Sea Rayder What to look for when considering buying.

[lfreng]

Guy has a 95 or 96 (i think) F-16 for sale for $1500 w/trailer. I have done a little research and it doesnt look like these are the most reliable. Looking for something for the kids to dink around on at the lake. Wont be putting too many hours on it. Dont need high performance, just something for wife to bounce around to friends cabins, maybe pull a tube occasionally. Seems like a bit of a gamble with these engines but if it runs good I might be willing to pull the trigger but not at $1500. (seats need to be redone, buffed etc). Just curious on what to check out when test driving and looking it over.

 

[SeaDooSam]

That is a fair enough price for that, however, if it is known to be unreliable, it is not fun at all. Breaking down stinks. Also, looks can be deceiving, even though it is small, cleaning it up can be very time-consuming. Also, Sea raiders are much less common. Therefore, less parts available which leads to higher repair cost and more downtime. If you are just looking for a jet boat I would get a Seadoo boat in my opinion. Once you get "all the bugs out" they are actually pretty reliable. Of course I am biased because I have two of them, but they are actually nice boats.

#1 Rule For Anything With A Jet: NO SALTWATER (even if it is flushed after every use, it leads to problems).
Jet boats are a real good lake toy though. Enjoy whatever you end up with!