4 replies to this topic

[EastCoast]

Well i have been reading the posts on this forum for a few days now, and have been trying to find the answer to my problem.

I am trying to choose between some sort of "Boston Whaler" or a "Sea Doo" sport boat. Here is a list of things i wish to accomplish with this boat.

1) A good amount of fishing
2) Hanging out and just boating around on weekends
3) Some tubing/skiing/wakeboarding

So basicly i want the boat to to EVERYTHING.

But i am worried about:

1) Cost
2) Depriciation (hull cracking, engine rebuilds, wear and tear, ect.)
3) MECHANICAL ISSUES
4) The boat being able to handle the waves and saltwater of Long Island Sound.
5) Life of boat/engine

Nearly all of my boating will be done in Saltwater.

It would be greay if you guys could help me figure out which brand is best for me. And if Sea Doo is the boat for me, please tell me why. Feel free to share any good experiences with customer service and "Sea Doo" sport boats that you have had.

I can get a good deal on a Sea Doo 4 Tech down at a local boat place, is that a good boat for me?

Thanks

[Kevin Leclair]

I am about to go to lunch but give me some time and I will go down you list and weigh some pros and cons of different SeaDoo Sport Boats.

[Kevin Leclair]

From what I am reading I would I have to say that if you went with the SeaDoo line then it sounds like the Utopia would be best for you. The Utopia comes in 2 models, the Utopia 185 which comes in either a 200 hp OptiMax Mercury M² Jet Drive or a 240 hp EFI Mercury M² Jet Drive. Then there is the Utopia 205 which comes in either a 200 hp OptiMax Mercury M² Jet Drive, either a 240 hp EFI Mercury M² Jet Drive or a 250 hp OptiMax Mercury M² Jet Drive.

1) The reason I say that the Utopia line would probably be your best bet is because it has more than enough deck space for what you are asking, espicially for the fishing aspect.
2) Here again the deck space comes to mind here, plenty of room to walk around or just lounge in the boat.
3) I think any of the powerplants in the Utopia line would be suitable for this, all 3 options are pretty strong powerplants. Personally I would go with the 240 or higher but this is your call.

I don't think there is anything to be worried about with a SeaDoo Sport Boat, just make sure you test drive it, inspect it and make sure it is going the get the job doo'ne that you want doo'ne. Just make sure it is something that you are going to be happy with. I think many other SeaDoo owners will back me up on this.

1) As far as cost goes, do you research and find the best possible deal you can find. There are many people on the site here that will tell you if you are getting a fair deal or not. Also we have some dealers on that site that might even be able to help you out. What area are you in?
2) With anything you always have depreciation but just remember that boats don't depreciated like cars, just make sure you take care of you boat and it will hold its value the most it can. As far hull issues go, SeaDoo offers a 5 year hull warranty so they are very helpful if you ever experience any kind of problems like this. The Mercury powered engines are very solid engines, just take care of it and keep up with the maintenance and it should continue you to treat you right.
3) With this just keep up with all your maintenance that is recquired and always keep a check on things and you should be good to go.
4) Back to why I recommended the Utopia line, the Utopia is a pretty good sized boat so I think this boat should be real seaworthy to you, the bigger the boat the better they tend to handle the swell/wake.
5) SeaDoo offers good warranties on their boats but like I said before the main thing is that YOU keep up with the maintenance on the boat and that you treat it right. If you DOO this then it should treat you right! We have guys on here with boats going on 10 years old and they are still DOO'ing it like new!

Personally I think that the Sportster 4 TEC is a bit too small for what you are wanting to use it for but that is just my opinion. Let us know if we can be of anymore help!

[EastCoast]

Well thank you VERY much for your reply. It means a lot that you explained your suggtion with detail. I am just concerned that i will not know how to take care of or even drive a boat the size of The Utopia, because it would be my first boat. That is why I was interested in the 4Tech.

Thanks Again

[Kevin Leclair]

You're welcome. Keep us posted on your decesion, I think you could handle the Utopia. It is just getting use to the jet drive that might take some time but it will come to you with practice.