Waverunners

[tuffr2]

I looked at Yamaha and Sea Doo today. I was told that Sea Doo used and iron block thus they use a closed cooling system. Yamaha uses an aluminium block thus an open cooling system.

I am leaning toward the Yamaha FX Cruiser models. I like the back platform and deep water boarding step. Also the FX Cruiser comes with some nice features.

A large PWC on a trailer is still a bit shorter than a car and not as wide. It should fit in the garage nicely and it is something I can muscle around when on the trailer...I really like the idea of keeping it in the garage as anything that sits out in the Florida sun/heat/pollen looks like crap in only a few years.

[transmitterdan]

My experience is that salt water is not kind to hot aluminum or iron.

But whatever brand and model you choose it's good to keep something in mind. PWC engines are considered quite old when they reach 200 hours of operation. Most one owner PWCs don't get 200 hours of use in 10 years. There are exceptions of course but on average people just don't ride them all day every day. Check the service manual for recommended maintenance intervals. You may be doing more frequent servicing than one would normally expect. There is a penalty that comes with high RPM 4 stroke engines.

Last advice: Invest in a personal locator beacon and good quality VHF handheld radio.

[tuffr2]

Humm...in the old days, 1980 - 2000 I always understood boat motors in fresh water, a 2 cycle outboard motor was good for 2,000 hours and an I/O was good for over 3,000 hours.

I am kinda surprised that in 2017 that a PWC engine is done in just 200 hours!!!.

The newer 4 cycle outboard motors I think last a long long time...they run at 3,500 - 4,500 rpm a lot of their life. The new car engines run 1,700 -2,200 most of their life....which is longer then the other parts of a car will hold up.

Are you sure a PWC engine will only last 200 hours?

[BandB]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I am kinda surprised that in 2017 that a PWC engine is done in just 200 hours!!!.

Are you sure a PWC engine will only last 200 hours?

Most PWC engines will last much longer than that. However, they will need a lot of maintenance along the way. Keep in mind that PWC's are subjected to rough treatment, more like race cars than passenger cars. They're run a lot wide open, they are used to jump waves, they're kept and used in salt water and they're small, not especially tough engines. They are not comparable to the same company's motorcycle engines. Some PWC's will spend a large part of their life in the shop and others will be lucky and never need repairs.

The nature of PWC's is another reason we chose jet ribs instead, but not jet ribs using the same engines as PWC's. Those had and have had horrible reputations.

[transmitterdan]

There are no 2 cycle PWCs on the market in the US. The new 4 cycle engines are turning 7800RPM at WOT and about 5000RPM at cruise speed. Not conducive to long life. They will last more than 200 hours but a lot of maintenance needed in that interval that most owners just ignore.

[tuffr2]

The engines used in PWC's sound like the same type of engines used in the crouch rockets.

I expect to change oil when recommended but I do not expect to have to do valve adjustments ever. 4 cycle plugs should last a long time. What maintenance items am I going to be faced with?

It is 2017, I expect very little problems with any engine.

[a64pilot]

I sold my 1997 CBR 1100XX last year to go cruising, had the bike since new. I think she had about 80,000 miles on her. She sat unused sometimes for more than a year when I was deployed etc.
I checked valve adjustment a few times, but never had to change a shim, installed a Dyna jet kit and K&N filter and always ran Mobil 1 oil. I did change plugs once, but other than going through many sets of tires and 1 set of chain and sprockets, there was precious little that needed replacing.
Oh, I did have the voltage regulator go out and a battery.

That is not bad for a motor almost 20 yrs old and over 2500 hours.
It redlined I think close to 11,000 or so and best I can remember normal cruise was usually around 5,000?

In 97 when it came out, it had the highest piston speed of any engine every mass produced, it was a long stroke motor, capable of high RPM.

[valhalla360]

For your use, a small outboard powered boat would make a lot more sense.

Not a fan of inflatables as they have limited lifespan and by the time the tubes are done, it's usually not worth the price of replacing.

Of course, any small boat on the open ocean requires a lot of respect.

As long as you are wiling to give it a wash down after each use (to minimize salt water issues), I would look at an aluminum boat with outboard. We used to take them out on the great lakes all the time. Really nice to be able to break out the oars and row back in if the engine doesn't fire up and they have built in flotation so if they do get flooded, you aren't all done.

With a 15-20hp outboard, they will scoot along at a good clip.

[transmitterdan]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

The engines used in PWC's sound like the same type of engines used in the crouch rockets.

I expect to change oil when recommended but I do not expect to have to do valve adjustments ever. 4 cycle plugs should last a long time. What maintenance items am I going to be faced with?

It is 2017, I expect very little problems with any engine.

Download the user manual of your favorite PWC and check the maintenance schedules. Also, cannot stress enough you should join a PWC group like CF and ask around. For example, some year model Sea Doo skis need a full super charger rebuild every couple hundred hours. Not doing it can result in lost engine.

[tuffr2]

How important is a supercharger on a PWC? Seems they really add to the maintenance of a PWC plus shorten the life of the engine.

I am not looking to race nor ride much above 50mph. Do I need a supercharger engine to be satisfied with a PWC?

[Dave_S]

It depends on the supercharger. Postive displacement SC give fantastic response and can be set to have boost at idle so they pull hard from the start. Typically they are heavier ski's so are not as nimble but better in the rough. They use fuel like a hole in the tank!

Centrifugal superchargers are less about response and power from the start and are usually used for high reving performance. In my opinion not so suitable for a jet ski.

My first ski was a Kawasaki 250x when they were new. They weighed over 1/2 a ton and I'm a heavy guy I could race it flat out in 3' messed up chop in open water racing when none of the little guys or lighter weight faster skis could match it.

I now like playing in the break zone at the beach were response and nimbleness are most important and have a Yamaha VXR, big displacement (1800cc) naturally asperated it is by far the best sit down ski for this use that I have ridden but for you, if you are going out in open water heavy is best.

My sc ski seemed to be annoying to turtles, whales and dolphins not significantly but more than non SC skis.

I think the FX is probably a good choice but take one on a test in the chop to see if that's what you want, no skis are comfortable in the chop.

My biggest expense is the impellers, because I play in the wave breaking area sand wears the impeller clearance and I get Cavitation and need to replace the impeller every second service. Otherwise nothing really goes wrong, service every 50hrs which is less often than most SC skis and cheaper.

[Three Sisters]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I looked at Yamaha and Sea Doo today. I was told that Sea Doo used and iron block thus they use a closed cooling system. Yamaha uses an aluminium block thus an open cooling system.

I am leaning toward the Yamaha FX Cruiser models. I like the back platform and deep water boarding step. Also the FX Cruiser comes with some nice features.

A large PWC on a trailer is still a bit shorter than a car and not as wide. It should fit in the garage nicely and it is something I can muscle around when on the trailer...I really like the idea of keeping it in the garage as anything that sits out in the Florida sun/heat/pollen looks like crap in only a few years.

Took a look at the FX models. Keep in mind you are looking at a weight of over 800 pounds.

[tuffr2]

The way I would use the wave runner is to lauch at Bings Landing Bings Landing is between St. Augustine and Daytona on the northeast coast of Florida. I would ride up the ICW a few miles to Matanzas Inlet. From there I would look for sea shells (which I like to do). So I could look out on all the sand bars both in the river as well as the ocean.

Once in awhile, not sure if I would ride or tow it to Daytona. Probably a bit of both. That is probably 35 - 40 miles. From there I would look for dolphin, manatee, and thong wearing girls. 50% of the time I would be solo. 40% of the time 1 passanger and 10% of the time 2 passangers...when we have company visiting.

Question - once at Daytona is it easy getting the ski thru the surf to the beach and back out again? I see a lot of Ski's at Matanzas Inlet on weekends but never on the beach where the waves at breaking. Humm, maybe that tells me.

In Florida there are three was to stay cool in summer.
1. Stay inside in the A/C.
2. Go to the ocean.
3. Go to a inland fresh water spring.

So the PWC would be used to stay cool in the Florida Spring, Summer and Fall and on nice days in winter. In the winter, stored in the garage I doubt the PWC will ever be in freezing weather.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Question - once at Daytona is it easy getting the ski thru the surf to the beach and back out again? I see a lot of Ski's at Matanzas Inlet on weekends but never on the beach where the waves at breaking. Humm, maybe that tells me.

.

Most places don't allow PWC's to be taken to the beach. In Volusia county there are PWC Zones. There's a map as they change month to month. However, there is always a 600' wide zone somewhere that you can be inside the surf and use the shore. Otherwise you have to be 1500' from shore. That's my understanding.

[tuffr2]

BandB - thanks, I will check this month's maps. Fyi, the ski will be used mostly in Flagler, St John's and Volusia counties. I was at Matanzas Inlet today, the tide was coming in. Wow the current. There was one ski running up and down the ICW.