Buying a Jetski - Need help

Tobias_Neumann · Posted: Mar 20, 2005 7:45 am Post subject: Buying a Jetski - Need help

Hello !

We´re planning to buy a jetski but quite a few Q´s arise and I hope some of you guys can help me out.

First of all I´ll have to go with a used one since new ones are too expensive here in Sweden (around 20k $).

Which brand(s) should I look for ? (also, any particular model ?)
How many HP do you need to pull a rider up ?

The most important Q is about maintainence - I´ve heard from some people that you almost have to be a mechanic to own one. Although one guy said that Yamaha don´t break down too often.

Any general thoughts about jetskis would be great.

It´d be nice to have a jetski which can pull a rider while two people are riding the jetski itself.

Thanks in advance

All the best

Tobias

ps. thanks for all the replies on my previous post about the 4-stroke vs 2-stroke

senorbueno · Backside 180 Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 1593

Well, Parky can get up on a Zodiac with only 15 HP, so, most jetski's will have you covered, but something like that can be damn tricky... Specifically, I would look for a Sea Doo GTX, or any 2/3 seater Sea Doo models, they will definitely be able to pull you, and IMO they are the best Jet Skis (I hate to call them Jet Skis though, because I think they are in a class by themselves) around. I've had my GTX for 10 years (or my family has had it at least), and it is still in good mechanical condition... The throttle response was starting to get delayed, but we changed the spark plugs and that's seemed to fix it...Not too much work, just need to make sure to keep good care of it and never run over your rope (learned that the hard way)... The newer Yamaha's seem nice, but I cannot vouch for their quality... the older ones seemed a little unstable. Oh, and our Sea Doo now tops out at 45 MPH instead of 60 like it did when it was brand new... but that's alright with me...

seven11dmd · Posted: Mar 20, 2005 2:28 pm Post subject:

get a seadoo GTX wakeboard edition, it has a pylon which riases the towing point a few feet off the water which actually helps a lot. it also is strong enough to rip fat people outta the water, and when your tired from riding u can go punch holes in the water with it, cuz its fast too.

chriscut · Backside 180 Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 2000

what do used GTX's usually go for?

andy ross · Posted: Mar 20, 2005 3:52 pm Post subject:

i like the yamaha they pull with at the projects.

swamp · Ollie Joined: 23 Sep 2003 Posts: 76 City: O-town

20 k for a jetski, god I love living in the the U.S.

seven11dmd · Posted: Mar 20, 2005 5:17 pm Post subject:

eyeareque, depends how old obviously,

we got our wakeboard edition new last year for 11K i think, with a trailer.

cassette941 · Posted: Mar 20, 2005 7:09 pm Post subject:

get the Yamaha VX110 deluxe. It's a fourstroke and it's not too pricey for being brand new. We pulled two riders at once yesterday behind it

seven11dmd · Posted: Mar 20, 2005 11:18 pm Post subject:

cassette941, its gonna be too pricey in sweden...pulling 2 riders is sweet though, i should try that.

senorbueno · Backside 180 Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 1593

We bought our Sea Doo 10 years ago with a trailer for like 3200$ I think... Well, I know for a fact it was less than 7 grand... But of course they have gone up in price

TYLER** · Posted: Mar 21, 2005 1:06 am Post subject:

HP isnt that much of an issue, i ride behind a boat with a 25 boat engine. im not sure exactly how much HP that is, but im sure it isnt much

seven11dmd · Posted: Mar 21, 2005 1:21 am Post subject:

torque is more of an issue, how much torque is necessary to pull someone out of a deep water start.

Tobias_Neumann · Posted: Mar 21, 2005 3:20 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the input guys. Buy a new jetski is out of the question simply because of the price. Jetskis were banned in Sweden up to a year or so ago. The EU laws prevented Sweden from keeping the ban on Jetskiis. The government is doing everything to ban them again but it´ll be hard. The jetski is classified as a boat by the EU and they´ll have a hard time banning boats. If we´re unlucky we might face a ban within a couple of years.

My concern, since I´ve only rode a jetski a few times is how good and bad they come. Apparantly you can ride after a 10+ year old model which wasn´t even the top model at the time of release. I can get a used Jetski from around ´00 which has run about 50 or so hours for roughly 8k $. The Seadoo are normally a bit more expensive but if they break down more seldom it´s worth the extra bucks. I´m interested in hearing about all your experiences.

To those of you who own a jetski: How much maintenence do they normally require ?

Thanks for your patience and help !

BillyOLDS · Posted: Mar 21, 2005 3:34 pm Post subject:

Tobias_Neumann,
imo i would never buy a sea-doo. every single one ive riden behind has been very rough an not a good wake compared to others. i would highly recomend honda but i doubt you could find one in your price range. i would also say yamaha and kawisaki have very well built ski's. as far as maintenance goes a 4stroke will give you less hassels but when the motor does need rebuilding it will be more money but you wil have to do it way less often than two stroke engines.
chad

wakeskatefooo · Backside 180 Joined: 11 Oct 2004 Posts: 908 City: odessa

i have a polaris its pretty nice i think its an 03 virage its awesome

sooperspeed · Faceplant Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 22 City: Saint Louis

What do you guys think about Tigershark jetskis? I am also looking at getting an older seadoo for the same reasons...

BillyOLDS · Posted: Mar 29, 2005 3:01 pm Post subject:

sooperspeed, never heard of tigershark but honestly dont get a seadoo, compared to yamaha, kawisaki, and honda thyey are crap

senorbueno · Backside 180 Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 1593

headhuntermx4, I think you are wrong, I own a Sea Doo, and have had friends that have owned Kawisaki's and Yamaha's, and my SeaDoo was far better than what they had.... If you buy an older GTX or similar model, you will be fine. They work great.

seven11dmd · Posted: Mar 29, 2005 3:34 pm Post subject:

like i said before i love my seadoo, and seadoo is the only one that offers a pylon, which i think makes a noticeable difference.

senorbueno · Backside 180 Joined: 28 Sep 2004 Posts: 1593

Also... I do know that the newer boats from Honda are pretty nice, but I think that would be out of this guy's price range, I'm just trying to help out here.