Kids bugging me for a PWC
 

Hello All. Need your help once again. My kids have been bugging me for a PWC. I would love to consider purchasing one from a Winni owner so I could at least have a test drive before buying. I'm not looking to spend too much. Is it possible to find something under $3K?? Would consider buying 2 so they don't fight over it.

seats and rules and kids
 

The kids could be 27, but you should know that

2 person "Jet ski" in NH has a 16 year age and certification requirement. (You can't be under 16 and drive with an 18 year old with a cert)
Other restrictive rules.
http://www.boat-ed.com/nh/course/p4-...spectopwc.htm\

3 person "PWC" is more like a boat.
http://www.boat-ed.com/nh/course/p4-3_whomayoperate.htm
Under 16 can drive with a certified 18+ on board.
A 16 or greater needs a certificate to drive.

P.S. The kids will love it no matter what age.

I would tell the kids they can have a PWC after they get out of the Army. :D In the meantime, get them a 14' aluminum boat with a 10 HP motor on the back. It's powerful enough to plane so they can explore the lake, ...and a lot safer than a PWC. :) NB

PS: Also.. no showing off required.

jet ski
 

You can definately get one under 3k. We bought a decent one last year for $1500.1997 Kawaski...would have rather had a Sea Doo but this one is fine...We have had so much fun on it and so has our son.(30yr old). He will go off for hours on it and as long as he puts the gas in it its great!!! They do go through gas quickely. So just remember if you have 2 you have to put gas in 2.LOL... No matter how old you are they are a blast. We did buy from someone at the lake...Check Craigs list...

See my ad in the PWC section of the classified. This PWC could definitely be fixed to stay way under your dollar limit.

My 2 cents
 

I don't know how old your "kids" are but I had 2 Sea Doo's for my 19 and 20 year old son's and I COULDN'T STAND owning them. They are a PITA! They're great for the guests, but major work for the owners.

New batteries every year
Ton's of gas and oil (no one ever re-fills them)
Difficult to protect at the dock without ramps or whips
2 more registrations and winterization's

Worst of all was when my guests and my son's friends would ask to use them. Everyone just thinks because it's a Sea Doo, that anyone can drive it! "No big deal...It's just a Sea Doo" they would say. They would be shocked when I would ask if they have an NH boating license. "I need a boating license for a little 'ole Sea Doo????"

I would have to explain to the knuckleheads that it's a 130 H.P. boat!

Every time someone pulled away from my dock on them, I would wait nervously for them to return. You have to help them get on, explain the controls and how to start it and then you have to help them tie back up. Try doing that for 5,6,7 newbie guests that are at your lake house on a Saturday. Not my idea of a relaxing afternoon on the lake.

I don't mean to sound un-fun. I have boats, snowmobiles and motorcycles. I love motorized things and love sharing them...but P.W.C.'s are a P.I.T.A.!!

Pwc
 

Kids from 9-90 love PWCs. Take it from a 58 year old kid, his 83 year old father, 55 year old brother, and two nephews in their mid 20's. :):):) Problem is that I seem to always by buying gas.

We are on our third machine that was bought in 2003 when we traded a 1996 Kawasaki two seater and a Sea Doo three seater for a NEW GTX.

Try to look for a later 4 cycle model, saves on adding oil and there is a lot less smoke/smell.

I also like the idea of a row boat with a small out board for kids. We had one and even water skied with it. Of course we were kids at the time but that old 10HP Evinrude still pulled us up.

I couldn't agree more! And lets not forget taking the lift in and out of the water as well as storage every year!! What a P.I.T.A.!!! I had two beautiful ones and sold both last year and never looked back!! Glad someone else feels the same way I do!

I know many here love PWC's and I am definitely in the minority so go easy on me!! :D

Dan

Yeah,
I guess I just needed to reveal some of the challenges of PWC ownership. If I could own one for myself and my wife and never had to worry about anyone else using it...sign me up.

We have since sold the Sea Doo's and picked up a nice little 19' bow rider for the boys and they are having an absolute blast with it as well as learning how to handle a real boat, learning to understand the responsibility of having passengers, reading the chart and getting to know the lake and learning how to prepare to go out on the water.

I know some will disagree but I agree with Dippasan....PITA.....unless your buying new (and yes I mean a 4 stroke) or maybe OK if you know who owned it and how it was ridden and maintained. But buying from an unknown is a big gamble. Been threw this with my kids and quite frankly if someone is selling and older Seadoo (anything older than a 4 or 5 years) it likely has beat to death. Not saying don't do it but if you do, be prepared to pour $ into it especially if it is a 2 stroke. Nothing but maintenance trap.

I bought new and they were still a P.I.T.A.!!! :D

Ducking for cover now...:eek:

Just being honest!

Dan

Just went through it!! You will find something for that price point.

I bought a new PWC 10 years ago and it was one of the best purchases I have ever made. I raise it on a lift next to my dock. I never have covered it and it still looks great. I store it with my dealer every winter and they handle the maintenance. I have owned a number of boats and by far the PWC has been the easiest. If I want to go for a ride I just jump on and go. I travel all over L. Winnipesaukee on it. I am presently waiting for my new Harris pontoon to arrive. I know I will love it, but it will constantly have to be covered etc. It will definitely require the day to day maintenance of a larger boat.

Pwc
 

Thanks for all your replies. I agree that I am better off not buying a PWC as prior to the boat licensing law I had owed 2 PWC and I would cringe whenever someone got on them and drive away on them. I sold those after the very 1st year. I'm hoping that the new law about needing to be licensed will help. We have tons of guests and if I explain that you need to be licensed then maybe they will be discouraged. I also think that the kids & I (ages 16 & 19) if they are taught properly that we may really enjoy them. I'm leaning toward buying a couple PWC in the price range of $1100-$1500. I know many have said to buy a 4 stroke but I cant afford to spend that kind of money right now with college tuitions etc. I'm thinking I will end up with something in the 1996-1999 for the kind of money I could afford. I hope I do not pickup someone elses problems;) Its amazing how many people do not realize how important it is to know the lake and its marker system. When I have guests at the lake house I always try and educate them as to how important it is to "know the lake". People just think your fine if you stay in the middle where its deepest. Those experienced folks know that theory will get you in deep dodo! Have not had time to activly go visit any PWC but hope to in the next week or so!!

Earning a Privilege
 

I can tell you what my parents would have said about buying me a PWC when I was 16 or 19 years old. It would have been, "NO!"

I'm curious what kind of grades in school they need to have to earn this privilege and how much they will have to contribute toward the cost of purchasing these expensive and (most likely) un-needed little machines.

We picked up a 1997 seadoo 2 stoke in the middle of the season last year My son was 15 and daughter 20 and they went and got there boating license with my wife. My son did not want to come to the lake much last season now I cant get him to stay home he was out last weekend in the rain. I think it will keep the kids busy. We call are jet ski the baby sitter :laugh:

Well my pwc is much needed as it is currently my only boat.Zero maintanance and zero problems with the 2 I owned(Yamaha) for 10+ years.Then again,nobody else rides it and I use it like a boat going from point A to point B with a few small exceptions playing around.To each his own.

Family Only
 

After watching a couple of my son's friends jump a wake and flip my jet ski, I laid down the law - no one outside the family ever drives it again. My son, who also witnessed the event, agreed with the decision.

Most visitors don't have boater safety certificates so that makes it easy to say "no". I just ask them if they would give their car keys to someone who did not have a driver's license and if they thought their insurance company would cover them if they did and something bad happened. If they really want a ride, they can sit on the back.

Personally, I love my jet ski. It's simple and easy to take out, is highly maneuverable and can go lots of places I can't take my boat. If I just want a short, quick ride, I can be out and back before I'd even get the covers off my boat.

To summarize...
 

Boat= a hole in the water that you pour money into.

PWC= a smaller, but possibly deeper, hole in the water you pour money into.

Jet ski
 

I have to agree with many who chmed in on this Post reagrding jetski for any kid under 16.... Not a good idea ! And rhe fact they could not drive alone, until over 16 and with a Boat Cert.

I started boating on Winni almost 50 yrs ago, and started with an 14' aluminum boat with a 10 HP outboard motor. I use to go all-over the lake with that little boat, and still have many fond memories to this day.

Granted the lake was a lot different years ago, and boat traffic was minimal, but I usally would not take the boat on the lake during the w/e's. Weekend boat traffic is not a good time for a PWC.

The aluminum boat will be much safer, and also give the youngsters some boating skills which they can transfers into adult years.

Plenty of time to own a PWC, wait is my suggestion IMHO.....

Bigdog