A PWC or a puppy

[Newbiesaukee]

My wife, who has never been on one, has decided we need a PWC. I guess living on the water makes this a not crazy idea ( I try to tell myself). Seriously, to please my wife (with respect to watercraft) what would the Forum recommend. New, used, brand, dealer...any info or opinions would be appreciated.

[Rattlesnake Guy]

I would defiantly consider getting a new one.

Unfortunately that requires getting a divorce from the old one.:D

Honestly, I am surprised how much the wife, kids and girl friends
use ours. After several years, it is still a lot of fun for everyone.

We went the 4 stroke route.

[Newbiesaukee]

Should I be worried that my wife also thinks she needs a new one?:D:D

[boat_guy64]

My wife loves to ride our Seadoo GTX:

I ended up buying one after my wife had a ride on a friend's Kawasaki PWC on a sunny afternoon. Soon after, I rented a Yamaha PWC on a cool windy afternoon and decided that I didn't like that water spray that the Yamaha's provide. On and cool and windy day it really makes you cold but that can be fixed with a wetsuit.

We purchased a Seedoo GTX (4 stroke). It is very quiet and rides very nice. Even with three of us on it, it is a great ride. This is the second year we have it and it is getting a lot of use.

We bought new, but got a leftover. You can save a lot doing that unless you really need the latest model year.

[trfour]

Hey, the two stroke did a wonderful job, don't get me wrong but! Four stroke is an upgrade, so to speak, and the best way to fly into the future!
Try to hide, if you will, today WE are responsible for our choices!.... And we all know better!
T

[mcdude]

I vote for the puppy. I hear that they love PWCs.

[brk-lnt]

I would look carefully at the used market before you buy. Plenty of people buy them and realize they are not as fun or convenient as first assumed (these are usually folks with no easy water access who were looking for the cheapest route into "boating").

I've seen several low-hours good-condition PWC's on craigslist and other sites, especially now that several people are looking to shed "toys" to replenish the bank accounts.

[Alton Bay]

HK Powersports in Tilton and Laconia sell yamaha and sea doo pwcs. Both brands are great and prices seem to be pretty good right now.

[GTO]

HK Powersports in Tilton and Laconia sell yamaha and sea doo pwcs. Both brands are great and prices seem to be pretty good right now.

I second HK in Tilton. They still have brand new 08 left overs and are having super deals. Picked up a GTX in Feburary with trailer and cover for a GREAT price. Ask for Mark.

[chipj29]

I am a biased Sea Doo guy. I would recommend a 4-stroke GTX. You can find a 155hp, or get one with a supercharger (185, 215, or 255 hp).
If you do buy a used Sea Doo with a supercharger, I would strongly recommend having a shop upgrade the ceramic supercharger clutch disks. They have been failing at a high rate, and when they fail, they can take the whole engine with them.
Personally I own a 1999 GTX Limited 2-stroke (130hp). I also just bought a 2004 GTX 4-stroke (155hp). Love the new one!!

[Pineedles]

I like my 2002 SeaDoo GTS 2-stroke but after purchasing it used from the Lil'Man jet ski rental guy I would advise anyone to stay away from a used PWC. The rotary engine needed replacement, I got a re-built. The hull had hiddden cracks that needed to be filled professionally, spit and bailing wire had been used to repair them in the past. Next time I will look at new only.

[SIKSUKR]

Owned a oil injection 2-stroke for 4 years and then bought a new 4-stroke 160 hp high output.Love it.Buy new.From my biased point of view and searching of the internet on reliability,Yamaha has had less problems than Seadoo.Your point of view may vary.

[jmen24]

After 1 1/2 years and $4,500 dollars invested to date in my puppy, as well as a $140 per month food and medication bill.

I put in a vote for a brand new PWC, the loyalty may not be there but the investment works out the same in the end.

[Pineedles]

SIKSUKR,

The reason I haven't bought a new 4-stroke is I am trying to recover some of the money I lost on this SeaDoo. I will though take your advise and look at the Yamaha when I need to replace this one, but one question, your 160 HP will definitely put you above the 45 MPH limit. My kids have only two speeds that they travel at stopped and full throttle. If I get another PWC and the speed limit is still in force I will be looking at something with a little less HP I guess. I assume they make em?

jmen24,

I concur on the cost issue except double that for me. But I do get more enjoyment out of my 2 labs than the PWC, and they work at any speed year round.:laugh:

[Aquadeziac]

Pineneedles- SeaDoo (and other brands I would imagine) offers a digital key with a rev limiter on it for just your situation. Adults use the no limit key and the kids use the key with the rev limit on it. win/win

[No-Mo-Shun]

I bought a new Seadoo GTX two years ago and I love it. I use it in salt water and fresh. Therefore I chose a Seadoo because they have a closed cooling system which has antifreeze/coolant in the system. No salt water running through the engine; only the exhaust manifold. Maybe if you never put it in salt water, this is not an issue. So far, I have 150 hours on it with no problems. It starts instantly, even in very cold weather. I use it year round on Puget Sound. Mine is the non-supercharged 155 HP. I prefer it over the supercharged models (185, 215 and 255 HP) because it will run fine on regular gasolene. The others need premium. Fuel consumption seems to average about 2.5 GPH. I usually cruise about 30 MPH. About the puppy, I think you need one. Last summer, I spoke with a guy who had a large black Labrador sitting on his Seadoo in front of him. The dog had been riding since he was a pup and it was hard to keep him at home.

[chipj29]

I like my 2002 SeaDoo GTS 2-stroke but after purchasing it used from the Lil'Man jet ski rental guy I would advise anyone to stay away from a used PWC. The rotary engine needed replacement, I got a re-built. The hull had hiddden cracks that needed to be filled professionally, spit and bailing wire had been used to repair them in the past. Next time I will look at new only.

Sorry to hear about your Sea Doo. However, my advice would be to avoid buying a used rental PWC. They typically get the crap beat out of them, and the owners do as little maintenance as possible.
I bought my first Sea Doo used. It is a 1999, which had 75 hours on it in 2002 when I bought it from a Sea Doo dealer. Never had any troubles. Sure I may have paid a bit more initially, but to me it was worth the peace of mind. :)

I don't blame you for buying new, you def. get what you pay for. However, even new models can have their faults. All it takes is the dealer doing the set up to forget to hook up one of the cooling hoses and you are sunk...literally. I recently read about a guy who bought a brand new Sea Doo ($12k+). Took it out on the water, and 10 minutes later, it sunk due to faulty dealer prep. He is now fighting Sea Doo for a new replacement. IMO, that should be a no-brainer.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

I'd go with the PWC. It won't pee on your floor or chew up your shoes! :laugh: They aren't too cuddly though.

Your family will really enjoy it too. :D

[SIKSUKR]

SIKSUKR,

The reason I haven't bought a new 4-stroke is I am trying to recover some of the money I lost on this SeaDoo. I will though take your advise and look at the Yamaha when I need to replace this one, but one question, your 160 HP will definitely put you above the 45 MPH limit. My kids have only two speeds that they travel at stopped and full throttle. If I get another PWC and the speed limit is still in force I will be looking at something with a little less HP I guess. I assume they make em?
laugh:

Mine has a remote that will disable(lock) the ignition and also allows you to set 3 different speed settings. I've never tried the speed limiting mode. :laugh: Speaking of which, I must admit that I had to purposely break the speed limit Saturday. Only 54 but it felt good.:D

[Pineedles]

I appreciate the feedback on speed limiter methods. Is there any talk about banning the 2-stroke on the lake, so I can tell my wife I have to buy a new 4-stroke?:D

[ossipeeboater]

2 strokes won't be banned but if you do go looking for used ones I'd get an injected one as the oil use is much less which will make the wife happy not having to smell it. Wife has an 02 Sea Doo GTX DI 2 stroke and I have a Yamaha FX140 4 stroke, 2 totally different rides, I love the bars on the Yamaha but I think the Sea Doo handles better. Buy a 3 seater because they operate under boat rules not PWC rules even though 3 on them looks less than comfortable.

[Newbiesaukee]

I truly appreciate the prompt and helpful responses. Wife and I have a lot to think about. My nine year old dog has voted for the PWC.

[Rose]

Honestly, I am surprised how much the wife, kids and girl friends use ours.

You must be one busy guy...how many girlfriends do you have? ;)

[Rattlesnake Guy]

You must be one busy guy...how many girlfriends do you have? ;)

Rose, you got me good. RG is the only girlfriend I need...:)