What boat next??

[EmeryZ28]

In 2017 my wife and I purchased a new AR195 as we felt it was a good boat for our young family ( two boys 1 and 4 at the time) and was within our budget. We have loved the boat over the past 4 years, cruising the intercoastal and enjoying island time out on the gulf. We have recently gotten into more towing ( tubes, knee board soon to be wakeboard) and often go out with another couple and their two kids so we are at capacity with 8 riders. I also have some rod holders for the wake tower as sometimes my oldest son and I do a little fishing(but nothing serious)

Now we want to move to a larger boat. My wife is very insistent that we stay with a jet as she loves the swim platform and the lack of a prop gives her piece of mind with out young swimmers.

My only complaints with the AR195 are that it gets beat up in the chop and it is starting to feel small.

Currently looking at everything from an AR250, to the 252SE.

Is going from a 19ft 2300ib boat to a 25ft 4000ib boat going to provide a major difference when it comes to cutting through chop and wake?
Will 6 adults and 6 kids feel just as crowded on a 25ft yamaha compared to 4 adults and 4 kids on a 19 footer?
Are the luxury amenities of the 252 S or SE worth the $10k+ price over the AR250?
Anything you recommend outside of Yamaha? I do not want a Scarab....

Any other advice?


I will be towing the boat with my Silverado or Tahoe so no worries there.


thanks,

 

[Quad]

We have a 2020 242SE and felt that we got beat up by chop more than other similarly sized I/O boats. This spring I added trim tabs, and it's made a world of difference. If you were to stay with a jet drive and go larger, I would suggest adding tabs ASAP.

 

[2kwik4u]

If I was upgrading from my 2017 AR190 I have 3 thoughts.

"money isn't an issue" - Go with a 252FSH. Large 25ft hull with the center console layout. Won't feel too crowded with plenty of seats, and plenty of floor space. Lots of power, and plenty of range.

"It's the same but bigger" - Go with the AR250. It's just as simple as the AR190 without electronic drive controls, or other doo-daddery, but adds a ton of space for you.

"I kinda want a 'hot rod' " - 212X or 212 Limited S. These are the "big" 1.8L engines in the smaller 21ft hull. Doesn't get you as much space as the 24/25ft hulls, but will have tons of speed and power isn't ever an issue. My understanding is that the jump from a 19 to a 21 is still noticeable in both space and ride in the water.

Most likely......if/when I upgrade.....I'll end up in a used AR240. I like the idea of no connext screen, and cable throttles and steering. Once I get out of the size that fits in my garage, I'm going to get the largest hull I can, since storage costs for a 21 vs a 24ft are going to be very minimal. No idea when I will be able to do such an upgrade though.

 

[anmut]

"buy as big as you can afford" is the general rule with boats.

 

[nosterka]

Moving from a 19 to 25 foot you should have a noticeable difference in ride quality. Usually adding weight and length should help rough water handling (depending on hull shape). Plus the weight you reference is dry weight, add people gear and fuel should result in a bigger difference in weight between the two. I ended up in a 252SD, was looking at the S or SE but my closest dealer only had the SD so that’s what I got. I could probably do without all the extras but they are nice when you have them, I know I know also more stuff that can break too. So far we have only had 5 people on board and it was fine, 12 though, I would probably feel crowded, but that’s just me I don’t like a full boat. Anyways we really do like our 252 and hope to have it for years to enjoy.

 

[LakesideLaw]

AR250 is huge.... 25 foot hull (new design) rides great in Lake Erie - no issues with 3-4 foot chop. Super smooth ride. Head on the 25 foot design is money as well with kids and ladies. I love the size and simplicity of the AR250 - that is my vote. We consistently have 8-10 on the boat and it has plenty of space. I figured I can add what mods I want with the extra $10K I saved over the 252. Only item I wish the 250 had was the full 12 inch connext screen. Hoping Yamaha will offer that as an upgrade down the road. The 7 inch works fine but the housing is there to fit the 12 inch and I would love to have a bigger screen.

 

[jdbakerucf]

I just went from a 2020 SX195 to a 2019 FSH210, and the center console, added storage space, and additional seating as well has the bigger hull make this boat seem huge compared to the 195. Boat handles chop much much better and still has plenty of power from the twin engines. We put 10 people on the boat comfortably (6 adults 4 kids). I would imagine the 25’ boats seem huge compared to a 19’

 

[EmeryZ28]

thank you for all the input!