying the tires are garbage. I was looking at used boats and to me it didn’t make sense that most used boats 5-6 years old are still going for 25k-29k. That’s what made mI decide to just bite the bullet and buy new. Thing the trailer tires would last at least one season. I make two yearly fishing trips that would total 1500 miles

 

[DavisAR195]

I have similar background with growing up around I/O and that was the main reason I chose a jet. Over the years it seems the hydraulics on the trim or a broken seal resulting with water in the outdrive.

I have a 2017 AR195 and have never had an issue with the trim. The one downside is the jet spray when towing a tubber. However JetBoatPilot has new product coming out called Thrust Vector Wake that helps with slow speed steering and acts like an adjustable trim that will deflect the jet at different degrees.

 

[Maccam26]

I read on here a few times of people saying the tires are garbage. I was looking at used boats and to me it didn’t make sense that most used boats 5-6 years old are still going for 25k-29k. That’s what made mI decide to just bite the bullet and buy new. Thing the trailer tires would last at least one season. I make two yearly fishing trips that would total 1500 miles

My tires had a flat in November and I bought my boat September 7th lol under 300miles total.

 

[MclovinToo]

IMHO Go for the 195, the extra power is worth it. Don't worry about trim in a 19 footer, you will be fine. As far a jet goes, you will love it. zero maintenance to do compared to a regular boat. Yamaha is the only name to consider brand wise. As far as wet tuber from the jet wash, I always stay in a slight turn to keep from hitting them. If you want a starter boat, the red Sugar sand in my avatar is for sale cheap. 13K and you can trade up when your family gets bigger. That's why I just ordered a SX195

 

[captras]

I had a Four Winns I/O for almost 20 years.....great boat....switched to my 242 LSE in 2016. Not ONE regret......great boats, and the best bang for you buck of any brand! Like any boat, they arent perfect, but it is a lot closer to perfect than my I/O!

 

[obrien19]

Ow my last concern, how much louder is the jet compared to say an I/0. I usually drive/ride in my parents 87 176 stingray, so that has no sound deadening whatsoever. I’m not expecting whisper quiet just wondering if I’m really gonna notice much of a difference. Again appreciate all the feed back! ??

 

[Sbrown]

Ow my last concern, how much louder is the jet compared to say an I/0. I usually drive/ride in my parents 87 176 stingray, so that has no sound deadening whatsoever. I’m not expecting whisper quiet just wondering if I’m really gonna notice much of a difference. Again appreciate all the feed back! ??

I dont feel that my jet boat is any louder than any other boat I've ever had, and it is quieter than some of them.

 

[Sbrown]

anything you regret about switching to a jet boat. I’ve spent the last couple days doing as much research as I can. Yamaha seems to be the best bang for the buck.

So far we've been very happy with our decision to go with a jet boat. Oh, and as far as tires go, I fell in with the "tires are garbage " hysteria, called shorelander like everybody else and had a new set of radials sent to me free of charge. However, those new radials are still sitting in a stack in front of the garage, my stock bias-ply's are still on the trailer with about 10,000 miles on them including a 2200 mile round trip to Florida and back, zero trouble so far and I run 75 mph plus on the highway sometimes. I have had no problems with bias ply tires on any trailer I've ever owned and this set will stay on the trailer until they are worn out. Yes, if your trailer sits in one spot for an extended period of time, the bias ply tire are more likely to develop a flat spot (mostly on the bottom, lol), however they will lose the flat spot within a mile or so of driving. Important? Not to me. And apparently shorelander has wised up as well.

 

[2kwik4u]

We made the swap from I/O to Jet drive as well. Grew up around I/O boats, so that was the first thing I bought. '98 Rinker 182BR. Was a great little boat. Sold it a few years back, went a couple seasons without a boat, realized that sucked, so we went and bought a brand new Yamaha AR190 in spring of 2017.

To answer some questions

• Trim is a non-issue as far as I'm concerned, and honestly I'm glad it's gone. It was a constant hassle to always adjust to keep it from porpoising, or to get more speed, or whatever. Never once did I need to adjust the trim to get a drier ride. Inland lake boating just doesn't have those concerns. If the chop it too much, then we're either out on the busy weekend, or it's too damn windy to be out there anyway. For us, we're glad it's gone.
• The physics of the situation is that porpoising a jet is somewhat difficult. The line of thrust from the drive is MUCH closer to the waterline than with an I/O. This leads to a significantly reduced moment on the transom, and subsequent reduction in bow lift. It's the same reason they tend to plane faster with less bow rise. Yamaha has a neat picture of this somewhere, I'll try to find it.
• Noise is similar volume, but different pitch. Still takes 2/3 stereo to overcome it, and having a conversation while on plane is damn near impossible. Our 3.0L 4cyl in the Rinker was the same, just a deeper tone. The Yamaha is a "wwwwhhhhaaaaahhhh", where the Rinker was a "bbbbuuuuuuuurrrrr" sound. Not worse, just different.
• We regret nothing from moving to a jet drive from an I/O. The layout and storage on this 19ft boat is 1000x better than our last one. The maintenance and winterization is ridiculously easy in comparison. The build quality is as good or better than our last one. The maneuverability is better. I can put this boat exactly where I want it, and I don't have to worry about tearing up an outdrive with quick forward/reverse transitions. It looks nicer, it's just as fast, it gets compliments everywhere we take it. We're very happy with our purchase, and are planning on keeping this one for at least another 5-6yrs before we upgrade to something larger.
• I'm headed into my 3rd season on the bias ply tires. No idea how many miles I have them. Probably something I should track but don't. The first drive after it's sat all winter, or for over a month sucks for about 2 miles. They flat spot horribly, but warm up and run true by the time I get to the interstate (~10min of 55mph roadway). They run a bit hotter than I like in general, but doesn't seem to bother them. I bought a spare and mounted it to the trailer just in case one lets go, I can still get home. Carry a jack/4-way lug wrench in the bed when trailering as well just in case. Less than $150 for that setup and it's good peace of mind. Tires are easily replaced, don't let this keep you from buying the boat, just factor it in if you're nervous.

 

[Maccam26]

I guess I was just unlucky on the bias ply tires... seems they last for others. But after towing with Goodyear Endurance, I would do that upgrade all over again.

 

[Sbrown]

Trim is a non-issue as far as I'm concerned, and honestly I'm glad it's gone. It was a constant hassle to always adjust to keep it from porpoising, or to get more speed, or whatever. Never once did I need to adjust the trim to get a drier ride. Inland lake boating just doesn't have those concerns. If the chop it too much, then we're either out on the busy weekend, or it's too damn windy to be out there anyway. For us, we're glad it's gone.

When someone says a boat rides wet too far forward, it doesn't mean that the people inside the boat are getting wet. It just means the point where the hull parts the water is a little too far forward. To someone who knows the feel of how a boat should be behaving, this makes a big difference in the feel of the boat through the water. Sort of like a racecar having its center of gravity too far forward. I'm sure people will make fun of it, but it's the best analogy I can come up with. It's one of those things you're either in tune with or you're not. Most people are not and thus not having trim would not be a big deal to them. Not trying to be rude or anything, just the best explanation I have at the moment.

 

[2kwik4u]

When someone says a boat rides wet too far forward, it doesn't mean that the people inside the boat are getting wet. It just means the point where the hull parts the water is a little too far forward. To someone who knows the feel of how a boat should be behaving, this makes a big difference in the feel of the boat through the water. Sort of like a racecar having its center of gravity too far forward. I'm sure people will make fun of it, but it's the best analogy I can come up with. It's one of those things you're either in tune with or you're not. Most people are not and thus not having trim would not be a big deal to them. Not trying to be rude or anything, just the best explanation I have at the moment.

No, I get that the wetted surface too far forward is an issue, likewise not enough is an issue (like a bass boat at 100mph). The handling, speed, and efficiency are all effected by this. I intended the same when I said drier ride, not that my passengers were getting wet.

On my 182, I added "smart tabs" that would purposefully nose the boat down at low speeds, then automatically retract at higher speeds. This eliminated all the porpoising the occurs at high trim/low speed operation, or with odd loading of passengers/gear. Gave me 1mph on the top end as well. Don't feel like those are even a little bit needed on my Yamaha. I've never felt it even begin to porpoise, even with some really odd front and rear loading scenarios. Likewise it's never really "beat us up" and needed to have the bow stuffed into the water to reduce shocks.

Perhaps I'm just not in tune enough to really care about those small handling changes. I also have no predisposition to how a boat "should be behaving". If I did, then it would only be from past experience on another boat, and clearly this is a different boat. It would lead to the same kind of comment of "Jets don't dock well, and are a pain to steer at low speeds", no they're not, they're just different and require a different approach to docking. This analogy is probably splitting hairs, however so it wetted length of the hull when under power. The results of trimming a boat have never resulted in a significant enough change in handling in my experience to warrant the complexity of the system. To clear shallower water, to reduce porpoising, reduce wetted surface area to increase speed, or to correct for odd loading are simply not warranted in a jet application, but do have a need in an I/O application.

Another neat thing about my jet.....I haven't once forgotten to put the outdrive up when retrieving. No skeg to drag up the ramp as onlookers are yelling at you to stop before you tear something up

 

[Sbrown]

Another neat thing about my jet.....I haven't once forgotten to put the outdrive up when retrieving. No skeg to drag up the ramp as onlookers are yelling at you to stop before you tear something up

This made me laugh! I think we've all been there; it's sort of a right of passage for an I/O owner at some point.