seadoo speedster 200

[dmented692006]

Im looking at buying a "fun" boat to take out in the potomac river and pohic bay. i have a bassboat but i want something bigger and faster. what do you guys think about seadoo's??? im ookin at the one with 430hp. how do these boats hold up? are they made well?

Ive looked at some used seadoo's and noticed that they dont hold value very well. why is that?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: seadoo speedster 200

the rotex motors in the newer Jet ski's are having problems, at 100 hours. with a jet you have a 430hp motor, but loose 30-40 % of it, in the transfer to the jet pump.

my recommendation, if buying jet, go Yamaha. ski or sports boat. they have the jets down pat.

 

[180shabah]

Re: seadoo speedster 200

If ou are looking at used boats, the earlier seadoos ran mercury sport jets, IMHO a better combination than the current Rotax units.

If you are looking for a new boat, check out SugarSand. They make a solid boat and many of them offer economy that rivals prop boats.

 

[arboldt]

Re: seadoo speedster 200

I'd say go for it.

On our lake, there's a lot of SeaDoo 16 - 18 footer jets, and they all appear to do quite well. I've got a smaller Sea Ray jet with a Merc powerhead, and many times I wish I'd waited and gotten a SeaDoo or Yamaha jet. After I bought it I found different forums and found the Merc SportJet is not really that great an engine.

A good friend at the lake has a SeaDoo 16' with the Rotax engine. His performance and mileage far surpasses mine. Mine's had to spend some quality time with the boat-engine doctor, while his only takes routine maintenance (with a jet, that's not much) (ok, his is a lot newer than mine, too).

A big question for you is if a jet is what you really want on the Potomac and bay? There's a lot of pros and cons depending on your intended use and the water you'll mostly be on. If you're gonna be on bigger, deeper, more crowded water, then a jet may lose some advantages.

 

[dmented692006]

Re: seadoo speedster 200

well basically what im looking for is a bigger boat(bigger than my bass boat) that is fast and fun. im thinking something in the 20ft-28ft range. The seadoo speedster is supposed to go 68mph which is what im looking for. what are the cons of a jet vs. a prop?

 

[SFT2]

Re: seadoo speedster 200

If you want a fast 20' boat, go look at a Baja Outlaw 20. Much, much more boat than anything Seadont's ever built. My first boat was a 95 Speedster with dual Rotaxes. Never could keep both engines running at the same time for more than 10 minutes. It was almost enough to make me swear off boats for life. Besides the mechanical issues, the ride is unbelievably rough. Fast, yes, but they get the speed by making the hull very shallow, which sucks in rough water. When it was running right it was a fun boat in the coves, but I wouldn't take another one unless it was free... probably not then, either.

 

[arboldt]

Re: seadoo speedster 200

well basically what im looking for is a bigger boat(bigger than my bass boat) that is fast and fun. im thinking something in the 20ft-28ft range. The seadoo speedster is supposed to go 68mph which is what im looking for. what are the cons of a jet vs. a prop?

Realize there are many divergent opinions here.

Advantages of jet:
Safer - no one will ever get cut on your prop
Shallower water capability - the jet is actually slightly higher than the boat bottom, so you don't have the lower unit, prop, and skeg deeper than the hull. On the other hand, you *really* need to watch it so you don't suck sand into your jet.
Handling - at planing speed, handling far surpasses a prop IMHO
Fun - (highly subjective rating here)
Maintenance - winterizing is usually much easier

Advantages of conventional:
Option of outboard, I/O, inboard. Outboards are much easier to work on. You can also change props, optimizing for speed, hole shot, etc...
Much greater efficiency, both HP and miles (hours) per gallon of fuel
Hole Shot performance - slightly better due to greater efficiency
Handling - at no-wake, a jet is difficult to handle; it's directional control is by the direction of the jet, so if there's not much power, there's not much control.
Long-term maintenance - eventually will need to replace impeller and wear ring.

As for overall speed, that depends on many factors. Generally, due to greater efficiency, a prop might be faster than a jet, other factors being equal.

Also consider what-ifs. A few times when we've been on a lake with more weeds (Eurasian milfoil has invaded the Midwest), I've had weeds mat the intake grate on the bottom. Restricted water intake = no jet power. On a prop, you'd most likely gently put it in reverse a bit, and the prop would free itself from the weeds. Some jets (I've heard) have a way to free weeds from the intake grate. Mine, I've had to shut off the engine, swim under the boat and pull 'em out and off by hand. This has encouraged us to not go into some coves or other areas where there's lots of weeds. Of course, our boat is older and entry-level, so newer / better jets may have that problem addressed. Or it may not be an issue in the waters where you are.

All told, it sounds like my comparisons lean toward props. But for the lake where our cottage is, the jet had definite advantages -- especially in shallow water.

You might also browse the forums at jetboating.net -- of course, everyone there is just a little biased that way.

HTH
Al

 

[JUSTINTIME]

Re: seadoo speedster 200

yami makes the best right now on the market

 

[430HP]

Re: seadoo speedster 200

Realize there are many divergent opinions here.

Advantages of jet:
Safer - no one will ever get cut on your prop
Shallower water capability - the jet is actually slightly higher than the boat bottom, so you don't have the lower unit, prop, and skeg deeper than the hull. On the other hand, you *really* need to watch it so you don't suck sand into your jet.
Handling - at planing speed, handling far surpasses a prop IMHO
Fun - (highly subjective rating here)
Maintenance - winterizing is usually much easier

Advantages of conventional:
Option of outboard, I/O, inboard. Outboards are much easier to work on. You can also change props, optimizing for speed, hole shot, etc...
Much greater efficiency, both HP and miles (hours) per gallon of fuel
Hole Shot performance - slightly better due to greater efficiency
Handling - at no-wake, a jet is difficult to handle; it's directional control is by the direction of the jet, so if there's not much power, there's not much control.
Long-term maintenance - eventually will need to replace impeller and wear ring.

As for overall speed, that depends on many factors. Generally, due to greater efficiency, a prop might be faster than a jet, other factors being equal.

Also consider what-ifs. A few times when we've been on a lake with more weeds (Eurasian milfoil has invaded the Midwest), I've had weeds mat the intake grate on the bottom. Restricted water intake = no jet power. On a prop, you'd most likely gently put it in reverse a bit, and the prop would free itself from the weeds. Some jets (I've heard) have a way to free weeds from the intake grate. Mine, I've had to shut off the engine, swim under the boat and pull 'em out and off by hand. This has encouraged us to not go into some coves or other areas where there's lots of weeds. Of course, our boat is older and entry-level, so newer / better jets may have that problem addressed. Or it may not be an issue in the waters where you are.

All told, it sounds like my comparisons lean toward props. But for the lake where our cottage is, the jet had definite advantages -- especially in shallow water.

You might also browse the forums at jetboating.net -- of course, everyone there is just a little biased that way.

HTH
Al

My first post.

Like anything, there are trade-offs to consider when choosing between jet & prop. Jet boats are MORE efficient at reaching plain compared to prop boats. That being said, prop boats are MORE efficient while on plain.

I am up and flat doing 22 MPH in 2 seconds! It seems that knowing a jet is less efficient then a prop, when plaining, which is most of the time, they seem to just boost the HP so much, that it doesn't matter.

The problem with that, is I burn through the gas very fast! Funny thing is, I have a smile on my face, every time I fill it up!!

I must admit, I go in water 20 ft from shore and don't worry about my prop getting mangled. I can also do 180's at high speeds and they are fun. As the above poster commented, no one will ever get hurt, unlike prop boats.

I have gone consistently, 62 MPH (100KPH) when solo in the boat at 7800 RPM's on Lake Ontario in fairly flat water.

So, in conclusion, the only thing prop driven boats is better at, is being more efficient when plaining, which leads to gas savings.

I'll keep my 2006 seadoo speedster 200 with wake tower!

Safe boating!