Longevity Review: 2011 Sea Doo 210 SP

I didn't want to post something too prematurally after purchasing a 2011 SP210 in April, but after a full summer of usage (and lots of it in AZ), it's time to gloat about this machine. I have only used on lakes, no oceans. I replaced a 2006 Yamaha SX230, which I must say, was a good first boat, but with lots of annoying small flaws. Let's start with performance: low bow rise (never lose sight of the water) and quick to plane make this toy safe to handle in all situations. Top speed appears to be low 50's on glass and despite being 2 ft shorter than my previous boat, this vessel handles the chop well. It never feels like it's rocking too much like a lot of outboard 21 footers do. Having the pumps versus props instills a little more confidence in safety as there is nothing for the kids to strike climbing in and out of the water. Obviously, the engines are shut off during boarding and swimming, but having the grates over the intakes and with the intakes being so far under, it would be hard to endanger yourself with this set up. Having twin motors adds to the security feeling; if one dies, you can still make it home. These engines are quiet too. You can have a normal conversation under cruising speed without any need to raise your voice. Now the interior: what a great setup! Lots of room to move around, feels more like a 23 footer than a 21. The seats and upholstrey are firm, but soft and top notch quality. Driver and copilot enjoy swival seats with the booster than is nice and bolstorous. Most booster are small and narrow and put your eyes at the level of the windshield frame disrupting your vision, not these. The cushions are all secured with hinges so no loose cushions to loose while towing, or to have to manuver around on the boat itself. The table has multiple set up locations including the swim platform. This accompanied with the jump seats on the platform make for a great day of relazation or fishing. Storage is everywhere, you almost can't fill it all if you try. Behind the cockpit panels on both sides are deep storage, perfect for 10 life jackets and such. The ski locker door is long and on struts to support itself also. Tons of room in there. The wet storage on the swim platform is again, on struts, and has two drains and ample room for even a wakeboard and boots. The folding wakeboard rack is perfect to hide behind your fence from your HOA, and easily swings up. It's sleek and has premounts for speakers on it along with the bimini top folds out. The stereo is great with speakers in the bow and main areas. Doesn't distort at high levels and has a USB plug in so that you can throw your songs on a flash drive and be ready to go. No need for CDs, 1000's of songs on a drive, and you can control it all from the swim platform too! Lastly, the instrument cluster is top notch. Easy to read and fairly simple to navigate through all of the different settings (cruise, docking, ski etc...). Ski mode is a must have. It allows my wife to pull me up consistantly every time and sets the top speed the same each time. If I want more top speed, it's an easy toggle. You have 5 "ramp-up" settings for aggressive acceleration to light for a child; bottom line is consistancy. Push button engine starts, easy toggle switches complete the ensemble. I could not be more pleased with the purchase of this boat and look forward to all of the memories we will continue to add over the years. As I mentioned in the beginning, I liked my Yamaha also, but it had flaws; here's a comparison of some areas, Y= Yamaha, S= Seadoo:

Cushions - Y = loose, fly out on the freeway, S = hinged, easy access and secure
Ignition - Y = two turn keys, S = 1 key, two push botton start/stops. Turn the key once and enjoy the day.
Bow door - Y = solid door that also acts as a storage compartment. If you pull it across the bow, your storage is open and showing. S = Plexi door seperate from any storage door. Even with it pulled, feels spacious and open.
Bimini - Y = complex and time consuming to open, straps stretch in the wind. S = easy to open and secure with two straps, solid.
Jet Pumps - Y = jet pump clean outs that blow out randomly flooding the boat and engine and are tough to get back in. S = no need for them, grates protect the intakes, this gives more space for the wet storage.
Wet storage - Y = none. S = tons, lockable and strutted so it stays open if need be.
Battery switch - Y = deep in a compartment that you can't open with the bimini down. S = right behind the drivers seat, easy access.
Swim Platform - Y = hard slippery decking, no seats. S = padded cushions, non slip, and fold out jump seats.
Throttle - Y = twin throttles mean you have to sync them yourselves. S = auto engine syncing, no worries, just drive.
Speakers - Y = no bower speakers, distortion. S = bow speakers that take the sound.
Folding bow window - Y = needs to be strapped down. S = magnetic easy use
Seating - Y = fold down access to swim platform. S = magetic removable so you don't need to stand on your nice cushions. Same in the bow.
Bow ladder - Y = none. S = yes.
Trailer - Y = basic. S = LED lighting, removable guide posts if need be.

I could go on and on, but these were some of the key areas. Again, could not be more pleased. I've been trying to think of what I don't like... the only thing I can come up with is the Sea Doo snap cover is a hassle. I'm waiting for poppy covers to get theirs made and will order immediatly. Pretty small complaint that doesn't impact any performance.

Enjoy
Steve

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Longevity Review: 2011 Sea Doo 210 SP

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