Rate your 2024 boating season

[FSH 210 Sport]

While it’s possible for another day or two on the water this year, it looks like this season topped out at 40 boating days, 20 short of my goal of 60.

Overall this season was great! Lots of trailering miles to exotic locations, Lake Mohave in AZ, keystone lake in Ok and my fave for the year Lakes Poygan, Butte Des Mortes and Michigan WI with its great people, food and boat up establishments! Now it’s time to prep for next season…first trip on the calendar will be Lake Mohave sometime in March tor April to meet up with friends and get in some earlier than here boating and fishing. Looking to take the Colorado river from Bullhead City down to Lake Havasu this year.

 

[drewkaree]

The season and getting to know our "new to us" boat was too short...I am jonesing for more already!! Lol, May will not come soon enough. This pic. will have to do until then.

View attachment 228972

She really is a beauty! I can see the appeal

 

[drewkaree]

While it’s possible for another day or two on the water this year, it looks like this season topped out at 40 boating days, 20 short of my goal of 60.

Overall this season was great! Lots of trailering miles to exotic locations, Lake Mohave in AZ, keystone lake in Ok and my fave for the year Lakes Poygan, Butte Des Mortes and Michigan WI with its great people, food and boat up establishments! Now it’s time to prep for next season…first trip on the calendar will be Lake Mohave sometime in March tor April to meet up with friends and get in some earlier than here boating and fishing. Looking to take the Colorado river from Bullhead City down to Lake Havasu this year.

"Exotic locations" and Lake Poygan do NOT seem like they belong in the same sentence!

 

[Jimmers]

On Lake Superior, C-. A lot was my own fault. When it was time to put the boat lift in the water, it didn’t work so I had to fix that. Once that was taken care of(mid June), our kid took the boat out and came back with a lot of water in the engine compartment. Not necessarily my fault but I had a new transducer installed and they apparently failed to have all the hoses properly installed. Back to the shop, got it back two weeks later. Then, first time back in the boat, on a late Friday afternoon, again the kid out in the boat, it came back with the engine missing. The conclusion was that it was either bad gas or plugs. Well, what am I going to do with 45 gallons of bad gas? The repair shop was only open until noon on Saturday and there were no plugs available in any of the shops within 40 miles. So it went to the shop for another 10 days or so. Up and running fine after a tuneup, the first “professional” tuneup on the SX240 in 12 years. So the boating summer for us started in early August. Hopefully, a better and more prepared for next summer!

 

[Coult45]

Am I the only one who got to ...it came back with the engine missing... and had to go back and reread that to make sure I hadn't missed something catastrophic? My kid comes back with an engine missing from my boat, and I'm probably not going to be that nonchalant about it! Then I realized that I'm an idiot.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Am I the only one who got to ...it came back with the engine missing... and had to go back and reread that to make sure I hadn't missed something catastrophic? My kid comes back with an engine missing from my boat, and I'm probably not going to be that nonchalant about it! Then I realized that I'm an idiot.

No you are not!

 

[Babin Farms]

Am I the only one who got to ...it came back with the engine missing... and had to go back and reread that to make sure I hadn't missed something catastrophic? My kid comes back with an engine missing from my boat, and I'm probably not going to be that nonchalant about it! Then I realized that I'm an idiot.

I read it the same as you

 

[TommyMcK]

Me too (or me four) re the case of the missing engine.

Season on the Chesapeake started in early March and I just winterized the 222XD on the lift today. Temperature in the 30s and a pretty biting wind. It'll be wrapped this week. 9 months isn't bad. Since I'm in SW FLA more than Maryland even in the summer, 40 hours engine time this season wasn't that bad on the 222. It's an endless season in Florida though, and I'll be on the 255XD Monday. Could be worse...

 

[I_squared_r]

I'm not sure what I would rate it. I thought that I would like south florida so I towed my 242 limited se from NY to south Florida. Peanut island area. I didn't like it at all. Boaters were unfriendly, lots of drama, fights, drunks, people that don't know how to drive boats, and bad ramps. By June I was fed up and went to Colombia for a month to clear my head. I decided that I could no longer live between 2 countries so I flew back to Florida and I drove my boat back to NY where I was home again. I was happy to be boating there again with friends and family. I almost didn't sell it, but decided it was time for a new chapter. So I sold my boat and truck and went to Colombia full time.

 

[kgower]

I would say A-. We upgraded to a 222SE in April, went to JetSet 2024 in July. Our home lake is Lake Sydney Lanier GA. We on average get out once a week. Unfortunately, about 75% of our outings this year were days with 20+mph gusts.

 

[mtudb24]

Sold my Bennington Pontoon boat in March of 2024 and bought a 2024 AR220. Finally picked it up in May 2024 but didn't get it into the water until July 2024 due to water levels and having to have our dock moved down due to low water.

Owned single and twin outboard boats my whole life and my biggest fear was going to a jet boat and all the talk about how they don't track well and trying to dock a jet boat and low speed maneuvering problems. Well, that couldn't have been farther from the truth. No cobra fins, no thrust vectors and it took all of 5 minutes to learn how to maneuver these twin engine boats around the dock. 1 engine in fwd, 1 in reverse or neutral and you can walk these boats on a dime.
So I got 7.5 hours of engine run time on our first year (July to Sept) but had many awesome hours at the sandbar hanging out with family and friends.

I can't wait til next year to get a full season of May through Sept / October on our boat.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I agree about the throttle staggering, I have posted a video explaining that maneuver.

But I do have few decades of experience making jet boats steer and drivers smile , so I can tell you that there are a lot of things that you will learn over time like never rapidly reduce your speed in a turn especially if you are retrieving someone in the water during water sport activities.
I started making steering upgrades when I was 49 years old after owning prop boats since I was 14 years old.
I make systems that improve your slow speed steering your high speed steering and even your steering in rough conditions.
Visit my cobra jet steering Facebook page and see some of the comments from customers or visit the cobra jet steering vendor section on this page. Cobra jet steering | Pinellas Park FL
23 years of experience , people try to copy me etc but I was the innovator of this because I purchased a jet boat and hated how it handled , I refused to use it and one day decided to fix the poor steering and when I did the Yamaha jet boat owners wanted it on their boats.
Everyone uses their boat for different reasons in different conditions and with different expectations.
I don't make steering that ONLY HELPS at SLOW SPEED, I make it for all speeds and conditions and to increase the versatility of the boat so it serves more purposes like water sport or fishing or driving wild and crazy for the fun of it and it allows guest operators to get behind the wheel and take control so the owner can sit back and enjoy the ride or partake in water sport activities so.
And I also do systems for P W C's that open up a new world of experiences .
So ALL STEERING SYSTEMS are definitely not the same In the future if you desire your boat to handle like a sports car on a dry road there is a lot more available than just SLOW SPEED upgrades.

https://fb.watch/dMr4yZ8EDA

I always say do your research ! And I also say it's your boat so do what makes you happy!
Welcome class of 2025

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Sold my Bennington Pontoon boat in March of 2024 and bought a 2024 AR210. Finally picked it up in May 2024 but didn't get it into the water until July 2024 due to water levels and having to have our dock moved down due to low water.

Owned single and twin outboard boats my whole life and my biggest fear was going to a jet boat and all the talk about how they don't track well and trying to dock a jet boat and low speed maneuvering problems. Well, that couldn't have been farther from the truth. No cobra fins, no thrust vectors and it took all of 5 minutes to learn how to maneuver these twin engine boats around the dock. 1 engine in fwd, 1 in reverse or neutral and you can walk these boats on a dime.
So I got 7.5 hours of engine run time on our first year (July to Sept) but had many awesome hours at the sandbar hanging out with family and friends.

I can't wait til next year to get a full season of May through Sept / October on our boat.

Awesome!

Question, Did you get an AR210 or an AR220?

I’m stoked to see that you found maneuvering without aftermarket steering great! Love to see folks exploit the oem equipment! Did you try using the TDE position of the throttles and no wake level 3?

Get it all prepped over wintah and you’ll be able to hit the water running next year.

 

[mtudb24]

Awesome!

Question, Did you get an AR210 or an AR220?

I’m stoked to see that you found maneuvering without aftermarket steering great! Love to see folks exploit the oem equipment! Did you try using the TDE position of the throttles and no wake level 3?

Get it all prepped over wintah and you’ll be able to hit the water running next year.

Typo. AR220. I was using just using the 1st or maybe sometimes the 2nd setting on the no wake mode.
Will hit the water in early may for sure!

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Typo. AR220. I was using just using the 1st or maybe sometimes the 2nd setting on the no wake mode.
Will hit the water in early may for sure!

When cruising slowly, try no wake 3 with the throttles in the first detent forward which is the TDE (thrust directional enhancer) position, turning control is brisk.

We will all be looking for your posts here on the site!

 

[Drag]

Rating my 2024 season: Overall, not enough days out on the water. Great times though. Explored a number of new places: Fox river (Antioch to Algonquin, illinois); Lake Butte des Morts to Partridge lake on jetskiis; Belot River. 2025 will be better.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Rating my 2024 season: Overall, not enough days out on the water. Great times though. Explored a number of new places: Fox river (Antioch to Algonquin, illinois); Lake Butte des Morts to Partridge lake on jetskiis; Belot River. 2025 will be better.

F Y I I also make steering for your sea doo p w c that will wow you , Cobra Jet Steering Affiliate | Spring Hill FL and yes that is me driving the ski with my feet in the picture .

 

[John McLaughlin]

very very poor as I did not put there boat in the water. we thought we would be away more often and grandkids would not be down. Anyway I was a mistake not to put it in the water.