Scarab 255 vs. Yamaha 242 LS

[OrangeTJ]

Re. cleanout ports: generally I seldom have to use them. Probably twice a year boating on our home lake, which generally doesn't have much stuff floating on the surface. Without them, though, I'd be in for a tow back to the marina. Last week we used them A LOT, as the slip we had at the Tahoe Keys required going through quite a bit of surface floating vegetation to get out to the main lake (which is astoundingly beautiful and clean). Every time we went out, we had to stop in cleaner water and pull about a pound or so of vegetation out of each pump before we could get going. If that were something I'd have to do on a regular basis, I'd prefer not to have a jet. Having a boat with cleanout ports at least made it tolerable, though.

 

[d_coyne1984]

Clean out ports are the way to go! We have more growth on our lake this year than I have ever seen. Some seasons are worse than others, just depends sometimes. I use mine at least once every outing this year. I rarely have a problem with them getting wrapped around the shaft. Most of the time its clumps of weeds clogging the intake grate so the rotax system does nothing for you in that case.

As far as the rear seats on the Scarab, they seem nice at first, but they are clumsy and feel poorly executed IMO. I almost bought a Scarab because they really did make a few nice design improvements, but over all I found the Yamaha quality seemed to feel better and the design seemed to be more open and practical which is really what you need a sport boat to be. Flashy should come second.

 

[MikeyL]

Tough decision made easier for you:

Do NOT evaluate from photos, or brochures.
Do NOT talk to sales people.

Take a RIDE on both boats.
Look at FIT, FINISH, and FUNCTIONALITY !
If none of that makes the decision EASY for you, then LISTEN ........ Not at IDLE, but going down the water @ 30 MPH.
The decision is quite easy when you get involved and see for yourself.
<For many here, pls notice how unbiased I was for the first time in my life>.
OK ..... Y'all can stop laughing now.
Gotta go now .... Barbie wants to take a ride on the "love of her life" (not me, but her QUIET 2015 Yamaha 24-footer !
Byeeeeeeeeeeee - Mikey Lulejian

<Who ever said we could not be UNBIASED ?????????????>

 

[smashedheadcat]

I will most certainly put hands on each boat before deciding. I am finding it difficult to get what I believe to be the real story though. The vast majority of members do not own a 15+ 24ft Yamaha, but still love their current boats. It just seems there is so much more to love about a boat than how quiet it is at 30mph. I haven't seen a scarab or chap owner complain about the noise as of yet, so I'm not sure if I should put it there with the scarab bow filler cushions or the clean out ports.

The brp boats are faster, sportier looking, have cruise control, chart plotter (chap), single throttle, optional ballast, an attempt at clog prevention, and closed loop cooling. On the other hand, they are more expensive, and are not head and shoulders better than their quieter, clean out port having cheaper competitor.

No matter what, I will touch each boat before purchasing, and hope to water test them as well. That is a lot to wish for though.

 

[haknslash]

The Yamaha boats also have cruise control and it's called Cruise Assist.

There is also a No Wake Mode which is the same as the "dock mode" for BRP engines I believe. This is similar to Cruise Assist but at just off idle forward power.

For power, the Scarabs aren't going to be faster unless you select the optional twin 200 or 250 engines. The standard 150 engines would be slower than the standard twin 1.8's. Since there aren't speed tests of the 255 HO Impulse I will use the 21' boats for comparison so you can judge just how efficient or effective it may or may not be having twin 2o0's compared to the 1.8's. They make a little more power but at the hit of fuel efficiency so it's a toss up in what you want most. More power for a few more mph or more fuel economy for longer distance and time between fill-ups? Your call. The twin 250's claim to have over 60 MPH top speed but I've yet to see any tests and no idea how much fuel its burning at those speed either.

BoatTest.com results for the Yamaha 212X:

• Top speed for the Yamaha 212X is 52.9 MPH (85.1 KPH), burning 21.3 gallons per hour (GPH) or 80.62 liters per hour (LPH).
  
• Best cruise for the Yamaha 212X is 27.5 MPH (44.3 KPH), and the boat gets 3.50 miles per gallon (MPG) or 1.49 kilometers per liter (KPL), giving the boat a cruising range of 158 miles (254.28 kilometers).

BoatTest.com results for the Scarab 215 HO Impulse:

• Top speed for the Scarab 215 HO Impulse (2015-) is 54.9 mph (88.4 kph), burning 35.0 gallons per hour (gph) or 132.48 liters per hour (lph).
  
• Best cruise for the Scarab 215 HO Impulse (2015-) is 26.8 mph (43.1 kph), and the boat gets 3.3 miles per gallon (mpg) or 1.4 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 123 miles (197.95 kilometers).

The pros and cons of single throttle versus dual throttle is really up to owner preference. Some owners can't seem to get over the dual throttle and opt for throttle locks to make it easier. However having dual throttle allows for more maneuverability options than with only a single throttle in some situations. It's really up to owner preference.

The BRP motors seem to have a deeper tone so I'm not sure sound is as much of an issue with them. Most videos I've seen of the BRP powered boats the engine sound wasn't bad. Sound is a such a subjective topic because what sounds bad or loud to one person might not even be an issue to another person. Best to take each boat out and see which pushes the right buttons for you.

I do like the closed loop cooling of the BRP 4-Tec engines but I don't boat much in salt water so it's a moot feature for me. However if you boat in salt water more than fresh I can see this being a big selling point. Just keep in mind that the ride plate is a heat exchanger so you will notice steam rolling on the back of the platform area while underway. You can see this in videos on YouTube as well as on this forum.

Some Yamaha boats do have a ballast option. I think the 212X and AR190 come with them but I'm not certain without looking it up. Either way you can always buy ballasts if you want them. The Chaparrals also offer a Wake Wedge and you can check out a video review I posted in their respective sub forum. There are members on here currently developing a similar wake shaping device for the Yamaha boats as well. Basically no matter the boat brand or size, there are plenty of wake shaping options out there for these boats.

I do wish Yamaha offered a chart plotter tied into the Connext system so I will give Scarab a nod on that even if it's an option. Of course there's always aftermarket if you really want to get the best bang for your buck.

 

[Ronnie]

In case this point hasn't already been made, the scarab is a relatively new boat compared to the Yamaha which has been refined a lot over the last five years with the biggest changes occurring in 2015. I would be very leery of buying such a new model unless I'd seen many positive reviews from the early adopters. The initial problems some of the new owners of smaller scarab boats are experiencing would also be on my mind. What ever you do, test drive it before you buy it.

 

[Glassman]

Quick question about the newer model Yamahas and rear filler cushions....

Do they have them?

My old barge came with a rear filler cushion that effectively turned the entire rear seating area into one big lounge or bed, if you will. I've spent many hours relaxing (snoozing) there over the years.

As to the thread at hand...
I'm way too prejudiced to offer an opinion on this topic so I won't.

I'll just say, "Welcome and have fun boat shopping"

 

[haknslash]

The newer boats only come with bow filler cushions for the Yamaha which transform the bow into either a large sun pad or 3-across bow seating configuration.

 

[Ronnie]

@JetBoatPilot carries a rear cockpit filler cushion kit or at least they used to.

 

[smashedheadcat]

The Yamaha boats also have cruise control and it's called Cruise Assist.

There is also a No Wake Mode which is the same as the "dock mode" for BRP engines I believe. This is similar to Cruise Assist but at just off idle forward power.

For power, the Scarabs aren't going to be faster unless you select the optional twin 200 or 250 engines. The standard 150 engines would be slower than the standard twin 1.8's. Since there aren't speed tests of the 255 HO Impulse I will use the 21' boats for comparison so you can judge just how efficient or effective it may or may not be having twin 2o0's compared to the 1.8's. They make a little more power but at the hit of fuel efficiency so it's a toss up in what you want most. More power for a few more mph or more fuel economy for longer distance and time between fill-ups? Your call. The twin 250's claim to have over 60 MPH top speed but I've yet to see any tests and no idea how much fuel its burning at those speed either.

BoatTest.com results for the Yamaha 212X:

• Top speed for the Yamaha 212X is 52.9 MPH (85.1 KPH), burning 21.3 gallons per hour (GPH) or 80.62 liters per hour (LPH).
  
• Best cruise for the Yamaha 212X is 27.5 MPH (44.3 KPH), and the boat gets 3.50 miles per gallon (MPG) or 1.49 kilometers per liter (KPL), giving the boat a cruising range of 158 miles (254.28 kilometers).

BoatTest.com results for the Scarab 215 HO Impulse:

• Top speed for the Scarab 215 HO Impulse (2015-) is 54.9 mph (88.4 kph), burning 35.0 gallons per hour (gph) or 132.48 liters per hour (lph).
  
• Best cruise for the Scarab 215 HO Impulse (2015-) is 26.8 mph (43.1 kph), and the boat gets 3.3 miles per gallon (mpg) or 1.4 kilometers per liter (kpl), giving the boat a cruising range of 123 miles (197.95 kilometers).

The pros and cons of single throttle versus dual throttle is really up to owner preference. Some owners can't seem to get over the dual throttle and opt for throttle locks to make it easier. However having dual throttle allows for more maneuverability options than with only a single throttle in some situations. It's really up to owner preference.

The BRP motors seem to have a deeper tone so I'm not sure sound is as much of an issue with them. Most videos I've seen of the BRP powered boats the engine sound wasn't bad. Sound is a such a subjective topic because what sounds bad or loud to one person might not even be an issue to another person. Best to take each boat out and see which pushes the right buttons for you.

I do like the closed loop cooling of the BRP 4-Tec engines but I don't boat much in salt water so it's a moot feature for me. However if you boat in salt water more than fresh I can see this being a big selling point. Just keep in mind that the ride plate is a heat exchanger so you will notice steam rolling on the back of the platform area while underway. You can see this in videos on YouTube as well as on this forum.

Some Yamaha boats do have a ballast option. I think the 212X and AR190 come with them but I'm not certain without looking it up. Either way you can always buy ballasts if you want them. The Chaparrals also offer a Wake Wedge and you can check out a video review I posted in their respective sub forum. There are members on here currently developing a similar wake shaping device for the Yamaha boats as well. Basically no matter the boat brand or size, there are plenty of wake shaping options out there for these boats.

I do wish Yamaha offered a chart plotter tied into the Connext system so I will give Scarab a nod on that even if it's an option. Of course there's always aftermarket if you really want to get the best bang for your buck.

Excellent post here. I am really only interested in the 24+ foot variety and I'd would option a brp powered offering with the 250hp engines. Fuel economy is really a wash as boattest shows slightly better fuel economy in the 20-28mph range than the yamaha. That's really your ski/tubing speed than 30+ is. However, if you simply want to get somewhere the yamaha can do it quicker. The differences are really negligible when averaged out to be honey. At wide open throttle, the brp offerings will burn more fuel because they make more power and go faster. Kind of one of those "pay to play" type deals.

I have to wait a few weeks to watch the videos you posted. The internet is data capped at this hotel here in Cape Town. If memory serves though, they are a little different than the brp offerings.

As for dual throttles vs a single, I think there is potential a pro for yamaha, but the boats just aren't long enough for it be an advantage for me. Each boat can maneuver within its own length without getting fancy. 99.9% of the time you don't need to get fancy and you have do deal with moving two throttles the rest of the time. It's one of those things that is user preference, but there is a market for the throttle syncs.

For wake stuff, there are no oem options on the big yamaha boats. It certainly isn't a show stopper, but you've got to go aftermarket if you're into that sort of thing. The truth is, if any of us were really serious about wake boarding, we'd have a v-drive.

I'm purely looking for a versatile boat that my young family can enjoy. Each of these big boats meet that.

 

[OrangeTJ]

I have a Yamaha but I think the Chap and Scarab offerings look great as well. I personally prefer the look of the Chaparral, but that's just me. I do like that there's an option for 500 hp as well. Having lived with a pretty loud boat for the past several years, I can tell you that quiet running will be high on my list for my next boat. I do not know whether the Chap or Scarab are quiet or not, but I sure hope they are. As far as the cleanout ports go, unless you boat somewhere with very clean water - no surface vegetation of floating detritus - don't underestimate the value of being able to get stuff out of the impellers while still on the water.

 

[sysinu]

Unless where you boat doesn't fluctuate by less than + or - 5', the cleanout ports make such a difference. During spring runoff, my favorite lake goes up by about 10-15' elevation and EVERYTHING imaginable makes it into the break wall and marina. I usually pull 4 or 5 obstructions out each visit. The obstructions are usually 3-4" long and 1/2" wide. My I/O didn't have that issue, and my fishing boat OB doesn't have any issue, but for jet boats, you really do need to keep this in mind. If it gets stuck, and it will if it's there (OMG I hate sage brush) it will, ... those cleanout ports will save your trip.

Clean-out ports or scuba gear. Take your pick.

 

[smashedheadcat]

If in a situation where I anticipated cleaning out clogs each trip I'd probably not go with a jetboat at all. I definitely think cleanouts are a pro though. Do these boats suck up more things than wave runners do? I had a gp1200r for 5 years and I can't remember ever sucking something up in it.

My favourite boat is a 243 vrx. I think it just does everything well and has no real disadvantage other than no cleanout ports. The scarab 255 is my second favourite. I do not like the buttons above the shifter and I am not sure you can get one with a touch screen.

3rd is an ar240 (15+). No real disadvantages other than no oem wake options, no chart plotter, smaller head compartment, and an open cooling system. It is cheaper, has cleanouts, and is a pretty good looking boat.

Putting my hands on each of these boats can certainly change things. Driving them may do so as well. One thing is for sure, I can't wait until next summer.

 

[McMark]

I went about 40 or so hours before I sucked up a fruit cup piece of plastic that got lodged between the impeller and the ring. Would have been impossible to get from underneath. Personally, I wouldn't have anything without cleanout ports. Our river has been high with all the rain and I was in and out of the cleanout ports all weekend and there is no way in hell I'm getting in that dirty, muddy, water to try to get something out of the pump. I use the dual throttles all the time to steer around the dock. I actually really like the Chap and I have a dealer that is 10 mins away, but bought the Yamaha for the engine and the cleanout ports, and drove 2 1/2 hours away to the dealer.

 

[smashedheadcat]

I know what you're sayin. I don't like to jump into nasty water either. On the other hand, that is the same water that's cooling your engine. I did most of my boating (last boat) in the intercostal waterway and it was pretty clean. I also did some boating on my hometown lake which is decently clean. Neither place looks like Bimini, but I'm not afraid of getting in the water at either place. But, that doesn't mean I want to take a dive every few hours. I've tried to picture how effective one can really be under a brp boat outside of grate clog. I can't imagine one having much success off a trailer in one without scuba gear.

 

[ScarabMike]

I went and saw the 242 LS yesterday. What a great looking boat. Fit and finish blows the 255 out of the water. And the bang for the buck is definitely on the Yamaha. And its sooooo quiet.

The Scarab is more of a muscle car than a finesse car. Its loud, and its in your face. Kinda like the old Scarab's. But you pay a premium. My next jetboat will most def be a 242.

 

[subysti]

Wow. Hearing @ScarabMike say that is amazing. I looked at all the chaps and scarabs at the boat shows before deciding. Bigest thing for me was that Yamaha makes everything I thier boats and designed the hull for thier engines. Also when I tried to add all the standard features on a Yamaha to the other boats there was a $10,000 price deference. I also looked up the sound levels for all the boats on boatest.com and saw a huge difference. The rear seat backs I didn't like either. We spend a lot of time anchored up and swimming, with the shared seat backs on the chaps and scarabs you can't have people sitting outside on the transom and on the inside at the same time.

 

[SCSTWG]

If in a situation where I anticipated cleaning out clogs each trip I'd probably not go with a jetboat at all.

I agree with you completely. If you know the area you will be boating constantly has floating debris or a massive amount of growth, a jetboat is not the best option. Of course, if the place you are boating has these characteristics, boating in general may not be the best way to spend your spare time and money.

 

[ScarabMike]

@subysti I've always loved the 2015 242s. And looking at one in person... You get so much usable boat for the money. The sad thing is they say there isn't going to be any more delivered this year. So if I even wanted to, I would have to trade and trailer it.

The. Wife is already nagging since she sat in it.

 

[subysti]

@ScarabMike too bad you're not closer to me. My dealer still has 2 LS's and at least 1 AR240 still on his lot. I was there today. He orders a lot of boats every year.