Looking to buy a pair of waverunners - need some advice

[mrvideo]

Hi guys,
New to the forum, but an old timer to waverunners.
I have old Seadoo XP, and prior to that had a Yamaha 500 way back when.

I am looking for something faster and more comfortable for riding mainly in the bay, but will also venture into the ocean.

I have been browsing and my first thoughts were the Yamaha FX series. Is there anyone that is familier with the models that can give me the basic differences. Also, what is the scoop with the Super Charger? Is there a huge difference performance wise, and if so, what is the difference in gas consumption for an average 2-3 hour ride ?

The Atlantic City Boat Show is in a few weeks, and I am hoping that there are some deals to be had.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: Looking to buy a pair of waverunners - need some advice

Welcome "Mrvideo". Many more experienced PWC'ers on here, but I'll throw in my .02. Are you looking for a sport 2-seater or a family 3-seater? Most any of the bigger 3-seaters will be fine in the bays or ocean up to a point, but most would agree the big Kawasaki is the best for those conditions. The difference between superchargers vs. naturally aspirated 4-strokes is HUGE. What you're really paying for is drastically increased acceleration, but most don't routinely cruise at 50 - 70 mph in open waters. Gas consumption is probably 25% worse vs. non supercharged. Good luck at the show !!!

 

[mrvideo]

Re: Looking to buy a pair of waverunners - need some advice

Rooster, thanks for responding. I am looking for a 3 seater, with a nice pillion to support the lower back !

I like the theater seating I have seen on the Yamaha, but am not limited to that. I am looking for comfort, speed, and smooth ride through choppy water in the bay. We have a boat, so pulling a water toy is not an issue.

I definitely want 4 stroke. How would you compare the Yamaha to the Kawasaki ?

 

[The Rooster]

Re: Looking to buy a pair of waverunners - need some advice

Rooster, thanks for responding. I am looking for a 3 seater, with a nice pillion to support the lower back !

I like the theater seating I have seen on the Yamaha, but am not limited to that. I am looking for comfort, speed, and smooth ride through choppy water in the bay. We have a boat, so pulling a water toy is not an issue.

I definitely want 4 stroke. How would you compare the Yamaha to the Kawasaki ?

Can't really help you w/ that comparison, sorry, but I can tell you that if you have to cross several miles of 3' footers w/ white caps, your lower back will pay the price on ANY jet flea. If no one else chimes in w/ their opinion, you might try "GreenHulk". You'll find plenty of opinions there. Best of luck !!!

 

[CJ River Rider]

Re: Looking to buy a pair of waverunners - need some advice

The Kawasaki "Ultra" series are the best for ocean and bay chop. Stick with the Ultra LX if you just want to cruise around, the Ultra 300's are supercharged and while very fast and expensive, need to be maintained properly to avoid issues. The 300's are however very quick but still use a lot less fuel than than any 2 stoke you are familiar with.

I own a smaller 15F (which is also a 3 seater) and my riding partner has a 300, last summer in the Barnegat the winds really started to pick up I got hammered while he plowed right through.

Unfortunately, Kawasaki doesn't spend much on promotion and you will have to look hard in AC to find their display (if they even have one). I was at the Javits NYC boat show earlier and Yamaha had every model on display and Sea Doo also had a lot of their models there.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Looking to buy a pair of waverunners - need some advice

Rooster, thanks for responding. I am looking for a 3 seater, with a nice pillion to support the lower back !

I like the theater seating I have seen on the Yamaha, but am not limited to that. I am looking for comfort, speed, and smooth ride through choppy water in the bay. We have a boat, so pulling a water toy is not an issue.

I definitely want 4 stroke. How would you compare the Yamaha to the Kawasaki ?

IMHO the Yami seating support sucks. Its a spongy seat and doesn't feel that good on my old rump. OTOH, the new SeaDoo touring seats are outstanding. They are much firmer and push on your back harder so it gives better support.

For choppy water, the new S-D IS (intelligent suspension) outclasses all other PWCs so far that there just isnt a choice any more.

We were in Tampa last Spring on vacation and S-D had their factory tour right at our hotel. We had just rented a new Yami in Clearwater the day before to explore the area. Nice boat. But after riding every model in the 2012 S-D line (for free BTW) all I could say was OMG!!!

Can't comment about Kawi - no dealers in my area any more and haven't seen a new one in a long time.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Looking to buy a pair of waverunners - need some advice

I too have had two Sea Doo's, and bought a Yamaha VX Cruiser two years ago. At that time, the two best selling PWC's were two VX models--out of the whole U.S. retail market. We're on a wide, deep inland lake, and the VX Cruiser does a great job for me--54 mph and 10 mpg average. My PWC's never seen a shop, and I believe Yamahas sell so well because of their durability.

The only other brand I would consider is a Sea Doo, but they're much more expensive than Yamaha's locally. I had a Kawasaki Jet Ski in 1984, but their dealer base pretty much sucks in much of the U.S. Service is important.

My dealer's sold out of all new 2012's but the FX SHO (supercharged) @ $11,899 and the FX SHO Cruise @ $12,399. Another local dealer has a 2009 VX Cruiser with 34 hours for $6495.

Checkout Boattrader.com filtered for 250 miles around you. There should be a number of 2012 model machines available for a great price savings. I went to the boat show this year, and didn't see any bargains on anything.