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What negative comments have prop boaters made about your jet boat

tabbibus

Jetboaters Admiral
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Location
Lake Lanier, GA
Boat Make
Yamaha
Year
2018
Boat Model
242 Limited S E-Series
Boat Length
24
I have an older colleague that is a hardcore water-skier, he’s semi retired and is out water-skiing all of his off days in the summer. When I got my boat, he told me he would never ski behind one, that the jets create too much turbulence for a pro skier. I honestly laughed at him, I’ll never ski behind it either, that’s not why I bought it, and who the heck still water skis? ( No offense, I was just busting his balls)

Like others, that’s about it for criticism, but many compliments! Had my ‘19 242 LSE docked at the break wall of our waterfront bar area recently, there were 40’+ cruisers, a midnight express CC, and the usual gaggle of idiots with late 80’s early 90’s speed boats. Was watching the scene from the bar across the street and everyone walking down the sidewalk would glance at the other boats, but would stop and seriously look at ours. Usually gesturing to their spouse. They’re a great combination of good styling and accessibility. Not a single-purpose machine, and I think that’s what most people respect, whether they admit it or not!
Man. Our 242 lse is one beautiful thing.
 

Dixie Highway

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I get positive comments all the time. At our local lakes, it’s because I’m usually the only CC out on the water. We got the most compliments in Florida though, land of CC’s. They’re a dime a dozen down there on the Gulf, yet every trip out I got compliments and questions from other boaters. Hell I had a guy next to me backing in at the ramp with a 24’ Robalo (I was secretly drooling over HIS boat) tell me how sharp my boat looked and he loved the size. I think he was also secretly jealous of how well my girlfriend backs the truck in for launching/retrieval. We were the only team not screaming at each other by the end lol.
 

GTBRMC

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Waukesha, WI
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Boatless
Year
2008
Boat Model
SX
Boat Length
23
I stored my boat at SkipperBud's in Pewaukee, WI for a few years. I used both the summer in-out service and winter storage. The first year, I was one of only two Yamahas they handled. The service guys sometimes gave me comments to the effect of, "Let us know when you are ready to step up to a REAL boat. We will hook you up with a proper stern drive."

After a few unsuccessful sales pitches to "winterize" my boat, I asked the service guy what, specifically, they would do to my boat to get it ready for winter. After some hemming and hawing, I walked him through the work I did each fall to get it ready (which was not much at all), all the guy could say was, "Damn! That's pretty simple!"

I got a great charge a couple years ago when I noticed they are now a YAMAHA JET BOAT DEALER! :p

PS: to be fair, I had generally a good experience with SkipperBud's in Pewaukee
 

haknslash

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Moomba
Year
2019
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Other
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I think I got all the fire I need for the video project I’m working on I found the old Mercury post (why you should steer away from jet boats). Thanks for the input everyone!
You talking about this? https://www.deepcreekmarina.com/fckimages/pdf/buying-tools/whytosteerawayfromjetboats.pdf

First off it's a sales/marketing literature so I'd keep that in mind. Secondly what they said isn't far from the truth. The boats are louder, harder to maneuver at slow speeds, less efficient at higher speeds and won't ride as good as a stern drive which typically has a deep v hull and can be trimmed stock. Thats not to say a jet boat can't be as nearly good as say a Sea Ray or Cobalt. It just won't compete 1:1 in stock form so you'll have to modify to address its shortcomings. No biggie (see people adding fins for better low speed maneuverability, people adding sound deadening mods....even those with "quiet cruise", people sucking up and damage the impeller(s) or lock up reverse gates if in shallow water .....especially in shoal or shell bottoms, people adding trim tabs for a better smoother ride, people adding devices to minimize jet wash and spray). Personally I wouldn't get too worked up over it and certainly wouldn't go out of my way to make a silly video over it and I wouldn't call those misconceptions or myths from that Mercury ad. Yea they are laying it on a little thick but its marketing. Yamaha is no different as they make it like their boats are the absolute best thing to buy too. That's how marketing goes. Just my .02
 
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Neutron

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I get nothing but compliments on my boat. Never anything negative.
Lots of families with center consoles pull up and ask about it. Mostly because CCs are not as family friendly as my boat.
There has been a growing amount of Yamaha boats in my area since i moved here
 

Overtime81

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I've never had another boater say anything bad about my boat. If anything, it's more questions and test drives.
 

Billtex2000

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An old timer looked at the boat and said “you’re not going to launch that boat are you? You’ll hit bottom for sure because the water level is low.”
I've had similar from an old timer, "Watch out for the rocks over there...it's shallow!"
Other that that, nothing but positive stuff.
"Nice boat! It's a jet, right?"
"Nice Yamaha!"
Etc.
 

mark_m

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Compliments only. Using the twin engines and pivoting in to park or reversing to bring in the stern.
 

robert843

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You talking about this? https://www.deepcreekmarina.com/fckimages/pdf/buying-tools/whytosteerawayfromjetboats.pdf

First off it's a sales/marketing literature so I'd keep that in mind. Secondly what they said isn't far from the truth. The boats are louder, harder to maneuver at slow speeds, less efficient at higher speeds and won't ride as good as a stern drive which typically has a deep v hull and can be trimmed stock. Thats not to say a jet boat can't be as nearly good as say a Sea Ray or Cobalt. It just won't compete 1:1 in stock form so you'll have to modify to address its shortcomings. No biggie (see people adding fins for better low speed maneuverability, people adding sound deadening mods....even those with "quiet cruise", people sucking up and damage the impeller(s) or lock up reverse gates if in shallow water .....especially in shoal or shell bottoms, people adding trim tabs for a better smoother ride, people adding devices to minimize jet wash and spray). Personally I wouldn't get too worked up over it and certainly wouldn't go out of my way to make a silly video over it and I wouldn't call those misconceptions or myths from that Mercury ad. Yea they are laying it on a little thick but its marketing. Yamaha is no different as they make it like their boats are the absolute best thing to buy too. That's how marketing goes. Just my .02
What I’m doing I will be laying on a little thick as well so it should fit right in.
 

Chillypilot

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Barrie, Ontario Canada
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You can't surf behind a jet boat.🖕
107572107573
 

BigN8

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Corinth, TX
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Engine noise.
 

PEARCE

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I've never had any negative comments from passerbys. It's usually compliments or asking what year and I tell them and they don't believe me and their jaws drop. When we first got it I'd sometimes be told to slow down in no wake or marina areas because they'd see my wake right behind my boat and think I was going faster then I was. Not knowing that it was a jetboat because there weren't that many of them around when we got ours.
 

IvanRZB

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The closest I've heard to any criticism was at a local boat show, wife and I were walking through a Malibu 24 MXZ chatting with the sales guy. When we told him we own a Yamaha jet boat he claimed they are their #1 trade-in when people are ready for a serious watersports boat. I didn't take this as a negative comment--if I were hard-core enough into wake surfing to spend $120k+ on a boat, the Yamaha wouldn't be my first choice either.

I do agree with the comments that engine noise was surprisingly higher than other boats we tested.
 

mrmeaniemeateaterman

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@robert843 if you are upset about the Mercury anti-jet boat post you have probably seen this too. But if not it is straight from Mercury's website for their 200hp Sport Jet outboard.

"The Mercury SportJet is the perfect power option for getting into the shallows. Uniquely engineered for unparalleled maneuverability. No props. No skegs. No snags on underwater obstructions. Move easily into areas that other boats can't get near. It can take you a lot farther than secluded fishing holes. Skiing, tubing, wakeboarding. These jets can do it all. The ultimate blend of power, simplicity, and fun. "
 

Julian

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Stevepro172

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I'm in northern NJ and 2 marinas flat our refused to allow me to rent a slip or launch my 2018 AR240. Said they are not real boat and that people that own jet boat are typically idiots. the person that told me that said it in the nicest way possible though! Its funny, two years later and both marinas don't have one jet boat but all the others have at least 3.
 

mattbaker

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Everybody says good about mine so there is nothing bad I can remember!
 
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