Would you all recommend..

[Mitchsaw]

Would you recommend the Scarab brand?
I still feel like I'm a lot of hard yes's away from dropping $30k on one, but as for the physique, I'm not sure a Scarab could be beat, and I love their design.

Would any of you recommend a different brand?
I'd be using it to wake, and possibly tube.

It seems like most negative reviews came years ago, would you think these are a 'safe' buy?

 

[Julian]

Keep in mind that all brands have issues, and when they happen people post online about it. They rarely go online (at least are less vocal) when everything is fine.

The BRP powerplants are great engines, it is hard to gauge what their failure rate is, so I'm not sure anyone can argue one way or another on the data because there is none. The ONLY compelling evidence I've seen is that jet ski rental places usually are renting Yamahas, but even that isnt a "rule". And are they renting them because there are more dealers available?

If the boat is what you seek and you are worried about reliability, buy (or have thrown in) the extended warranty. Then your only risk is not having the boat during peak boating season if something does happen. Also, be sure you find a good and passionate dealer selling Scarabs. There are a few around!

My only hesitation around the non-yamahas is the lack of clean out ports. But the reverse clean out maneuver takes care of 90% of my weed issues....except that pita sargassum weed in the atlantic ! That stuff loves to wrap around the shaft....but the Scarab shaft sleeve will help with that.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

I agree with Julian. People LOVE to make blanket statements. i.e. "I'm never buying this brand again". But as Julian mentioned, this applies to all brands. These are boats, they break. lol You need to maintain them. Yes, even if you're the best "maintainer" in the world, stuff can still break. Some people are lucky, others are not when it comes to that last part.

I bought a Scarab 165 three years ago, mostly because it was the ONLY small jet boat available (I was specifically looking for a small one for my lakes) without going to an older Sea-Doo. I preferred the Scarab by far because of things like the extra seat, styling, etc. Has my boat been problem free? No. Lots of little things to take care of. But I don't know anybody that owns a boat that doesn't need to maintain it. Are there quality issues? Yep. So do all the brands. Do some people get more QC issues than others on specific brands? Yep. But it's really hard to pin those on a specific brand when you start considering dealers (how they prepare them), manufacturers, who was working on what part of the boat at the time of building, etc.

Point is, at least for me, my 165 now has over 140h on it through 3 seasons of use in Ontario, Canada. I've had mostly flawless operations for all the important stuff. Had lots of little "issues" to correct and improve, but then again, I'm OCD about these things. Overall, very happy with my purchase and getting lots out of it. But I firmly believe that if you don't have a good dealer/support, you'd better learn this yourself. I did since there's no dealer nearby. And I love the fact that I can maintain many parts of the boat on my own. It ensures that things don't break when it's a beautiful sunny day on my one good weekend of the summer (it's Canada eh? It gets cold here fast! lol).

As for the clean out ports, the age old debate between these two brands (Yamaha vs Scarab). In my 3 years, I've sucked up stuff twice. A pebble which immediately ejected out within about 15 seconds, and a piece of wood which did NOT get ejected. The latter situation, I was stupid and completely aware that I was running the engine in a foot of water over some twigs. I even thought about it and kept doing it. lol The twig went in, and it was indeed stuck in there. Couldn't move faster than idle speeds. I wished I had a clean out port that one time, but I was well prepared in case this ever happened. Had a mask, piece of rebar and a waterproof flashlight. Had to go under the boat like 10 times but managed to pop the piece of wood out of there and carried out. It definitely sucked but it was a nice beautiful day. Lost about 15 min. Many people would not have been able to do that (hold your breath while working underwater in the dark). But then again, this happened once in three seasons of use and I was aware of how stupid I was being.

 

[Mitchsaw]

Keep in mind that all brands have issues, and when they happen people post online about it. They rarely go online (at least are less vocal) when everything is fine.

The BRP powerplants are great engines, it is hard to gauge what their failure rate is, so I'm not sure anyone can argue one way or another on the data because there is none. The ONLY compelling evidence I've seen is that jet ski rental places usually are renting Yamahas, but even that isnt a "rule". And are they renting them because there are more dealers available?

If the boat is what you seek and you are worried about reliability, buy (or have thrown in) the extended warranty. Then your only risk is not having the boat during peak boating season if something does happen. Also, be sure you find a good and passionate dealer selling Scarabs. There are a few around!

My only hesitation around the non-yamahas is the lack of clean out ports. But the reverse clean out maneuver takes care of 90% of my weed issues....except that pita sargassum weed in the atlantic ! That stuff loves to wrap around the shaft....but the Scarab shaft sleeve will help with that.

Excellent reply.

I definitely think I'll invest in the extended warranty.
I'm in Cincinnati, and only few dealerships sell Scarabs, and if they do, their inventory is limited, so I don't know how to take that.
Everyone's said you should buy Scarab based on your dealer, is this typically dialogue you bring up when buying? This'll be my first boat, so I really don't even know.

 

[Mitchsaw]

I agree with Julian. People LOVE to make blanket statements. i.e. "I'm never buying this brand again". But as Julian mentioned, this applies to all brands. These are boats, they break. lol You need to maintain them. Yes, even if you're the best "maintainer" in the world, stuff can still break. Some people are lucky, others are not when it comes to that last part.

I bought a Scarab 165 three years ago, mostly because it was the ONLY small jet boat available (I was specifically looking for a small one for my lakes) without going to an older Sea-Doo. I preferred the Scarab by far because of things like the extra seat, styling, etc. Has my boat been problem free? No. Lots of little things to take care of. But I don't know anybody that owns a boat that doesn't need to maintain it. Are there quality issues? Yep. So do all the brands. Do some people get more QC issues than others on specific brands? Yep. But it's really hard to pin those on a specific brand when you start considering dealers (how they prepare them), manufacturers, who was working on what part of the boat at the time of building, etc.

Point is, at least for me, my 165 now has over 140h on it through 3 seasons of use in Ontario, Canada. I've had mostly flawless operations for all the important stuff. Had lots of little "issues" to correct and improve, but then again, I'm OCD about these things. Overall, very happy with my purchase and getting lots out of it. But I firmly believe that if you don't have a good dealer/support, you'd better learn this yourself. I did since there's no dealer nearby. And I love the fact that I can maintain many parts of the boat on my own. It ensures that things don't break when it's a beautiful sunny day on my one good weekend of the summer (it's Canada eh? It gets cold here fast! lol).

As for the clean out ports, the age old debate between these two brands (Yamaha vs Scarab). In my 3 years, I've sucked up stuff twice. A pebble which immediately ejected out within about 15 seconds, and a piece of wood which did NOT get ejected. The latter situation, I was stupid and completely aware that I was running the engine in a foot of water over some twigs. I even thought about it and kept doing it. lol The twig went in, and it was indeed stuck in there. Couldn't move faster than idle speeds. I wished I had a clean out port that one time, but I was well prepared in case this ever happened. Had a mask, piece of rebar and a waterproof flashlight. Had to go under the boat like 10 times but managed to pop the piece of wood out of there and carried out. It definitely sucked but it was a nice beautiful day. Lost about 15 min. Many people would not have been able to do that (hold your breath while working underwater in the dark). But then again, this happened once in three seasons of use and I was aware of how stupid I was being.

Another great reply.

Yeah, I'm in Cincinnati, I don't think there is any good dealers around here for Scarabs, most are down in Kentucky, (Which isn't necessarily a problem, considering that's where I'd be boating anyway,) but that may be an issue for me.
You mention to learn it yourself; I'm a huge DIY guy too, but I lean on online forums & YouTube, what was your method of learning? Just YOLO'ing everything, mechanic background, etc.?

Your underwater story is hilarious. I think sucking things up in the jet is the least of my worries when it comes to owning one, considering I'm a paranoid spastic typically, and would do my absolute best to make sure I'm cautious about conditions, and surroundings. I know shit happens though, of course.

 

[2kwik4u]

Another great reply.

Yeah, I'm in Cincinnati, I don't think there is any good dealers around here for Scarabs, most are down in Kentucky, (Which isn't necessarily a problem, considering that's where I'd be boating anyway,) but that may be an issue for me.
You mention to learn it yourself; I'm a huge DIY guy too, but I lean on online forums & YouTube, what was your method of learning? Just YOLO'ing everything, mechanic background, etc.?

Your underwater story is hilarious. I think sucking things up in the jet is the least of my worries when it comes to owning one, considering I'm a paranoid spastic typically, and would do my absolute best to make sure I'm cautious about conditions, and surroundings. I know shit happens though, of course.

I boat in the KY/Southern IN area as well. Based out of Louisville. I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of cleanout port. Only a few times has it been 100% necessary.

The only time that "sucking something up" has been an issue for me was when docked at Captains Quarters on the Ohio in eastern Louisville. Thier dock seems to catch debris pretty badly, and all but once (out of maybe 10 visits) I'll have something in the impeller that will require a stop and remove. Usually it's a small twig or piece of driftwood that wedges between the impeller and the wear ring. Not a huge deal with the cleanout plug, but without I would've been in rough shape a few times. We usually do "date night" there a few times a year, and I'll wear nicer, less water appropriate clothing. Going under the boat would've meant skinny dipping for me at that point.

Of all the lakes in this region, I've only ever sucked up debris ONCE on a lake. That was when I caught a grocery bag floating in the water in a no-wake zone. That took some time to clean out, and still required me getting wet to get it all out of the impeller/stator housing. Have 110-ish hours on the boat at this point without major debris ingestion problems. We've been on Rough River, Green River, Patoka, Taylorsville, Nolin, Cumberland, Dale Hollow, Douglas, Old Hickory, and the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers.

The most local dealer is Sea-Ray of Louisville. Never dealt with them personally, but the sales guys seem nice at the boat show each year.

 

[Maccam26]

My only issue with Scarab/Vortex and all jetboats that use BRP is the reverse function is non-intuitive since it's reversed from anything else on the water. To me that's an issue, I was a first time boater when I got my 190SX and wanted something to learn on that skills would transition over to other stuff easily.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

I have no mechanic background whatsoever. But I am a big DIY guy. I learned via various sources like YouTube but a lot off of this forum and from other owners. After 3 years of learning, I feel pretty comfortable doing most things myself now. If you do buy a Scarab, feel free to PM me and I can walk you through lots of the typical maintenance like how to "winterize", oil change, coolant change, etc. None of it is hard. I can also give you tips I've learned. But keep in mind, a lot of the resources for Sea-Doo are the same for Scarab's.

@Maccam26 The reverse bucket thing is oddly enough, a mixed blessing lol I too had a ton of trouble dealing with the steering at idle or backwards, but man, once I got comfortable with it (about ten outings), it's the best damn thing about a BRP boat. I keep getting weird looks from people at marinas when they see me these weird, impossible maneuvers around docks. In fact, I keep scaring people because they think I'm about to hit a dock. It's a super powerful tool but you are very right, counter intuitive. For OP, the steering on a BRP in idle/reverse is interesting but very useful. You can steer the boat with no forward momentum at all. BUT, it ALWAYS steers in the direction of the steering wheel, no exceptions. Think about it in a car... if you back up and turn the steering wheel to the left, your nose of the car witll move to the right. But in a BRP boat, it actually goes to the left. lol Takes a bit of getting used to the first times, but once you get used to it, you have a lot of control over your boat when docking. Pretty awesome and very useful.

 

[Dean P]

The steering is strange at first in reverse. But like everything else, you'll get used to it (although I still mess it up here and there). The nice thing about the steering is how responsive it is. It will recover VERY quickly.

Sucking "things" up: haven't done it with the BRP. Always used to with the Yami. Drain plug is a God sent. Without it you'd be in the water or trying the reverse method (which did work 70% of the time). They's something to be said about having a stationary sleeve around the drive shaft. It is less prone to collecting "crap".

Many members complain about the quality of the Scarabs saying in the last few years it has declined. I don't know, I'm only stating what I've read. I have a Chaparral which I like a lot. Fit and finish is superior to Yami and Scarab. But I paid for it $$.

Like others mentioned, no brand is perfect. Both power plants are excellent and have been around for many years. You must decide on what your needs are today and a few years down the road. Should you fall in love with boating, you'll be picking up another one to do more. We all do...

Welcome to the forum !!! Tons of good info here with very knowledgeable members that go out of their way to help keep you on the water. Let us know what you decide to do.

 

[Mitchsaw]

I boat in the KY/Southern IN area as well. Based out of Louisville. I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of cleanout port. Only a few times has it been 100% necessary.

The only time that "sucking something up" has been an issue for me was when docked at Captains Quarters on the Ohio in eastern Louisville. Thier dock seems to catch debris pretty badly, and all but once (out of maybe 10 visits) I'll have something in the impeller that will require a stop and remove. Usually it's a small twig or piece of driftwood that wedges between the impeller and the wear ring. Not a huge deal with the cleanout plug, but without I would've been in rough shape a few times. We usually do "date night" there a few times a year, and I'll wear nicer, less water appropriate clothing. Going under the boat would've meant skinny dipping for me at that point.

Of all the lakes in this region, I've only ever sucked up debris ONCE on a lake. That was when I caught a grocery bag floating in the water in a no-wake zone. That took some time to clean out, and still required me getting wet to get it all out of the impeller/stator housing. Have 110-ish hours on the boat at this point without major debris ingestion problems. We've been on Rough River, Green River, Patoka, Taylorsville, Nolin, Cumberland, Dale Hollow, Douglas, Old Hickory, and the Ohio and Cumberland Rivers.

The most local dealer is Sea-Ray of Louisville. Never dealt with them personally, but the sales guys seem nice at the boat show each year.

I didn't even think of things like grocery bags, etc. Rough.
But, I'm glad to see you have an unbiased opinion with the cleanout port. Sounds like there's a good chance you're getting in the water regardless, eh? I'd be boating at Norris/Cumberland which both are quite tidy, unless you're there after a good thunderstorm, then there's always debris, but other than that, you're a brave soul for boating in the Ohio. No chance I'd put anything worth money on the water up here in Cincinnati! Way too crappy of conditions.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[Mitchsaw]

I have no mechanic background whatsoever. But I am a big DIY guy. I learned via various sources like YouTube but a lot off of this forum and from other owners. After 3 years of learning, I feel pretty comfortable doing most things myself now. If you do buy a Scarab, feel free to PM me and I can walk you through lots of the typical maintenance like how to "winterize", oil change, coolant change, etc. None of it is hard. I can also give you tips I've learned. But keep in mind, a lot of the resources for Sea-Doo are the same for Scarab's.

@Maccam26 The reverse bucket thing is oddly enough, a mixed blessing lol I too had a ton of trouble dealing with the steering at idle or backwards, but man, once I got comfortable with it (about ten outings), it's the best damn thing about a BRP boat. I keep getting weird looks from people at marinas when they see me these weird, impossible maneuvers around docks. In fact, I keep scaring people because they think I'm about to hit a dock. It's a super powerful tool but you are very right, counter intuitive. For OP, the steering on a BRP in idle/reverse is interesting but very useful. You can steer the boat with no forward momentum at all. BUT, it ALWAYS steers in the direction of the steering wheel, no exceptions. Think about it in a car... if you back up and turn the steering wheel to the left, your nose of the car witll move to the right. But in a BRP boat, it actually goes to the left. lol Takes a bit of getting used to the first times, but once you get used to it, you have a lot of control over your boat when docking. Pretty awesome and very useful.

I will surely take you up on that!

Thank you!

 

[Mitchsaw]

The steering is strange at first in reverse. But like everything else, you'll get used to it (although I still mess it up here and there). The nice thing about the steering is how responsive it is. It will recover VERY quickly.

Sucking "things" up: haven't done it with the BRP. Always used to with the Yami. Drain plug is a God sent. Without it you'd be in the water or trying the reverse method (which did work 70% of the time). They's something to be said about having a stationary sleeve around the drive shaft. It is less prone to collecting "crap".

Many members complain about the quality of the Scarabs saying in the last few years it has declined. I don't know, I'm only stating what I've read. I have a Chaparral which I like a lot. Fit and finish is superior to Yami and Scarab. But I paid for it $$.

Like others mentioned, no brand is perfect. Both power plants are excellent and have been around for many years. You must decide on what your needs are today and a few years down the road. Should you fall in love with boating, you'll be picking up another one to do more. We all do...

Welcome to the forum !!! Tons of good info here with very knowledgeable members that go out of their way to help keep you on the water. Let us know what you decide to do.

Thanks for the reply!

You know, I've read a lot of bad on Scarab's quality as well, but as someone mentioned earlier in the post, an extended warranty is always nice to have, and to be honest - the Yamaha stock where I'm at seems to be just as non-existent as the Scarab. I was real, real, real close to buying a 2019 AR190 a couple weeks ago and before I could even get financing together, it was sold.

My only 'issue' with the Yamaha's are its physique. It just seems too bland, unappealing. But I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it to trade the look for the dependency...I haven't seen any quality complaints at all with the Yamahas, it's just where can I find one at this point, lol.

 

[2kwik4u]

I didn't even think of things like grocery bags, etc. Rough.
But, I'm glad to see you have an unbiased opinion with the cleanout port. Sounds like there's a good chance you're getting in the water regardless, eh? I'd be boating at Norris/Cumberland which both are quite tidy, unless you're there after a good thunderstorm, then there's always debris, but other than that, you're a brave soul for boating in the Ohio. No chance I'd put anything worth money on the water up here in Cincinnati! Way too crappy of conditions.

Thanks for your reply.

The Ohio isn't bad once you get past downtown. Get 10mi up river and it gets much better. Get another 10-15 and up near Westport and it's actually quite nice water. Nice and clean and clear. It's got a bad rap from the 80's that hasn't gone away IMO.

I've only been in the water twice to clean a clog I think. The rest of the clogs I can get from topside. Having the cleanout ports is super handy if you need them. I just don't need them often.

 

[Maccam26]

Thanks for the reply!

You know, I've read a lot of bad on Scarab's quality as well, but as someone mentioned earlier in the post, an extended warranty is always nice to have, and to be honest - the Yamaha stock where I'm at seems to be just as non-existent as the Scarab. I was real, real, real close to buying a 2019 AR190 a couple weeks ago and before I could even get financing together, it was sold.

My only 'issue' with the Yamaha's are its physique. It just seems too bland, unappealing. But I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it to trade the look for the dependency...I haven't seen any quality complaints at all with the Yamahas, it's just where can I find one at this point, lol.

I completely understand and felt the same way on the appearance of the Yamaha but.... after owning mine for 1+ yr at this point, it grew on me. Nothing will ever look too outdated on it as it is pretty bland. The Scarabs are nice looking on pictures but when I saw a few at dealers, I wasn't all that impressed in that it did not feel more luxurious. The Chaparral does feel more substance to it but it's at a 10-12K premium.

 

[Mitchsaw]

I completely understand and felt the same way on the appearance of the Yamaha but.... after owning mine for 1+ yr at this point, it grew on me. Nothing will ever look too outdated on it as it is pretty bland. The Scarabs are nice looking on pictures but when I saw a few at dealers, I wasn't all that impressed in that it did not feel more luxurious. The Chaparral does feel more substance to it but it's at a 10-12K premium.

I'm definitely going to keep my eye out. At this point, it's just what's available. I'm looking to spend no more than $35k so the 190/195 are my two choices.
Any experience with ordering it directly from Yamaha's website? Is that even possible? I know it is with Scarab, so I'd imagine it's just as possible with Yamaha.

 

[Maccam26]

No experience ordering from Yamaha although there are no options on Yamaha boats so I don’t think there is a build and order feature on their website .

 

[bthessel]

I have been keeping my eye on what Scarab is doing also. Their boats look amazing and they look to be able to have a lot higher performance when it comes to speed. I am on year 4 with my Yamaha and we boat pretty much only on Lake Cumberland, making the drive down from Cincinnati every weekend. I would guess I have to use the cleanout ports 2-3 times a summer, mostly before Memorial day when the water is high and there is a lot of debris. You will have times in the spring where the debris will go from shore to shore with twigs, sticks and trash that I just cringe when I go through it knowing I am going to suck up something. A lot of times a reverse maneuver clears it but those waterlogged sticks and woodchips can get lodged. I have had 2 instances of pieces of wood stuck bad enough that I had to limp back to the ramp and pull a pump with the boat on the trailer because I couldn't get it free through the clean out. As far as Scarab I think I have seen 1 or 2 all summer on the lake, on a typical weekend on Cumberland you will see 5-10 Yamahas depending where you are at and I have seen more every year.

Interesting item about Lake Cumberland. There is a barge that the corps uses called the Pride of Lake Cumberland, it is basically a crane and a giant woodchipper that goes around the lake grinding up larger trees that are a hazard to boats and dumping the chips in the water. Saves outdrive damage but it is not great for jetboats and skis.

 

[Mitchsaw]

I have been keeping my eye on what Scarab is doing also. Their boats look amazing and they look to be able to have a lot higher performance when it comes to speed. I am on year 4 with my Yamaha and we boat pretty much only on Lake Cumberland, making the drive down from Cincinnati every weekend. I would guess I have to use the cleanout ports 2-3 times a summer, mostly before Memorial day when the water is high and there is a lot of debris. You will have times in the spring where the debris will go from shore to shore with twigs, sticks and trash that I just cringe when I go through it knowing I am going to suck up something. A lot of times a reverse maneuver clears it but those waterlogged sticks and woodchips can get lodged. I have had 2 instances of pieces of wood stuck bad enough that I had to limp back to the ramp and pull a pump with the boat on the trailer because I couldn't get it free through the clean out. As far as Scarab I think I have seen 1 or 2 all summer on the lake, on a typical weekend on Cumberland you will see 5-10 Yamahas depending where you are at and I have seen more every year.

Interesting item about Lake Cumberland. There is a barge that the corps uses called the Pride of Lake Cumberland, it is basically a crane and a giant woodchipper that goes around the lake grinding up larger trees that are a hazard to boats and dumping the chips in the water. Saves outdrive damage but it is not great for jetboats and skis. View attachment 105215

I'm not surprised about the 1-2 Scarabs, I legitimately have had the worst time trying to find a dealer that has any either a) in stock or b) even sells them around us (I'm from Cincinnati as well.) I believe Sea Ray of Cincinnati is the only one to carry their line and they've only got 3 in stock, and only one I'd be remotely interested in which is the 195 G.

I pretty much have accepted that if you're going to buy a Jet boat, you're going to be in the water twice or so a year trying to dislodge wood chips, etc.
Also, great share about the barge, I had NO idea, nor have I ever seen it, and I've been a Cumberland frequenter for years. Makes me wonder where they've been a couple times I was down there, haha.

 

[GV195]

Would you recommend the Scarab brand?
I still feel like I'm a lot of hard yes's away from dropping $30k on one, but as for the physique, I'm not sure a Scarab could be beat, and I love their design.

Would any of you recommend a different brand?
I'd be using it to wake, and possibly tube.

It seems like most negative reviews came years ago, would you think these are a 'safe' buy?

I’ve had my Scarab for 5 years. Still going strong with just annual oil changes. It runs well and looks great. Very functional and get compliments on the style and seating, including the flip seats in the back. When we are on the Lake Michigan or Lake Travis, the boat rides well and smooth. The 200 hp moves quickly and hits 40 mph. You can spend as much as you’d like on boats but there is no other boat that looks or performs or offers as many seating options for the money. Of course people justify paying more for about anything.

 

[255IDTwin300s]

My only issue with Scarab/Vortex and all jetboats that use BRP is the reverse function is non-intuitive since it's reversed from anything else on the water. To me that's an issue, I was a first time boater when I got my 190SX and wanted something to learn on that skills would transition over to other stuff easily.

Completely understand your point, however, the reverse operation and maneuverability in the Scarabs is unmatched and ultra easy once you take 3 minutes to use it and master it. It is awesome.