Tower or No Tower?? Is one needed for water sports???

[Enduro900]

Hey all,

I am an avid snowmobiler here in Michigan but have not owned a boat in many years (about 20 years actually).

My wife grew up on boats and now that the kids are grown we have more free time in the summers, so we are planning our next purchase.

Now we are looking to buy (most likely waiting until spring boat show when we can look at everything under 1 roof).

My big dilemma is the wife hates the towers/look and how they take away the “open air feel” of the boat. I was leaning towards a model with a tower so that we could have the ability to do all water sports in the future when we have grandkids (tubing, skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing, etc.). Is a tower necessary to wakeboard/wake surf or are there longer ski poles that can be used on the non-tower models?

I also assume a tower on the Yamahas gives you a larger Bimini? Or is the Bimini only larger on the 242SE/X models???

I am trying to do a lot of research and buy my second boat first (frankly I want to buy new and keep it for 20yrs+ so want to make sure I do it right). Probably a 240/242 or 250/252 next spring assuming that is the next generation announced next week. I also have not ruled out a 23ft-26ft i/o and on most I/O’s the towers are a $3k-$7k option, and I’d rather put that money towards max HP options.

Thank you!

 

[anmut]

Buy the tower. Resale value is better. Towers pop you out of the water for all water sports better than stern tow points. Even if you think you're only going to pull a tube for the kids, you'll buy a boat with a tower and, before you know it, you'll be wake boarding and surfing. Ask me how I know.

 

[adrianp89]

Go tower.

 

[Just1more]

I would go tower also. Have had two yamahas and both with towers. I think they look cooler also. Never liked the look of the bimini laying on back of boat When not in use.

 

[2kwik4u]

I will never own a boat without a tower again. Ever. Period. Watersports are the least important reason to have one.

@Enduro900 I would, respectively, disagree with your wife. Our boat with a tower feels FAR more "open" than our last boat with a Bimini mounted on the gunwales. The lack of poles to hold up our shade, and lack of straps to hold it in place, and the increased height off the deck, allows us to stay shaded and not feel like we're in a tent. Finding a Bimini on a non-towered boat that I don't have to duck for (I'm 6'2" tall) is a rarity. Until I put the speaker bar in on my tower I would JUST miss my head on it. The shade is a little larger, but a little higher up. Feels significantly more open than our last boat.

Here's my unofficial "Why towers are amazing" list. I should really copy and paste this somewhere so I can repost it every time someone asks

• A place to hold onto the boat while at dock
• A place to put your towels to dry
• A place to hold onto while rafting up with friends
• A thing to hang your hammock from
• A place to hang a baby from (see picture below)
• It gets the bimini UP and OFF the gunwales of the boat (giving better sight lines, and a more open feel IMO)
• A place to hang speakers (because you need sound while you're anchored and hanging out in the water behind the boat)
• Gets the anchor light off a pole and onto the tower (removing more crap on the gunwales to break/leak/obstruct movement
• Towered boats typically sell faster than non towered boats
  • Resale value isn't really higher you pay more up front, but and get a higher price on sale, it's usually a wash
• They look great (sure this is subjective, but it's probably the popular vote)
• Typically more shade on a towered boat

Where do you live? Aside from the global pandemic, you can probably find someone to take you on a test drive with and without from the boards......Or find one of the meetups and just hang out for a day. You'll meet nice people and get to experience a variety of options. Way better than the showroom.

Here's a great use for a tower:

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Enduro900 Welcome. I am from Michigan as well, Royal Oak. I wouldn't have a problem taking you guys out. Not sure what area you live in. I have a 2020 AR210 with tower of course.

Get the tower, imho. You won't regret it at all.

 

[biffdotorg]

Hey Enduro,

Michigan and Minnesota Sledder here as well. Although I identify as a boater from April-October.

Our last two boats have both been with towers. And we have more use out of the tower for things other than watersports. As the list obove is pretty accurate. The first time your guests jump in while using the tower as a handrail, and you get it.

Hanging towels, wet jackets etc is a bonus. And we have no plans on hanging speakers on our current tower. But the lights in the tower on many Yamahas are nice for sure.

Good luck, as said, do it for resale value if you have to get it past the better half. She will come around.

 

[Enduro900]

I will never own a boat without a tower again. Ever. Period. Watersports are the least important reason to have one.

@Enduro900 I would, respectively, disagree with your wife. Our boat with a tower feels FAR more "open" than our last boat with a bimini mounted on the gunwales. The lack of poles to hold up our shade, and lack of straps to hold it in place, and the increased height off the deck, allows us to stay shaded and not feel like we're in a tent. Finding a bimini on a non-towered boat that I don't have to duck for (I'm 6'2" tall) is a rarity. Until I put the speaker bar in on my tower I would JUST miss my head on it. The shade is alittle larger, but a little higher up. Feels significantly more open than our last boat.

Here's my unofficial "Why towers are amazing" list. I should really copy and paste this somewhere so I can report it every time someone asks

• A place to hold onto the boat while at dock
• A place to put your towels to dry
• A place to hold onto while rafting up with friends
• A thing to hang your hammock from
• A place to hang a baby from (see picture below)
• It gets the bimini UP and OFF the gunwales of the boat (giving better sight lines, and a more open feel IMO)
• A place to hang speakers (because you need sound while you're anchored and hanging out in the water behind the boat)
• Gets the anchor light off a pole and onto the tower (removing more crap on the gunwales to break/leak/obstruct movement
• Towered boats typically sell faster than non towered boats
  • Resale value isn't really higher you pay more up front, but and get a higher price on sale, it's usually a wash
• They look great (sure this is subjective, but it's probably the popular vote)
• Typically more shade on a towered boat

Where do you live? Aside from the local pandemic, you can probably find someone to take you on a test drive with and without from the boards......Or find one of the meetups and just hang out for a day. You'll meet nice people and get to experience a variety of options. Way better than the showroom.

Here's a great use for a tower:
View attachment 128644

Haha this is the ammo I need thanks......I think you just sold the wife on a tower (picturing future grandkids ). We are probably sold on Yamaha/jet boat for 3 reasons:

1). Flat planing compared to I/O’s (at least our past experiences and older I/O’s we’ve been renting this year/wife can’t stand the normal bow rise and we’ve been told it is almost non-existent on the larger Yamaha’s???).
2). Wife HATES the props out back when swimming/re-entry/always freaks her out when the kids are climbing around the back after tubing/even with the engine off).
3). No prop damage to worry about (we don’t live on a lake so we’ll have to trailer/visit different lakes......

I’ve got to say this is the BEST forum I’ve ever been on.....most are polite, good conversations and GREAT advice (I learned the correct way to set an anchor on here, and used it/impressed the wife when we rented a boat last week).

I live in Marion Twp, MI (Brighton/Howell area).

If anyone is interested I have 3 newer Skidoo’s maybe we could swap a day on the lake for a trip on the Trails (winter)

 

[Matt Phillips]

When I bought the 09, I was either/or on a tower as I'd never owned one before and hadn't ever thought about wakeboarding. We ended up getting a tower and now I can't imagine a boat this size without one. We ended up wakeboarding a lot and really enjoying the sport. The other thing as others mentioned is the tower gives everyone on the boat something sturdy to hang onto as it's rocking about. This is a great safety advantage. I also agree with prior posts that tower boats hold their value better, and look more modern. a lot of the towers also have integrated lights so you can have more light when out at night and socializing. As for shade, the coverage on the 242 series is massive and you want that shade on a boat when out in the sun.

Go for the tower...you won't be disappointed.

 

[Enduro900]

@Enduro900 Welcome. I am from Michigan as well, Royal Oak. I wouldn't have a problem taking you guys out. Not sure what area you live in. I have a 2020 AR210 with tower of course.

Get the tower, imho. You won't regret it at all.

HangOutdoors,

Thank you for the offer, we just might take you up on it!

Seeing as you are from Royal Oak, what lakes do you usually boat on?

And knowing the metro Detroit lakes are packed, how hard is it to even get on them (do you head over extra early to drop or do you boat during the week?). We might rent a slip on a lake up north as it leads out to Lake Michigan (2,000 acre lake or we can head out to the big water/sandy beaches) and they only charge $1200 a season (then I won’t have to pay storage as I can’t park a trailer in my driveway and I don’t think a 24/25ft will fit in my garage). I store my sleds in an enclosed trailer in St. Helen area as they only charge $25/month for outdoor storage and I have to trailer north to ride anyway so less miles trailering.

My Grandmother had a cottage on Wolverine lake when I was growing up (near Walled Lake), and we hardly ever went out on the weekends because it was always packed/skiing/tubing a lot of close calls......

 

[2kwik4u]

Haha this is the ammo I need thanks......I think you just sold the wife on a tower (picturing future grandkids ). We are probably sold on Yamaha/jet boat for 3 reasons:

1). Flat planing compared to I/O’s (at least our past experiences and older I/O’s we’ve been renting this year/wife can’t stand the normal bow rise and we’ve been told it is almost no existent on the larger Yamaha’s???).
2). Wife HATES the props out back when swimming/re-entry/always freaks her out when the kids are climbing around the back after tubing/even with the engine off).
3). No prop damage to worry about (we don’t live on a lake so we’ll have to trailer/visit different lakes......

Glad to help. Welcome to the boards, I think you'll find most of us here are pretty laid back/relaxed in general.

A few notes on your points above.
1. The bow rise is MUCH LESS than my old I/O. It is NOT completely gone. It's the nature of a planing hull in that there is always a small "wall of water" climb over. The jets come up pretty flat, but it's not zero degrees flat. Just want to set the expectations right here.
2. The safety aspect is a bit of a misnomer IMO for two reasons. The first is.....well....there's still stuff down there to kick with your feet. I've bloodied my foot on the nozzle of my boat at least once when we first got it. Same number of times I did it on my propeller equipped boat as well. Secondarily, you will inevitably meet some folks on the water you like, adn start hanging out with them. They will most likely have a propeller equipped boat, and teaching kids to be safe around the back of the boat is something that should be done for those situations. Just far away from the boat to be sure to clear anything just behind it. The advantages do show through in accidents though. If you're hit by a jet at slow speeds it won't chop you with a propeller, and if you slide of the back on accident you can't "fall into" a propeller. The safety aspect with people getting on/off during tubing/swimming should be a non issue since the motor should be off for that period of time anyway. A 1/2 throttle jet will hurt just as bad as a 1/2 throttle prop, the injuries will be different. There's even a rather graphic/humorous warning sticker from Yamaha on the back of the boats to this same effect.
3. Prop damage is traded for impeller clogging/damage. More often than not the obstruction/clog is easily/quickly cleared and there is no damage done, however it will slow/stop your day for some amount of time. If you ding an impeller on a chunk of metal/rock/etc you can't go to your local Mercury supported marina and get a new impeller and get back on the water the same day. The support system for jet parts just isn't quite as robust as more "traditional" marine parts. Same as with the pro vs jet and my foot. I've dinged the same number of props and impellers in 10 seasons of boating inland lakes (1 each). Both were fixed with a file and just a little time.

Really, I don't want to discourage you at any level, just wanted to make sure your expectations are set properly. The world is full of compromises, and this is no different. IMO, the benefits of the jet outweigh the other smaller issues. I (or many others here) can gladly go into why a jet is better than a traditional I/O or inboard, as well as why they aren't better, and finally, why they are just "different" in some places, with the pro/con swing being largely subjective.

Again, welcome aboard! Glad to have you.

 

[Enduro900]

Glad to help. Welcome to the boards, I think you'll find most of us here are pretty laid back/relaxed in general.

A few notes on your points above.
1. The bow rise is MUCH LESS than my old I/O. It is NOT completely gone. It's the nature of a planing hull in that there is always a small "wall of water" climb over. The jets come up pretty flat, but it's not zero degrees flat. Just want to set the expectations right here.
2. The safety aspect is a bit of a misnomer IMO for two reasons. The first is.....well....there's still stuff down there to kick with your feet. I've bloodied my foot on the nozzle of my boat at least once when we first got it. Same number of times I did it on my propeller equipped boat as well. Secondarily, you will inevitably meet some folks on the water you like, adn start hanging out with them. They will most likely have a propeller equipped boat, and teaching kids to be safe around the back of the boat is something that should be done for those situations. Just far away from the boat to be sure to clear anything just behind it. The advantages do show through in accidents though. If you're hit by a jet at slow speeds it won't chop you with a propeller, and if you slide of the back on accident you can't "fall into" a propeller. The safety aspect with people getting on/off during tubing/swimming should be a non issue since the motor should be off for that period of time anyway. A 1/2 throttle jet will hurt just as bad as a 1/2 throttle prop, the injuries will be different. There's even a rather graphic/humorous warning sticker from Yamaha on the back of the boats to this same effect.
3. Prop damage is traded for impeller clogging/damage. More often than not the obstruction/clog is easily/quickly cleared and there is no damage done, however it will slow/stop your day for some amount of time. If you ding an impeller on a chunk of metal/rock/etc you can't go to your local Mercury supported marina and get a new impeller and get back on the water the same day. The support system for jet parts just isn't quite as robust as more "traditional" marine parts. Same as with the pro vs jet and my foot. I've dinged the same number of props and impellers in 10 seasons of boating inland lakes (1 each). Both were fixed with a file and just a little time.

Really, I don't want to discourage you at any level, just wanted to make sure your expectations are set properly. The world is full of compromises, and this is no different. IMO, the benefits of the jet outweigh the other smaller issues. I (or many others here) can gladly go into why a jet is better than a traditional I/O or inboard, as well as why they aren't better, and finally, why they are just "different" in some places, with the pro/con swing being largely subjective.

Again, welcome aboard! Glad to have you.

Thanks for the reply. As you mentioned there are pro’s and cons jet/I/O and i am trying to find out all I can to make an educated decision on which is best for me. If we end up buying new I actually would like to work with a dealer that sells both (Yamaha and Regal/Monterey are my I/O targets at this point, And a dealer near me sells Yamaha and Monterey). One of my preferences is ride quality in the chop as we will probably take our boat out to Lake Michigan from time to time (when its calm of course). So I’d like the opportunity to operate both back-back (hopefully in the same conditions).

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Enduro900 LSC, Orchard, Cass, Portage, Michigan, Erie, Huron, Maceday, White, Loon, Orion, been all over.

Launches are crazy on the weekend. If you get to the launch before 10:00 a.m., such as on Orchard Lake, we prefer 9:30 am. You are fine. Come 10:30 a.m. You are not launching or finding a parking spot. This is on the weekend.

On the weekdays you are fine all day now, after 5:00 pm though you see more traffic.. It is getting better now that people are getting back to work.

We haven't been shut out on the last 5 Saturdays between 9:30 am and 10:00 am.

 

[Enduro900]

@Enduro900 LSC, Orchard, Cass, Portage, Michigan, Erie, Huron, Maceday, White, Loon, Orion, been all over.

Launches are crazy on the weekend. If you get to the launch before 10:00 a.m., such as on Orchard Lake, we prefer 9:30 am. You are fine. Come 10:30 a.m. You are not launching or finding a parking spot. This is on the weekend.

On the weekdays you are fine all day now, after 5:00 pm though you see more traffic.. It is getting better now that people are getting back to work.

We haven't been shut out on the last 5 Saturdays between 9:30 am and 10:00 am.

Thanks for the reply. When you say Portage is that the one in Pinckney/Dexter Area? That one is not too far from us. How was your experience (water quality/traffic/etc)?

 

[HangOutdoors]

Yes that is the one. Water was fine traffic was fine. Go into the chain of lakes and the water quality drops and the traffic is more congested in the smaller lakes. At least when we went. If there is low water I think it would of been tougher on some parts of the river. Ate at Zukey lake Tavern had a nice time though. Met another Jetboaters.net member in the river as well.

 

[Enduro900]

Yes that is the one. Water was fine traffic was fine. Go into the chain of lakes and the water quality drops and the traffic is more congested in the smaller lakes. At least when we went. If there is low water I think it would of been tougher on some parts of the river. Ate at Zukey lake Tavern had a nice time though. Met another Jetboaters.net member in the river as well.

I mentioned my Grandmother had a place on Wolverine growing up, my other grandparents had a cottage on Strawberry Lake (the lake you hit before making it to Zukey Lake Tavern). Strawberry gets pretty busy, and we thought Portage would be better as its larger. My mom lives right across from Zukey on Bass lake, which is a no-wake lake and unfortunately is not connected to the Chain otherwise I’d be all set for a slip

 

[rlyons_ii]

Just adding my two cents...
It's unbearable at times to be on the water in the direct sun so a tower or a bimini really helps you to get some comfort from the suns rays... I live in South Florida and the suns rays are so intense that a tower or bimini is a requirement, I'm not risking sunburn just to relax on the water. With that said accidents happen and you or someone on your boat can easily break the bimini whereas it really hard to break the hard tower...

I can hear some of you now (Hold My Beer!)

I was born and raised in the Midwest (Detroit to be exact) so I'm familiar to the area. One of my favorite trips was taking the boat to Boblo Island (gone now), Put-In-Bay and Cedar Point. All of the modern jetboats can get there from Lake St. Clair or the Detroit River in a few hours of course counting on the weather, both are great locations to visit or stay overnight. Your family and friends will love you for it! If you have people that are not adventurous they can drive to Cedar Point or take the Ferry from Sandusky to Put-In-Bay.

I try to make the trip yearly in the summer now that my kids are of age to enjoy it, my wife and kids are always talking about going again..

 

[Enduro900]

Just adding my two cents...
It's unbearable at times to be on the water in the direct sun so a tower or a bimini really helps you to get some comfort from the suns rays... I live in South Florida and the suns rays are so intense that a tower or bimini is a requirement, I'm not risking sunburn just to relax on the water. With that said accidents happen and you or someone on your boat can easily break the bimini whereas it really hard to break the hard tower...

I can hear some of you now (Hold My Beer!)

I was born and raised in the Midwest (Detroit to be exact) so I'm familiar to the area. One of my favorite trips was taking the boat to Boblo Island (gone now), Put-In-Bay and Cedar Point. All of the modern jetboats can get there from Lake St. Clair or the Detroit River in a few hours of course counting on the weather, both are great locations to visit or stay overnight. Your family and friends will love you for it! If you have people that are not adventurous they can drive to Cedar Point or take the Ferry from Sandusky to Put-In-Bay.

I try to make the trip yearly in the summer now that my kids are of age to enjoy it, my wife and kids are always talking about going again..

Rlyons, thanks for chiming in and thanks for the pics!

I actually never knew Cedar Point had slips to rent for the night. We have stayed there overnight in hotels which was fun, but boating over would take it to a whole other level!

Btw, what part of Florida are you in? I lived in Wellington 2001-2004 (near West Palm/Lake Worth.

On the Bimini subject, wife loves the sun and me not as much. We’ve been renting boats for a couple of years and I usually put the Bimini up and she sits where its not covering (she likes sitting upfront/bow area). I will on occasion Put the Bimini down for an hour or so, then right back up for the rest of the day.

And yes I’m usually the guy at the beach sitting under an umbrella

 

[rlyons_ii]

Rlyons, thanks for chiming in and thanks for the pics!

I actually never knew Cedar Point had slips to rent for the night. We have stayed there overnight in hotels which was fun, but boating over would take it to a whole other level!

Btw, what part of Florida are you in? I lived in Wellington 2001-2004 (near West Palm/Lake Worth.

On the Bimini subject, wife loves the sun and me not as much. We’ve been renting boats for a couple of years and I usually put the Bimini up and she sits where its not covering (she likes sitting upfront/bow area). I will on occasion Put the Bimini down for an hour or so, then right back up for the rest of the day.

And yes I’m usually the guy at the beach sitting under an umbrella

I live in Boynton Beach, FL since 2006. I had Yamaha xl1200 waverunner and a Honda ST1300 motorcycle and never enough time to enjoy them with the short summers, here it's summer all year long except during a Hurricane (there are still people out even then!)

I sold both toys and bought my house so I'm looking at a new Jetboat! I was a at the unavailing of the Yamaha 275 in Miami in 2019, I recorded alot but I found myself at the end of someone else's video

That is me with the Yamaha Racing shirt with my wife and kids at the 9:55 mark. I arrived right when they were thru for the day with the demo rides... That's ok, looking forward to the 25 ft this year... fingers crossed.


Cedar Point has an awesome Marina, check it out: Marinas at Cedar Point | Cedar Point

My kids and wife were intimidated by the roller coasters, so during the day we hit the Castaway Bay water park, its awesome... then after-hours I was able to hit the coasters by myself with minimum wait less than 15 mins on the major rides. There is also a nice area with rides for little kids!

Only negative on the marina is the Wi-Fi in the marina it just does not exist and cell towers are far away, I was recording the trip to put on youTube, I took all of my videos in 4k then back at the marina I was not able to upload anything to the cloud so I ended up running out of space which crippled my phone to the point I had to get a new one! My GoPro was fine but I did not want to carry it into the park. You live and learn!

The picture where my wife and daughter are laughing was taken in the Bay Harbor restaurant:
Bay Harbor - Drinks and Dining | Cedar Point the decor was a little dated but we had a great time, it was my wife's birthday.

In the future it would be great to have a group make the trip from the Lake St. Clair/ Detroit River area to Cedar Point! There are hotel rooms on site and cabins off for overnight stays.


Cedar Point Marina:
One of the benefits for staying in the Marina is that you get to enter the park 1 hour before general public and stay later, there are two restaurants in that area also we have gone to both.
This popular marina is one of the largest on the Great Lakes and features a floating pier system, gas dock, marina store, picnic area, gated docks and swimming pool.

Amenities and Benefits

Floating pier system Restrooms and showers Fuel docks Dockside pool and whirlpool spa Gated dock areas 24-hour security Complimentary WiFi in the Marina Store Beach access Two-minute walk to Cedar Point Pedestrian access to Cedar Point Guest laundry facilities Courtesy shuttle service on Cedar Point Peninsula Discounted Cedar Point tickets Two marina Platinum Passes* Eight Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark day passes*

*Included with full summer seasonal dockage.

Dining

Two restaurants, the upscale Bay Harbor with its fresh seafood and steak fare; and the award-winning Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que, are located in the Cedar Point Marina and welcome boating enthusiasts.



And they also have Castaway Bay Marina:

Located adjacent to Cedar Point's Castaway Bay year-round indoor waterpark, this tranquil full-service marina has gated docks, a heated swimming pool with a sundeck, gas docks and rest rooms with showers. All 180 slips are equipped with full utilities.

Amenities and Benefits

Gated docks Heated swimming pool Sundeck Fuel docks Restrooms and showers

Discounted Cedar Point tickets Guest laundry facilities Two Marina Platinum Passes* Eight Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark day passes*

*Included with full summer seasonal dockage

 

[AZMark]

Hey all,

I am an avid snowmobiler here in Michigan but have not owned a boat in many years (about 20 years actually).

My wife grew up on boats and now that the kids are grown we have more free time in the summers, so we are planning our next purchase.

Now we are looking to buy (most likely waiting until spring boat show when we can look at everything under 1 roof).

My big dilemma is the wife hates the towers/look and how they take away the “open air feel” of the boat. I was leaning towards a model with a tower so that we could have the ability to do all water sports in the future when we have grandkids (tubing, skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing, etc.). Is a tower necessary to wakeboard/wake surf or are there longer ski poles that can be used on the non-tower models?

I also assume a tower on the Yamahas give you a larger Bimini? Or is the Bimini only larger on the 242SE/X models???

I am trying to do a lot of research and buy my second boat first (frankly I want to buy new and keep it for 20yrs+ so want to make sure I do it right). Probably a 240/242 or 250/252 next spring assuming that is the next generation announced next week. I also have not ruled out a 23ft-26ft i/o and on most I/O’s the towers are a $3k-$7k option, and I’d rather put that money towards max HP options.

Thank you!

Lot of good responses here. I have the tower and also recommend it but I’d note two things:
Make sure your garage or parking area works for the height. These boats are very tall even with the towers folded.

Other than 242 boats the tower boats actually have a smaller bimini top.