thrust vector vs cobra? I have a 2018 SX195

[markp]

Which should I buy for best low speed control improvement? and why?

 

[fireflymedic]

I like coke better than Pepsi. Pepsi is to sweet. I loved Pepsi when I was a kid though so I guess it depends how old you are. Lol

 

[Blue Hawaiian]

same here, you saw/heard tons of debate, the end of day, you will get used to it even without any of, i like cherry coke, but after found cherry pepsi almost taste no difference, so just stick on what you believe the best !

 

[mwalker4]

I chose Cobra, but it was a hard decision. They both seem to improve low speed steering and are a little north of $200. The pros on the Cobra for me were:
1. They do not hang down below the keel on the 19' boats. The JBP will hang down an extra 4" which is a concern for my driveway and some gas stations in the hills. To mitigate this I could lift up the TVs, place a noodle in the jet nozzle, and rest the TVs on the noodle. It's a fix, but one more thing to do.
2. The Cobra's can either be in the water or out of the water when under way. I like the flexibility. The big one here is the accident avoidance at speed. If presented with an obstacle, normal reaction is to power down and turn. With the fins in the water I will turn with fins out no turn. Yes I can learn to power up and turn but I may not be driving my boat.

Given that, if the TV wakes were troublefree, I would have purchased them for tubing use. But I need a couple of years on the market before I will want to put them on my boat.

My previous input. I will be receiving and installing them today, so all of my input is from research not personal experience.

 

[Dough]

Wild cherry Pepsi for me, way better!

Some saying about a dead horse is appropriate here.

 

[KyleP]

hit a quick search, there is a ton of debate about this topic. I personally have cobra's and have had a great experience.

 

[MidnightRider]

There is no getting around just doing some research, especially on this forum, tons of information to decide what is best for you. You will get just as much argument for one as for the other. But in interest of getting you started here is my opinion. If you do water sports (which we do a lot of) I think having fins always down at speed all the time for high speed tracking is very beneficial. Cobra Steering is the only one that makes fins that are down all the time at all speeds. So that is what I went with. If this wasn't the case and I was looking for a fin that was only down at slow speeds and flipped up out of the way at fast speeds for a more "jet boat like" feel... then it would be 50/50 for me. Although IMO JBP thrust vectors are better looking design wise so that may sway me towards thrust vectors in the flip up style fins category.

Either way let me plug the JBP Lateral Thrusters to accompany any fin setup you go with, they are the real deal and I wouldn't have a pre-2019 jet boat without them ever again.

 

[swatski]

^^^ I think @MidnightRider just nailed all the basics.

My 0.02 would be - ride it stock to get a good feel for the baseline.

Personally, I would not want to be in a 190 without fins, the new (keeled) 240/242 it would be okay.

Two things that steer me towards Cobras are:
1. having fins down all the time (especially in a 190) is great for water sports; also gives some steering ability when the boat is losing thrust (for example - an avoidance maneuver while slowing down)
2. there is a loss of some strait reverse thrust with Lateral Thrusters (hard to tell exactly how much is lost); in most situations /boating scenarios it likely does not matter; except when you launch on a shallow ramp - may needed all the strait reverse you can have to be able to slide off of the trailer.

--

 

[biffdotorg]

100% agree, ride it stock. Once you realize that you can learn to drive anything, you may appreciate what these do no matter which you go with. I have owned both, and they both performed as advertised. Lateral thrusters are the bomb though. Buy them right away even if you never buy fins.

And after 3-4 Morgan Diet's, I could give two craps if it's diet coke or diet pepsi. (my wife will argue that till she dies)

 

[Dean P]

I've had both with my 192. I would choose the Cobra over TV. No question.

My 0.03 cents and MY observations first hand...

1. The TV frame bends too easy (try backing up to a sandbar and you'll understand).
2. The screws on the sides popped thru the plastic.
3. Blank paint chips and fall off - then starts rusting.
4. They provide nothing when on plane.
5. For what you're getting, they're overpriced.
6. Cost is comparable with Cobras

1. Like @swatski said Cobras provide steering when coming off plane (this is HUGE). This is not a Coke vs Pepsi thing. This is a safety concern.
2. They aid in water sports as the stern is held in place.
   1. The amount that stays in the water are adjustable to suit your needs
3. Steering is already great with jets but the fangs make it superior.
4. These don't bend making sandbar anchoring less concerning.
5. Cost is justifiable/fair

 

[Matts18]

I would get the Cobra Vipers. The addition of the small planing surface is a nice addition. If you want to go the thrust vector route, check out the set I have for sale in the classifieds......or just get the CJS Viper.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

The super ultimate is very effective spring loaded and adjustable with extra slow speed forward and reverse control built into the top of the fins so when the boat comes down off plane this extra surface area comes into play automatically.
On plane only the portion of the fins that you set to be lower than the nozzle come in to play, Yes you decide the influence at high speed .
A Very Important feature of this and other cobra steering systems for the A K boats, All the system is above the rudder so no issue with it being too low in the water especially on a 19 foot boat as the nozzle is the lowest point on the hull .
With 18 years of experience making jet propelled watercraft steer at ALL speeds for docking or in reverse even Off power steering control so for this setup it would probably be the best 200 dollars you ever spent on your boat.
No more boat spinning out when you pull the throttles back, better control at all speeds even in rough conditions in heavy boat traffic areas and when pulling tubes or participating in other water sport activities .
No heavy handed steering at the helm either. You can even set these to go up on plane and deploy off plane but my recommendation is to set the system to stay in the water all the time , More control and more features for less money it's like driving a new boat with more steering response than you though would even be possible for a jet boat and still maintain the predictability so you can relax at the helm and enjoy the scenery. First drive the boat stock try dealing with waves and angling your approach to see how the boat handles stock. Try rapidly decelerating and staying straight, or just let go of the wheel on plane see how the boat tracks next try to turn while you pull the throttles back on plane and see what happens.
Drive the boat at the dock using the throttle to move you one inch at a time by bumping the controls in to forward and back to neutral to reverse and back to neutral you can crab walk a jet boat because it has no transmission. You can deploy that same technique to stand still as well. So once you drive the boat a while see what it needs to make you happy and other operators so you get to step away from the helm occasionally also. Also it is important to have real reverse thrust for backing off trailers where you don't need to worry about the hull jumping sideways if you give it throttle while launching off the trailer or from a floating dock. etc. plenty of comparisons here as well https://jetboaters.net/threads/basi...he-options-from-cobra-jet-steering-llc.16857/ and yes the viper is also a good model for the single engine 19 foot boat especially for people who do a lot of water sports and water skiing . Customers report the boat plains at about 500 rpm lower than stock and stays on plane at 500 rpm slower also . for the big sum of 169 shipped in the usa plenty of features and benefits for the cost. just put some info about those here https://jetboaters.net/threads/2018-sx190.22649/

 

[Wishfull1]

I have the Cobra Jet Viper on my '18 SX195. Love it! Although I have not tried the Thrust Vectors, for me, there is no reason to. My wife hated the way the boat just wandered while no wake, needing constant correction. Much better now. They also reduced the "sit and spin". Stock, the boat would kick sideways when putting in neutral if another boat was approaching under the oneway bridge we go through. Again, much butter.

Furthermore, my buddy was driving the boat WFO and heading straight for a buoy. We were yelling "buoy Lenny... buoy!!" Instinctively, he chopped the throttle and turned the wheel. Thanks to the Vipers, we did not hit the buoy.

 

[fireflymedic]

I have thrust vectors they were on the boat when I bought it I've had no problems they work fine. I put on lateral thrusters they also work great. I'm just sitting on the side lines waiting to see how the surf tech thrust vectors get dialed in before taking the tv off and upgrading.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Twin engine A k boats are another thing all together Nothing on the planet can compare to features and benefits offered by the super systems or the mega fang combo all including the second tie rod slow fast forward or reverse even s turns with no power and no fins hanging down near the bottom of the rudder. And we now have the super Ultimate AK with the mega fang plus.

 

[Fordman]

I have Cobra jet, but have never tried TV. But I can tell you on my ar190 I love how it turns at speed now! It banks hard, absolutely amazing!. This is my first season with them. I've been boating for about 10 years and had Stern drive and outboards. I love my jet boat. The first season was good without them, but I didn't care for tubing. It was hard to swing them around. Now it turns on a dime! Also I come into docks now with the Cobra jet on there and do a 180 and my wife was like "seriously!" I was never able to do that before. Low speed steering is amazing. Just my 2 cents.

 

[jEt_jAk]

Either way let me plug the JBP Lateral Thrusters to accompany any fin setup you go with, they are the real deal and I wouldn't have a pre-2019 jet boat without them ever again.

This

 

[markp]

Thanks for all the reply's. I pulled the trigger today on cobra super ultimate's. Looking forward better control at the docks

 

[Dean P]

Thanks for all the reply's. I pulled the trigger today on cobra super ultimate's. Looking forward better control at the docks

Good for you. I guarantee you'll love them. We all did.

 

[SCP1]

Twin engine A k boats are another thing all together Nothing on the planet can compare to features and benefits offered by the super systems or the mega fang combo all including the second tie rod slow fast forward or reverse even s turns with no power and no fins hanging down near the bottom of the rudder. And we now have the super Ultimate AK with the mega fang plus.

Ok so I have a 2017 AR195 with the rudder and lateral thruster. Will your system work with the lateral thruster?