15 replies to this topic

[gotmdx]

Doo-ers
I used to have the 240hp V6 and IMO it has a lot of power to do all the towing. What's your experience with the 215hp SC engine? How many can ride while towing a 2-3 person tube? ARE YOU SATISFIED with the QUALITY, Power and Performance of your new toy? Thanks!

still deciding......to purchase an 07 or 08 Challenger

[Fodon]

Doo-ers
I used to have the 240hp V6 and IMO it has a lot of power to do all the towing. What's your experience with the 215hp SC engine? How many can ride while towing a 2-3 person tube? ARE YOU SATISFIED with the QUALITY, Power and Performance of your new toy? Thanks!

still deciding......to purchase an 07 or 08 Challenger

Hi mate

As regards quality I will leave you decide-but see my post Reverse lever

[Fodon]

Hi mate

As regards quality I will leave you decide-but see my post Reverse lever

I forgot to mention that I also find the thing extremely noisy at WOT especially on the back seat. Those decibels seem to be way higher than my previous 2 Stingrays or Chaparral

Also at 12 stone exactly, I am not the heaviest beast. Yet I can feel that engine cover definitely flexes when I step on it

[Kevin Leclair]

Doo-ers
I used to have the 240hp V6 and IMO it has a lot of power to do all the towing. What's your experience with the 215hp SC engine? How many can ride while towing a 2-3 person tube? ARE YOU SATISFIED with the QUALITY, Power and Performance of your new toy? Thanks!

still deciding......to purchase an 07 or 08 Challenger

From our experiences so far it has plenty of power, first outing we put 5 people in the boat and it did just fine. We currently only have 2 hours on it so we are in the break-in period. Running it at 3/4 throttle for the first 5 hours. Boat has plenty of get-up out of the hole, once it gets over 5 hours we will run it WOT in 1 minute bursts from time to time until we reach 10 hours. I will keep you posted as we get more hours on it and get some people behind the boat to see how it handles pulling. We should be going out tomorrow so I will get some more hours on it to see how things go.

[gotmdx]

From our experiences so far it has plenty of power, first outing we put 5 people in the boat and it did just fine. We currently only have 2 hours on it so we are in the break-in period. Running it at 3/4 throttle for the first 5 hours. Boat has plenty of get-up out of the hole, once it gets over 5 hours we will run it WOT in 1 minute bursts from time to time until we reach 10 hours. I will keep you posted as we get more hours on it and get some people behind the boat to see how it handles pulling. We should be going out tomorrow so I will get some more hours on it to see how things go.

Hey Fodon and Kevin
Did your trailers come with standard "disc brakes"? Sales are telling me that this boat is less than 20' and so it does not require such brakes. Also, he said that this is just a "typo" on SeaDoo's specs sheet. Is this true?

Yes, yes, please post more....
SO, no pulling during break-in period? Thanks!

[Kevin Leclair]

Our trailer didn't come with brakes and I don't think they are necessary, the boat isn't that heavy to require them. We pull our boat with an SUV that has 3500 lb. tow rating and it has no problems stopping the boat and trailer.

[keviseeb]

Keep in mind the 180 Challenger, like all 215 or 255 HP engines have a program built into the computer which retards timing and increases fuel flow for the first 7 hours of operation to help with break in. This is the same program that cuts in if the spark knock sensors detect low octane fuel. And speaking of break in the owners manual says "3/4 throttle with occaisional bursts above". We recommend short burts of full throttle for no more than 20 or 30 seconds during this critical first 7 hours. With respect to brakes California and Idaho require brakes on trailers 1,500 lbs. and up. Most other states have anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 pound requirements with most being around 3,000 pounds. As a dealer I don't know whether Seadoo puts a different trailer under the 180 or not, I know the 180s we receive here in Virginia don't have brakes nor are required to have them. Maybe somebody would let me know if they have ever seen a 180 with brakes. By the way the trailer info is from the 72nd edition digest of motor laws published by the AAA.

Kevin N. Seeber
Kingsland Marine

[Kevin Leclair]

Well we finally did some pulling with our new 180 Challenger this past weekend. We did some wakeboarding, check the gallery for some pics, http://seadoosportbo...o...eq=sc&cat=9. The boat did great, it felt very strong and didn't have any problems getting me out of the water! We just used the tow eye too, since we didn't opt for the tower.

[no1stumper]

Well we finally did some pulling with our new 180 Challenger this past weekend. We did some wakeboarding, check the gallery for some pics, http://seadoosportbo...o...eq=sc&cat=9. The boat did great, it felt very strong and didn't have any problems getting me out of the water! We just used the tow eye too, since we didn't opt for the tower.

Serious skill on the wakesurfing, been trying to get that one down, she would show me up!!!!

[ou812]

Skiing or Wakeboarding the boat is fine. We have had trouble pulling tubes and other water toys. Going straight the boat does great, but we I turn and try to get the tube outside of the wake the boat really slows down. So I started "gunning it around corner and this doesn't help alot. If I haul a** then turn it does ok, but I don't want to kill anyone. This is my first jet boat, and have never had this problem with my outboards!? Does anyone have this same problem?

[Kevin Leclair]

This is the nature of a jet boat, you gotta give it some gas in the turns! Ours slows down too a little when turning, but as long as your hand is on the throttle to maintain the speed then you should be fine. If you are not able to maintain the speed then you might have something else going on.

[ou812]

This is the nature of a jet boat, you gotta give it some gas in the turns! Ours slows down too a little when turning, but as long as your hand is on the throttle to maintain the speed then you should be fine. If you are not able to maintain the speed then you might have something else going on.

I'm not able to maintain the speed while cornering. I've only had the boat a little over a month, and replaced the impeller last week. It seemed to help a little but still not what I've expected. Do you have any ideas what may be going on? Runs great going straight!?

[ZZSDMSMY]

My Challenger 180SE wil also slow down into the turns. I try to give it more gas as i go into it, but I find it difficult to mantain the speed I want to keep. All-in-all, I believe it pulls tubes very well, I had two families of 11 people total on the boat, pulling a 2 person tube and I thought it did fine. I've only tried pulling wakeboard once, 4 persons on boat and 200 lb adult on wakeboard and he poped right out of the water.

[no1stumper]

I'm not able to maintain the speed while cornering. I've only had the boat a little over a month, and replaced the impeller last week. It seemed to help a little but still not what I've expected. Do you have any ideas what may be going on? Runs great going straight!?

Acceleration from Turns - Because of the mechanical dynamics of the single stage pump design, turning will always have a noticeable effect on engine rpms. In high speed "left hand" turns, the water enters the pump cavity at an angle that is "unfriendly" to the rotation of the prop. The result is that engine rpms will drop significantly from this added "load". Conversely, turning right at high speed causes the water to enter the pump at an angle that allows the prop to process water very easily. The load reduction caused by this "favorably" entering water can be so profound that the engine rpms raise significantly, and cavitation is often induced.

[thumper]

just to add - when i am towing skiers or tubers i have to use a huge amount of throtle in the corners - particulalry skiers - you will loose some speed when not towing - it will all depend on a huge number of factors - how many people on boat - how is it loaded - sea conditions etc - one thing to remember is that if you are towing slow tubes or wake surfers and you are not planing - you will see a marked decreasein speed when turning, when towing my girlfriend on a mono ski at say 26mph (on gps) when on a turn at the top of a course if the turn is fairly tight i might need 2000rpm+ just to maintain 26mph.

[keviseeb]

just to add - when i am towing skiers or tubers i have to use a huge amount of throtle in the corners - particulalry skiers - you will loose some speed when not towing - it will all depend on a huge number of factors - how many people on boat - how is it loaded - sea conditions etc - one thing to remember is that if you are towing slow tubes or wake surfers and you are not planing - you will see a marked decreasein speed when turning, when towing my girlfriend on a mono ski at say 26mph (on gps) when on a turn at the top of a course if the turn is fairly tight i might need 2000rpm+ just to maintain 26mph.

No1stumper is correct, the 180 turns best to the right because of the water induction into the pump. The beam of the hull relative to its length is another issue. For instance if you turn left in decreasing water depth the boat will fall off the chine and continue straight even with the wheel turned hard left. On a single engine jet it is important to increase throttle during a left turn to keep the boat heeled over to port. No other Seadoo does that in the current lineup either due to having twin engines or a small enough wetted section not to cause induction or chine problems.

Kevin Seeber
Kingsland Marine