Swimmer safety with steering mods

[chippens]

Happy New Year - First time jet boat buyer (‘24 AR250), looking forward to spring and summer in Michigan. My three young kids love to jump off the back of the boat, one reason we went with a Yamaha jet. I’m seeing that adding an after market steering product is a great idea, but wondering if this sort of defeats the purpose of not having a prop as it relates to swimmer safety. From the pictures I’ve seen it looks like these blades do not extend beyond the swim platform, but wondering if anyone with experience can offer some insight into how these might affect the swim experience, if at all. Thanks for the help.

 

[Dave burke]

Been using one for years, no issues. The one I use isn’t sharp and doesn’t move so very safe in my experience

 

[Babin Farms]

Unless they’re swimming under the boat I don’t see an issue with any of the products.

 

[Dave burke]

This is probably obvious but even though there’s no prop, the jet thrust is dangerous so don’t let people swim with the engines running. I had somebody try and tell me it was safe…

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Happy New Year - First time jet boat buyer (‘24 AR250), looking forward to spring and summer in Michigan. My three young kids love to jump off the back of the boat, one reason we went with a Yamaha jet. I’m seeing that adding an after market steering product is a great idea, but wondering if this sort of defeats the purpose of not having a prop as it relates to swimmer safety. From the pictures I’ve seen it looks like these blades do not extend beyond the swim platform, but wondering if anyone with experience can offer some insight into how these might affect the swim experience, if at all. Thanks for the help.

Note the blue marks on this picture see the position of the bottom of the fins in relation to the bottom of the rudder. if you were standing in shallow water behind the boat you would need to be concerned about the location of your feet in relation to the rudder not my steering and this is one of the systems your boat would use. Now test your stock boat in a turn while rapidly decelerating like you would when picking up a water sport participant and you see the rope in the water. once you decelerate you loose steering with the stock rudder and you can run over the person in the water. With that system you can steer jn a turn while rapidly decelerating And so much more . Think of it like driving a car on the ice as compared to driving on a dry road. Once you get it in the water and drive it you will know if you like it or if you need to make it do what you want rather than what it wants.

https://fb.watch/dMr4yZ8EDA/

 

[Thermobrett]

I didn’t have an issue with mine at all. Same reason I bought a Yamaha opposed to a prop. These are the best side shots I have.

 

[2kwik4u]

Personal opinion here. Most people disagree with me.

Assuming the engines are off then: Jets as a "safety feature" is a false sense of security. I've kicked the keel on my boat, and drawn blood. I've kicked a wake wedge on an inboard and drawn blood. I've kicked a prop and drawn blood. I've kicked the back of a pontoon and drawn blood. The premise that jets are inherently safer than propped boats isn't correct at all. There might not be anything you can jump directly on top of from the swim platform, but there are still sharp/pointed metallic objects on the rear of just about every boat out there. Owners and operators should be VERY clear with everyone in/on/around powerboats, that the rear of the boat has dangers that they should be aware of and avoid.

Nobody should be in the water around the back of a boat with the engines running regardless of drive type.

SO...... @chippens The addition of steering aids doesn't pose any additional risk than what already exists at the rear of your boat. Educate your kids about what's back there, have them treat the boat with the respect it deserves, and you'll be just fine.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

apples and oranges click this link Facebook

 

[chippens]

I appreciate the feedback, everyone. Pics were helpful. And, yes—engines will be off!

 

[shortroyd]

I can confirm my Cobra Jet fins sit much further back than the swim platform and quite low so no risk. Had the kids swimming around the back of the boat (engines off of course) twice this week at the beach, and nobody touched the fins. Even if they did they wouldn’t hurt.

Actually the only sharp thing we find is the rails that the swim up seats attach to - they have have sharp corners and are right under the platform so they are more likely to be hit. I could imagine a kid bumping their head on that and it hurting. I might file the corners down now that I think about it.

 

[adrianp89]

Personal opinion here. Most people disagree with me.

Assuming the engines are off then: Jets as a "safety feature" is a false sense of security. I've kicked the keel on my boat, and drawn blood. I've kicked a wake wedge on an inboard and drawn blood. I've kicked a prop and drawn blood. I've kicked the back of a pontoon and drawn blood. The premise that jets are inherently safer than propped boats isn't correct at all. There might not be anything you can jump directly on top of from the swim platform, but there are still sharp/pointed metallic objects on the rear of just about every boat out there. Owners and operators should be VERY clear with everyone in/on/around powerboats, that the rear of the boat has dangers that they should be aware of and avoid.

Nobody should be in the water around the back of a boat with the engines running regardless of drive type.

SO...... @chippens The addition of steering aids doesn't pose any additional risk than what already exists at the rear of your boat. Educate your kids about what's back there, have them treat the boat with the respect it deserves, and you'll be just fine.

A prop is a hell of a lot sharper than the keel. While being behind any boat while running is dangerous, an idling jet boat doesn’t pose much danger. An idling prop boat and you will lose a leg. Props are MUCH more dangerous.

 

[2kwik4u]

A prop is a hell of a lot sharper than the keel. While being behind any boat while running is dangerous, an idling jet boat doesn’t pose much danger. An idling prop boat and you will lose a leg. Props are MUCH more dangerous.

There are no 3-point edges (where 3 planes meet at a point) on a prop, and they aren't "sharpened". Go kick a keel and go kick a prop, both draw blood. Ask me how I know. Sure a keel doesn't rotate when at idle, but a prop shouldn't either. Once either is "in gear" with someone in the water back there a serious mistake has been made and both are lethal.

I've spent my life around boats and owned both drive types. This includes time as a dumbass single guy in his 20's, and as a new parent in my 40's. The potential for injury increases more from poor education and poor awareness than drive type. I firmly believe that the rhetoric of "jet boats are inherently safer" leads to a false sense of security for far too many.

Ultimately, we'll likely just need to just agree to disagree to keep from getting off track on the thread. I don't want to start a mess here.

 

[biffdotorg]

There are no 3-point edges (where 3 planes meet at a point) on a prop, and they aren't "sharpened". Go kick a keel and go kick a prop, both draw blood. Ask me how I know. Sure a keel doesn't rotate when at idle, but a prop shouldn't either. Once either is "in gear" with someone in the water back there a serious mistake has been made and both are lethal.

This is 100% correct, a prop is no sharper than fins. Just because it looks like it can mulch you up when moving, does not make it a death machine when sitting still.

And to further prove this point, many folks leave an outboard in neutral when off, so there is even the chance of glancing off of it as it can free spin if impacted.

Don't get me wrong, they all hurt when kicked. Ask this old man who tends to pull himself up without the ladder on occasion just to remind himself that the fins are down there. But that is just Darwin rewarding me for being stupid.

 

[Neutron]

Trim tabs can be just as painful when kicked as well and they have more surface to get in the way. I have never kicked my cobra fins but have hit the tabs but havent drawn blood yet

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I appreciate the feedback, everyone. Pics were helpful. And, yes—engines will be off!

Glad to see the comment about the engines being off…there’s been a few deaths from drowning with carbon monoxide poisoning being a contributing factor.

The props Aka impellers on our running boats are inherently safer than an outdrive since they’re inside of a grated intake, but still could cause severe injury and therefore respected just as any running vehicle, power sport vehicle, gas or electric powered device.

 

[Bluewater272]

A prop is a hell of a lot sharper than the keel. While being behind any boat while running is dangerous, an idling jet boat doesn’t pose much danger. An idling prop boat and you will lose a leg. Props are MUCH more dangerous.

Props are a bit sharper than the keel because they are narrower...but they're hardly 'sharp', likewise an 'idling prop' in neutral wouldn't be spinning, so nobody is losing a leg. Being in the water near any running boat is dangerous. I'm in full agreement with 2quik above, any attempt to rationalize a jetboat as safer is misguided at best.

 

[adrianp89]

Props are a bit sharper than the keel because they are narrower...but they're hardly 'sharp', likewise an 'idling prop' in neutral wouldn't be spinning, so nobody is losing a leg. Being in the water near any running boat is dangerous. I'm in full agreement with 2quik above, any attempt to rationalize a jetboat as safer is misguided at best.

Not sure I’m getting this argument. Ask the mutilated dolphins or manatees what type of boat they prefer. Jet Boats are safer.

 

[Acard7]

Hell I might as well jump in on this ?

I will say, if I were to make an emergency rescue where I needed to get the swim deck as close as possible to someone in the water to pull them up, it’s nice to know there’s not a prop sticking off the back to worry about slicing and dicing. Just another angle to argue about ?

So far with the 3 seasons we’ve had our boat, no one, child or adult, has kicked the cobra jet fins or nozzles. Just my anecdotal experience! We love our jet boat! And in two years, hopefully, we will have our 250 series we have been wanting.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Jets are less effective than props I had to run over this dolphin 3 times before he ended up on the beach.


But even p w c's can be dangerous prop or not.

 

[gthorson]

I want in too. I've never touched the fins when swimming. The jets and fins are at waist or knee level to swimmers so the kicking legs wouldn't normally hit them. I also only touched the outboard a couple times when I had one of those. So there really isn't a hear nor there there. I do know that I've had to try and reach the jet gates a couple times from the swim deck and gave myself cramps trying to reach around and under the swim deck. All this to say I think they are plenty tucked up under and out of the way. Also, I always turn off the motor, regardless of boat, when swimming or boarding swimmers.