Jet Boat VS. I/O

[Bondo]

Re: Jet Boat VS. I/O

Ayuh,... This arguement is Over 2 years old...

If you want a Boat,.... Buy an I/O...
If you want a glorified Jet-Ski,.... Go ahead,+ buy 1....

 

[Craigmri]

Re: Jet Boat VS. I/O

My turn to add my thoughts.

I've owned a 2007 Seadoo Utopia 205(Twin Jets totalling 310hp) and a 2008 Seadoo Challenger 180(Single Jet 215hp).

I've also owned several I/O's in the past so I have significant experience in both arenas.

I can say that around the docks nothing and I mean nothing can compare to a modern jet boat for manuerverability. That is providing the captain is skilled. When I first got the Utopia there was a learning curve but after a few outings I "got it". With these newer jets you can rotate the boat on its own axis simply by steering the boat in the "neutral" position. You can inch the boat anywhere with proper inputs and amaze onlookers. Again this is an acquired skill but the low speed maneuvering is remarkable!

On plane the handling is breathtaking. They are Ferraris on the water. Go 50 MPH and cut the wheel hard and you swear your boat is adhered to pavement. Its a thrill.

Acceleration is exceptional too!

OK, on to the bad. Wear rings! Its a poly-plastic type sleeve the impeller spins in and will get ruined if you suck up anything abrasive. The clearance between the edges is the impeller and wear ring are so tight. They have to be to make pressure. You wear a little of the wear ring and pressure drops and it has a huge effect on pump efficiency.....i.e acceleration. If you also boat in weedy areas be prepared to swim under your boat clearing out blockages. You will be intimate with the term cavitation when you own a jet boat. I also found my jet boats to be on the louder side when on plane.

Finally for me I was unhappy with the Seadoo quality. Dont get me wrong, they stood behind their warranty and paid claims but I'm convinced they have the worst Gel-coat and vinyl quality. I lost count how many times I brought my boats to the dealer for gel-coat crack repairs(stress cracks).

So, I've decided to go back to the tried and true technology of an I/O. I am prepared to forgo some of the jetboat advantages in favor of a more robust overall package.

There is a 18' 4.3 MPI bow-rider with my name on it!

Craig

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Jet Boat VS. I/O

old thread back to life!

I'm a firm believer in modern jet's... I've owned various I/O's and outboards, the last two boats have both been jets and i love them! As far as efficency, the 25% off the top number is usually attributed to outboard jets, which ARE horribly inefficient. I know I can run a LONG time on a couple gallons of gas in my 17 foot jet boat. Like everything else, if you hold the throttle WOT for half an hour at a time, prepare to pay up!

like the poster above said, nothing outside of a twin screw with bowthruster comes close to being able to maneuver like a jet. Obviously you can spin in your own length, as well as stop from 50 mph to 0 in a couple boat lengths. With some practice you can also slide the boat straight sideways. (toggle the reverse bucket up and down while keeping the nozzle opposite the direction you want to move)

 

[stinkbait85]

Re: Jet Boat VS. I/O

are jet boats good for skiing, wakeboarding, tubing? What are the top speeds like with these boats? What company makes the best jet boat?

river pro!!!!!!!!!!!!!hands down no question. check em out on youtube. if i had the $$$$$$$$ i would own one. awesome man for real. 200hp mercury optimax inboard on a jet pump. holy crap. jet ski on steroids they claim it is capable of 50mph in only 4inches of water!!! i don't know about that but still.
i know a guy who has one and he is king when it comes down to getting into places in the Dan River here in virginia that no one else can go. i have seen him throw a small wake over a narrow sandbar exposed about 3 inches high by maybe 10 feet wide and ride the wake over it. they start around 25k and can go up in the 30's. if youre looking for a skinny water honey hole finder check em out. if youre looking to yank your buddies around on a tube then buy a you an i/o

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Jet Boat VS. I/O

river pro!!!!!!!!!!!!!hands down no question. check em out on youtube. if i had the $$$$$$$$ i would own one. awesome man for real. 200hp mercury optimax inboard on a jet pump. holy crap. jet ski on steroids they claim it is capable of 50mph in only 4inches of water!!! i don't know about that but still.

I've currently got a 175 merc, but I've run an identical boat with the 210 hp optimax. 4 inches is generous! i've skipped across small sand bars that were barely submerged, don't really want to make that a habit though. I've had many times where I've leaned over the edge to look over, and I was zipping along in less than a foot of water. My current 175hp 17' boat will top out in the mid 50's depending on weight/fuel, and it gets there EXTREMELY quickly!

 

[spudshaft]

Re: Jet Boat VS. I/O

My FIL has some kind of Seadoo jet boat, maybe 15 feet long, I can't remember the name of it. After a week of playing with it, I came home wanting one. Acceleration was great. Tubes were fine. We didn't try skiing though.

 

[wouldworker]

Re: Jet Boat VS. I/O

My Father and I have owned them all except a V-Drive. If you boat up and down the Colorado river you want a jet with all the cubic inches you can afford and a thru-hull exhaust. A jet drive was most sucessful in So. Cal/Arizona cuz in the 70s/80s because of the shifting sand bars on the river. Everytime there was a large water release the sand bars moved and even the most familiar boaters hit them.

Why do you want to carry around 1200lbs sitting inside the boat of 340hp V-8 that burns 12 gallons an hour at cruise an makes so much noise that you can't hear friends talking?

An outboard weighing 600lbs at 175hp V-6 burns maybe 8 gallons an hour, doesn't occupy room in the boat and it will free up seats for three at your transom.

Anywhere else that you can get 4 feet of water you want a the best boat you can afford with an unboltable "BIC lighter" outboard. Two years after the warranty is gone unbolt it and get another one. Retail an outboard goes for 12k, a V-8 car engine for marine use with a jet drive hour for hour will run the same money. Problem is that once you own a brand or V-8/jet drive you are stuck with it.

Since 4 stroke/DI outboards have come out V-8 gas inboards have few advantages.

If you want a dream ride, look up a See-Vee with a Yanmar diesel! That's a ride! and the first and last boat you'll ever need.

 

[wtblazer]

Re: Jet Boat VS. I/O

Well i am starting to look for a boat now as well and i am trying to research the diff between jet boat and I/O.

I have read all the post above and all very good information.

You know you can get a used sea doo boat for a resonable price and something that is not mentioned any where above it the quality of the sea doo boat.

The sea doo boat is made out of all fiberglass including the floor and unless you spring for a high priced I/O you will probably get wood floor cover with fiberglass, which means quicker rotting i know my mom and dad have a 95 deck boat took very good care of it and we ski and knee boarded and tubed alot and in the back where we got in the boat it rotted very quickly. When i buy a boat i dont want to have to worry about replacing the floor in a year or two. All fiber glass is very nice.

I mean really i want to be able to ski, knee board and tube and having a boat that can turn on a dime and is a plus. I also want to fish as well at times as well and the sea doo boat will work for that just as well as any other boat. Plus the sea doo boat i have heard is lighter to pull i do not need and big vehicle to pull it.