PWC Advice needed.

[Sal]

I want to buy a "personal watercraft", like a Sea-Doo or wave runner or what ever else they're called. I'd like to get a 3 person model, so I can tow a skier.
I'm a total neophyte and I need advice on what to get, where to get it, how much to expect to pay and what ever else you can tell me.
Thanks.

[MarkinNH]

Two place that come to mind are DaSilva Motorsports at the intersetction of Rt.25 and Moultonborough Neck Road and H & K Powersports down in Gilford I believe. I am sure there are many others as well. The Sea Doo brand Jet Skis that I have experience with came from DaSilva's. This is also where we do all the seasonal servicing and any repairs.
They are not an inexpensive water toy to either purchase (new) or to have repaired if damaged.
I have only ever operated the Sea Doo brand and I have found the throttle control very uncomfortable to operate. You have to use the thumb of your right hand and it (for me) is difficult to feather the throttle easily.
I understand that the Yamaha's have the throttle on the otherside of the handgrip so that you use your fingers to operate it. For me, I would find that much easier and more comfortable for an extended time.
Given the expense you are considering, I would check the various dealer and ask lots of questions, take a few out for a demo ride if possible and see how the feel to you.
Heck, even if you have to rent a couple of differant brands / models it would be worth it. Anything so that you can make an informed decision with you purchase.
The 3 I have experience with belong to clients so other then putting them in the water in the spring and pulling them out in the fall, I don't spend alot of time playing with them. However, I can see where they would be a lot of enjoyment in having one or even two of them.
I hope, and am sure that there are lots of folks here who can share more information with you on the purchase and ownership of them.
Good Luck.

[trfour]

Originally Posted by MarkinNH

Two place that come to mind are DaSilva Motorsports at the intersetction of Rt.25 and Moultonborough Neck Road and H & K Powersports down in Gilford I believe. I am sure there are many others as well. The Sea Doo brand Jet Skis that I have experience with came from DaSilva's. This is also where we do all the seasonal servicing and any repairs.
They are not an inexpensive water toy to either purchase (new) or to have repaired if damaged.
I have only ever operated the Sea Doo brand and I have found the throttle control very uncomfortable to operate. You have to use the thumb of your right hand and it (for me) is difficult to feather the throttle easily.
I understand that the Yamaha's have the throttle on the otherside of the handgrip so that you use your fingers to operate it. For me, I would find that much easier and more comfortable for an extended time.
Given the expense you are considering, I would check the various dealer and ask lots of questions, take a few out for a demo ride if possible and see how the feel to you.
Heck, even if you have to rent a couple of differant brands / models it would be worth it. Anything so that you can make an informed decision with you purchase.
The 3 I have experience with belong to clients so other then putting them in the water in the spring and pulling them out in the fall, I don't spend alot of time playing with them. However, I can see where they would be a lot of enjoyment in having one or even two of them.
I hope, and am sure that there are lots of folks here who can share more information with you on the purchase and ownership of them.
Good Luck.

MarkinNH,

"I have only ever operated the Sea Doo brand and I have found the throttle control very uncomfortable to operate. You have to use the thumb of your right hand and it (for me) is difficult to feather the throttle easily."


Check with your dealer, there should be a throttle modification available to make it more comfortable for you to operate. I'm sure there is an easy solution.

I hope this helps.



Terry
____________________________________________

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by trfour

MarkinNH,

"I have only ever operated the Sea Doo brand and I have found the throttle control very uncomfortable to operate. You have to use the thumb of your right hand and it (for me) is difficult to feather the throttle easily."


Check with your dealer, there should be a throttle modification available to make it more comfortable for you to operate. I'm sure there is an easy solution.

I hope this helps.

I love my Sea Doo. I have owned it for years and travel all over the entire lake with it. I purchased it at Dasilva Motorsports. they service it and store it annually. I am very happy with them. The nice thing about PWC's is that they are easy to operate and very easy to dock. They can be docked in small spaces. On busy weekends I can always get a parking spot in Meredith, Wolfeboro etc.

[TiltonBB]

I have purchased two Yamaha PWC's at HK Powersports in Laconia and I cannot say enough good things about the dealership or the people that own it. They really care about their customers and are very knowledgable about the products they sell.

I have a friend who currently has a Sea Doo and I have owned Sea Doos in the past. I have found the Yamaha to be better in both handling and reliability. The motor is also pretty quiet and smooth running.

[SIKSUKR]

Another thumbs up for Yamaha. Have owned 2 over the last 10 years and have nothing but great things to say. Very reliable and built very tough for the sometimes extremely rough waters of Winni. 3 others friends own Yamis and use them a lot on Winni with the same results.

[chipj29]

One thing for sure, PWC owners are very very brand loyal. I own a Sea Doo, and would recommend you get a Sea Doo. Siksukr owns a Yammy, and he thinks you should get a Yammy.

Whatever you decide on, my suggestion would be to get some seat time on whichever brands you are considering. What is right for me, may not be right for you.

PS...buy a Sea Doo, you won't regret it.

[pm203]

Yamaha or Kawasaki. Yamaha is the best overall waverunner out there.

[Excalibur]

I have to put my 2 cents for Kawasaki STX, great machine dependable proven motor on there Ninja bike and 4 yrs no issues except for a mouse invasion.

On another note, I had my Amica home owners umbrella policy canceled because of owning a jet ski type craft, even though the 3 person registers as a boat. Has anyone else had issues with insurance?

[SOB]

Hi All,

I owned a 2000 Seadoo GTX 3 person for 8 full seasons before I had a problem. It was a great machine. If I tell you that you should buy a Seadoo, that is just my opinion. Just like anyone else on here. I don't know of any other brands that are bad really.

When I bought mine I liked the style of the Seadoo over the Yamaha's and whoever else. The color choices were better for Seadoo that year, in my opinion.

Go with personal preference. Color, size, shape, price and pick the one you like. My advice is get someone local to where you are going to use it that will service it and has all the supplies you need. Do they keep batteries in stock, oil, spark plugs, etc. It is nice to have a one stop dealership for everything.

Again I have not heard of 1 brand that has a fleet wide engine problem or hull problem, etc etc. They all seem solid enough. Good Luck!

[rrr]

Another vote for SeaDoo. Did our homework before we bought the first one. Since then as Chip pointed out, it's been brand loyalty. Last one was purchased at Irwin in Alton. Love my SeaDoo!

[Winnicandle]

Originally Posted by Excalibur

I have to put my 2 cents for Kawasaki STX, great machine dependable proven motor on there Ninja bike and 4 yrs no issues except for a mouse invasion.

On another note, I had my Amica home owners umbrella policy canceled because of owning a jet ski type craft, even though the 3 person registers as a boat. Has anyone else had issues with insurance?

Does not affect my umbrella policy but its not included under it as my homeowners simply wont cover PWC.

Progressive has been very reasonable for my Seadoos - approx $250 a year. Unfortunately I think the max coverage they offer is 500K.

[LIforrelaxin]

So here is the thing, I am new to owning a PWC myself. I personally went with a SEA-DOO, why because they have a proven track record and have been a leader in the industry for years....Yes you have to get used to the throttle, and learning to control them takes a little while... but in the end they are a blast. As for lakes region dealers... I have to warn you against DeSilva... unless you buy and have your machine serviced there the owner is a pain.... I bought my machine somewhere else, and have tried to talk to him on a couple of occasions regarding the 10 hour brake-in service, and some odds and ends about the machine... he has not returned my calls or emails...

HK powersports on the other hand seems much more helpful in this regard.

[MarkinNH]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

So here is the thing, I am new to owning a PWC myself. I personally went with a SEA-DOO, why because they have a proven track record and have been a leader in the industry for years....Yes you have to get used to the throttle, and learning to control them takes a little while... but in the end they are a blast. As for lakes region dealers... I have to warn you against DeSilva... unless you buy and have your machine serviced there the owner is a pain.... I bought my machine somewhere else, and have tried to talk to him on a couple of occasions regarding the 10 hour brake-in service, and some odds and ends about the machine... he has not returned my calls or emails...
HK powersports on the other hand seems much more helpful in this regard.

Do you think that maybe he is busy spending his time, assisting people who actually Purchased their machine at his store instead of assisting people who are merely seeking Free advice and information on a machine they bought elsewhere.
Take your vehicle to Any dealer other then the one you bought it from and see if you get the same preferential treatment as someone who actually purchased their car there. They will always be happy to help you, After they have helped their actual purchasing customers first. Atleast this has been my experience. You might not like it but it's reality.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Sal

I want to buy a "personal watercraft", like a Sea-Doo or wave runner or what ever else they're called. I'd like to get a 3 person model, so I can tow a skier.
I'm a total neophyte and I need advice on what to get, where to get it, how much to expect to pay and what ever else you can tell me.
Thanks.

I have two Yamaha Waverunners. One is new and is an FX SHO Cruiser. It is a three seater has cruise control, reverse and a no wake mode that comes in real handy. The power of this PWC is just amazing to say the least,. (I believe it is 210 H.P.) It will have no problem towing tubers or skiers.

This is the only PWC I have owned so can't really say how it compares to others only that I am very satisfied with it.

As far as where to buy it... I bought mine at Rochester Motorsports simply because no one could touch their price at the time. No idea about their servicing or anything else, but the transaction was smooth. There are not many places on the lake that sell PWC. (Irwins I believe does)

Good luck;

Dan

[jean4]

1. We have dealt with both Dasilva and Hk both provided great service. Had a pump break on vacation. Dasilva had it repaired in like 2 days. We did not buy the machine from them. Chuck took great care of us.
2. We own both a kawasaki and a sea doo, the kawasaki has a finger throttle and the sea doo has a thumb throttle. After an hour or so of riding we get much more fatigue from the finger throttle. We really feel the sea doo is much more ergonomically comfortable. Any machine that is under 3 or 4 years old probably has more than enough power for any of your needs. Horse power ranges from 130 horse power to 260 horse power. The new 130 horse powered sea doo probably costs around $8,500. Both places we have delt with have nice websites with used machines also. You can probably get a 2 to 4 year old used machine for about $5,000. Good luck.

[jetskier]

I think that the best advice is to try to try before you buy. There are a variety of machines on the market and they all have strengths and weaknesses. The experience of the folks on this forum may not even be the most relevent as the models change over time. I own a 2002 Sea Doo GTX and the new model GTX is radically different from what I have. They added a suspension in 2009 and they have a braking system. I would expect that machine to behave quite differently than mine.

I purchased my Sea Doo at H&K in Tilton. H&K has multiple dealerships...Steve Walley owns them all after his brother's passing. I have known Steve for about 20 years now and he has always been great to deal with. If you are interested in Sea Doo, that is Tilton. If you are interested in Yamaha or Kawasaki that is Laconia. Oh yes, Honda makes a PWC also.

So, some advice:

1. Try before you buy
2. Purchase a 4 stroke (just about everything is these days)...they are cleaner and quieter than the 2 stroke counterparts.
3. Go to the dealerships and determine who you feel comfortable with. You should plan to have your machine serviced by that dealership and you should meet the service manager in addition to the sales staff.
4. Finally, narrow down the choices and look for a reasonable deal. Note that 3 seat PWC range from about $6,000 to over $14,000 based upon models and features. You might want to think about your price range at the outset as that will save some time with the whole thing.
5. If you solicit feedback, do so based upon the exact model and model year.

Jetskier

[Winnicandle]

Another vote for SeaDoo.

We have owned many, and currently own 2 SeaDoos.

All the other OEMs are usually behind them in technology in PWC. Go check them all out and decide.

The best advice I could give is buy them new and buy the extended warranty. I have never actually used it, never had anything break in 7 years of owning Seadoos.

Currently own 2 3-seaters - a 255hp RXT-X and a 215HP RXT. Both are very comfortable, and fast - the 255 may just be too fast unless you love speed. Its downfall is it use of gas..its a hog. As far as thumbs hurting - most new Seadoos no longer use your thumb but your index finger. Multiple mods are avail also.

Again - I would not buy used unless you know the owner. People tinker with these things and abuse them in ways you dont want to inherit.

Buy new and buy away from the lakes region. If you dont mind driving 5-10 hrs and 15K Seadoo can cost 11K out the door with warranty in the off season. Warranty work is honored at any dealership.

Also - basic maint. on one of these has gotten pretty easy - very little to do aside from an oil change each year.

[Sal]

.... for terrific responses to my wide open question on pwcs.
I tried to check in at Rochester Yamaha last Monday on the way back to MA, but of course they were closed.

I will do my due diligence.

You (all) have managed to convey that which ever brand you have, you like. I guess that means they're all pretty good .. no clunkers among top brands..

I'm sold on a 4 cycle engine. I'm convinced that 210 horses is way too much giddyup and if I do find a good used model, I will be as cautious as heck about buying it.

I'm guessing that mid-August is a better time to buy than mid-June.

[Winnicandle]

Originally Posted by Sal

.... for terrific responses to my wide open question on pwcs.
I tried to check in at Rochester Yamaha last Monday on the way back to MA, but of course they were closed.

I will do my due diligence.

You (all) have managed to convey that which ever brand you have, you like. I guess that means they're all pretty good .. no clunkers among top brands..

I'm sold on a 4 cycle engine. I'm convinced that 210 horses is way too much giddyup and if I do find a good used model, I will be as cautious as heck about buying it.

I'm guessing that mid-August is a better time to buy than mid-June.

Don't consider anything other than 4 stroke...and shop in December if you can wait!...last year w the economy so bad a $14,500 Seadoo was approx $11,500 out the door.

PWC and other toy dealers have been closing in record numbers. Theres good deals. Take a look at ebay and then drive to the dealers.

Of course, sometimes its worth the extra to play with your new fun toy TODAY. lol.


good luck!

[ossipeeboater]

i have both a Yamaha and a Sea Doo, slightly different ride and theres a huge difference in the handlebar/throttle set up. I'm comfortable on both but think the yamaha's better in rough water. Believe DaSilva has both right now I bought mine used from chuck and can't say enough about the service.