Jet boat comparison

[Hai Nhi]

Hello everyone

For jet boats, is there a brand comparison written anywhere online I can read up?

I'm shopping for a jet boat for my family members. We know Yamaha is popular. But we're also looking at Scarab and a used Glastron boat.

They plan to use it mostly on lakes and rivers. Family of 6 with occasional guests. They probably start out pulling tubes, and learn on wakeboarding/water skiing.

A couple of questions:

- As for boat build quality, how are these 3 brands compared to each other?
- Engines: The Glastron we looked at is a 2016 GTS 207 with a single 240 HP. For those who has single jet engine boat, how do you feel about that, in term of power?
- If we go the new boat route, how much down from asking price can we negotiate? I shop for vehicles all the time so I do have some experience. But I'm not sure how the new boat market works yet.
- If we go the used boat route: how much would be a fair price for a great condition 2016 Glastron GTS 207?

Thanks much.

Nhi

 

[mr 88]

Is there a reason your locked onto Jet Drives ? They are the worst for pulling skiers and wake boarders. That propulsion system has the most slip of any type of drive on a boat. Right now there is probably little room for negotiating a price on a new boat. It's a sellers market , used or new. That is if you can even find a new one , people are waiting 4-8 months for new boats ,the mfgs are way behind on inventory .

 

[ahicks]

A jet wouldn't be my first choice either. I'd go outboard, and preferably, a 4 stroke outboard.

From a water skiing stand point, jets leave a terrible wake to ski across. For that reason, many use 100' ropes to get in back of it because the standard 75' rope forces them to cross at a distance that allows for unintended crashes on hard cuts. At 100', your skier is WAY in back of you!

Tubes are fine, but with 6 people in the boat, getting one of the bigger ones up on top might be a struggle.

 

[briangcc]

Alot of marinas around me are saying either order now (really last month) for this year OR if you wait you'll be boating next year. NEW supply is limited...even some of the manufacturers are saying that on their own websites as well.

When the pandemic hit, boat stock was depleted as it was one of the few activities you could do as a family. I honestly haven't seen that change so negotiation, on new isn't an option....used may not be either.

Pre-pandemic your best chance was to wait until fall and then look for a new (albeit a model year old) boat on discount as marinas generally discount those fairly well to clear the floor for new models.

Specs show that's a darn near 22' boat. I wouldn't expect much in terms of performance with a 240HP jet as that's alot of boat to be pushing.

Best advice....take your prospective purchase out for a test ride with your family (if possible) so that you know full well what the performance is with a full load. You may be happy, you may be wishing you had more power.

I'd also suggest checking the lakes/rivers/whatnot where you intend to use the boat. If you see lots of weeds you may want to choose an Outboard or I/O.

 

[Hai Nhi]

Thanks for the quick replies.

I have a jetski. But my boats are I/O. It's just that this is their first boat. And they just want something simple. They wanted to get 2 jetski's at first. I told them might as well go with a boat instead.

I will take them out next week or so to try something on the water to feel themselves. They also have budget to go, maybe $30-$35k max I think.

 

[Scott Danforth]

simple is an aluminum boat and outboard

new boats are backlogged with orders and supply chain issues

resin is on allocation
foam, vinyl and plastic for upholstery is on allocation
glass assemblies are backlogged
gauge assemblies are backlogged
wiring harnesses and terminals are on allocation

as far as brands of boats go, there are yamaha powered boats and there are mercruiser powered boats.

the rest is the cheapest piece of plastic they can assemble the motor into.

in the late 90's and early 00's most jet boat hulls were made by baja and everyone was in the jet boat market. now, not so much.

for water sports, a dedicated wake board boat or a ski boat is best. these are either Volvo IPS systems or inboards

a jet boat should only be considered only because if you smash your face into the back of the boat, there isnt a propeller to grind your body parts

 

[LundAngler1650]

What sort of rivers? Around me, river running will mean bouncing off rocks, gravel bars, and running in barely any water. So here a jetboat is a Bratt, Firefish, that sort of thing, made of tough aluminum, and a plastic bottom, powered by a V8 and typically spinning a Hamilton Pump.
So define the river use please.
It almost sounds like you might be better off with a Lund aluminum, or similar brand, powered by a nice outboard. I personal wouldn't own a boat ever again not made of aluminum, i don't worry about beaching it on rocky shores, light weight, which is easier to tow, uses a smaller engine and reduces fuel burn, negating the need for a large gas tank. Amazing how far I can go on my 6 gallon gas tank, and as a safety measure I carry a 3 gallon gas can to. Pick the best boat for your intended use, if going to be cruising, skiing, fishing and more, maybe a crossover style boat is what you need.