Waverunners

[tuffr2]

I agree, you guys are correct 'PWC' is the correct term of what I am thinking about. I was using term 'waverunner' as a generic term incorrectly.

I have a wetsuit jacket, probably needed in the winter Florida months when air is warm but water is cold.

Renting one is an ok idea but from what I can tell the rentals are a lower level 'PWC'. I would be looking for a much bigger, more comfortable machine.

Humm, a rib boat. Now that opens yet another can of boats. I do see PWC's a lot but never any rib boats. What makes a rib boat better than a PWC?

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

........... What makes a rib boat better than a PWC?

It's not "better", they each have a purpose. It's going to be easier to fish from an RIB than a PWC but if you want to go fast and annoy other boaters, a PWC is your better choice.

BTW: In my state and probably others, PWCs may not be legally operated between sunset and sunrise (night time). That restriction doesn't apply to RIBs as long as they have compliant lighting.

[tuffr2]

I really do not want go go fast nor annoy other boaters. I agree when I had a boat the 'PWC's' were an annoyance. They were just buzzing around. They were faster than boats and basically a real PIT. On an inland lake they were difficult to keep track of.

I will want to run up on the sand bars and run in shallow water sometimes.

I looked at google images of rib boats. I will keep them in mind as an easier to clean, difficult to sink boat.

I am thinking I can sit sideways on a PWC to fish...or better yet, backward to fish. I will want to fish some but the main purpose will be to look for dolphin, run up on sand bars and look for the large spotted cockle clam shells, and to enjoy the ocean. I will be launching at Bings Landing and using the submerdged sandbar filled Matanzas inlet.

[a64pilot]

PWC's are sort of very one use thing, scooting around the bays and other protected waters, that is about it.
I do see people fish from them and think that insane, no cover, no room etc.
Take a decent small boat, you can fish, ski, take the lady out on a moonlit romantic cruise.
Or take friends with you, wakeboard, fish several people or poles, have a place to put a big fish if you catch one, or several fish. Need a big coffin sized cooler if your really fishing, where is that going on a PWC?
A boat will have shade, and is comfortable at anchor, maybe even overnight on a boat, try that on a PWC.

Then and not least importantly there is a lot of restrictions and ill will toward PWC's. You may not be that person that operates them irresponsibly, but your going to catch the same attitudes they do.

Was in the Dry Tortugas a year or so ago, a BIG charter power boat kept pleading with the rangers to use their dock to pick up his Charters as he had big PWCs as tenders, and they are not allowed in the water in that park.

[tuffr2]

Are there any PWC's that run quiet...or more quiet than others? Do they all make that irritating buzzing engine sound? Almost like a crotch rocket motorcycle.

Lol... I am giving you guys the correct indication that, yes I am an old guy that still loves the water.

[Fence Man]

We have been a million miles on PWC's. My daughter and I make lots of 100 mile round trips just to have lunch and go somewhere. We aren't the go fast and piss people off kind....just like to cruise.(Except for Mrs. Fence Man's annual trip to the ER after a trick attempt.) We like the benefit of the jet drive and being able to run up the creeks/backwater. We use them in freshwater, as well as saltwater. We generally have our mod V with a bimini should we want shade or more room. There is a tool for every job, but a pontoon with a slide definitely won't fit in most garages.

[Fence Man]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Are there any PWC's that run quiet...or more quiet than others? Do they all make that irritating buzzing engine sound? Almost like a crotch rocket motorcycle.

Lol... I am giving you guys the correct indication that, yes I am an old guy that still loves the water.

Four strokes will be quieter than two strokes.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Fence Man

We have been a million miles on PWC's. My daughter and I make lots of 100 mile round trips just to have lunch and go somewhere. We aren't the go fast and piss people off kind....just like to cruise.(Except for Mrs. Fence Man's annual trip to the ER after a trick attempt.) We like the benefit of the jet drive and being able to run up the creeks/backwater. We use them in freshwater, as well as saltwater. We generally have our mod V with a bimini should we want shade or more room. There is a tool for every job, but a pontoon with a slide definitely won't fit in most garages.

What you describe sounds like us with one huge exception. Instead of a PWC or two PWC's which may not be allowed some places, get you wet much of the time, and are noisy we do have jets but jet RIB's. Not cheap as new ones start about $30,000. Of course a couple of jet skis could run $15,000-$30,000. In a jet tender, one can do all you can do on a PWC plus some. Now when it comes to carrying it or a PWC or 2 PWC's on a boat, it's surprisingly not much larger or heavier than PWC's and certainly less than 2 of them.

An 11' model can run in excess of 40 knots. Quieter, more comfortable, not restricted anywhere. Worth considering.

[tuffr2]

Are there some PWC's that are more reliable than others? I went to look at Honda PWC's today but for some reason could not find their location. I am now verifying the address for tomorrow. So of
Sea Doo, Yamaha, Kalasaki, and Honda do any stand out above the other.

I see that some manufactures make about (what seems like) a dozen different models ugh.

[BandB]

Yamaha has 16 models. Kawasaki 7, Sea Doo 18, Honda 0. You'll need to figure out how many passengers, how much speed, you desire.

[brownoarsman]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

In fact, I'm not sure if anyone sells a stand-up PWC in the United States anymore.

Kawasaki brought theirs back at $10k MSRP new. I've been considering it as I think standup is way more fun than the bloated sit down PWCs.

For the OP, if you're moving off the ski idea (and I agree with a64 that for your purposes a small boat may be better), you'd have to decide between jet and outboard power. Jet is really for shallow draft and sandbars, but it's noisier, with about half the fuel economy, and a little more difficult for slow quarters maneuvering than an outboard. So if the shallow draft/beaching thing is your main criteria, go jet; otherwise consider an outboard. I've been considering a small runabout as well so have been looking into it.

Two other propulsion options are inboard/shaft driven, and I/O, but for the boat sizes we seem to be talking about, I don't think either would apply.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by brownoarsman

For the OP, if you're moving off the ski idea (and I agree with a64 that for your purposes a small boat may be better), you'd have to decide between jet and outboard power. Jet is really for shallow draft and sandbars, but it's noisier, with about half the fuel economy, and a little more difficult for slow quarters maneuvering than an outboard. So if the shallow draft/beaching thing is your main criteria, go jet; otherwise consider an outboard. I've been considering a small runabout as well so have been looking into it.

.

Our jets are as quiet as outboards. The engines are Textron for gas and Yanmar for diesel.

Jets are more expensive.

One thing that people overrate jets on is shallow and sand bars. They are good as long as you don't push the limits. Get the jet within inches in sand or growth and they'll be pumping the sand or the water growth through. If growth can stop it up. If sand will cause wear. Ok to run very shallow occasionally but running within less than a foot of the bottom regularly may well lead to trouble. I don't recommend running in less than 2' of water. Most don't quote draft but typically when they do or did it's around 9". Jet is probably going to use more fuel because you'd be getting a larger engine. Even on an 11' model you'll have 80 to 100 hp.

[Three Sisters]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Yikes, they make these things with 300HP. Seems some of these things can go 85mph. I really have no interest in those but it is eye opening.

I have been on my friends wave runner a long time ago on a lake. I remember it was ok at best. Waves hitting from the side made the ride uncomfortable. I am hoping in 25 years they have improved the hull designs to ride much better.

Now reading about the closed cooling systems.

Thanks for everyone's input so far.

300 HP ?

It's been a while+ but for comparison's sake it's the stand-up model only. Because of the love of wave jumping. As a matter of fact we were offered a sit-down model for nothing because the owner couldn't get it to run right but wouldn't take it. Depends how you want your ride.

[transmitterdan]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Are there some PWC's that are more reliable than others? I went to look at Honda PWC's today but for some reason could not find their location. I am now verifying the address for tomorrow. So of
Sea Doo, Yamaha, Kalasaki, and Honda do any stand out above the other.

I see that some manufactures make about (what seems like) a dozen different models ugh.

Check out Sea Doo models. I believe some (maybe all) models are fresh water cooled. They do not circulate salt water through the engine. They send salt water only through a small part of the exhaust system which can easily be flushed out with fresh water at the end of each day. The engine uses regular antifreeze coolant like a car. The "radiator" is on the bottom ride plate and is cooled by the ocean. I think this is an important feature for long life and reliability. On fresh water lakes maybe this isn't so important.

There are online PWC forums like this one where you can get a lot of information and learn which models have reliability issues. Some models have turbos or even super chargers with varying levels of known reliability problems.

[a64pilot]

Many, many years ago I used to ride a Kawasaki jet ski. The very first ones were I think 300 cc single cylinder ones, then came the two cylinder 440 and 550's.
Not that it matters, but jet skis were manufactured not by the company that built the motorcycles like you would think, but by Kawasaki heavy industries. The hulls were 6' long and 2' wide and made from sheet molding compound and excessively strong.
The factory motors hit their rev limiter about 5,000 RPM, I used to race and built a Performance Jet Ski reed motor and it came on the pipe about 6,000 and pulled strong to about 10 K I'd guess. The 440 had an axial flow pump, the 550 a centrifugal flow pump, the 440 pump could hold more HP and generate more thrust at higher RPM.

Those skis were pretty hard to ride, and took strength and skill, about like a motor cross bike, and you could do a lot of tricks on them. You had to get them on plane to ride, there wasn't enough floatation not to.

However the average overweight half drunk American couldn't or wouldn't handle them, so they morphed into the boats they are now. A great many are rentals and the renter has no idea at all what they are doing.
The reason they are so obnoxious is the average half drunk American operating them.
I used to ride before the ill will started and before all the special rules for jet skis were passed, and I hated seeing that happen, it got so bad that I stopped riding